Achieving the Dream
Lumina Foundation for Education, Indianapolis, Indiana.

“Achieving the Dream aims to bring about change within community colleges and in State and federal policy.  The initiative also seeks to augment knowledge about strategies that increase student success and to expand public support for raising postsecondary attainment levels.  At its core, the initiative seeks to help more students reach their individual goals, which may include earning a community college certificate or degree, attaining a bachelor's degree, and/or obtaining a better job.  Achieving the Dream colleges will maintain a high degree of access for historically underrepresented groups while working to increase the percentage of students who accomplish the following: (a) successfully complete the courses they take; (b) advance from remedial to credit-bearing courses; (c) enroll in and successfully complete gatekeeper courses; (d) enroll from one semester to the next; and (e) earn degrees and/or certificates. . . . Designed to strengthen community colleges by helping them create a student-centered vision, the initiative promotes a culture of evidence and accountability, and a commitment to excellence and equality that's necessary to boost student achievement.”
Home page:   http://www.achievingthedream.org/default.tp
Profiles of participating colleges:
http://www.achievingthedream.org/ABOUTATD/COLLEGEPROFILES/default.tp

African American Male Youth Leadership Summits
M.E.N. Project
National Alliance of Black School Educators (NASBE), Washington DC.

“The M.E.N. Project is a NABSE initiative that was developed by the Special Projects Commission to create activities that will Mentor, Educate and Nurture African American young males so that they may become productive and positive adults.   The M.E.N. Project’s inaugural event was the African American Youth Male Leadership Summit. This July 2007 event, co-sponsored by Kentucky State University (KSU) and held on the campus, convened over 100 African American young males in grades 8-10 to discuss issues such as conflict resolution, financial responsibility, career exploration and living a balanced life. . . . The 2008 Summit in partnership with Prairie View A&M University featured (a) critical leadership and communication skills; (b) exploration of diversity and peer-to-peer interaction; (c) workshops on promoting good mental, physical, and fiscal health; and (d) a university tour.
Details: 
http://www.nabse.org/men.htm
2008 Summit flyer:
http://www.nabse.org/MEN_Project/AAYMLS%20Flyer.pdf


Amachi

Public/Private Ventures, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“America’s most isolated and at-risk children are the estimated 7.3 million children who have one or both parents under some form of State or federal supervision.  Without effective intervention, 70 percent of these children will likely follow their parent’s path into jail or prison.  The Amachi mentoring program was developed to provide them with a different path -- by establishing the consistent presence of loving, caring people of faith. . . . Amachi is a unique partnership of secular and faith-based organizations working together to provide mentoring to children of incarcerated parents.  Faith institutions work with human service providers and public agencies (particularly justice institutions) to identify children of prisoners and match them with caring adults. Launched in Philadelphia in 2001, Amachi has spread rapidly; currently there are 273 programs in 48 States that use the Amachi model or were inspired by it . . . The Amachi Training Institute provides hands-on training for local organizations.”
Amachi home page:   http://www.amachimentoring.org/
More information and reports from Public/Private Ventures:
http://www.ppv.org/ppv/community_faith/community_faith_initiatives.asp?section_id=3&initiative_id=4

America SCORES
San Francisco, California

Art Corps
Seattle, Washington – Serving King County

“Arts Corps is a non-profit youth development program that partners with schools and community organizations to bring free arts classes to low-income youth.  The vision is to promote a just and compassionate society that celebrates human possibility and the transformative power of the arts.  The mission is to access to diverse learning opportunities that use art as the tool to nurture critical thinking, individual power, and creativity. . . . Arts Corps is a community of people who believe art can inspire the soul and build the confidence and self-esteem for all of us to be our true selves. ( The program includes) teaching artists, students, youth workers, educators, administrators, civic leaders, arts organizations, activists, and more.”  After-school and summer activities are offered.
Arts Corps:   http://www.artscorps.org/
Article in New Horizons for Learning: 
http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/arts/fitzhugh_2.htm

Asia Society, New York City.

“Two intertwined imperatives face American education today. One is to elevate academic performance, especially among low-income and minority students, and the other is to prepare students for a global future.  Asia Society is responding to these urgent needs through its research-driven International Studies Schools Network.  Schools within this innovative network provide rigorous, engaging education for low-income and minority students, with a vision to prepare them for college, the global workforce, and a lifetime of learning.  The network currently consists of schools located in New York, Charlotte, Los Angeles, Staten Island, Houston, Mathis (TX), Denver, San Antonio, and Bloomfield (CT).  New schools are set to open in Austin and Brooklyn. Plans are underway to expand the network to over 30 schools throughout the nation by 2013.  The International Studies Schools Network was established in 2003, with support from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and in partnership with school districts and charter authorities.”
Home page:   http://www.asiasociety.org/education/issn/

ASPIRA Programs for Families and Youth
ASPIRA Association Inc, Washington DC.

“ASPIRA has had over forty-seven years of experience creating and implementing  informal education programs that build up self-esteem, cultural awareness, and leadership abilities.”  Those programs include the following: (a) school-based Youth Leadership Clubs;  (b) Youth Leadership Development Program; (c) Mentoring Hispanic Youth in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Careers – A Community Based Model; (d) ASPIRE Parents for Educational Excellence (APEX); (e) the ASPIRA Reading Institute; (f) Community Technology Centers; (g) Community Wealth Development Initiative; (h) CASA MAS:  Community Allies for Smart Access to Math and Science; (i) Promoting Healthy Communities Through Leadership Development.
For details – Click at the right:
http://www.aspira.org/?q=manuals/aspira-programs


Big Sibling Program:  Mentoring for Recent Asian Immigrant Students

Serving San Francisco, California

“The Big Sibling Program (BSP) pairs recent Asian immigrant youth with young Asian-American professionals.   The teens often come from homes where both parents work one or two shifts or where one parent is still in Asia.  The teens start off attending Newcomer High School in San Francisco, where students are instructed primarily in their native languages and interact with others who are much like themselves. . . . The goal of BSP’s mentoring program is to assist these youths in their transition into a new life in general and, at the same time, build endearing friendships. . . . Besides communicating with Little Siblings on a regular basis and seeing them at least once a month, Big Siblings participate in roundtable discussions and quarterly group events.”
Home page:   http://www.bigsiblingprogram.homestead.com/

Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture, University of Chicago

“This project examines the attitudes, resources, and culture of African American youth ages 15 to 25, exploring how these factors and others influence their decision-making, norms, and behavior in critical domains such as sex, health, and politics.  Arguably more than any other subgroup of Americans, African American youth reflect the challenges of inclusion and empowerment in the post–civil rights period. When one looks at a wide array of some of the most controversial and important issues facing the country, African American young people are often at the center of these debates and policies. . . . However, in contrast to the centrality of African American youth to the politics and policies of the country, their perspectives and voices generally have been absent from not only public policy debates, but also academic research.  This research project will fill that void, placing African American young people at the center of our analysis and action.”
Home page – Click at the left for surveys, findings, topic primers, and more:
http://blackyouthproject.uchicago.edu/

The Heart of America Foundation, Washington DC.

“More than 15% of the children in the United States live in poverty. On average, these kids have one or two age appropriate books in their homes. . . . Books From The Heart® finds books that are not being used and gets them to where they’re needed most -- into the hands of poor children and onto the empty shelves at school libraries.”
Details:  http://www.heartofamerica.org/booksfromtheheart.htm
Also see the National Education Association’s Books Across America Initiative, in partnership with Books From the Heart and First Book:  http://www.nea.org/newsreleases/2006/nr060221.html

New York City

“City at Peace is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that empowers teenagers to create safe, healthy, peaceful lives and communities.  Using the performing arts as a vehicle, City at Peace is developing the next generation of engaged community leaders.  City at Peace operates year-long programs that bring together vastly diverse groups of youth from all over a city.  They go through an intense year-long creative process through which they write an original musical whose stories come from their lives and their ideas for a better world.  They also create community change projects where they take those ideas and act on them in their city.  City at Peace envisions a society where teenagers are valued, respected and play a leading role in creating vibrant communities. . . . Over 2,100 teenagers have completed the year-long City at Peace program.  These youth have created 59 original musicals since 1994.  This year, City at Peace youth will produce six productions in the U.S., three productions in Israel and one in South Africa.  City at Peace has performed for over 110,000 live audiences since 1994.”
City at Peace:   http://www.cpnational.org/

School of Social Work, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

Founded in 1992, City Songs is “an after-school music-and-development program for at-risk youth in grades 4-8. Through diverse music participation and strength-based social work/education, City Songs helps inner city youth identify and reach their individual potential and strengthen the community.  Program goals are healthy youth development; artistic achievement; and community impact.  City Songs accepts all interested youth in grades 4-8 (no audition; no charge). . . . The program (a) provides a high-quality arts participation experience for low-income children; (b) encourages participants’ families and friends to attend performances without financial barriers; (c) provides exciting live performances that inspire, strengthen, and vitalize the community at large; and (c) promotes strengths in young people and advances larger-scale social justice and community-building principles by means of youth participation in and performance of group vocal music.  City Songs makes special efforts to involve youth who face adversity due to poverty, discrimination, and/or family difficulty.”
Home page:   http://citysongs.umn.edu/



“Poor and minority children face risks and disadvantages that often pull them into a ‘Cradle to Prison Pipeline.’  This Pipeline leads children to marginalized lives and premature deaths.  The Children’s Defense Fund works to break the ‘Cradle to Prison Pipeline” by focusing resources to (a) pull families out of poverty; (b) get families prenatal and health care; (c) expand access to and use of early childhood education and development programs; (d) prevent child abuse and neglect; (e) provide all children needed mental health care; (f) improve low-income and minority children’s access to quality education; (g) prevent youth from entering the juvenile justice system or incarceration; and (h) protect children from community violence.”
Home page:   http://www.childrensdefense.org/site/PageNavigator/c2pp

Cristo Rey Network
Chicago, Illinois

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington

“Early College High Schools are small schools where students earn both a high school diploma and two years of college credit toward a bachelor’s program. . . Early College High Schools (a) share the characteristics of effective small schools (e.g., personalized learning environments, a common and coherent focus, a maximum of 400 students per school, an emphasis on adult-student relationships)’ (b) reward mastery and competence with enrollment in college-level courses during high school; and (c) include the middle grades or outreach to middle schools to promote academic preparation and awareness of the Early College High School option. . . . By 2008, the Early College High School Initiative will create more than 170 pioneering small high schools. . . . The initiative will increase the number of first-generation, low-income, English language learners, and students of color attaining the Associate’s degree or two years of college credit and the opportunity to attain a Bachelor’s degree. By changing the structure of the high school years and compressing the number of years to the Associate’s degree, Early College High School also has the potential to save dollars for families and taxpayers and to better prepare students for entry into high-skill careers.  In addition, Early College High School unifies and reconceptualizes academic work from ninth grade through the second year of college, and thus it challenges the structure of our current secondary-postsecondary system.”
Home page:  http://www.earlycolleges.org/
Increasing the Achievement of Native American Youth at Early College High Schools (Article in New Horizons for Learning):
http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/multicultural/campbell_egawa_wortman.htm

National Council of La Raza, Washington DC.

“This project was created in April of 2002 to increase the number of Latinos with a postsecondary education by developing twelve Early College High Schools across the country.  An Early College High School is a school in which students will not only graduate with a high school diploma, but will also earn a two-year undergraduate associate degree, or complete two full academic years of credit toward a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree.  The Early College Project will begin as a demonstration project, establishing the initial cohort of twelve schools over a five-year period, with the intention that the models developed and lessons learned will subsequently be shared with the broader NCLR network of schools.  All schools participating in the Early College Project are committed to active and sustained involvement in the Early College cohort for a minimum five-year period for documentation and dissemination purposes.”
Home page:   http://www.nclr.org/section/ecp/


Enterprise for High School Students
San Francisco, California.

“Enterprise for High School Students (EHSS) is a citywide school-to-work/youth development agency that guides youth (ages 14-18) to find and retain jobs, to be trained and engage in experiential learning, and to explore career interests. Enterprise has been providing services to San Francisco's high school students since 1969.  Through a broad array of programs, Enterprise provides a comprehensive means for students to gain an understanding of how their interests and talents can be integrated into employment, community service,  and educational opportunities.  More importantly, each of the programs is designed to assist each individual in finding his/her potential.”
Home page:    http://www.ehss.org/

Washington, DC

“Since its inception in 1992, “First Book has distributed more than 33 million new books to children from low-income families across the U.S. First Book works in all 50 States and the District of Columbia, serving more than 1,300 communities nationwide.  At the local level, First Book has nearly 250 volunteer Advisory Boards that raise funds and select the most effective programs in their community as First Book grantees. . . . All books distributed by First Book are provided at no cost to the child or program.”   
Home page:
http://www.firstbook.org/site/c.lwKYJ8NVJvF/b.674095/k.CC09/Home.htm
Impact:  Louis Harris study
http://www.firstbook.org/site/c.lwKYJ8NVJvF/b.674339/k.D113/Impact.htm
Also see  2007 Adolescent Readers Initiative:
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/11/11022007b.html

The White House

“Helping America’s Youth is a nationwide effort, initiated by President George W. Bush and led by First Lady Laura Bush, to benefit children and teenagers by encouraging action in three key areas: family, school, and community. The Community Guide to Helping America’s Youth helps communities build partnerships, assess their needs and resources, and select from program designs that could be replicated in their community. It walks community groups through the steps necessary for building strong supports for youth: (a) bring your community together; (b) find out what’s happening in your community; and (c) learn about programs to help youth.
Home page:   http://guide.helpingamericasyouth.gov/

Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection
Hillside Family of Agencies
Rochester, New York

“Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection was established in 1987 to help at-risk urban students stay in school and achieve academic success.  The mission is to increase the graduation rates of students within the city school districts of Rochester and Syracuse, New York, by providing long-term advocacy, academic resources, life skills development, and job training. . . . Connections students graduate from high school at twice the rate of their peers, and 80 percent of these graduates attend college.”
Home page:
http://www.hillside.com/who/hwsc.htm


Learning with Public Purpose:  Improving Rural Schools and Communities

The Rural School and Community Trust, Arlington, Virginia

“Rural schools are being called upon to improve education quality for an increasingly diverse population, often with woefully inadequate  resources.  The time is right for a bold strategy that simultaneously addresses the  interrelated challenges of community renewal and school improvement.   Learning with Public Purpose (LPP) is the Rural Trust’s answer to simultaneously improving  rural schools and communities in this environment. . . . Examples of LPP programs include: (a) Community Development-Oriented Service Learning -- Connects student learning and service to community development priorities; and (b) Student Civic Activism -- Engages young people in civic action projects that have policy implications and require interaction with local and regional policymakers.  The goal is to develop teacher and community fellows who collaborate to design and implement learning experiences that are academically rigorous and address important  community issues.  . . . LPP  will accomplish this goal through partnerships with school districts in Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, and Tennessee.”
Home page: http://www.ruraledu.org/site/c.beJMIZOCIrH/b.1452847/k.C315/Learning_with_Public_Purpose.htm?

Making Connections
Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore, Maryland.

“Making Connections is the flagship initiative of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s strategy to help children succeed based on the belief that the best way to improve outcomes for vulnerable children living in tough neighborhoods is to strengthen their families’ connections to economic opportunity, positive social networks, and effective services and supports.  Launched in 1999, Making Connections is a decade-long effort to demonstrate this theory in disinvested communities across the country, and in full partnership with residents, community-based organizations, local government and businesses, social service agencies, community foundations, and other funders.  A key component of Casey’s Making Connections initiative is a strong emphasis on the critical need for collecting and using reliable data, and a hard focus on achieving and sustaining measurable, concrete results.  In addition, Making Connections advances a two-generation approach.  Sites are working to connect parents to good jobs and asset building opportunities and to ensure that their young children benefit from better health care, quality early childhood services, and more intensive supports in the early grades.”  The ten sites are in Denver, Des Moines, Hartford, Indianapolis, Louisville, Milwaukee, Oakland, Providence, San Antonio, and Seattle.
Making Connections home page: http://www.aecf.org/MajorInitiatives/MakingConnections.aspx


MANA:  A National Latina Organization with a Program for Adolescent Girls
Washington DC.

MANA, A National Latina Organization, is a nonprofit, advocacy organization established in 1974.   It's mission is to empower Latinas through leadership development, community service, and advocacy. MANA fulfills its mission through programs designed to develop the leadership skills of Latinas, promote community service by Latinas, and provide Latinas with advocacy opportunities. . . .  AvanZamos is a chapter-based, formal leadership development program for adult Latinas; its goal is to strengthen Latina community leaders through educational programs. . . . HERMANITAS® is a national initiative focused on encouraging adolescent girls to stay in school and to pursue high academic goals. The goal is to develop the talents and skills of young Latinas in elementary, middle and high school through educational programs at:  (a) National HERMANITAS® Summer Institute; (b) local HERMANITAS®; (c) Girl Scout partnership; (d) online mentoring initiative; (e) community service; and (f) school-based initiatives.”  Local MANA chapters are located throughout the United States.
Home page:    http://www.hermana.org/
Click on Program Information for details about HERMANITAS:
http://www.hermana.org/orgfrm.htm

Serving Miami, Florida

“The Miami Museum of Science's youth programs focus on providing low- income youth with training, mentoring, work experience, academic enrichment and skills in the use of technology, while improving their communication and interpersonal skills and self confidence.  The Museum's approach has been profoundly effective, with college and employment success stories attesting to its positive impact.  Youth programs provided by the Museum not only provide students an alternative to the streets, but also with a new way of thinking and planning for their futures.”  Programs include: (a) Silver Knight Awards (scholarships for youth program participants’ achievements); (b) BioTrac (opportunities in biomedicine for low-income, first-generation high school students); (c) IMPACT Upward Bound (this is the first museum in the nation to become an Upward Bound Math and Science Center); (d) GREAT! (a model program to encourage girls to pursue opportunities in the information technology field); and (e) STEP-UP (training for teachers and underserved youth in the use of handheld computers to enhance classroom and field-based science learning).
Museum’s home page:   http://www.miamisci.org/
Youth programs:   http://www.miamisci.org/www/education_youth.php

Minority Student Achievement Network
Headquarters at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research,
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Foundation of the National Education Association, Washington DC.

“The NEA Foundation, partnerships led by NEA affiliates, school districts, and community organizations will take action to accelerate the achievement rate for disadvantaged and minority students, while raising achievement for all groups of students.  The first grant made under this program was awarded in June 2004 to a school district–union partnership in Hamilton County (Chattanooga), Tennessee. . . . The second grant was awarded in June 2005 to a partnership in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  The third grant was awarded in April 2006 to a partnership in Seattle, Washington.  Each grant totals as much as $2.5 million over five years.  The NEA Foundation expects Hamilton County, Milwaukee, Seattle, and future grant recipients to work with families; businesses; universities; cultural and community-based organizations; local and regional funders; State and local governments; and other institutions to improve students’ academic success.”
Details:   http://www.neafoundation.org/programs/closingthegap.htm

National Urban League, New York City

 “Launched in 1989, NULITES is the longest ongoing National Urban League youth initiative. . . . NULITES is designed to reflect the positive aspects of youth in today's society while providing opportunities for personal and leadership development.  To participate in NULITES, students must belong to a NULITES chapter.  NULITES chapters are sponsored by local Urban League affiliates and have their own youth officers who develop, implement and execute activities with guidance from adult advisors.  There are currently 57 official NULITES chapters in 26 States, including the District of Columbia.  The main purpose of NULITES is to promote and maintain high standards of well being, educational, character and leadership qualities. This is accomplished through its program goals, structure and required educational seminars and community service projects. Through NULITES the Urban League is able to carry out a vital component of the Campaign for African American Achievement, which is to provide caring and supportive adults in the lives of our urban youth who are in need of support.”
For details:   http://www.nul.org/whatisnulites.html
And see more programs for youth
http://www.nul.org/educationandyouth.html

MDRC, New York City

“Community colleges, which tend to be accessible and affordable, serve as a critical resource for low-income individuals striving to improve their prospects in the labor market and life. However, a variety of factors, ranging from a lack of financial aid to inadequate student services and poor developmental classes, can impede students’ progress.  Many students stop attending school before receiving a postsecondary credential. . . .  In Opening Doors, MDRC is working with community colleges in several States to design and implement new types of financial aid, enhanced student services, and curricular and instructional innovations, with the goal of helping low-income students earn college credentials as the pathway to better jobs and further education.   Integral to the demonstration project is a random assignment study measuring how the Opening Doors interventions affect students’ education, labor market, and personal outcomes.
Opening Doors:   http://www.mdrc.org/project_31_2.html

Outstanding Young Educator Award
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, Virginia.

“Begun in 2002, ASCD's Outstanding Young Educator Award Program recognizes creative and committed teachers and administrators under the age of 40 who are making a difference in the lives of children. . . . In addition, ASCD will highlight these young educators as models for all young education professionals or prospective educators. . . . ASCD is seeking young professional educators who (a) educate the whole child, helping to ensure each child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged; (b) demonstrate educational leadership in their school, district, and community; (c) show a positive impact on student achievement; and (d) illustrate significant contributions to the education community.  Educators may be nominated in either the Teacher or the Administrator category.”  Each year, the award winner receives $10,000 and other benefits.  Honorees receive $500 and other benefits. 
Home page:  
http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/menuitem.b00b3d3ab9fd959d8716b710e3108a0c/


Promoting Academic Success of Boys of Color
FPG Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

“PAS (Promoting Academic Success) of Boys of Color is a five-year grant initiative funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to develop and analyze ways to combat academic underachievement problems for minority boys.  The project's goals are to mobilize and support partnerships among Head Start, public schools, families and community agencies to focus on and improve the academic and social development of boys of color between 3 and 8 years old.  PAS will identify and partner with communities nationwide that demonstrate readiness to address achievement gap issues.  It will assist all groups involved in designing and implementing interventions within families, classrooms and communities that fit with local circumstances and resources.  The project’s researchers will identify and report the most promising multi-systemic (family, school, community) interventions.”  PAS has developed six video presentations which may be downloaded.
Home page and scroll down for the videos: http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~pas/index.cfm


Steps to College

University of Georgia and a University System Consortium
Serving South Carolina

“Steps To College is a summer school program targeting middle and high school students whose first language is not English. The goals of STC are: (a) to improve students' English language skills and help them prepare for Georgia graduation tests while receiving graduation credit; and (b) to provide an opportunity for students to become familiar with a college campus, therefore, encouraging limited-English speaking students to pursue a college certificate or degree. . . . The project is being carried out by a University System consortium consisting of four USG institutions in the northern third of the state: University of Georgia (lead), Dalton State College, Gainesville College, Georgia Southern University, North Georgia College and State University, and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.”
Overview:   http://www.uga.edu/hispanicproject/stc.html
Que Es En Camino a la Universidad?
http://www.uga.edu/hispanicproject/camino.html
ELL Outlook article on Steps to College:
http://www.coursecrafters.com/ELL-Outlook/2005/may_jun/ELLOutlookITIArticle2.htm

The Children’s Partnership
Santa Monica and San Francisco, California, and Washington DC

UNITY:  United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

UNITY “is a national network organization promoting personal development, citizenship, and leadership among Native American youth.  UNITY’s mission is to foster the spiritual, mental, physical, and social development of American Indian and Alaska Native youth and to help build a strong, unified, and self-reliant Native America through greater youth involvement.  This mission is based on the belief that the most effective way to bring about lasting and positive change within Native America is to strengthen the capacity of tribal, village, and urban Native youth (ages 15-24). . . . The heart of UNITY is its affiliated youth councils which are sponsored by tribes, Alaska Native villages, high schools, colleges, and urban organizations.  The UNITY Network consists of more than 200 diverse youth councils in 34 States.  Annual National UNITY Conferences involving up to 1,400 youth and advisors are held each summer.”  Other activities include a life skills and leadership development project and an obesity prevention program
Home page: http://www.unityinc.org/


YouthBuild USA
Somerville, Massachusetts

“YouthBuild programs engage unemployed young men and women, most of whom have not completed high school and all of whom come from low-income families.  YouthBuild enables them to serve their communities by building affordable housing, and assists them in transforming their own lives and roles in society.   All YouthBuild students are poor and many have had experience with foster care, juvenile justice, welfare, and homelessness.  Participants spend 6 to 24 months in the program, dividing their time between the construction site and the YouthBuild alternative school. . . . Students prepare for high school diplomas, GEDs, vocational school, or college. The curriculum integrates academics with life skills. Classes are small, allowing one-on-one attention to students. Many students earn an AmeriCorps scholarship for their community service. . . .. . . Participants learn to advocate for issues that concern them and their communities, and to take responsibility for themselves and their families. Students share in the governance of their own program through an elected policy committee. . . . Counseling and referrals are offered to address issues such as child care, transportation, or substance abuse. Students are assigned a counselor, whom they meet with regularly.”
Home page: http://www.youthbuild.org/site/c.htIRI3PIKoG/b.1223925/k.DF42/Programs.htm



“Since 2002, instructors at the Echo Park Film Center (EPFC) have facilitated 16 film and video-making classes free of charge to more than 200 students between the ages of 8 and 19.   Classes culminate in a community potluck dinner and a screening of all films completed by the students; films made by our students have been featured in local, national and international festivals.  EPFC students learn the fundamentals of filmmaking, including such components as research, interview technique, storytelling, lighting, cinematography, sound recording, special effects and editing.  Hands-on experience is gained through the creation of collaborative self-produced short documentary and experimental films that examine and celebrate individual interests, family histories, and shared experiences as members of a vibrant urban youth community.   The program incorporates the knowledge, resources and skills of established local and international filmmakers in the form of guest lectures, workshops, and artists in residence to provide the broader perspective of filmmaking and media arts.   The majority of students continue to participate in Film Center activities and have used skills and experiences learned here to gain access to educational programs, jobs and filmmaking in the larger community.”   In the words of the EPFC staff, “in our predominantly Latino working class neighborhood, we have students born abroad, students of mixed ethnicities/cultures, and students whose families made great sacrifices to come to the United States.  For years Echo Park has been challenged by crime, gang activity and decreased funding for educational and social programs; many of our local youth are labeled ‘at-risk’ by local government agencies. . . . We believe our students become more proactive and articulate members of society when they are given the means and the forum to express their ideas, their experiences, and their dreams.  Our students’ films stand as documents of our rich cultural diversity and heritage while providing the opportunity to learn, grow, and participate in a safe and supportive creative environment.”
Echo Park Film Center Youth Education Program:
http://www.echoparkfilmcenter.org/about/youth.htm



“Using the Internet, print, and broadcast media, WKCD presses before the broadest audience possible a dual message -- the power of what young people can accomplish when given the opportunities and supports they need and what they can contribute when we take their voices and ideas seriously.  The youth who concern WKCD most are those marginalized by poverty, race, and language.  On this website, WKCD presents young people's lives, learning, and work, and their partnerships with adults both in and out of school.  WKCD’s community of readers stretches from youth organizers in some of this country's toughest urban areas to policy makers at the national level.”
Home page:    http://www.whatkidscando.org/



Return to main menu: Achievement Gaps, Diversity, and  Disproportionality
http://www.rrfcnetwork.org/content/view/195/47/