Mapping Technology Has Its Limits

To the Editor:

In reply to the letter from Daniel Bassill (“General Powell Needs a Battle Map to Fulfill America’s Promise,” May 21), the Waterbury Foundation and the United Way of Central Naugatuck Valley have also used mapping technology to map the after-school programs available in Waterbury’s inner-city neighborhoods, as well as such risk factors as truancy, crime rates, and rates of teen-age pregnancy.

Based on the results of this mapping study, the foundation, United Way, and another private foundation will fund after-school programs that meet all five of the goals of the Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future to fill the gaps in academic, cultural, or recreation programs shown on the maps. We will showcase this project at Connecticut’s Promise to Our Youth Day this month.

The Waterbury Foundation and the United Way have invited youth-service providers to meet together, provided examples of innovative programming, and encouraged collaborative efforts. We have received numerous grant applications from agencies that have never been involved with us be fore and that wish to improve the services in their neighbor hoods.

The process has been excellent, and we would encourage other communities to follow the example outlined by Mr. Bassill. However, we would add, based on our experience, that this process is only the first step and that significant follow-up is needed to make the program a success. Although we brought agencies together and encouraged them to work together, the initial applications show little collaboration.

A youth coordinator is being hired by the funders to work with the agencies over the next five years to bring innovative programs to Waterbury and to coordinate agency talent and resources. Volunteer recruitment and training is an ongoing task. As communities plan their response to America’s Promise, the time horizon for planning must be five to 10 years, not just the year to create a community map.

Ingrid Manning
Director
The Waterbury Foundation
Waterbury, Conn.