Showing Up While Everything Is Shutting Down: A Story of Cooperation in San Francisco
San Francisco’s efforts to support children, youth and families through the COVID-19 pandemic is the focus of a new case study, Showing Up While Everything Is Shutting Down: A Story of Cooperation in San Francisco, released by the San Francisco Education Fund and written by David Phillips and Carolyn Gramstorff.
The study explores the City’s Community Hubs Initiative, particularly the local context that made this unconventional, cross-sector partnership possible. Additionally, the study examines the barriers the Initiative had to overcome including public health restrictions, political resistance, and structural limitations, and highlights lessons learned and main drivers of success, such as: catalytic leadership; true collaboration; and youth development professionals: essential workers of the Hubs.
Pulling testimonies and learnings from a diverse group of stakeholders, the over-year-long case study offers a model for how communities might rethink the role of governments, nonprofits, and educational institutions to truly meet the needs of the families at their center, in crisis and beyond.
The report includes four sections:
The Journey: The Case Study charts the path that led to the Hubs. In spring 2020, families struggled without in-person school, and municipal government, nonprofits, and public education rallied to support students. In summer 2020, the coalition of Hub partner organizations came together to create a solution for the upcoming school year while facing fierce resistance. And finally, in September 2020, the Hubs launched across San Francisco.
The Hub Model: The Case Study takes readers inside the Hubs by sharing a typical daily schedule, how the Hubs were funded, who staffed the Hubs, where Hubs were located, and more.
Analysis: The Case Study analyzes the Hubs’ challenges, initial outcomes, missed opportunities, and lessons.
Post-Pandemic Possibilities: The Case Study shares quotes from our interviewees on how our systems and people must work together to serve the most vulnerable children.
This case study is one of three reports about the Hubs. Social Policy Research Associates’ (SPR) Mid-Year Synthesis analyzes the Hubs’ outcomes from September through December 2020 and details resources and processes needed to operate the Hubs. University of California at San Francisco published a report in the Journal of Pediatrics regarding the Hubs health outcomes.
In addition, the Case Study includes five short videos that provides an overview and goes in-depth on particular topics of interest and share commentary from Hub leaders, families, and children.
2,509
youth served at the Community Hubs
78
Community Hubs operated at Recreation and Park Centers, Public Libraries and Community Centers across the City.
545
youth development professionals staffed the Community Hubs
38
weeks of in-person supports of remote learning curriculum and out of school time activities (5 days a week) during the 2020-21 School Year
119
organizations and agencies across city departments, community-based organizations, school district and private sector participated in the Community Hubs Initiative coalition.
Catalytic Leadership
Across the various leaders of the Community Hub Initiative, three leadership traits contributed significantly to the program's success: bold decision making, going beyond safe political "lanes," and leading with shared experiences.
San Francisco was the first city in this country to issue a shelter in place order. I fully recognize how difficult for our Mayor to shut down this city. I will be forever in awe of her owning that responsibility. And because she did that, it gave me the freedom to say, ‘I will follow in those footsteps.’
We all have that understanding of what our goal is and the goal being to serve our families as best as possible and create a safe environment for everybody.
True Collaboration
DCYF couldn’t rely on a traditional “command and control” or “push” approach, whereby a central authority makes plans, identifies resources, and influences others. Such an approach might have attracted individuals and organizations motivated by funding or compliance, but forming the collaboration needed a “pull” approach. A deeply felt shared mission attracted service providers to volunteer for the cause and compelled over 100+ organizations to work with one another for the benefit of San Francisco’s most vulnerable children.
Youth Development Professionals: Essential Workers of the Hubs:
Without youth development professionals, there would be no Hubs. No other group had the expertise, skills, and knowledge to pull this off. These professionals gave nearly 3,000 marginalized students a chance to avoid disastrous academic, physical, and mental declines. What’s more, the Community Hubs enabled our most vulnerable families to keep their jobs and regain some emotional strength.
I think youth development in afterschool is a field that is often unappreciated. In this moment, anybody who’s doing in-person with kids is the superhero. 10 years from now, 20 years from now, I know that we did absolutely everything that we could do in this moment to support the young people and their families that we serve.
If our young people aren’t socially and emotionally healthy, everything else becomes more challenging. This has been exacerbated over the course of the pandemic. We really need to pause and ensure that we’re not trying to push forward and cram knowledge, content and skills at the expense of human emotions, feelings and experiences.
Post-Pandemic Possibilities
The Hubs, like the COVID-19 pandemic more broadly, created opportunities for change and strengthened relationships. “Going back to the way we operated before would do our young people a disservice,” said Chris Tsukida of the Richmond Neighborhood Center. Numerous interviewees noted that the COVID pandemic will not be the last crisis we face. Whatever the next one is, it is incumbent on us all to ensure that we are ready for it.
It will take a village to address the wide range of learning needs for our City’s children and youth during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Community Hubs will provide a much-needed resource for our most vulnerable students.
City Departments and School District Partners
Department of Children, Youth and Their Families
Department of Emergency Management Services
Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing
Department of Public Health
Department of Technology
HOPE SF
Human Services Agency of San Francisco
JIC
Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development
Office of Early Care and Education
Public Library
Recreation and Parks Department
San Francisco Unified School District
the Community Hubs
Asian Pacific American Community Center
Bay Area Community Resources
Bayview Hunters Point YMCA
Betty Ann Ong Recreation Center
Booker T. Washington Community Service Center
Boys and Girls Clubs of SF Carver Elementary School Beacon
Boys and Girls Clubs of SF Columbia Park Clubhouse
Boys and Girls Clubs of SF Don Fisher Clubhouse
Boys and Girls Clubs of SF Excelsior Clubhouse
Boys and Girls Clubs of SF Mission Clubhouse
Boys and Girls Clubs of SF Community School Clubhouse
Boys and Girls Clubs of SF Sunnydale Clubhouse
Boys and Girls Clubs of SF Visitacion Valley Clubhouse
Buchanan YMCA
Buena Vista Child Care
Catholic Charities CYO of the Archdiocese of San Francisco
Chinatown YMCA
City of Dreams
Collective Impact @Hayes Valley Clubhouse
Collective Impact @Ella Hill Hutch Community Center
Community Youth Center of San Francisco @Ingleside Branch Library
Community Youth Center of San Francisco @ Willie Woo Woo Wong Playground
Donaldina Cameron House
Embarcadero YMCA @Treasure Island Community YMCA
Eureka Valley Recreation Center
FACES SF
Felton Institute
First Graduate
Friendship House Association of American Indians
Garfield Clubhouse
GLIDE Foundation @Marriott Hotel
Golden Gate Tennis Center
Good Samaritan Family Resource Center @Calvary Hill Community Church
Hamilton Families
Hamilton Recreation Center
Herz Playground
Indochinese Housing Development Corporation
Ingleside Community Ce nter
Jamestown Community Center @826 Valencia
Jamestown Community Center @Geneva Car Barn and Powerhouse
Jamestown Community Center @SF Community Music Center
Jewish Community Center of SF
Joseph Lee Recreation Center
Minnie and Lovie Ward Recreation Center
Mission Arts Recreation Center
Mission Graduates @YBCA
Mission Neighborhood Centers @El Centro Bayview
Mission Neighborhood Centers @Mission Girls
Mission Neighborhood Centers @Precita
Mission YMCA
Mission YMCA @Bernal Heights Branch Library
Mission YMCA @Geneva Car Barn and Powerhouse
Our Kids First
Palega Recreation Center
Peer Resources
Portola Family Connection Center
Potrero Hill Neighborhood House
Potrero Hill Recreation Center
Real Options for City Kids @Visitacion Valley Branch Library
Richmond Neighborhood Center @Richmond District Branch Library
Richmond District YMCA
Richmond District YMCA @Argonne Playground
Samoan Community Development Center
Shih Yu-Lang Central YMCA @Boedekker Park
Southeast Asian Development Center @Marriott Hotel
Stonestown Family YMCA
Success Center San Francisco
Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center
Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center @North Beach Branch Library
Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Center
The Salvation Army
United Playaz
United Playaz @Gene Friend SOMA Recreation Center
Up on Top @Tenderloin Recreation Center
Youngblood Coleman Park
Urban Ed Academy @Safe and Sound
Wah Mei School @Sunset Branch LIbrary
Westbay Pilipino Multi-Service Center
Westbay Pilipino Multi-Service Center @Gene Friend SOMA Rec Center
Young Community Developers @100% College Prep
Youth 1st @Merced Heights Playground
Philanthropic Supporters
COMCAST
Crankstart Foundation
Give2SF Donors
Golden State Warriors
Marriot Hotel
SF Education Fund
SF Museum of Modern Art
Silver Giving Foundation
Stuart Foundation
Tipping Point Community
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts