September 30, 2010 ANNUAL REPORT October 1, 2009
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ANNUAL REPORT October 1, 2009 - September 30, 2010 FREEDOM SCHOOL PARTNERS 2010 WHAT WE DO The goal of Freedom School Partners is to lessen the achievement gap between higher and lower income K-8 students by providing the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program. Programs are free, but parents “pay tuition” in the form of volunteering in their children’s schools and attending monthly parent meetings. Summer Freedom Schools: *Engage scholars for 6 to 8 weeks, Monday - Friday, 8am - 3pm. *Employ college-student interns who become role models for scholars. *Offer an Integrated Reading Curriculum that includes conflict resolution, problem solving and social action. *Include enrichment activities to expand children’s experiences. Freedom School Afterschools: *Provide safe and nurturing places for children afterschool. *Support working families and help connect parents to schools. *Complement and supplement school-day learning for children who need additional academic and enrichment support. STAFF Macie A. Bennight Freedom School Coordinator BOARD OF DIRECTORS Hillary Ryan Dye Dr. Deborah Bailey Development Coordinator Rev. Y. Trevor Beauford Angie Gover Tonia Bendickson Program Coordinator Andrea H. Bierce (Sec.) Jasmin Harris Kim Dickerson Lead Teacher Arlette Dolphin Jackie Hinds Hank Durkin Afterschool Program Assistant Jill S. Flynn Ieeshah Mackey Sue Gorman Administrative Assistant Mary Nell McPherson W. Clay Grubb (Past-Chair) Executive Director Sandy Marshall Tracy Montross Dorethea “Doe-D” Mebane (Treas.) UNCC MPA Public Service Fellow Burch Mixon (Vice Chair) Tammy Sanders Henrie Peery Activities & Logistics Coordinator Carl Powell Kate Shem Stacey Richards Strategy & Planning Coordinator Bill Trosch Shanta Vaughn Laura Meyer Wellman Site Coordinator Karen S. Williams (Chair) Necole Watts Julian H. Wright, Jr. Rev. Kevin Wright Site Coordinator *plus over 60 Freedom School Servant Leader Interns, bus drivers and many community volunteers daniel daniel Freedom School Partners friends and family, Freedom School Partners friends and family, What a year it’s been since we officially became WhatFreedom a year School it’s been Partners! since Wewe areofficially so grateful became for the Freedomsupport Schooland encouragement Partners! We are of soindividuals, grateful forthe the faith supportcommunity, and encouragement local colleges and of individuals, universities, the corporations, faith community,and foundations local colleges which allowed and universities, us to have corporations, an impact on andmore foundations than 600 childrenwhich allowed in Charlotte us to havethis year an alone.impact on more than 600 children in Charlotte this year alone. In the pages of this report, you will find compelling statistics and stories Inabout the pages our efforts of this to report, reduce you the will achievement find compelling gap statistics among andCharlotte- stories aboutMecklenburg our efforts at-risk to reduce students. the Youachievement will learn about gap among our scholars’ Charlotte- success Mecklenburgin school and at-risk significant students. improvement You will learn in testabout scores, our scholars’reading abilitysuccess and inattitudes school and toward significant learning. improvement You will see in our test plans scores, for readinggrowth inability the nextand attitudesfew years, toward including learning. new Yousites, will as see well our as plansthe larger for growth number in ofthe children next fewwe years, hope includingto serve. new sites, as well as the larger number of children we hope to serve. Most of all, I am thrilled to announce nyja, jakyra & kaylyn Mostthat of Freedom all, I am Schoolthrilled Partnersto announce has nyja, jakyra & kaylyn thatbeen Freedom awarded School a very Partners prestigious has beengrant awarded from the a Bank very ofprestigious America grantFoundation. from the You Bank can of Americaread about this Foundation.grant on page You 67can of thisread report. about The this grant$200,000 on page grant 7 willof thisbe report.awarded The over $200,000the next grant two years,will be and awarded Freedom over theSchool next twoPartners years, is oneand ofFreedom only two nonprofits in Charlotte to receive this Schoolhonor. Partners What an is oneincredible of only way two to nonprofits celebrate in ourCharlotte ten-year to anniversary!receive this honor. What an incredible way to celebrate our ten-year anniversary! Great things are happening for Freedom School Partners, but we know Greatthere things is still muchare happening work to do. for Thousands Freedom Schoolmore children Partners, in but this we area know need thereour help.is still muchTo continue work to our do. program Thousands for moreanother children ten years in this and area to reachneed ournew help. parts To of continue the city, our we’re program going forto needanother your ten help years – not and only to reachyour newcontinued parts of generousthe city, we’re financial going support to need but youralso helpany additional– not only yourfree time, continuedspecific talents generous or other financial gifts supportyou’d be but willing also toany share. additional You might free time, specificwant to talents read toor ourother children gifts you’d once be a willingweek, tohelp share. us collect You might program wantsupplies, to read or volunteerto our children as a tutor. once There a week, are helpso many us collect ways thatprogram you can supplies,get involved, or volunteer and I encourageas a tutor. There you to are contact so many us forways more that information. you can get involved, and I encourage you to contact us for more information. I want to personally thank you for your support as we I wantcelebrate to personally the impact thank of ouryou firstfor yourten years support and as transition we celebrateinto the next the impactdecade of of our enriching first ten theyears lives and of transition intoCharlotte’s the next decadechildren. of enriching the lives of Charlotte’s children. In Partnership, In Partnership, Karen S. Williams KarenChair, S. BoardWilliam ofs Directors Chair, Board of Directors The Magic of junotiajunotiajunotiajunotia Freedom Schools Servant Leader Interns Make a Tremendous Impact on Scholars Junotia Gage, a UNCC student and first year intern, heard from a parent that in the first four weeks of Freedom School she noticed changes in her son, Zac, that had never occurred in the history of his schooling. The parent said Zac surprised her when he pulled their pastor aside and started talking to him about Bang, a Freedom School book by Sharon G. Flake. She was amazed he could get excited about any type of book! The mother and pastor were both astounded at how detailed and knowledgeable he was about the moral of the story. When the mother told Junotia all of this she was unaware of making a difference to Zac, but oh, the magical power of Freedom School and the Servant Leader Intern! During “Celebrity Day” site, Mr. at the Billingsville Terryon and Freedom from JCSU, Mr. Tremayne, School were surprised both first year dressed to find that interns felixfelixfelix && & up like several felix & basketball them! Instead scholars had interninternintern ashleyashley ashley stars, of being rappers intern ashley they were the or STAFF written interns themselves. on the back With pulled up, of their t-shirts the scholars and pants tried even proclaimed to find tennis they Realizing shoes just had they had like the interns. Mr. Terryon indeed made said“I never a difference, of impact thought I would on kids! I wish have this and I could go kind change my back two years Freedom major to education”, School matters to our scholars. Freedom School Changes Lives When asked what Freedom School meant to her, 5th grade Jessica responded, “Freedom School made my life stand out and I just want to thank Freedom School for that because it’s amazing how and what I am today. Freedom School is the jessicajessicajessicajessicajessica best thing that ever happened to me and I just want to say thank you!” Everyday begins with the motivational song Something Inside So Strong. Jessica says, “It is a powerful and thoughtful song. It makes me feel that I can do whatever I can do, it makes me feel that I can be anything that I want to be. Freedom School makes me feel free.” Another example of Freedom School magic. “I like Freedom School because it gives me lots of things to do, because there is noth- ing to do at home alone except play video games and that’s not helping me learn.” ~Reco EnrichingEnrichingEnriching the the Lives the Lives Livesof ourof ofour Scholars our Scholars Scholars We WetakeWe take pride take pride in pride exposing in exposing in exposing our ourscholars our scholars scholars to new to newto environments new environments environments and and experiences. and experiences. experiences. With With With helphelp fromhelp from our from ourcommunity our community community partners, partners, partners, we wewere wewere able were able to able provide to provideto provide a a a widewide varietywide variety varietyof meaningful of meaningfulof meaningful activities. activities. activities. saumyahsaumyahsaumyah & justice & justice & justice YogaYoga withYoga with Ms. with Ms.Tonya Ms. Tonya –Tonya six– of six –our ofsix ourtenof our tensites ten sites participated sites participated participated in in in yogayoga classes.yoga classes. classes. Ms TonyaMs MsTonya talkedTonya talked talkedto our to ourscholarsto our scholars scholars about about theabout the the importanceimportanceimportance