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The Initiative Advisory Committee provided the Foundation with
knowledge and expertise regarding the Initiative from diverse
disciplines. The Advisory Committee consisted of 18 members and nine
alternates, with nine of the advisors being youth between the ages of 16
and 26.
Goal:
To be a resource for the Initiative and advise TCWF staff about
developments in their respective fields that may affect progress and to
advise on ways to conceptualize and implement programs.
Objectives:
- To convene, on a regular basis, a qualified group of advisors to
comment on the progress of the Initiative.
- To incorporate that ideas of the Advisory Committee into the
planning and implementation of various Initiative components.
- To communicate ideas and suggestions from the Advisory Committee
through TCWF staff to grantees.
Accomplishments:
- Provided keen insight and guidance to TCWF. The Advisory Committee
assisted TCWF staff in the review and selection process of the
Wellness Village Program grantees.
- The Advisory Committee members’ expertise, diversity and high
level of participation provided credibility to the Initiative and to TCWF.
Challenges:
- Convening individuals from across different parts of the country
was difficult to schedule.
- The level of direct involvement by the advisors with the wellness
villages did not meet the expectations of the youth advisors. The
youth advisors wanted very much to provide support and advice to the
wellness villages and were disappointed that their role as advisors
prevented such involvement.
Lessons Learned:
- Advisory groups need to be managed well in order to gain value
from their collective expertise.
- Advisory groups can help promote and disseminate information about
the Initiative beyond the Foundation’s usual sphere of influence.
- Advisory group members, when engaged, bring remarkable insights
that are useful to the Foundation and the grantees. They were most
helpful in understanding policy implications for our work and the
nature of youth/adult partnerships.
- Engaging young people on the Initiative Advisory Committee gave
credibility to the work and yielded information about the challenges
faced by grantees in accommodating youth.
- Advisors were assets in the proposal review, site visit and
ongoing implementation of the Initiative.
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