Goal, Strategies and Initiatives

For Northern Kentucky to grow and prosper we must cultivate the next generation of regional stewards who are civic entrepreneurs, integrators, and coalition builders.  Therefore, Northern Kentucky set a goal to cultivate regional stewardship as a defining quality of our region.

Four strategies for achieving regional stewardship:

1. Increase the number of women, minorities and young people in key leadership positions
2. Expand leadership development opportunities throughout the region
3. Build and sustain a culture of civic volunteerism and philanthropy
4. Create a Regional Stewardship Council to lead the implementation of Vision 2015 (developed in 2006)

Latest Developments on Related Initiatives:

Volunteer Website   www.NKYHelps.org
nkyHELPS will now enter a new phase that through additional partnerships and collaboration is expected to enhance the volunteer experience and increase engagement opportunities.  United Way of Greater Cincinnati has redesigned their Volunteer Connection site and its VolunteerMatch.org database tool to serve the needs of volunteers in our region.  Building off of what nkyHELPS.org has created, Northern Kentucky residents can find opportunities in Northern Kentucky where they can get involved and make a contribution to our community in both United Way funded agencies and other nonprofits.

This site allows customized searches by topic and by zip-code, and you can register to track your volunteer hours. There are already nearly 850 volunteer opportunities listed –currently about 160 of them in Northern Kentucky!  This is great news that volunteers and nonprofits throughout our region can now find each other through one centralized portal.

Volunteers: Register to stay connected to regional volunteering news and updates or click here to start searching for Northern Kentucky volunteer opportunities right now.

Nonprofit organizations, governments and schools: Here is where you can find everything you’ll need to get started: www.uwgc.org/findvolunteers

Service Learning   http://servicelearning.childreninc.org/
Service learning has become a defining aspect of creating a culture of regional stewardship among youth in Northern Kentucky. Children, Inc. continues to deepen the impact for students participating in service learning in their schools. This program serves more than 60 elementary, middle and high schools throughout Boone, Kenton and Campbell Counties. Junior Achievement and Children, Inc.’s Service Learning division have joined hands to integrate financial literacy, business planning and service learning methods. Last school year, 24,579 students participated in Children, Inc.’s Service Learning program and collectively raised over $102,000 for local, national and international causes. Students completing service learning projects also collected nearly $60,000 in basic needs items like shampoo and canned goods to give to the poor and needy. Service learning teaches students the importance of giving back to the community. This program will create a generation of community members who not only recognize the needs of their neighbors, but have the experience and aptitude to stand up and help. 

Service Learning statistics for the 2011-2012 school year: 

• 24,579 students completed a service learning project.
• 15, 924 students completed more than one project during the school year.
• Students in 73 schools completed 489 projects.

Greater Cincinnati Service Learning Network
Vision 2015 and Agenda 360 have partnered with Children, Inc to form The Greater Cincinnati Service Learning Network. The group has now established its Steering Committee and has begun to meet and formulate goals. This initiative builds upon the foundation laid by Children, Inc.’s strong Service Learning Program in Northern Kentucky and will link numerous community partners throughout the Greater Cincinnati region that provide service learning and community service programs involving students from kindergarten through college.