Team Work Brings Restoration to Jefferson

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!

L'Ouverture Students Prepare to Explore Washington, DC

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

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.

The Cost of High School Dropouts and How UrbanFUTURE Restoration Helps

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

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.