Define for Mine

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!

Meramec Students Explore! Science Center

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 

Kicking Off the Program Year

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.