UrbanFUTURE

Meet Francisco - UF Student Aspiring to New Heights

2011-04-22T12:11:00.000-05:00

I'd like to introduce you to an IMPACT team whose hard work together this year has put the student on a trajectory for success in 5th-grade. As assessed by our Scholastic Guided Reading curriculum, Francisco started the year on a level "M", roughly equivalent to an end of 2nd-grade reading level. Through his own drive to learn--demonstrated by his perfect attendance at UrbanFUTURE sessions--and his tutor's commitment to coming an hour early each week to work with Francisco one-on-one, Francisco will be leaving 4th-grade reading at a level "R", or an end of 4th-grade level. This academic growth has no doubt prepared him to enter 5th-grade prepared to achieve academic success and continue onto advanced material.

Here is what Francisco had to say about IMPACT:

My name is Francisco and I am ten years old. I have a tutor named John and he is eighteen years old. On Mondays, we work on math. We have done a lot of different problems this school year. On Wednesdays, my tutor and I practice Communication Arts. Right now, we are reading a mystery book about a slave from the Revolutionary War.

My tutor John helps me learn and is always here to tutor me. He is the first tutor I have ever had. Tutoring is a good time for kids to learn more about what they have done and to remind them about their subjects. I really like tutoring because John helps me all the time.

Team Work Brings Restoration to Jefferson

2011-03-30T13:16:00.000-05:00

When I think of the way our INSPIRE teams work together, I am reminded of a television show I watched as a child. Earth! Fire! Wind! Water! Heart! When the five powers combine, they form Captain Planet and save the world! While UrbanFUTURE teams might not be saving the world (yet), when each part of the team works together, they can make quite an impact in the life of a child. Our INSPIRE teams at Jefferson Elementary are making huge strides to restore the bonds between schools, families, and communities!

Through the support of her mother, mentor, and teacher, DeAnyai, a fifth grader, has improved this year, both academically and as a person.

From the parent…

I see more growth in DeAnyai’s academics and participation in class. Mary (the mentor) is wonderful and very informative. I appreciate the program and the very committed teachers and mentors! I pray over my children every day, and I know that UrbanFUTURE is one of God's answers to my prayers.

From the mentor…

I decided to volunteer with UrbanFUTURE because I was looking to get more involved in the community. DeAnyai seems to bring a positive attitude to our sessions every week, regardless of outside circumstances. My biggest success with DeAnyai is the relationship we’ve developed, and because of this, she seems very open to listening, learning, and sharing during our mentoring sessions. We always spend our time working on the UrbanFUTURE character and goal-setting curriculum, but we do it together, making it more enjoyable and exciting.

Ms. Spivey (DeAnyai’s mom) always thanks me for working with DeAnyai and tells me how much she loves and appreciates UrbanFUTURE. She is very trusting of me and open about DeAnyai’s strengths and weaknesses. This past week, I got to go with Ms. Spivey to parent teacher conferences, so I have a better idea of what to work on with DeAnyai. Ms. Spivey not only praises UrbanFUTURE, but also continually expresses her appreciation for what I am doing; my biggest success with Ms. Spivey is that I have begun to build an open, trusting relationship with her.

From the Teacher…

I think that D's relationship with her mentor has started to impact her sense of accountability and her internal motivation. She knows there's someone else she's going to see and tell about her goals and her progress in class, so she's asking questions, and monitoring herself, and will occasionally even say things like "I am going get all of my work finished so I can show her what I did today." Deanyai's mentor just recently gave her a planner, and now Deanyai is writing in her homework assignments and checking them off as she goes. The excitement to engage and improve, knowing she has someone who is rooting for her one on one, is a huge benefit to Deanyai. And because they're working on goal setting together, being very explicit about HOW you set real goals and action steps, I can see Deanyai internalizing that- when she sets goals for herself in class they are concrete, achievable, and meaningful to her.

In UrbanFUTURE tutoring, Deanyai is getting the individual extension work that we don't always get to in class, to help challenge her. I know this is happening because when she participates in class (which is often, and confidently) she offers higher level answers; that is, she explains her thought process and can apply new knowledge more readily, which is evidence of the one-on-one coaching tutoring in which she's asked to do that in depth.

Part of Jefferson's mission (and what's just plain necessary for student success) is greater parent involvement, and UrbanFUTURE really brings that to bear. I think that sometimes there's a sort of divide set up between school and home, or there's communication, but it's needs-based (i.e. only when something goes wrong) and can be less frequent. UrbanFUTURE, with its mentors regularly contacting parents, with parents knowing they can contact Stephanie or a mentor as well as a teacher, with parent chaperoned field trips, and family events (like the ice cream party to celebrate student test scores!) is a very positive, student centric gathering place for all of those who are working towards the success of a student- parents, mentors, and teachers. It's not about the school, or the teacher, or the parent, but about what is happening with the student. I personally have found it easier to get a hold of my parents who are UrbanFUTURE parents, and I think those parents are more actively aware of what is happening with their student's progress, since they communicate with me AND mentors. UrbanFUTURE INSPIRE mentors helped get parents up to school for conferences, and came to conferences to meet with parent's about what students are working on.

It's reassuring to me as a teacher to know that some of those individual attentions that I can't give to students during the day (enrichment to excelling students, extra support and individual coaching for struggling students) is being given to them after school. EVERY STUDENT at our school needs more positive love and attention, and the fact that 4th, 5th, and 6th graders, who are coming into adolescence, one of the most challenging times for development of self-image and attitude towards school and the future and other people, are getting that CONSISTENT, POSITIVE attention and support (not to mention role models), is hugely beneficial.

From the Student…

My mentor is helpful because she is teaching me how to be more patient. I like my mentor because she’s fun and she helps me with a lot of things, like my self control which I really need to work on. I know she cares about me because when I’m sad or my head hurts, she asks me what’s wrong and lets me take a break. When I wasn’t keeping up with my homework, she bought me an agenda . Doing all of my homework was one of my action steps for my reading goal, so my agenda is helping me reach my goals. My goals are helping me get better as a student, like some of my action steps and goals are affecting my report card and my grades are improving. I know she cares about me because she took me to Crown Candy and we got ice cream and a BLT. My favorite part of UrbanFUTURE is mentoring and the field trips.

We may not be saving the world Captain Planet style, but we are working to change communities, schools, families, and most importantly, the lives of our students!

Define for Mine

2011-03-17T09:25:00.002-05:00

Restoration n. the process of bringing an object back to its original state; the process of restoring something

Since the beginning of my UrbanFUTURE experience; the word restoration, has been used to describe what our schools deserve, what our children will benefit from, and what we, the cast and crew of UrbanFUTURE strive for on a daily basis. It wasn’t until a few months ago, that we were challenged to contemplate…”What does restoration look like at your school?” This question seems innocent and straight to the point, right? Wrong! It wasn’t until that very moment that I realized that restoration is relative, and what feels like, looks like, and tastes like restoration at one school may not be entirely true for another. Below you can find students, parents, mentors, that have contributed to defining restoration for Meramec Elementary!

Ruth King (Meramec 2^nd grade teacher), allows UrbanFUTURE students into her classroom to provide “Story Time” and set s aside time for open floor dialogue between UF fifth grade readers and their second grade listeners!

Elizaebeth M. (Meramec Parent of Shontevia), supports her student and UrbanFUTURE by maintaining regular contact with teachers and school staff!

Shontevia (Meramec 5th grader), made a choice to focus hard on her studies, and has brought her Science grade up from a C to a B!

Terrell (Meramec 5^th grader), has 100% UF attendance, and has worked diligently to bring his Math grade up from a C to a B!

Orlando F. (Meramec Parent of Terrell ), has shown a great deal of support for UF by attending all parent meetings, and maintaining weekly contact with teachers and tutors!

Ryan, Tina (Meramec Parent of T. Ryan), has donated her time and money to support the students of UrbanFUTURE!

Allen, Mya (Meramec Secretary), has shown tremendous daily support for UF students, UF parents, and UF staff, and has volunteered her time after work hours to assist with UF programming!

Tearra (Meramec 5^th grader), made the choice to refine her reading and comprehension skills by providing “Story Time” to second graders!

Isaiah Melendez (Meramec Math Tutor), made and shows his commitment to Meramec students as well as UrbanFUTURE; not only by his one hour weekly commitment, but also by coming in to tutor small groups during his free time!

Oughton, Nick (Meramec Mentor), has shown great commitment and support by maintaining regular contact with parents, UF staff, and teachers!

Nola Lee (Meramec Principal), pushes UrbanFUTURE students and parents to acknowledge and reach their full potential!

A BIG thank you (to those mentioned and not mentioned)...thank you for giving Meramec Restoration its own unique feel…you make the journey of defining fun!

L'Ouverture Students Prepare to Explore Washington, DC

2011-03-10T09:49:00.000-06:00

Early in January, UrbanFUTURE’s L’Ouverture students were informed about an opportunity to attend an Explore! field trip to Washington DC. In order to be eligible, they would have to participate in a rigorous research class each week, where they would study one of Washington DC’s various attractions. The expectations were set extremely high. The students understood that if they wanted to attend then they were going to have to work hard. Many of the students were intimidated by the demands of the course, but four students have risen to the occasion!

Cherice, Dejhae, Rodney, and Chaundria have worked diligently each week as they learn the process of writing a research paper. They each explored several DC landmarks and narrowed their focus down to one topic. Their topics include the White House, the Washington Monument, the Library of Congress, and the African American Civil War Memorial.

Next week, the students will be taking a trip to the local library to learn more about how to do research. Soon after that, they will begin the writing process where they will discuss format, citation, and plagiarism. The final drafts will be turned in at the end of April, but their learning experience will only be partially complete. In May, they will board a plane and fly to Washington DC to see the monuments and buildings that they spent a full semester learning about!

UrbanFUTURE is dedicated to helping students to see and believe in their possibilities. After months of hard work, four L’Ouverture students will have the opportunity to see the world beyond St. Louis and the possibilities that exist there.

March Madness Charity Auction

2011-03-03T09:20:00.001-06:00

In my book, we've just entered the "most wonderful time of the year." Yeah we're not even 3 months removed from the holidays, but I've got that Christmas carol in my head, because to me the NCAA Tournament and the excitement leading up to the tournament is my favorite time of year.

This year, UrbanFUTURE will be capitalizing on this excitement by hosting the UrbanFUTURE March Madness Charity Auction, an idea that came directly from one of UrbanFUTURE's tenured mentors, Patrick Nolan. This auction differs from most. Participants will bid on teams in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Some of the lower seeded teams will have items attached directly to them which may include local restaurant gift cards, sports memorabilia or spa packages. The top teams, however, will be competing for Performance Prizes valued at $250 or more. Teams that make the Sweet 16 are guaranteed a Performance Prize and the prize will improve the deeper the team goes in the tournament. Some of the Performance Prizes include a round of golf at Bellerive Country Club, box seats behind the Cardinal's dugout for a weekend game and 4 tickets to the Notre Dame - Michigan State football game this fall.

For all of the college basketball fans out there, this a great event to not only get swept up in the "madness" but also to support a great cause. All the proceeds of the event will go to help fund UrbanFUTURE Restoration programs like One On One INSPIRE Mentoring. The March Madness Charity Auction will be held at Highlands Brewing Company in Kirkwood on Tuesday, March 15th from 6 - 9pm. Admission is $25 in advance ($30 at the door), which includes draft beer and appetizers. You can register online or by calling Kathy Belt at (314)776-3434.

I hope you'll join me in celebrating a wonderful month and a great cause.

**UPDATE** The March Madness Charity Auction will be hosted by Frank Cusumano of KSDK and KFNS.

Nearing Our Volunteer Goal

2011-02-23T14:58:00.002-06:00

We are so excited to report that we have a total of 450 volunteers so far that have been tutoring and mentoring our UrbanFUTURE students! Our goal is 500! Just 50 more to go...We have fulfilled our current tutor needs and are looking for more mentors to complete our need this year 2010-2011! This week, the Community Outreach Department has been attending various volunteer fairs including Harris-Stowe State University and Webster University High School. Our volunteers include a diverse population including high school students, University students, retiree's, lawyers, doctors, teachers, community members, corporate sponsors, and many others. Thank you to our current volunteers for spreading the word and referring their friends and relatives to become UrbanFUTURE volunteers!

A Spotlight On Academic Success

2011-02-17T14:56:00.000-06:00

Quarter 3 is in full swing and Fanning has a number of shining and rising stars! Students have been working hard in both INSPIRE, IMPACT, and Explore! and it shows!

Victoria is a 7th grader who exemplifies UrbanFUTURE's mission. In the fall when she joined, Victoria struggled with her attitude and was performing poorly in her classes. She was often sent to the UF office after school because of her attitude and refusal to comply with after-school rules. Yet Victoria began to realize that in order to accomplish her goals, she had to make a change. The change started with her tutor, who helped her to see that her struggles in school did not need to define her. By working hard, Karen let her know that she could do whatever she decided she wanted to do. So they began working together in communication arts, twice a week, and the improvement was dramatic!

Victoria started out reading at a 2nd grade level and, by mid-October, had already raised her level to the 4th grade. By the end of the second quarter, Victoria had soared to a 5th grade level. She moved from an L to a Q bin, in a matter of months! At the same time that she was pushing herself in after-school tutoring, she was pushing herself in class. Her GPA improved and, after her second acuity test, she reported that she "felt very confident" about how she had done. Additionally, on her latest SRI assessment (Scholastic Reading Inventory), she went up by 400 points! Wow! For the first time, Victoria is feeling successful in school and is proud of her accomplishments. She looks forward to coming to tutoring and, with her new tutor, she is eager to explain what she's been working on and how the tutoring sessions should run.

She is also continuing to focus on developing her character. After being matched with a mentor, Victoria continued to excel, working with her mentor and Mr. Hadley to set academic and behavior goals to continue to push her success.

In the photo above, Victoria and Mr. Hadley work on a project for class. Victoria's focus on academics and her openness to change has made Victoria one of Fanning's SHINING STARS!

The Cost of High School Dropouts and How UrbanFUTURE Restoration Helps

2011-01-28T11:53:00.000-06:00

A 2008 report by Jason Amos of the Alliance for Excellent Education details some of the costs associated with the high school drop out rate. Based on that report ("Dropouts, Diplomas and Dollars: U.S. High Schools and the Nation’s Economy"), here are some of the alarming social costs for the state of Missouri based on dropout rates.

· Lost Lifetime Income of HS Dropouts 2007-08: ~$4.8 billion

· Benefit of increasing male HS graduation rate by 5% based on crime reduction: ~$150 million

· Lifetime savings for Medicaid & Uninsured medical coverage if dropouts graduated: ~$245 million

· Increase in Household Wealth if dropouts graduated: ~$1.5 billion

· Annual Savings from reduced need for community college remediation: ~$21 million

· Additional Personal Income of educational attainment of Af. Am, Hispanics & Nat. Am increases to that of white students by 2020: ~$1.3 billion

Using some of that data, UrbanFUTURE conducted a hypothetical cost-benefit analysis of investing in UrbanFUTURE Restoration based on a community cluster of 300 students.

Based on the current graduation rate of 50% in St. Louis Public Schools, in an UrbanFUTURE Community Cluster of 300 students, 150 students would not graduate from high school. The total cost to provide Restoration for 300 students over 5 years (4th - 8th grade) is $4.5 million. If UrbanFUTURE Restoration was successful in helping students from 4th - 8th grade prepare to succeed in high school (i.e. graduate), here are the social cost savings:

· Additional lifetime income: $39 million

· Medicaid & Uninsured Medical Coverage Savings: $2 million

· Total societal cost in loss earnings & increased healthcare savings: $41 million

That means there would be a net benefit of UrbanFUTURE Restoration of $36.5 million and for every $1 invested in UrbanFUTURE Restoration, society would receive $9 in return - a 900% return on investment! This calculation doesn't even consider the costs savings of reducing crime and incarceration rates, increasing household wealth and cost savings for community college remediation courses.

With these kinds of numbers, investing in UrbanFUTURE now will mean more for everyone in the future. Restoration isn't just about helping urban youth, it's about helping us all and restoring the collaboration between the home, the school and the community.

My Own Three 3 Cups of Tea

2011-01-20T14:57:00.000-06:00

The following is an account from one of UrbanFUTURE's One on One INSPIRE Mentors (Ayesha Najib). Ayesha has been volunteering with UrbanFUTURE as a mentor for 3 years now.

Greg Mortenson’s book, Three Cups of Tea, is an inspiring story of one man’s attempt to build schools in rural Pakistan. Mortenson is a simple man from humble beginnings. An even simpler man, Haji Ali, befriended him and together they started what is now an astounding project. This book made me think about how much wisdom a Nurmadhar from a remote part of my own country possessed. Although Haji Ali was illiterate, he was wise in the lessons of life.

Three years ago, I joined a volunteer mentoring organization, working with underprivileged children. I felt this was one way to give back to a country that has given me so many opportunities and has become my new adopted home.

I was assigned to a pre-teen African American girl. I was instructed to contact her parents for personal information. I compiled a list of questions, hoping for insight into her study habits, bedroom and a dedicated workspace. When I called her home, the phone was disconnected and there was no way to reach the family. Much later, I discovered that the phone was disconnected due to nonpayment and that this would happen many more times.

When we first met, I saw a sweet girl who was excited to join the afterschool program and work with her own mentor. She was in the fourth grade but reading at only second grade level. She was one of five siblings, being raised by a single mother. On our first meeting, she volunteered that her father had been killed the previous year. Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke and I was struck by the fact that she would offer such information to a total stranger.

When I first met her mother, I immediately realized that she did not trust me; she looked disinterested, did not make eye contact and did not speak much. I attempted to call the mother weekly to discuss the child’s progress. This was always difficult, as the family moved frequently and their phone was often disconnected. When I managed to find her, she would be brief and to the point.

Shortly after we met, I dropped my mentee home. She invited me into her home and I walked into a dilapidated two-bedroom apartment that housed six people. The girls slept in the living room, with two mattresses on the floor and a small bookshelf as furniture. Her mother was in the kitchen with the oven door open, trying to heat the house. One of her brothers was sitting on the top shelf of a closet strewing paper all over. A cousin had crushed the laptop I had given, while the educational CD I provided was thrown carelessly on the floor. I suspected that life had dealt her a difficult hand, but had no idea how bad. I was shocked that a child in the richest country on earth could live so poorly.

I was her mentor for a year and a half and had modest success with her. We met weekly and worked on homework, reading skills, and team building assignments. There were many barriers to her success. Her family constantly moved from one relative’s house to another. During the winter holidays, her mother transferred the children out of that school. The children were being bullied and she was scared for their safety. She was remorseful that I would not be able to continue to mentor her daughter, but insisted that I continue to be involved. For the first time, she acknowledged that I was a positive influence and her daughter had blossomed under my guidance. This caught me by total surprise. All this time, I thought this woman did not care for me; I was always met with a lukewarm stare and minimal eye contact. Clearly, things had changed.

Now that some time has passed, I have been able to reflect on my interactions with this young girl and her family. As Haji Ali said to his friend Greg Mortenson, “The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family.” In my own way, I realize that I had shared three cups of tea with this family. As I befriended and mentored this young girl, both this girl and her mother began to take me into their confidence. They invited me into their home and when they needed help, they sought me out. Although we never shared a cup of tea, I felt like a family member. My greatest lesson was that it takes time to build relationships. To do so, you must listen to the other person, spend enough time to build trust and never judge them. I hope that I will continue to have an influence on this young girl, albeit from a further distance now that I am no longer her mentor. In the end, I realized that I learned the most from our relationship, and for this I am grateful.

Student Experts Shine

2011-01-13T09:01:00.003-06:00

This past Saturday, UrbanFUTURE held its inaugural UrbanFUTURE Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Trivia Night presented by Wells Fargo Advisors and Walgreens. About 350 were attendance at the Wells Fargo Advisors University Learning Center in downtown St. Louis.

The event was different than any other trivia night in that teams could bid on the services of the Classroom of Experts. The Classroom of Experts was composed of UrbanFUTURE students from Mann Elementary who helped to write the questions for the event and were the center of attention throughout the night. Despite all of the attention and being on stage in front of a large crowd of complete strangers, the students were unfazed and excited.

I had the privilege of driving a four of the students to and from the event. I was struck on the way to the event at how confident and excited all of the students were for the evening. They had practiced their questions and were looking forward to helping the trivia teams out. While none of them said it, I gathered they held their title of expert in high esteem, after all when was the last time anyone has referred to inner city youth as experts when it came to school.

By the end of the night, the students were beaming and fulling lived up to their star status. They held their mini-white boards high rooting on the teams, interacted with tables between rounds and made the night a tremendous success. As I was driving them home, they were full of energy and excitement talking about the evening and their favorite teams. They were already talking about being experts for next year's events.

I walked away that evening knowing the event was a great success, but not based on any how many people attended or how much we raised. Rather, it was knowing that for one night, UrbanFUTURE students were the experts and they knew it. That impression will be long-lasting for all of them for years to come.

UrbanFUTURE Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader Trivia Night

2010-12-17T14:19:00.009-06:00

On January 8th, come join UrbanFUTURE for the inaugural UrbanFUTURE Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Trivia Night presented by Walgreens and Wells Fargo Advisors. UrbanFUTURE students from Mann Elementary have not only helped to write the questions, but they will be featured as our Classroom of Experts. Before each round of trivia, teams will have the opportunity to bid on the services of the Subject Matter Expert for that round from the Classroom of Experts. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top 3 teams and we'll have other games and prizes through out the evening.

Reserve your place today for $20/person or $200 for a table of 10 by e-mailing events@urbanfuturestl.org or calling (314)776-3434. So gather your best trivia team and find out if you really are smarter than a 5th grader.

I Am UrbanFUTURE Video

2010-12-10T10:15:00.000-06:00

Here's a recent video some of our Team Leaders put together to showcase what our students think of UrbanFUTURE. Help support UrbanFUTURE so more urban youth will see and believe in their possibilities!

Results Speak for Themselves

2010-12-03T10:06:00.000-06:00

Darrion proudly displays his 'Science Student of the Week' certificate

Darrion is an optimistic 8^th grader with tremendous potential. However, optimism doesn’t always produce tangible results. Hence, Darrion’s mediocre academic performance.

Fortunately, his INSPIRE mentor, Aaron Adams and Darrion's mother, are committed to Darrion’s personal and academic progression.

Describe your first meeting with Aaron.

He asked me what my favorite things were. He used to play baseball and I played baseball. He actually connects with things like that. We really hit it off.

How has Aaron’s guidance impacted your performance?

We really focus on goal setting. He told me, he made sure that he did his work and did his sports. He inspired me to do the same thing. Homework goals – making sure assignments turned in. He helps me with my Communication Arts work. We read a few passages and write about what we’ve read. I’m also reading a lot better.

Discuss your recent accomplishment.

I recently improved my science grade from an F to B. We talked about science a lot and the experiments I was doing in class. He could relate since he’d done them before. Every time I had science homework, we would go over our science homework. I’ve been doing better in her class. I was science superstar of the week. I felt like I couldn’t have done it if I didn’t have the help. He has been the only type of mentor who I’ve had that has helped me achieve goals and become a better student.

With continued work and dedication, Darrion knows he can continue to display academic growth, especially with the support of his INSPIRE team.

What UrbanFUTURE is Thankful For This Year

2010-11-24T10:39:00.008-06:00

With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, this is a great time to reflect on the past year and share with others what we are thankful for and how much we appreciate them. In spirit of the holiday, here is what we at UrbanFUTURE are thankful for.

Outstanding volunteer tutors and mentors who spend an hour each week working with urban youth. They play a vital role in Restoration and the success of UrbanFUTURE.
Dedicated teachers who work with UrbanFUTURE staff on a daily basis to help each student succeed academically and grow as a person. Teachers provide us with some of the greatest insight to each student we work with.
Enthusiastic donors who ensure that Restoration will continue to have an impact for urban youth in St. Louis and share our vision of eliminating the academic achievement gap in urban schools.
Strong partners who collaborate with us to maximize resources and impact in the lives of students on a daily basis. Our partners include Youth In Need, YMCA, St. Louis Public Schools & Human Development Corporation.
Corporate sponsors who invest their time, money and leadership in UrbanFUTURE. Our sponsors include Walgreens, Wells Fargo Advisors, Maritz, Kaldi's Coffee and Ameren.
Engaged parent leaders who are taking charge of their child's education and working to ensure they succeed academically and in life. Our parents are a vital cog in Restoration and are great advocates for UrbanFUTURE.
Hard-working and dedicated students who show up every day to learn and grow. It's amazing how inspiring our students can be for all of us.

We know Restoration only succeeds because of everyone involved and can't thank you all enough for your continued commitment and dedication to helping urban youth see and believe in their possibilities!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jefferson Students Explore with Local Artist - Part II

2010-11-15T15:11:00.000-06:00

The kids had a blast at the City Museum on Friday!

We started off in the skateless park to see Stan's work - the kids loved seeing it in person!

"Ms. Stephanie, look, Stan did this!" "He showed us pictures of this one!"

Then, we split into groups for a scavenger hunt around the museum...
The fact that the word "Museum" is in the name is misleading - the City Museum is far from a stuffy, quiet museum where you can look but not touch. The City Museum puts kids in a fantasy world where they can experience art as they climb, slide and explore.

The City Museum found all of its reclaimed building materials within St. Louis, including features such as old chimneys, salvaged bridges, construction cranes, miles of tile, and even two abandoned planes!

Kids and adults alike had a wonderful time exploring the gem that is the City Museum.

This field trip was used as an incentive for good behavior. A couple of students who didn't earn the trip have already met with me to come up with behavior plans so they don't miss out on the next one!

While we have not started full programming at Jefferson, UrbanFUTURE has already begun to make an impact at Jefferson. We can't wait to see what a huge impact our mentors and tutors will have come January!

Jefferson Students Explore with Local Artist

2010-11-04T16:52:00.000-05:00

UrbanFUTURE is new to Jefferson Elementary this year, and we kicked off our Explore! program today with our first guest speaker! Students learned from local artist Stan Chisholm (18andcounting.com), who shared about his experiences as an artist and what it takes to turn a passion for art into a profession.

Since Jefferson is an arts-integrated school, students have had exposure to the arts and were able to ask some great questions...

... and loved learning about how Stan creates art by viewing pictures of his work!

A couple of students who are especially interested in a career in art stayed after to talk to Stan and ask more questions - wow, what an opportunity!

UrbanFUTURE students from Jefferson will be taking a field trip to the City Museum this Friday, where students will be able to see some of Stan's work in person! Stay tuned for a post about the trip next week.

Exploring Their Possibilities

2010-10-28T10:47:00.000-05:00

What do poetry, cheerleading, dance, football, the culinary and performing arts have in common? They are all part of UrbanFUTURE's Explore! Enrichment hour at Fanning Middle School.

One of the more enlightening Explore! Enrichment classes offered at Fanning is the Hip Hop & Poetry Class in which students learn about poetic devices and forms in classic literature and how those forms show up in the popular hip-hop music today. Over the past 6 weeks, students have learned how to scan a poem for rhyme schemes, the difference between slant and perfect rhyme, similes and metaphors. They have compared Tupac to Shakespeare, Lil’ Wayne to Langston Hughes, and Emily Dickinson to Talib Kweli. Through this unique approach to learning, UrbanFUTURE students gain exposure to established authors in the literary canon using the vernacular of everyday life. The students also get the chance to produce an original work. Below are samples of work done in the creative writing class, inspired by Langston Hughes’ poem “A Dream Deferred”

“Dreaming is like sleeping on a cloud.
Sometimes we have nightmares
And fall off that cloud.
Then there are sweet dreams
When we stay on that soft cloud.

Dreaming can help us expand our beautiful ideas.
Then the bad dreams come
Out of nowhere and smack us.
Troubles we have find ways into
Our dream like sneaky little ninjas.

Dreaming makes us as creative
As the best artist in the world.
But sometimes dreams slip away like a ghost.
That could be a good thing
When you had a bad dream.”

Excerpt from “Dreaming”, Christine Ordono, 7th grade

“Is life fair, will you be upset if your dream didn’t come true?
What can you do to make your dream stay alive?
Are you going to sit there and watch your dream die?
…
My dream won’t die,
‘Cause it’s going to stay alive, no need to lie,
My dream will never say bye bye.
My dream will not be out of my sight,
‘Cause my dream is on my head every morning, every night,
I invent my dream
My dream is like a word that never ends.”

Sinh Le, 7th Grade

Through the UrbanFUTURE Explore! program, these students are discovering their possibilities!

Dine In for UrbanFUTURE

2010-10-21T09:56:00.000-05:00

In 2009, more students dropped out of high school than graduated from the St. Louis Public Schools! UrbanFUTURE is working to change that, and YOU can help, and it's as simple as bringing your lunch to work for one day.

On October 27th, UrbanFUTURE is hosting, Dine In for UrbanFUTURE, a virtual event in which participants bring their lunch to work/school and donate the money they would’ve spent going out to lunch to UrbanFUTURE. You can make your donation online or mail it to:

UrbanFUTURE
3145 S. Grand Blvd.
Ste. A
St. Louis, MO 63118

The suggested donation is $10, the cost for a student to enroll in UrbanFUTURE for a single day. Your lunch donation will go a long way to making sure more urban youth will have opportunities to succeed in high school and beyond.

But this event is meant to be more than a fundraiser. We want people to use the lunch period on October 27th discussing and debating the academic achievement gap that persists in urban (and rural) districts across the country. Hopefully this will become a part of a larger conversation you can have with family, friends, classmates and co-workers. It is an issue that affects every single one of our lives now and in the future, but every single one of us can do something about it.

Please help us spread the word about this event and UrbanFUTURE. Together we can help close the achievement gap and help urban youth see and believe in their possibilities!

UrbanFUTURE and L'Ouverture Form Strong Partnership

2010-10-14T09:38:00.000-05:00

Although UrbanFUTURE is new to L’Ouverture Middle Academy, Team Leaders Laura Whitehead and Jacob Blanton have already begun blazing a trail of student achievement! They started the year greeting the students on the first day of school, went on to break the record for family attendance at their Family Game Night on September 1st, and have gotten after school programming underway with up to 50 students attending each day!

Now that programming has been going on for a few weeks, Laura and Jacob invited a few students to reflect on why they enrolled in the first place. One young man said he signed up because he “needs help with reading and math.” Another student said she signed up because of the sports and other activities offered by the YMCA during the first part of after school programming. Exemplifying true honesty, one young lady admitted to signing up for after school programming in order to “stay out of trouble.” In addition, some students have already begun working with math or reading tutors! Speaking about her tutor, one student said, “He takes his time and has patience. When I don’t know how to do something he will try his best to make sure I know how to do it.” Another praised her tutor for “making sure I use my time wisely.”

Teachers are jumping on the UrbanFUTURE bandwagon as well with one eighth grade teacher stating, “Miss Whitehead and Mr. Blanton have assisted students and teachers. The students seem to be responding to them and the program positively.” A seventh grade teacher raved, “The staff is dedicated and follows through in checking on student progress, daily homework assignments, and missing work. They help me in ways no other organization ever has! I am so happy our administration decided to collaborate with UrbanFUTURE.”

Last but not least, L’Ouverture Principal Lisa Nuyens had nothing but positive things to say when asked about UrbanFUTURE’s role in her school. “UrbanFUTURE is so much more than an ‘after school program.’ The staff attends to needs in every area of a student’s life – with the ultimate goal being to increase life chances through academic achievement. UrbanFUTURE staff understands that to meet that goal it takes connecting with a student, their home, and their teachers.” The coming weeks and months include lots of exciting activities for UrbanFUTURE and their students at L’Ouverture. Laura and Jacob will be present during parent-teacher conferences on October 22nd, they are currently collaborating with communication arts teachers to develop a writing competition that will include a celebration dinner, and they even have a reward field trip in the works as well. In terms of student success, UrbanFUTURE and L’Ouverture Middle Academy are speeding along, full steam ahead!!

Meramec Students Explore! Science Center

2010-10-12T14:14:00.000-05:00

In the beginning God created food, water, and shelter. As man and time progressed we found ourselves quite easily bored, and so entertainment was born. Now entertaining yourself is something we as adults find easy( even though we can rarely find the time to do so ). However, planning entertainment for kids that is the holy grail of awesomeness and educational is an entirely different ball game!

Recently, I was given the task to arrange a field trip for the 5^th grade students at Meramec Elementary as part of UrbanFUTURE's Explore! Career program. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed with excitement, but at a loss for where I could take these kids who have probably been to all of the staple locations in St. Louis (the Magic House, the Art Museum, the History Museum, the Botanical Gardens, the City Museum, and of course the designated fall guy…the free and infamous St. Louis Science Center). So, the first thing I did was ask the school’s Parent Facilitator for ideas; it was then when she informed me that the kids hadn’t been to any of the aforementioned locations. So, immediately I thought ….”the free and infamous fall guy”! But, instead of doing the expected, we would go to the Science Center’s Omnimax theater.

The kids had a blast, and would you believe it, most of them had never been to the Science Center. I mean everybody was in awe of this carnival of mystery and fun, and we’d just walked in the front door. The movie I’d planned for was Hubble (a fifty minute exploration into the life of astronauts planning on repairing Hubble, a space telescope.) Hmmm….I thought to myself, this could either turn out to be the greatest movie ever, or they kids will sell parts of me on EBay in exchange for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and Blow Pops. You find yourself reading this so obviously my brilliance paid off…thank you Tom Cruise! They loved the movie; the jocks, the goof balls, the scared cats, and even my stage five clinger managed to pry herself away from my arm just long enough to enjoy new found independence and the show.

When we got back, I had to give the kids a much deserved pat on the back. They were on their best behavior, they willingly took notes and most important, they had a chance to discover new possibilities for themselves. I learned a lot from my short lived solo gig as an entertainment planner of education and awesomeness. I can’t wait for another opportunity to show these students what their possibilities can be when they work hard in school.

If you’re interested in having UrbanFUTURE students come and learn about your business please call our office at (314)776-3434.

Tam Anthony

Meramec Team Leader

Get Involved in Volunteer Recruiting Process

2010-10-01T12:29:00.004-05:00

Did you know that UrbanFUTURE will be providing services to 3 times as many students this year? We are excited to be helping more students see and believe in their possibilities, however, we are in need of even more volunteers than ever. This year, we have gotten off to a strong start with nearly 150 active volunteer tutors and mentors already meeting with students at Fanning Middle School and Mann Elementary, and we will be starting at 4 additional schools over the next several weeks.

Our volunteers this year have come from a variety of sources. You may have seen our flyers at Walgreens, or our posters at your favorite coffee shop. We may have met you at one of the many community activities we participate in such as the Festival of Nations, or an outdoor concert. What you may not know, is that while these activities help us meet many of our volunteers, over 60% of our volunteers come from organizations and institutions. It seems that once a member of a company, club, church or school starts working with our students, they share their experience and before you know it we have several volunteers participating from that same location. Maritz, Wells Fargo Advisors, and Ameren are all wonderful examples of companies that support us with volunteerism and funding, while St. Louis University shows how mobilizing the student body can provide much needed tutors for our students.

In saying this, think about groups in which you belong. Whether it be your place of employment, church, fraternity or sorority, or professional organization, we would love for them to hear our story. Our current volunteers are our best advocates, but we are willing to come to your organization to provide a presentation. The presentation could be as brief or as detailed as your time allows, and we are even willing to provide on-site volunteer training. UrbanFUTURE is excited to have the opportunity to serve more families, schools, and communities, and looks forward to even more volunteer participation.

Fanning Falcons are Flying

2010-09-23T09:17:00.001-05:00

UrbanFUTURE at Fanning Middle School is in full swing! With 62 students fully enrolled in Restoration, afternoons are filled with a buzz that starts off with grade specific homework help. Students are already taking charge of completing missed assignments, as well as staying on top of current assignments, and are eager to improve or maintain the grades that they received on their progress reports at the end of last week.

Following homework help, students are engaged in great enrichment classes through the EXPLORE! program. They are cooking with St. Louis University nutrition students, sculpting with COCA, rooting for the football team through cheerleading, battling in a game of wits during Chess Club, and establishing a student government among other activities. WOW! Enrichment programming runs Monday through Friday so that our students have engaging alternatives to going home every day of the week. As the EXPLORE! program manager, Jocelyn Peters has gone above and beyond to engage our students in a fun and meaningful way.

The fun doesn't stop there! Students are also excited about the tutors and mentors that they have the opportunity to work with during the last hour of programming through the IMPACT and INSPIRE programs. Tutors have begun delving into the curriculum with students in both math and communication arts and already the students are soaring! Though the academic component can be difficult, students and tutors have been working hard to improve in basic skills and in challenging reading materials. Keep up the good work!

Keshun Rhodes, a seventh grader pictured above, asks about her mentor every day. Through the INSPIRE program, run by Domnick Hadley, she has found someone that she can talk to about reading, classes, teachers, and just life in general. Though they have only met with each other once, Keshun is bubbling with excitement to work with Doreen again. Already, Doreen has met with Keshun's language arts teacher and her mom to talk about Keshun's reading levels and how she can help to improve her grades in language arts!

In addition to great programming after-school, UrbanFUTURE is also involved with the students during the school day! On the 8th grade field trip to the Magic House last week, UrbanFUTURE staff helped to facilitate the trip with the 8th grade teachers and had a lot of fun in the process. Check out some of the great fun the students (and staff!) had in the pictures below!

Ms. Berry, the IMPACT team leader, on the electric ball! Hair flew everywhere as both teachers and students took their turn!

Ms. Krominga (science teacher) with two UrbanFUTURE students, Porcia and Darrion, in the Mark Twain exhibit about Tom Sawyer! Students got the opportunity to dress up like the characters they'd read about in class.

Returning Student Speaks about UrbanFUTURE

2010-09-16T14:13:00.001-05:00

Hi my name is Janise and I attend Mann Elementary. This is my second year in UrbanFUTURE. I like it because they teach you a lot and they give you a mentor and tutor. Last year my mentor helped me improve my SRI score, now I’m reading much better. I had a problem with my division and my tutor helped me with it. The next day in class I got all my division right. UrbanFUTURE has done a lot for me. They taught me how to be more responsible too. They take us on field trips to different place so we can learn about careers. We went to SLU medical school last year and learned about doctors and what it takes to be one. My mentor goes to school there and she took us on a tour. It was really cool. They have a fake doctor’s office and they let us pretend to be doctors. For kids just entering UrbanFUTURE I would tell them positive things. I would say, “you made the right choice deciding to come here, they help you with anything you need.” UrbanFUTURE is the Best!

Kicking Off the Program Year

2010-09-09T14:09:00.006-05:00

Labor Day has come and pass marking the unofficial end of summer. With the end of summer comes the beginning of a new Program Year for UrbanFUTURE. Next week, programming will be in full swing at Fanning Middle and Mann Elementary schools with over 100 students signed up to meet with tutors and mentors. Already, parents have attended orientations, volunteers have been trained/re-trained and students have completed pre-test assessments.

At both sites, 4th - 8th grade students will have an opportunity to participate in INSPIRE Mentoring, IMPACT Tutoring and Explore! Careers. The full menu of programs will help students grow as a student and as a person in preparation for high school.

UrbanFUTURE has hired Ray Sewell as a Community Specialist to work specifically with parents on taking on a leadership role in their child's education. This new position will provide
UrbanFUTURE parents with an additional resource in navigating their child's educational path. Ray and the Team Leaders will host several parent events during the year to engage, instruct and listen to parents on the challenges they are facing.

The biggest news for the new school year is UrbanFUTURE's expansion into three new school sites. Team Leaders have already begun meeting with parents, teachers and students at L'Ouverture Middle and Jefferson and Meramec Elementary schools. Beginning in October, students at these sites will have the opportunity to begin the IMPACT Tutoring program. There may also be opportunities for students to attend Explore! Careers' field trips this fall. INSPIRE Mentoring at these sites will not begin until January.

This promises to be an exciting year for UrbanFUTURE. We look forward to working with more students, parents, volunteers and teachers than ever before as we all work towards eliminating the academic achievement gap in urban schools.

LAUNCH-ing to New Levels

2010-08-27T10:24:00.000-05:00

UrbanFUTURE recently formed LAUNCH, a friends-of group that is working to take UrbanFUTURE to the next level. The primary objective of LAUNCH is to help UrbanFUTURE grow its support base by engaging current supporters more deeply in grassroots efforts and reaching new supporters through peer-to-peer interaction. Currently, LAUNCH is comprised of current tutors and mentors who have expressed an interest in taking their volunteer participation to another level.

LAUNCH will plan and execute quarterly fundraising/friendraising events as a way to introduce new people to UrbanFUTURE. These events will provide individuals an opportunity to learn more about the work of UrbanFUTURE and how they can support our work of eliminating the achievement gap in St. Louis.

LAUNCH will also be leading a volunteer-driven campaign this fall to raise money and new donor and volunteer referrals. The campaign will culminate with the "Dine In For UrbanFUTURE" event on Wednesday, October 27th. Stay tuned for more details on how you can participate in "Dine In For UrbanFUTURE."

If you are interested in joining LAUNCH, please contact Tim Weiss at (314)776-3434 or tim@urbanfuturestl.org. Help us LAUNCH UrbanFUTURE to new levels!

UrbanFUTURE Leadership Retreat

2010-08-13T09:33:00.004-05:00

For two days, UrbanFUTURE staff gathered and reflected on what it means to be a leader for UrbanFUTURE. With the recent doubling of the staff to prepare to expand to new school sites, this also provided an opportunity for all the staff (new and old/veteran) to get to know one another better, while discussing topics related to UrbanFUTURE and leadership and enjoy some fun at Frank Van Bree's (UrbanFUTURE's CEO) lakehouse on Lake Perry.

We talked about what leadership means and how we as employees can be better leaders at cultivating love, generating energy, inspiring audacity and providing proof in everything we do from working with parents to recruiting volunteers to engaging donors. We discussed how eliminating the achievement gap cannot be accomplished with just volunteers or just schools, but requires mobilizing all of the stakeholders in a struggle to restore the education system in under-resourced communities.

Jason Julian and Maurice Horton of Urban K-Life Ministries joined the staff for a session to discuss the work of building relationships with students and parents to affect real change at an individual level, which will result in systemic-level change. They inspired UrbanFUTURE staff with their personal stories of overcoming hardship and how they've used that to help young people dealing with many of the same struggles.

The two-day retreat wrapped up with Frank Van Bree giving each staff member a copy of the book Tribes by Seth Godin. The book will help to keep the conversation going about how we can all be better leaders and how UrbanFUTURE can lead as an organization.

With the school year set to begin next Monday, getting away for 36 hours provided us all with a chance to learn, grow and reflect on the work we'll be doing this year.

Gather for UrbanFUTURE

2010-08-09T14:09:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago in this space, I talked about how you can support UrbanFUTURE's efforts, but those were more general ways to support UrbanFUTURE. Today, I want to talk about a specific way you can help spread the word about UrbanFUTURE to family and friends in a social, non-threatening environment.

Several months ago, two different UrbanFUTURE volunteers approached me about their own ideas for engaging their networks in the work of UrbanFUTURE. One mentor decided she'd like to host a luncheon with some of her friends, so she could tell them a little bit more about the organization and encourage them to get involved as volunteers and/or donors. The casual luncheon at the mentors house has resulted in over $500 in gifts and a few women interested in volunteering with UrbanFUTURE.

Another mentor, told me about how a group of guys within his profession get together for happy hour every other month. He thought it would be cool if each month a different charity was featured. The guys donate $20 to the charity and get a chance to catch up with one another and learn more about the work of the charity. As luck would have it, UrbanFUTURE has been the featured charity for the first two of these happy hours, and will again be the featured charity in October. To date, the happy hours have raised just under $400, but more importantly, 20 new individuals (and counting) have been introduced to UrbanFUTURE.

Anyone can do this. Whether you want to use a specific party (birthday, anniversary, holiday), a regular get together or plan something on your own, you can help get the word out about UrbanFUTURE to those in your network and spend time with family, friends and co-workers in the process.

If you are interested in hosting a get-together on behalf of UrbanFUTURE, please contact me (Tim Weiss) at (314)776-3434 or tim@urbanfuturestl.org. UrbanFUTURE will provide any informational materials and will have someone come to your event to talk about how people can get involved in UrbanFUTURE's work.

Ringing in the New Year

2010-07-30T09:24:00.003-05:00

UrbanFUTURE will be ringing in the New Year this coming Monday. Why are we celebrating the New Year at the start of August? Because it will mark the start of the 2010-11 fiscal year, which comes with great anticipation and excitement.

To kick of the New Year, UrbanFUTURE will be welcoming 9 new program staff members to our ranks. This group of very talented individuals come from AmeriCorps, Teach for America and Jesuit Volunteer Corps. We have former school teachers and camp directors. Some of the new program staff will be replacing staff at Fanning and others will be headed to expansion sites to begin the acculturation process with parents, teachers and students.

As part of the New Year "festivities", there will be a staff retreat in Perryville, Missouri. With the near doubling of our staff, this will be a great opportunity for people to get to know one another and to set the tone as as staff for the entire year. A big focus of the retreat will be on leadership and helping each staff member grow as a leader during the year.

We are looking forward to the best year UrbanFUTURE has ever had in 2010-11. We hope you share our enthusiasm for the upcoming year, and we hope to see many old and new faces this fall as programming gets under way.

How You Can Help

2010-07-16T10:36:00.008-05:00

UrbanFUTURE is gearing up for a very exciting school year this fall. After last week's successful interview weekend, we are getting ready to welcome new Team Leaders to the organization in August to begin the acculturation process at new school sites.

We have been hitting the volunteer recruiting trail hard at local cafes, major corporations, farmers' markets and outdoor concerts. We expect to be doubling our volunteer corps for the upcoming year from 200-250 to 400-500.

Finally, we're finalizing our development plans for the start of the new fiscal year on August 1st. This October, we will be conducting our first ever volunteer-driven campaign to raise money and referrals. In conjunction with the campaign, UrbanFUTURE will be holding its inaugural trivia night in November.

With so much happening at UrbanFUTURE, now, more than ever, we need your support. There are several ways you can help us out. You can sign up to volunteer as a tutor or mentor. Tutors and mentors spend an hour a week with a student at one of our school sites. Tutors focus on helping student's with homework and helping them improve their grades. Mentors work with students on goal-setting, character development and literacy. Click here to learn more about becoming a tutor or mentor and fill out an application.

If you are unable to volunteer one hour each week, but you would still like to help out, UrbanFUTURE is getting ready to start a "Friends of"-type group. This group will help to promote UrbanFUTURE, assist with fundraising events, make calls to thank donors and advocate for UrbanFUTURE whenever and wherever possible. For those interested in getting involved in this group, please call Tim Weiss at (314)776-3434 or e-mail tim@urbanfuturestl.org.

You can also help us simply by connecting UrbanFUTURE with your family and friends, who might be open to learning more about UrbanFUTURE. One of the best ways UrbanFUTURE can expand its reach in the St. Louis community is by utilizing the networks of current supporters. This will help grow our base exponentially. Referrals can be sent to tim@urbanfuturestl.org.

Finally, we always need financial support. UrbanFUTURE provides its INSPIRE, IMPACT and Explore! programs at no cost to the school district or the students and families who participate in them. For only $10, a student is able to meet with a tutor for one week. $50 covers the cost for a student to participate in the Explore! program for 1 month. For $250 a student will be able to meet with a tutor for one semester. $500 will pay for a student to meet with a mentor for one quarter. $3,000 will cover the cost for a student to participate in INSPIRE, IMPACT and Explore for the entire year. To make a donation to UrbanFUTURE, you can do so online or by mailing your donation to:

UrbanFUTURE
3145 S. Grand Ave.
Ste. A
St. Louis, MO 63118

If you have any questions about making a gift to UrbanFUTURE, please contact Tim Weiss at tim@urbanfuturestl.org or (314)776-3434.

We appreciate your continued support of UrbanFUTURE's efforts to close the achievement gap. Together we are helping urban youth see and believe in their possibilities!

UrbanFUTURE's Solution to Eliminating the Academic Achievement Gap

2010-07-09T10:25:00.003-05:00

The following post is text from a recent grant request that UrbanFUTURE submitted for the Bank of America Neighborhood Builder's program. This represents UrbanFUTURE's strategy and vision for solving the academic achievement gap in urban schools.

Poverty is an age-old problem in our nation’s urban communities. In order to solve this problem, the educational achievement gap must be bridged—one community cluster at a time. UF defines the community cluster according to the public school system’s geographical zoning. Each “community cluster” revolves around a hub middle school and the elementary schools that feed it. Utilizing the community cluster approach, UF reaches every school-aged child in a given zip code who shares a common educational path.

Once the cluster is defined, UF approaches supplemental education by recognizing the isolation that exists between three primary groups – the home, the school and the community. Our key initiative is the UrbanFUTURE Restoration Model, which seeks to repair the traditional bonds between home, school, and community that poverty has broken. UF staff brokers these connections and is housed within the school building, allowing the school to serve as a center for these groups to connect through our innovative mentoring and tutoring programs. Through this community-cluster based restoration model, we are addressing generational poverty at individual, institutional and community-wide levels.

The primary objective of the Restoration Model is to ensure that 4th through 8th grade students possess the academic acumen to master high school as well as the mindset to see and believe in their possibilities. To achieve this vision, UF focuses on five key outcomes: literacy, academic growth, character formation, parental involvement, and career preparation. The combination of these focal points creates a formula for success in eliminating the achievement gap.

This is what UrbanFUTURE believes will solve the academic achievement gap and in turn help communities out of poverty.

How to Fit Science & Social Studies

2010-07-02T09:43:00.008-05:00

There is ongoing debate in the education community on how much emphasis should be placed on reading and math at under-performing schools at the expense of science and social studies. This article from the Post-Dispatch highlights the frustration of one teacher at Fanning over the scaling back of science and social studies classes so students who are below grade level in reading and math can get caught up.

UrbanFUTURE has recognized this issue in putting together its IMPACT tutoring curriculum. On the one hand, students need strong vocabulary, comprehension, critical thinking and logical reasoning skills to fully grasp topics in science and social studies. On the other hand, removing these subjects completely, robs students of opportunities to learn about the world they live in and have an understanding of why things are the way they are.

To combat this issue, UrbanFUTURE is working to embed science and social studies topics into reading and math activities that students complete with IMPACT tutors. This will help students learn about gravity or ancient Egyptian culture, while building vocabulary, comprehension and critical thinking skills. In fact, UrbanFUTURE has learned that this is exactly how some of the teachers cover science and social studies topics in their classroom and embedding these lessons into reading, writing and math.

As a way to further enhance the student's experience with science and social studies, UrbanFUTURE is using its Explore! program to take kids on field trips that will introduce them to professionals in science and social studies fields. These field trips will give kids hands-on opportunities and create excitement in career fields in science and social studies.

UrbanFUTURE would like to thank Monsanto for providing funding to expand our IMPACT curriculum into science and help cover the cost of these field trips. Its funders like Monsanto that help more students have opportunities to grow in all academic areas so they can see and believe in their possibilities!

Summer Vacation....Hardly

2010-06-25T09:00:00.007-05:00

School may be out for summer, but UrbanFUTURE is still hard at work. What goes on during the hot and humid summer months at UrbanFUTURE? The answer is A LOT!

The beginning of the summer is filled with data. UrbanFUTURE spends the month of June collecting student data from the school year, compiling it and analyzing it. By the end of June, the analyzed data is put into a that we give to the St. Louis Public Schools.

We also hit the recruiting trail hard during the summer months. You may have even seen us at one of the many Kaldi's locations around the area on Saturday mornings. You may see us at various outdoor concert events donning our "I Am" t-shirts, encouraging people to volunteer as tutors and mentors for the upcoming school year.

With so many new people wanting to volunteer, we have a lot of training that needs to get done before school starts in August. Team Leaders have been working hard to refine the mentor and tutor training so volunteers are better prepared for the rigors of being an UrbanFUTURE volunteer. New trainings will start in July. In addition to fine-tuning the training, Team Leaders are busy making modifications to the mentoring and tutoring curriculum based on the feedback of our current tutors and mentors and will unveil the new curriculum to volunteers during training.

UrbanFUTURE's expansion plans have also had us in hiring mode. Over 125 individuals applied for the Team Leader position during the one month window. Staff have been logging long hours conducting phone interviews trying to find the best candidates. The final round of interviews will come over the weekend of July 9th, and final decisions will be made the next week.

Finally, development staff has stayed busy writing and submitting proposals to foundations, meeting with potential donors and working with volunteers for the annual campaign in the fall. Also being planned is an UrbanFUTURE trivia night, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" style. This will be the first such event for UrbanFUTURE!

So while some might think that things slow down in summer, UrbanFUTURE knows things are speeding along just fine.

Parent Leadership As a Solution

2010-06-04T09:24:00.006-05:00

In Wednesday's St. Louis Post Dispatch, this story ran about the plight of under-performing schools in the St. Louis area. While the story has relevance to UrbanFUTURE's work in eliminating the achievement gap in the urban core, it is a string within some of the comments from readers that really resonates with what we are doing. Here a just a few of the comments.

"It does not matter what you do to the school. If education is not valued in the home; these schools will not perform at the level of districts with an educated parent population that stress the importance of lifelong learning." - w. champion

"As others have commented, educational failure is not all on the teachers. If parents* don't care at the original school, why would they suddenly care when their offspring is put in a new "high achieving" school?" - crissyboo

"That's right, champion: the success of the school depends on the commitment of the family....Most of my students NEVER hear the words, "is your homework finished?" or "Have you raised your grade up to a "B" in History?". These and the countless other words of encouragement from PARENTS make the difference in whether I, the student, will re-read the chapter, or re-write the essay, or review my class notes." - LGL

The last comment comes directly from a self-identified, St. Louis Public School teacher. These comments highlight exactly what UrbanFUTURE identifies as the key to helping students in under-resourced communities achieve: engage the parent as a leader.

That's why UrbanFUTURE requires parents and mentors to speak on a weekly basis to discuss goals, achievements, challenges. It's why UrbanFUTURE staff hold meetings for parents to learn the things they can do to help their child by working with them at home. It's why we ask parents to get involved at their child's school and stop by to see their daughter or son's teacher, not just at conferences, but throughout the year.

These things happen where resources are, but in areas where resources are lacking, the family is isolated from the community and the school. The Restoration Model provides a construct for parents to connect with teachers, community volunteers and each other. At UrbanFUTURE, we share in the sentiment of some of these commenters, because we know parent leadership is a major part of the remedy in turning around under-performing schools and re-invigorating neighborhoods.

Note: UrbanFUTURE does not endorse comments made on the highlighted article that are of a divisive nature. We only wish to comment on a common theme around parents' role in solving the issue of failing schools.

Letter from a Student

2010-05-28T14:38:00.004-05:00

Below is an unedited letter from an UrbanFUTURE student to the staff at Fanning.

Dear UrbanFUTURE staff,

I just want to say thank you for helping me to be a better person in school and in the world. I’ve learned how a lot of stuff, mostly I learned how to work up my attitude. I know at the beginning I had a bad temper inside of me, but you guys helped me to always be happy.

I want to say thank you for giving me a tutor and a mentor to help me understand life and school work. Without them I wouldn’t know why I feel so different. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Aunjunae Moore

These are the kinds of letter that help us to know that what we're doing is having an impact on our students' lives.

My Experience at UrbanFUTURE

2010-05-21T13:15:00.000-05:00

In UrbanFUTURE, I take food classes, dance classes, and work with my tutor Ms. Alaina.

In food class, my teacher Mr. Justin teaches us how to make healthy foods that are also delicious. He also teaches us how to make good health choices and how to be open to new things. In food class we made ice cream, pizza bagels, granola bars, potato wedges, and guacamole. The potato wedges were my favorite.

In dance group my teacher Ms. Sunshine teaches us how to have fun and express ourselves through dance. She teaches us dance styles that are different from the ones we already know. Not only do we do hip hop dances, but we also do African dances, etc. I enjoy it because I don’t have to be shy because I’m around friends and family.

In tutoring, I work with my tutor Ms. Alaina. We work on math, reading, and writing. I have a lot of problems with math, but Ms. Alaina shows me ways to make math easier and fun to do. Tutoring helps me because we work on the same things that I work on in school. Tutoring also helps me improve my grades.

The staff at UrbanFUTURE is nice. When I get confused and frustrated, they don’t give up or quit on me. They try to help me out so I can get back on track. I also like that the staff is very diverse. One day when we got our report cards I wasn’t very pleased about my grades. I decided to shut down for the rest of the hour. My mentor said she was going to leave but realized she cared about me and my education too much. She turned around, came back, and got me back on track. That helped to know that the UrbanFUTURE staff really cared about me.

UrbanFUTURE helps me to make good health choices, express myself, improve my grades, and know that people care about me.

By: Jya, UrbanFUTURE student

Student Reaches New Heights in Literacy

2010-05-14T09:38:00.005-05:00

Elizabeth, a 4th grade student at Mann Elementary, wanted to become a better reader. She and her INSPIRE mentor, Molly, along with Elizabeth’s mother, Mrs. Castro and her teacher, Mrs. Slechta have been working hard all year to improve Elizabeth’s reading comprehension and Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) score. Through daily effort and consistent follow through, Elizabeth was able to raise her SRI score by 409 points—which is 121 points over her goal set at the beginning of the year. WOW! Living proof that the best way to get better at reading is by reading! Awesome work, team!

Parent Leadership - Our Keystone to Success

2010-05-06T15:48:00.009-05:00

What is it that differentiates UrbanFUTURE from other organizations that providing mentoring? The biggest difference is our emphasis on involving the parent. In fact, we believe that without engaging the parent as a leader in their child's education, we will see mediocre results that are less likely to be lasting. That's not to say a child cannot benefit from having an adult mentor, but generally, to have a sustainable, lasting impact in that child's life, the parent or some other responsible adult has to be involved and leading the change.

To UrbanFUTURE, parent leadership is parents leading the child's goal accomplishment process, holding a child accountable for his/her (in)actions, encouraging the child to succeed and acting as an advocate for the best interest of the child. Parents who fulfill these roles, will likely see their son or daughter develop into a good student and a good person.

There are many barriers that exist in engaging parents. In some cases a cultural and language barrier exist for parents. While a parent may wish to help a child with homework, a lack of English may prevent that from happening. A similar situation exists for parents who have to work in the evenings and are unable to provide homework help for the child despite their desire to do so. Other parents may not have the necessary skills themselves to help on difficult math, science or writing assignments. Still others may be operating under a veil of ignorance in which they don't know of their child's deficient skills due to satisfactory grades (another topic for another day, perhaps). Finally, there are some who are well aware of their child's struggles, but don't know what they can do to help. The combination of many of these can lead to parents who appear apathetic to their child's education.

UrbanFUTURE turns that apathy on its head. By telling parents that they can not only help their child, but they can lead their child's education they re-gain control of the situation. We do this by setting high expectations for parents and challenging them to step up their efforts. We offer opportunities for them to network with other parents. We provide trainings for how they can work on goals with their child, help them improve their literacy and even how to better communicate with an adolescent child. We encourage them to come to the school to help out, sit in the classroom and talk with teachers. As parents become more comfortable in their role as a leader, their child in turn will see how much the parent truly values a good education.

It's when the parents come to see and believe in their own possibilities as parents that their child sees and believes in their possibilities as person.

A Final Push

2010-04-30T11:28:00.007-05:00

Spring has arrived in St. Louis. For UrbanFUTURE that means there is one more quarter to make a final push to end the year strong. It's easy for students to lose focus when the weather warms up, the days are longer and summer is right around the corner. Despite all of that UrbanFUTURE staff and volunteers are working diligently to ensure students finish the year strong.

In preparation for year-end diagnostic tests, students at Fanning are having competitions in educational games that are enhancing their skills in math and communication arts. With teachers assigning less homework, these competitions help to keep the students' minds sharp, while having a good time.

Fanning students are also participating in reading circles. These small groups read a book together and have an opportunity to have open discussions. It's been a great way for students to keep building their literacy in a casual, laid-back atmosphere. Jennifer Davies, IMPACT Manager at Fanning, said, "This week students were disappointed about missing the reading circles because of having to take the post-test. They are very excited to get back to their small group next week."

At Mann, INSPIRE Team Leaders Lauren Coppedge and Sakinah Ra'uf have been emphasizing goal achievement. To ensure that students are staying on track for their 4th quarter goals, they have been checking in with teachers each week to see that students are following through on weekly action steps. Mentors are also checking student progress on goals each week and helping students fulfill weekly action steps. Team Leaders have also created a goal board that publicly displays each team's progress towards their goals. As an added incentive, students who achieve their 4th quarter goal will get a McDonald's Happy Meal at the end of the year.

The nice weather can be a major distraction for students, but at UrbanFUTURE students are learning the importance of finishing the year on a high note.

Saigh Foundation Impressed

2010-04-21T17:03:00.009-05:00

Two representatives from the Saigh Foundation came to UrbanFUTURE today to meet our Team Leaders and learn more about our work. Upon awarding UrbanFUTURE $10,000 to help fund a Team Leader salary in January, JoAnn Hejna and Mary Kemp told us how impressed they were with UrbanFUTURE. They couldn't believe they had never heard of us based on the success we were having nor were they aware of another organization in St. Louis that was doing anything nearly as deep and narrow as Restoration. JoAnn and Mary saw our parent leadership piece as not only unique, but also crucial to really creating lasting change.

During the visit, Mary and JoAnn asked questions about our history, how we train volunteers, what made us different and how we deal with parents who aren't ready to engage. They had a chance to meet and talk to a few students at Mann Elementary and were given a tour of the UrbanFUTURE room by a 4th grade student. They saw the students' excitement when talking about their mentors and tutors and noted how eager the kids were to interact with UrbanFUTURE staff.

After going to Mann, we went for lunch at Cafe Natasha's. JoAnn shared stories about Fred Saigh and his random acts of philanthropy.. She noted how he didn't care who you were, if you needed help he would find a way to give it to you without a second thought. For JoAnn and the Saigh Foundation, it makes grant-making much easier knowing that Fred wouldn't bat an eye at any organization in need. She said she knew Fred would think highly of UrbanFUTURE's vision to help urban youth see and believe in their possibilities.

As Frank Van Bree, UrbanFUTURE's CEO, shared more about his own history with UrbanFUTURE, JoAnn and Mary could feel the underlying passion that exists in UrbanFUTURE, and how it permeates from the top. They urged us to get the word out about UrbanFUTURE and even opened the door for future funding opportunities. Most of all, JoAnn and Mary see that Restoration will work and UrbanFUTURE will succeed, but it will take persistence and patience. Let's prove them right!

Waking the Dreamless Dead

2010-04-19T12:06:00.000-05:00

In John Zogby's book The Way We'll Be, he spends some time discussing what he refers to as the Dreamless Dead. The Dreamless Dead refers to the people, who in response to a polling question regarding a person's goals in life, chose the following option:

"I believe I cannot achieve the American dream, whether material or spiritual, nor can most middle-class Americans."

Zogby goes onto to say that the Dreamless Dead are heavily represented by those living in poverty. He talks about how even those living below the poverty line still have many possessions (major appliances, televisions, computers, etc.). But it's this statement that really gets to the heart of poverty, "...the real poverty from which many of them suffer is a poverty of optimism and expectations, not possessions." This is what restoration seeks to correct.

It's about injecting optimism into the lives of students. It's about holding students accountable for their actions and not letting them settle for complacency. It's about engaging parents in their child's education, their future. It's about mentors encouraging students both when they succeed and when they fail. The essence of helping urban youth to see and believe in their possibilities, goes to the very heart of the "real poverty" that the Dreamless Dead suffer. With persistence and hard-work from all, we can wake the Dreamless Dead in St. Louis and restore what poverty has taken.

$5,000 GoodSearch Giveaway - 3 Days Only

2010-04-05T19:38:00.001-05:00

GoodSearch will donate a $1 for every toolbar that is downloaded between April 6th at 9am Eastern and April 9th at 9am Eastern up to $5,000!! Please download the toolbar right now by following this link .

Our new UrbanFUTURE toolbar is free to download and allows you to raise money for our UrbanFUTURE every time you search or shop online! Once added to IE or Firefox, each time you shop at more than 1,300 stores (from Amazon to Zazzle!) a percentage of your purchase will automatically be donated to UrbanFUTURE - at no cost to you (and you may even save money as the toolbar provides coupons and deals as well!). The toolbar also has a search box and each time you search the Internet, about a penny is donated to UrbanFUTURE.

Please hurry and do this now so that we can earn the $1 bonus per toolbar!

And, please pass this along to all of your friends. The two minutes it takes to add this toolbar to your browser can make a lifetime of difference for our cause!

Get the toolbar NOW!

UrbanFUTURE Student Speaks

2010-04-01T16:44:00.013-05:00

From time to time, we will have some of our students write blog posts with their mentors or tutors. Not only is this a great chance for us to share with you what they are working on, it gives students another medium to practice and improve their writing skills. This week, Chebryelle, a 4th grade student at Mann, writes about the time that she spends with her mentor Theresa.

In UF we have been setting goals and we are building charactor. Me Chebryelle and my mentor Theresa have been setting our own goals like my (ACADMIC) goal is to complete my homework before for doing any thing else. My (CHARACTOR) goal is to belive in myself.

I like Uf but you guys should stay longer. So that we can learn more and still have fun. OH did i mention that i like tutoring because she teach me how to do multiplication fact she taught me my 11's and 9's and she taught me a 9 trick and it is pretty easy.

when i grow up i want to be a singer,lawyer,teacher, and a typer. and to be one of those i have to stay in school and be BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and get good.

UrbanFUTURE Parents Raising the Bar

2010-03-31T15:36:00.003-05:00

Last week, St. Louis Public Schools held 3rd Quarter Parent-Teacher Conferences. One of UrbanFUTURE’s outcomes is to increase parent engagement. A key measure of that is parent attendance at conferences. Between Fanning and Mann, 60% of INSPIRE parents attended conferences. Only 20% of non-INSPIRE parents attended their child’s conference. In other word, INSPIRE parents are tripling the norm in attendance at parent-teacher conferences! In fact, they are holding up the curve at both schools

Why is this important? Studies have shown that increased parental involvement in a child’s academics will lead to increased performance (Epstein & Sheldon, 2006). Through conferences, parents can learn how they can assist their child succeed in the classroom. Greater parent-teacher interaction also sends a message of a united front between the classroom and the home to the child. Further, it helps parents feel more comfortable and confident in speaking with a teacher about their child’s education, a significant barrier at times for under-resourced families. As parents continue to build a relationship with the teachers, we can expect students will see an improvement in grades and test scores.

UrbanFUTURE is proud of all the parents who made it out for conferences. This is one step forward in taking leadership. Keep up the great work!

Expectations Lead to IMPACT

2010-03-26T08:57:00.003-05:00

Drummond, a 7th grader at Fanning Middle School, hasn’t missed a week with his IMPACT tutor, Bart. He is a motivated student and really enjoys working with his tutor. When Drummond took the Pre-Algebra DOMA (Diagnostic Online Math Assessment) in October he mastered 3 out of 14 pre-algebra math constructs. Since Bart has begun working with Drummond, he has maintained high expectations of Drummond. By the end of the third quarter, Drummond mastered another construct (integer operations) from the DOMA. Bart says, "In just seven weeks, Drummond has begun to realize that he has the ability to do math at a 7th grade level. The thing that has been missing is confidence. Once we buckled down and he finally saw that he could do the work, our progress has been exponential."

With Drummond's recent success he is now working to master two more constructs. By the end of the school year, Drummond’s goal is to master those 2 additional constructs which will place him above his original goal of mastering 2 math constructs. He will have mastered 3 new constructs on the DOMA and a total of 6 of the pre-algebra constructs. Drummond, with the assistance and encouragement of Bart, is beginning to see and believe his abilities in math. Way to go, Drummond!

Exploring Possibilities

2010-03-19T09:41:00.005-05:00

UrbanFUTURE students at Mann Elementary are getting a chance to go out and explore careers in their community. So far this year, Mann explorers have researched careers in art and law. In January the group visited an art gallery and learned first-hand from a local artist. Craig Downs is a self-taught artist who has spent the past seven years creating a bold and unique style to call his own - he also happens to be an UrbanFUTURE mentor! Craig was kind enough to invite the Explore! Club to Urban Eats (3301 Meramec St.) for a personal showing of his paintings. The students were also given a chance to create their own masterpieces using Craig's paintings as inspiration. Their artwork will be displayed at the local Hartford Coffee Company (3974 Hartford St.). Lloserf, a 5th grade student at Mann had this to say about Explore!, "I think Explore! Club is fun and interesting. I liked going to see my mentor, Craig. I learned to be a great artist you have to keep trying and trying."

Explore Club also had the opportunity to visit the Old Court House where they reenacted the Virginia Minor Trial and learned about women's suffrage. Students had the opportunity to learn about the specific roles and responsibilities of lawyers, judges and juries. They also learned about the constitutional amendements that afford U.S. citizens a fair and speedy trial.

In March, students are exploring careers in law enforcement. Last Friday they had a chance to visit a police station to learn about the different roles of police officers. Keep exploring those possibilities!

Priory Rebels Rocked for UrbanFUTURE

2010-03-12T15:45:00.003-06:00

Thursday, March 4, 2010 (St. Louis Priory) Last weekend the Saint Louis Priory School held its second annual “Rebel Rock '10”, a battle of the bands competition which raised money for UrbanFUTURE, a non-for-profit agency working in partnership with families, schools, and community groups to help urban youth reach their potential through character formation, academic growth, and career planning. “What a great opportunity for UrbanFUTURE students to work side-by-side with students from Saint Louis Priory to produce this show for a second year, said Frank Van Bree, CEO of UrbanFUTURE and Executive Producer of Rebel Rock. “We are thankful to Priory for allowing our kids the opportunity to learn about the production side of the music industry”. Tom Mulvihill, Director of Admissions for Priory said, “Rebel Rock is the beginning of a greater, more systemic partnership with UrbanFUTURE, allowing Priory the opportunity to work with urban kids in the important area of academics through our summer school program”. Additionally, the Priory Student Council has exhibited interest in creating a “Day of Enrichment” for the urban students to take place sometime during the summer of 2010.

Rebel Rock ‘10, featured seven student bands and a band lead by faculty member Timothy Bussen which featured teachers, students and monks. Malcolm Briggs, President of ICR Construction Services and former KSDK Channel 5 sportscaster, emceed the event. John Peckham, Vice President of Logic Systems, provided sound and lighting for the show. Each group “rocked out” for a panel of judges with “Wavelength” winning a cash prize of $500 and a recording session in Webster University’s Studio A. Rebel Rock was conceived by Priory students Charlie Friedman ‘09 and Mitch Van Bree ‘13 in 2009 with the aim of showcasing student talent in a positive, community oriented spirit. Rebel Rock '10 was sponsored by Logic Systems and Cissell Mueller Construction with all proceeds going to UrbanFUTURE.

Adding to Achieve

2010-03-12T10:16:00.005-06:00

This quarter, Damien set a goal to improve his math grade and his reading score. Between Damien, his mentor, Preston and his mother, LaTonya, they decided that Damien could achieve these goals by asking for extra work in math and reading more at home.

Damien has worked extra hard this quarter to complete his math packet and has gone above and beyond his literacy goal by reading more minutes a day than he even planned. The consistency of the INSPIRE team meeting almost every week this quarter, has helped keep Damien on track. He is learning that doing adding a little more work, can go a long way in helping him achieve his goals. Way to go, gentleman!

If you would like to volunteer as a mentor or tutor with UrbanFUTURE, call David Carroll at (314)776-3434 and sign up for an upcoming information session. Don't have time to volunteer, consider making a donation online at www.urbanfuturestl.org.

Reading to Succeed

2010-03-12T09:53:00.008-06:00

At the beginning of the quarter, Lori set an academic goal to improve her reading grade by reading at least twice a week for 30 minutes at home. She also set a character goal to help out at home by helping her family move and keeping her room clean, which she has done all quarter!

To work towards her reading goal, Lori and her mentor, Megan, have come up with some great steps. She has been reading at home, keeping a vocabulary journal and has met with Megan every week this quarter to talk about her goals. Last week, Lori's hard work paid off. She got 100% on her reading test proving to herself that she can reach her goals when she puts her mind to it. Keep up the good work, Lori and Megan!

To learn how you can support urban youth in seeing and believing in the their possibilities, go to http://www.urbanfuturestl.org/ or call us at (314)776-3434.

UrbanFUTURE Framework

2010-03-05T12:09:00.009-06:00

UrbanFUTURE helps 4th through 8th grade urban students prepare to succeed in high school and beyond by:

Supporting parents in taking a leadership role in their child's education
Restoring an educational collaboration between the home and the classroom
Positioning the community as an integral part of the educational process

Primary Objectives

All UrbanFUTURE (UF) students will possess the academic acumen to master high school along with the mindset to see and believe in their possibilities.

Parent Leadership

Institute an individualized plan for student educational growth and enrichment which the parent leads (One on One INSPIRE Mentoring)
Offer a parent association called UPAC (UrbanFUTURE Parent Advisory Council)

Operate with a philosophy of individual dignity and understanding of poverty and and its hidden rules (mindset/behaviors)

Connect families to resources in their community to remove potential obstacles to effective education.

Home/Classroom Alliance

Implement INSPIRE program (parent/guardian/caregiver, teacher, mentor collaborative)

Align goal-setting, academic achievement, literacy and character formation

Observe students in the classroom and report on goal achievement

Provide IMPACT tutoring programs (certified by the State of Missouri)

Align around communication arts, math and homework help

Celebrate student achievement throughout the year

Deliver quarterly newsletters showcasing successes at school and home

Community Participation

Recruit, train and support volunteers from diverse backgrounds and experiences (INSPIRE & IMPACT)

Provide core subject remediation and homework help utilizing the services of university/high school students and adult volunteers (IMPACT)

Involve local businesses, institutions and service sector organizations in teaching and enriching youth (Explore! Community Program)

If you would like more information about how you can get support UrbanFUTURE go to our website at http://www.urbanfuturestl.org/ or call (314)776-3434.

Kaldi's Coffee: A Call for Mentors

2009-07-09T15:48:00.001-05:00

Description & Mission

2009-06-01T11:37:00.002-05:00

Who We Are:

UrbanFUTURE is a Missouri-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to sponsoring supplemental education programs for St. Louis urban youth. It strives to be a “connector” of the Family, School and Community that challenges each student to see and believe in his or her possibilities.

That is the core of the model, and at the apex is the family, the student’s primary educator, who is supported by representatives from the community and the school. UrbanFUTURE staff brokers the connections and is housed within the school building making it the hub for family and community to convene. In this way we address generational poverty at both an individual and structural level.
UrbanFUTURE is a Missouri-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to sponsoring supplemental education programs for St. Louis urban youth. It strives to be a “connector” of the Family, School and Community that challenges each student to see and believe in his or her possibilities.

That is the core of the model, and at the apex is the family, the student’s primary educator, who is supported by representatives from the community and the school. UrbanFUTURE staff brokers the connections and... (read more)

Our Mission:: UrbanFUTURE's four-pronged emphasis of individual dignity, academic achievement, character development, and family commitment centers on the development of the "whole person" by bringing together youths and their families.

UrbanFUTURE, in partnership with family, school and community, is committed to the success of urban youth through character formation, academic growth and career preparation.