Extramile Final 2010
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
EXTRA MILE EDUCATION FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2010 OUR MISSION Extra Mile Education Foundation provides financial support to inner-city children and their families who seek a values-based, quality pre-kindergarten through eigth-grade education in parochial schools serving urban neighborhoods. Through financial assistance and scholarship support, children who are primarily African-American, non-Catholic, and eligible for the reduced/free federal lunch program have access to an education that puts them on the path to success. FACTS ABOUT THE EXTRA MILE EDUCATION FOUNDATION - 2010 PURPOSE To preserve and strengthen select parochial elementary schools educating children from urban, economically disadvantaged families who seek these schools for their quality, values-based education. Extra Mile support keeps tuition at affordable levels. SCHOOLS Subsidy Basis: St. Agnes, Oakland, Pittsburgh, PA St. Benedict the Moor, Hill District, Pittsburgh, PA Sr. Thea Bowman Catholic Academy, Wilkinsburg, PA Scholarship Basis: Good Shepherd, Braddock, PA Cardinal Wright Regional, North Side, Pittsburgh, PA COMBINED ENROLLMENT More than 700 children from early childhood through eighth grade. DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE Student population is predominantly African American and non-Catholic. More than 85 percent are on free/reduced-price lunches, and 60 percent live in single-parent families. ACCREDITATION Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools PARTICIPATION Daily attendance is 95 percent. Parent participation in educational conferences is 97 percent. All families pay at least a portion of the $1,855 tuition, a 32 percent share of the cost of education per child. Quality of the education and values transmitted in the schools are equally important for families. COLLABORATIONS EDUCATION COMMUNITY Carlow University – staff development, classroom tutors, classroom practicum for education majors Carnegie Mellon University – eurythmics instruction, music lessons, “My True Voice” Duquesne University – classroom tutors, music lessons, computer enrichment program Grove City College – student teachers, classroom practicum for education majors LaRoche College – programming for gifted students Robert Morris University – classroom practicum for education majors St. Vincent College – Challenge Program Slippery Rock University – environmental science program SummerBridge of Sewickley Academy – summer program and after-school tutors University of Pittsburgh – PPP (Pursuing the Promise Program) staff development, classroom tutors, evaluation assistance, reading interns SOCIAL SERVICE COMMUNITY Black Catholic Ministries – diversity classes, annual graduates retreat City of Pittsburgh Drug Awareness Resistance Education (DARE) Homewood and Hill District YMCA’s – after-school programs Laughlin Children’s Center – hearing screening, remediation services CULTURAL COMMUNITY Bach Choir – outreach program Carnegie Science Center – classroom assemblies, student visits The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust – tickets for special performances The Opera Theater of Pittsburgh – special performances and set design project for middle-school students Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera – tickets for performances Pittsburgh Symphony – visits to the schools Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium – school programs and visits Results 1,400 eighth-grade graduates 96 percent high school graduation rate 88 percent pursue learning after high school — in college, trade school or the military No student entering high school has to repeat ninth grade. Financials 2010/11 budget for school subsidy is $2,097,569 representing 65 percent of the cost of education. Remaining support comes from tuition, school-based fund-raising, parish subsidies and Diocesan support Sources of Support Local corporations, foundations and individuals who care about the future of children in the community. A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN “I must really matter.” An alumnus of Holy Rosary School recalled this thought crossing his mind at the beginning of each school day, when he observed teachers and volunteers working diligently on behalf of each student. Since those days, he has successfully completed high school, attended college, and is currently employed by a financial services firm in Pittsburgh. He enjoys his position, is a conscientious worker, and looks forward to the future. In a nutshell, this young man’s experience is what the Extra Mile Education Foundation is all about. Now in its 22nd year, the Foundation is dedicated to supporting the provision of a values-based, quality education to non-Catholic children of economic disadvantage, delivered by Catholic elementary schools located in urban neighborhoods. This initiative began when parents informed school officials that these schools offered a complete package of solid academics, sound moral formation, and a structure that enables children to thrive. In the past several years it has become clear that the prospects for the Foundation’s long-term success depended upon acquiring efficiencies through consolidation and extension. Holy Rosary and St. James schools merged into Sr. Thea Bowman Catholic Academy in Wilkinsburg. St. Benedict the Moor and St. Agnes schools have been combined into St. Benedict the Moor School located in the former Robert L. Vann elementary school building in the Hill District. A strategic reorganization has been developed and executed by the Extra Mile staff, the Diocese of Pittsburgh’s Schools Office, and the schools and parishes. We have received the support of some very generous donors in carrying out these plans. While the work has been challenging, the overall mission has spurred everyone to act in the best interests of families seeking this exceptional resource for their children. The young man now making his way in Pittsburgh had it right all along – the children do matter, all the time. On behalf of the Board of Directors, the families who depend on the schools, and of course, the children, I thank the foundations, corporations, and individuals who share this conviction and have backed it up with thoughtful and generous support. We are very grateful for the support, understanding, and involvement of our funders and friends. Everyone has played an important role in moving children forward, regardless of their circumstance. It is the very least we can do. J. Christopher Donahue Chairman of the Board A MESSAGE FROM BISHOP DAVID A. ZUBIK My Dear Friends, As Bishop of Pittsburgh, I am privileged to be involved in so many programs and initiatives that move the region – and most especially its residents – forward. When progress is made on any given front, it is a great source of satisfaction and joy. One outstanding example of such progress is the Extra Mile Education Foundation. Its mission is clear – to help children, regardless of who they are, where they live, or how they pray, to an education that prepares them for lives of meaning and success. Years ago families in need asked for help so their children could succeed and thrive, and a collective partnership answered that call with care and generosity. Since then, children have continued to thrive in the schools, and alumni are preparing for a bright future. Extra Mile is now approaching its 22nd year. As a result of the extraordinary efforts of a partnership that includes Diocesan leadership, Extra Mile staff, corporate, and community leadership, more than 1,500 children have graduated from a group of Catholic schools serving urban neighborhoods. The schools continue to provide an outstanding education founded on faith, understanding, and respect. Our collective dedication to this mission has led us to reorganize for long term-strength and growth. We will continue to support children attending the reorganized Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy in Wilkinsburg and the newly merged Saint Benedict the Moor School, now located in the former Vann Elementary School in the Hill District. We will continue to provide help to urban children attending other Catholic schools serving their neighborhoods, including Good Shepherd in Braddock, Northside Catholic, and Saint Bartholomew in Penn Hills. As this wonderful progress is being made, we are deeply grateful to our friends, partners, and supporters, and ask that we all continue to be caring and generous. Thank you for serving a great cause that matters so deeply to us all. Your brother in Christ, Most Reverend David A. Zubik Bishop of Pittsburgh EXTRA MILE STRATEGIC REORGANIZATION The strategic reorganization efforts of the Extra Mile Education Foundation, in concert with the Diocese of Pittsburgh and the parishes supported by the schools, have resulted in the merger of Holy Rosary and St. James Schools into Sr. Thea Bowman Catholic Academy, which opened in the former St. James School in August of 2010. The newly formed school has the capacity for up to 300 children and is staffed with faculty members and principals from the two merged schools. As with all school mergers in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, an Implementation Committee was appointed and continues its work to ensure excellence in all aspects of the school. The second phase of the reorganization is the merger of St. Benedict the Moor and St. Agnes Schools in 2011. The merged school will be named St. Benedict the Moor and will be located in the Hill District. Additionally, a strategy is being developed for acquiring more scholarship support for children of the Extra Mile-supported schools demographic background to attend other Catholic schools serving urban neighborhoods. YEAR IN REVIEW TOM O’BRIEN RETIRES