What is County Focus:
An interactive for high school age youth to learn about city and county government through visitations and tours.

Who is in Charge:

• County Focus Youth Committee
• Social Science Chair

When:

• 2 days, 1 nights (weekdays) in June or July.
• This event is held during the week because the agencies are open for visitation on weekdays.

What to do:

• 6 months in advance:
  • Check with Youth Advisor to select date
  • Identify and reserve a wheelchair accessible location for overnight. When reserving facility, obtain a lease agreement (if not already in place) and submit it unsigned to the 4-H YDA for processing.
  • Notify County Vice President of date to put on the calendar
  • Recruit youth and begin holding committee meetings
  • Decide which places you will visit and begin calling for appointment times

• 3 months in advance:
  • Put applications on the web
  • Mail applications to all eligible youth through the 4-H office. Applications must be approved by the YDA before they are distributed.
  • Advertise specific date, time, location, directions, and who may attend in the Timely Topics. Monthly deadline is the 15^th.
  • Continue calling civic agencies for appointment times
  • Plan schedule
  • Re-confirm facility
  • Organize dinner and breakfast plans
  • Recruit and organize chaperones and drivers. Chaperones must be 4-H leaders.

• 1 month in advance:
  • Confirm tours of agencies
  • Collect applications and fees
  • Finalize the schedule with committee
  • Assure that there are enough chaperones (1 adult per 10 youth) and drivers
  • Conduct a chaperone orientation outlining code of conduct, event rules, and 4-H program

• 1 week in advance: Re-confirm facility, chaperones, and tours

• Day of:
  • Meet at an agreed upon location, enter vehicles and begin tours.
  • That evening, have participants sign thank-you cards for tour guides

• 1 week after:
  • Update the binder for the following year
  • Send Thank-you cards to agencies that were toured

Sample Agencies to Tour:

• County jail
• Meet with Board of Supervisors
• Police department
• Women’s Jail: Elmwood
• Fire department
• Correctional Facility
• Mounted police
• Meet with City of San Jose
• Hospital
• Council Members
• Computer company
• Juvenile Hall
• Theatre
• Youth Coventry Commission
• Recycling Plant
• Garlic Farm
• Radio Station
• Television Station
• Dump
• Waste Management Plant
• Courthouse
• Morgue

Committee Positions:
There should be at least one person on the committee in charge of each of the following:

• Registration
• Schedule
• Tour Confirmation
• Evening Activities Coordinator
• Dinner/Breakfast/Snack foods

Publicity Ideas:

• Report at County Council/Executive Board meetings
• Give flyer to 4-H office to send in county club packets
• Advertise in the Timely Topics
• Volunteer to attend club meetings to give reports
• Encourage members of all ages to attend and/or serve on the committee

Helpful Hints:

• Have each participant bring a brown bag lunch to eat on the first day
• The application fee should cover food, gas, and any tour fees that may apply
• Participants must wear formal attire and are expected to behave in a mature manner (strict adherence to the code of conduct)
• Evening activities may include games, skits, or movies
• Each participant should bring a snack to share for the evening
• Participants should bring sleeping bags/pillows to spend the night