Common Challenges Community Solutions
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Common Challenges Community Solutions PENCIL Foundation 2003 Annual Report Table of Contents Letter from the Chairman . .1 To the Point: PENCIL at a Glance . .2 Our Mission PENCIL Partners . .3 Linking community Math Partners . .4 resources with Reading Partners . .5 Nashville public Caterpillar Student Writers Showcase . .6 schools to help Jobs for Tennessee Graduates . .7 young people Frist Foundation Educator Awards . .8 achieve academic Saint Thomas Science Scholars . .9 success and prepare Job Skills Training and Employment Program . .10 for life. 2002-2003 Board of Directors . .11 Donors and Funding Agencies . .11 PENCIL Partnerships . .13 Past Chairs . .inside back cover “JTG has achieved a 97-percent graduation rate, some seven percent higher than similar programs nationally. Funding for the dropout prevention and recovery components has been suspended, leaving 197 teens without the support and opportunities the program offers.” Cover photo: Craig Brabson Letter from the Chairman September 2003 I believe that every child in Nashville deserves to get from his or her education what Nashville’s most successful got from theirs … passionate teaching, great learning experiences and preparation to enter “the real world” ready to work and contribute. PENCIL Foundation works every day to help teachers make that happen. Now in its 21st year, PENCIL owes an invaluable debt to the 7,000 Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools staff who let us into their schools and classrooms. They are building the future of Nashville and the world one child at a time. We are humbled to be part of the experience. It has been my pleasure and honor to serve as Chairman of the Board this year. I consider it icing on the cake after 20 years of service to PENCIL. It is right up there with the joy I get when I meet a mother who raves about PENCIL’s involvement in her child’s school or a grandfather who is thrilled because his grandchild received commendation from Student Writers Showcase. Thank you, PENCIL, for allowing me to live out my passion. PENCIL has entered its third decade at a time of great challenges and great opportuni- ties. And not surprisingly, many of the challenges that faced us back in 1982 remain with us: • Tuning our programs to meet the needs of school-aged children, their schools and our city • Efficient and thoughtful stewardship of the resources we’re given to ensure the greatest impact with the least waste • Retention of our existing donor and partner pools while finding new resources for both • Engaging larger numbers of community volunteers in more Nashville public schools Like every chair of every board across Nashville, I have seen a sea change in the way organizations must function to weather the long economic downturn we’re all feeling. The long-term effects of corporate contraction, a sluggish stock market and general pessimism in consumer and corporate spending all mean that operating successfully as a non-profit is more challenging than ever. Budget woes at the state level have meant a reduction in funding for one of our most exciting programs – Jobs for Tennessee Graduates (JTG). The program has taken students who had dropped out of school (or were about to) and helped them focus their energies on finishing school and learning the skills they need to succeed after high school. JTG has achieved a 97-percent graduation rate, some seven percent higher than similar programs nationally. Funding for the dropout prevention and recovery components has been suspended, leaving 197 teens without the support and opportunities the program offers. Despite these challenges, I am tremendously excited at what the coming year holds for the foundation, its nearly 400 PENCIL Partners and hundreds of volunteers, and approxi- mately 70,000 children who depend on PENCIL programs every day. Sincerely, Susan Spickard 1 Chairman, 2002-2003 To the point: PENCIL Foundation at a Glance High quality education must be the number one priority of Nashville’s leaders. That mission drives every PENCIL program and volunteer. In fact, PENCIL – an acronym for Public Education Needs Community Involvement & Leadership – is one of the city’s most effective ways of bring- ing our schools, Metro government and Nashville business communities together to make change and improvement happen. TOTAL REVENUE $2,436,886 Every week, PENCIL EXPENSES makes a difference Personnel $1,193,009 in Metro schools: Benefits $141,136 Payroll Taxes $70,455 • Eight programs serving Sub-Total $1,404,600 127 schools and 70,000 students Postage $8,644 • 1,200 corporate and Professional Services $46,013 community volunteers Professional Development $6,013 • 77,000 volunteer hours, Contracted Student Services $121,492 valued at more than Communications $29,985 $1.2 million* Printing $41,764 Program Awards $48,765 • Annual operating Supplies $41,469 budget of $2.4 million Equipment Maintenance $11,098 • Administrative and Travel $15,468 fundraising expenses Facility Lease $128,892 are 15 percent of total Program Activities $48,967 expenses. In-kind Services $461,577 * Based on the assigned hourly wage for volunteers of $16.54 as published in Technology $21,757 The Economic Report of the President Total Expenses $2,436,504 Net Result $382 15% Administration and Development 85% Programs 2 PENCIL Partners PENCIL Partners is the core A Snapshot of PENCIL’s mission. The program partners area busi- This year, I was privileged to watch an incredible new nesses, civic organizations relationship unfold between the Davidson County Drug and faith communities with Court, where I work, and Brick Church Middle School. Nashville public schools. Brick Church staff tutored adults in reading twice a week The community partners for two hours at our resident facility. This year, one of and volunteers give their our residents, James, age 37, agreed to talk with Brick time and their resources Church students from the school’s Drug Abuse Resistance to help students excel aca- Education (DARE) program at “A Day in the Life of a demically and prepare them Resident.” This is a mentoring experience where residents for life in the “real world.” and students talk about making choices in life. He later attended the school’s DARE graduation. After the program, three young boys came up to James as though he was their big brother. They began writing letters. James’ notes urged the boys to stay in school and their replies told James to “be strong” and that he “can make it.” The boys were amazed that he had only recently learned to read. They wanted to help, so they asked if James could come work with them on reading at the school. After speaking with Judge Seth Resources Norman, the counseling staff and the school principal, & Results James was allowed to visit the school during community • There are 370 PENCIL service time two days a week to read with the boys. partnerships (130 new The end result? An adult male, battling addiction and ones, up 35% over last working a tough program, is now full of self-esteem, able year and the largest num- to read and write much better. The students involved, ber of partnerships ever). according to their principal, “have not been back in the • An electronic volunteer office in trouble anymore,” as they know that seeing James tracking system was is the privilege they would lose for doing so. piloted in 17 Metro This is just one example of how our resident popula- schools. tion and Brick Church Middle School’s student body • PENCIL conducted a have bonded. They give each other the support they system-wide principal need to stay on the right track. —Jeri Holladay Bills survey to assess how Davidson County Drug Court Coordinator partnership resources are meeting school needs. 3 Math Partners Math is the common language every business speaks. From construction and banking to medicine and quantum physics, math is at the heart of any job in every employment sector. Math Partners volunteers work with fifth- and sixth-graders who are struggling to reach the national norm for mathematics performance. Through small-group tutoring from volunteers, students acquire essential math skills while increasing awareness Resources of math’s relevance to school and future careers. & Results • 125 Math Partners volunteers tutored 100 students in the fifth and sixth grades during regular school hours. • Math Partners tutoring services were extended to serve the following two programs: A Snapshot 1. A Time to I’ve watched the Math Partners program evolve over the Rise/Backfield in past six years. As an actuary, I can share the “real life” Motion for 155 applications of math and assure the students I work with at-risk youth at three that math does have value. private schools Since the beginning of the 1999-2000 school year, 2. Served 43 students I have tutored fifth- and sixth-grade students at Haynes participating in Club Middle School with another actuary, Howard Magill. Music City Miracle in We have always felt that we were making a big difference six Metropolitan in the kids’ math skills and their interest level in the Nashville Public subject, but it was all crystallized for me when James, Schools aftercare sites a Math Partners student from the previous year, showed • The program received up in the school office unannounced. He was lobbying endorsement from the to participate in the program for a second year. It was so Tennessee Department rewarding to hear that, even though he no longer needed of Education as a our help, he wanted to join us again. supplemental service —Bill Bryan, Math Partners tutor Haynes Middle School provider as part of the President’s No Child Left Behind Act. 4 Reading Partners Listen to third graders read aloud and you can tell whether reading is going to be a chore or a joy for the rest of their lives.