Wilmington committee begins narrowing education, youth and family strategic priorities

The Wilmington City Council Education, Youth and Family Services Committee on Wednesday reviewed a draft of strategic priorities that would guide the council’s work on education, youth and family services, focusing discussion on youth empowerment, workforce development, early childhood education and extracurricular supports.

Legislative research director Dr. Kendra Bfield Nanga and Chief of Staff Elijah Simmons presented themes drawn from one‑on‑one meetings with committee members and asked the panel to identify where they agree, what needs clearer definition and which proposals should move toward projects or legislation. The presentation included proposals to strengthen the Wilmington Youth Advisory Council, expand early childhood education and literacy initiatives, develop internships and employment pathways, and pilot after‑school tutoring using retired educators.

Committee members welcomed the framing but repeatedly urged tighter focus. "I do love the fact that the chair has actually requested a definement of youth empowerment," Councilwoman McCoy said, adding that the committee should separate broad concepts into more specific, actionable priorities. Councilwoman Bracie cautioned the committee not to duplicate work already carried out by Parks and Recreation and suggested the council first catalog existing programs before creating new ones.

Director of Parks and Recreation Dr. Melanie Phillips described current city programs and how council might support them. On Safe Haven evening programming at William Hick Anderson Community Center, Phillips said the sites run extended summer hours and "we normally get anywhere between 40 to 50 youth during safe haven hours," and that the DSCYF (Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families) grant requires cultural, educational and recreational enrichment during extended hours.

Discussion also touched on marketing and communication: members urged better outreach and use of the soon‑to‑be Office of Educational Advocacy to build a directory of youth services and measure outreach performance. Council members proposed bolstering STEM, vocational apprenticeships and financial literacy inside city programming, and emphasized youth‑led promotion to increase participation.

The committee did not take formal votes on the priorities. Members asked staff to refine the themes, produce clearer objectives and identify the top actionable items for the committee to pursue at a future meeting.