Project Summary 

The Latino Outreach Program extends educational resources and interactive safety programs to address the needs of the Latino community in the Village of Woodridge.  The overarching goal is to provide education and information specific to the Latino community; this is accomplished through promotion of available resources, increasing the awareness of their own personal safety, and addressing the modification of cultural differences in our community thereby contributing to changing unsafe behaviors. 

To successfully engage Latino audiences, programs are culturally responsive; that is, they must reflect the cultural traditions, beliefs, and values of the people. When we do this, Latino participation increases dramatically.  The Village of Woodridge's Latino outreach program introduces a family approach to program delivery.  More than Euro-Americans, Latinos often participate in activities as a family.  Thus Woodridge's Latino Outreach Program incorporates a youth component that occurs at the same time as the adult program. 

The program involved the formation of cross-sector partnerships from the community and the surrounding area. Local, regional and county governmental agencies were brought to the table to collectively address the needs of the Hispanic community. We brought together, in a coalition format, a community leader, a teacher / educator, a health-care specialist, and a member of the law enforcement and fire service. Minimally, these representatives had to be bilingual in English and Spanish and preferably of Latino ancestry.  These components were critical to the success and synergy of the Latino Outreach Coalition as it created an atmosphere of community inclusion, and therefore allowed the combined agencies to work toward their goal of a genuine partnership designed to improve the Quality of Life in the Village of Woodridge.  

The coalition action plan that was created included attendance at orientation classes; review of existing educational programs of each participating governmental body and making recommendations for those programs that should be translated into Spanish for delivery to the community; building internal support from the respective member agencies and organizations by conducting in-house awareness classes in conjunction with the Director of Latino Affairs and the coalition’s community leader(s); and delivery of final program(s) to the community at various venues.

Project Description: 

The Latino Outreach Coalition displays the value of diversity in the Village of Woodridge and a desire for this community to become a beacon of how a multi-discipline coalition can bring about social change. It guiding principle is to foster an atmosphere of civility and mutual respect. 

Initiated in 2005, Woodridge’s Latino Outreach Program grew out of a need to provide culturally specific education information to the Woodridge Latino community. The program began with the identification of a concern: The Latino population in the Village of Woodridge and DuPage County continues to increase at record rates. Data from the census bureau indicates a 300% increase over the past 14 year period. Past research and empirical data indicates that this group is at higher risk of health problems, at-risk behaviors, work hazards and traffic injuries than the general population.  Statistics from the DuPage County Health Department indicates that, for example, in the year 2000, in a one-month time period, twice as many Latino adults had driven after drinking in excess of the legal limit. 

The costs entailed included personnel, translation and reproduction.  Personnel costs were designated to be absorbed by the member agencies and organizations that participate, in exchange for delivery of the program back to their respective constituency. Translations costs are provided by the State of Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) for programs involving fire safety and survival. Non-OSFM related classes / programs were to be translated in-house by coalition members. Reproduction costs were necessary for course materials and related hand-outs.  This cost was also absorbed by the coalition member agencies/organizations.  This cost sharing was one of myriad unique and optimal uses of taxing bodies in a most efficient and effective manner.

What were the project objectives? 

The project objectives were to collect information on the nature and cause(s) of unsafe behaviors involving Latinos in the Village of Woodridge, promote available resources, increase awareness of the Latino community’s personal safety and address the cultural differences in our community thereby contributing to changing unsafe behaviors. The Coalition of the Latino Outreach Program was to share collective insights in the interest of raising awareness and improving the safety conditions of the Latino community. 

Who was involved in the project?  

The Latino Outreach Program exemplifies citizen and community collaboration. The program involved the formation of cross-sector partnerships from the community and the surrounding area.  Project leadership was initially provided by the State of Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal, and included the Woodridge Police Department, the Lisle-Woodridge Fire Protection District, DuPage County Health Department and Woodridge School District 68.  These representatives were brought together in a coalition format; minimally, each member had to be bilingual in English and Spanish and preferably of Latino ancestry.    

Strategies and Activities – how were the objectives met? 

The Coalition recognized a need for alternatives to traditional injury prevention and education programs for Latino residents.  The primary strategy of the project was the organization of a Village-wide Latino Outreach Coalition, which will eventually sponsor a further regional network of Latino Outreach Coalitions in those communities with rapidly increasing Latino populations. 

The Coalition provides public information and education programs specifically adapted for the Latino community, with programs including but not limited to fire safety, bicycle and pedestrian safety, motorcycle and helmet use;  health and wellness education; and informing the community about policy, laws and the cost of traffic crashes and injuries to the Latino community. Programs are presented in their entirety in Spanish.  

How was the project funded? 

Effective management of municipal resources was paramount.  Costs associated with the program (e.g., personnel, translation and reproduction costs) are absorbed by the member agencies and organizations that participates -- in exchange for delivery of the program back to their respective constituency. Translations costs are provided by the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) for programs involving fire safety and survival. Non-OSFM related classes / programs were translated in-house by coalition members. Reproduction costs were necessary for course materials and related hand-outs.  This cost was also absorbed by the member agencies/organizations.  By utilizing our local, regional and county governmental bodies, the Latino Outreach Coalition made unique and optimal use of all engaged and participating taxing bodies in a most efficient and effective manner.  

 How were the results measured? 

The Latino Outreach Coalition, on behalf of their respective taxing and governmental bodies, were directed to compile stand-alone data and documentation so as to be capable of making strategic comparisons between conditions existing prior to the formation of the coalition and since its genesis. Measurements include: 

            Input Measures: (Efficiency) Resources needed to carry this program over a required period of time with the purpose of achieving an outcome or output. Please include your personnel time (hours), costs, supplies from your respective agency. 

            Output Measures: (Effectiveness) Assessment of actual accomplishment of work or service provided through the coalition. Please be specific to inputs so clinical interpretation of data can be performed. 

            Outcome Measures: (Productivity) Assess the actual results or effects of program, impacts, etc., within the community. While these metrics may be less specific, and may not be immediately evident, your documentation of even anecdotal customer end results is important. 

Additionally, the following questions were asked of each participating agency in the Coalition: 

1. Where the goals of the Coalition accomplished…the organizational mission? 

2. Did the goals and objectives meet / exceed the established Strategic Plan adopted for

    the Latino Outreach Coalition for fiscal years 2005-06 and 2006-07? 

3. Are the activities making an impact on the completion of organizational goals? 

4. Is the activity worth the individual agency expense? 

5. Are there lessons to be learned from this project?  

6. Are all Coalition activities consistent with the goals and objectives of each respective

    organization? 

Specific statistics required from each Latino Outreach Coalition member agency includes: 

1. Number of additional, non-scheduled requests for the Latino Outreach Program

2. Increased community contacts

3. Increased registration in existing programs at the Village of Woodridge Community 

    Resource Center (2005 v 2006; current year v preceding year)