Table of Contents Letter from the Chairm a n . .1 2005 Pro fi l e . .2 PENCIL Pa r t n e r s . .3 Math Pa r t n e r s . .4 Reading Pa r t n e r s . .5 C H O I C E S . .6 C a t e r pillar Student Writers Showc a s e . .7 Jobs for Tennessee Graduates . .8 Saint Thomas Science Sch o l a r s . .9 Job Skills Training and Employment Pro g r a m . .1 0 PENCIL Special Eve n t s . .1 1 2004-2005 Board of D i re c t o r s . .1 2 Past Chairs . .1 2 Donors and Funding Age n c i e s . .1 3 PENCIL Pa r t n e r s h i p s . .1 4 Mission Linking community resources with Nashville public schools to help young people achieve academic success and prepare for life. Vision Community invo l vement and leadership in public education lead to academic success and life-sustaining careers for all Nashville citizens. Letter from the Chairman September 2005 2004-05 was a record-breaking year for PENCIL Foundation on many fronts, and I am honored to have been a part. We hit an all-time 23-year high with the largest group ever of PENCIL Partners (419, including 69 new partners) and math and reading volunteers (433). And while these numbers are impressive, the growth in relationships is even more remarkable. The depth and breadth of our partnerships grew exponentially, strengthening the “glue” that bonds the business community with the Metro school system. Our board team was outstanding, as were PENCIL’s very skilled and committed staff and volunteers, who work tirelessly on every front in education. Leaders in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, including Dr. Terri Breeden, Dr. LaVoneia Steele and director of schools Dr. Pedro García, serve on our board and assure that all of our efforts are in sync with the goals for the system. An important part of maintaining relationships is personal interaction and “show-and-tell” at special events. Highlights of PENCIL’s 2004-05 events include: • Board meetings held at three Metro schools (Meigs Magnet, McGavock High, Bordeaux Elementary Enhanced Option) showcased an impressive array of faculty and students and reinforced the value of all PENCIL is doing to make our schools stronger. • 175 community and business leaders went into Metro schools for “Principal for a Day” event. • Glencliff High School’s gymnasium was packed with students in grades 3-8 and their parents for Caterpillar Student Writers Showcase Awards Ceremony. • PENCIL’s JTG (Jobs for Tennessee Graduates) hosted a meeting for community leaders at Glencliff High School. The highlight of the morning was a superb Southern breakfast prepared by culinary students in their demo kitchen and served in their guest dining room. • With MNPS director of schools Pedro García’s spouse Priscilla and school board chair Pam Garrett at the helm and with the tremendous help of volunteer committees, the second annual A LITTLE NIGHT of MUSIC fundraiser doubled its proceeds over last year’s event. • The annual Spring Celebration Luncheon, traditionally held at a local hotel, became BRAVO ! B re a k fast, held in the gymnasium of Head Middle Magnet School. It was a celebration for all sch o o l s and PENCIL Pa rt n e rs, complete with aw a rds and a grand parade of s ch o o l s, perfo r med by students. Attendance was 560, and the positive response to the new fo r m at was ex t ra o rd i n a ry. As you read this rep o r t, you will see descriptions and accomplishments of P E N C I L’s diverse pro g r a m s , e a ch care f u l ly monitored and evaluated by a committee of the board of d i rec tors. But the wo rds that best ex p ress PENCIL’s tremendous value are those straight from the mouths of our partners and volunteers who are so vital to our mission. Sincerely, Sue G. Atkinson Chairman, 2004-2005 1 PENCIL Profile Financial stability and responsibility are high priorities at PENCIL. Despite cuts in funding intrinsic to a sluggish economy, PENCIL continues to do more with less. The Foundation stretches an annual operating budget of $2.4 million to serve eight programs, 130 schools and more than 7,100 students. July 1, 2003 - June 30, 2004 TOTAL REVENUE $2,275,993 EXPENSES Personnel 1,098,800 Benefits 98,721 Payroll Taxes 79,547 Sub-Total $1,277,068 Postage 7,559 Professional Services 80,069 Professional Development 1,973 Communications 25,174 Printing 52,747 Program Awards 6,640 Supplies 10,930 Equipment Maintenance 11,823 Travel 14,857 Facility Lease 76,116 Program Activities 37,858 Liability Insurance 11,433 In-kind Services 570,220 85% Technology 16,111 programs Total Expenses $2,200,578 Net Result $75,415 15% administration and development 2 PENCIL Partners PENCIL Pa r tners is a pro g ram linking Metro S chools and the Nashville community. Any are a This year, PENCIL Partners: business, civic organization or faith community • Recruited 69 new PENCIL Partners can “ a d o p t ” one or more Nashville public schools. for Metro schools • Increased school usage of PENCIL’s Kristen Smithson and I have been tutoring Kenneth for two ye a rs online tracking system to 96 as part of our company ’s PENCIL Pa rtner commitment. It’s an schools, reporting 50,973 volunteer i n c re d i ble joy to see his pro g re s s — not only in his reading skills, hours, valued at $876,238* but also in his pers o n a l i t y. For any wo rking person, volunteering • Established 55 partnerships in during the wo rk d ay can be a ch a l l e n ge, but I always feel re f reshed and 27 Sumner County schools excited when I leave Kirk p at r i ck Elementary Enhanced Option Sch o o l . — Ann Ewing, Vice President, Dye Van Mol & Lawrence *Based on the assigned hourly wage equivalent for volunteers as published in the Economic Report of the President of the United States As a company and as individuals, we were rewarded by our PENCIL partnership with John Early Paideia Middle School all year. Whether it’s putting up a fresh coat of paint, participating in a job fair, funding yearbooks for students who cannot afford them or singing at a Martin Luther King Day celebration, there is something in it for everyone. I feel sure we learn from them as much as they do from us. — Diane Christie, Senior Director of Government Affairs, Comcast 3 Math Partners Making sense of math can be tough, but it’s essential for every student’s success — at school, at work and in life. This year, Math Partners: Volunteer tutors meet once a week with small groups of • Contributed to an increase of 5th- and 6th-grade students who need help to gain profi- 15% in math proficiency among ciency in math skills and to build confidence. students with two years of TCAP data. • Served 166 students with 103 volunteers in four after-school programs and 20 schools, 16 of which are target schools as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act • Served three new schools: J.T. Moore, H.G. Hill, Henry Oliver. • Provided tutoring to students in the Bethlehem Family Resource Center community • Updated lessons and materials in accordance with Te n n e s s e e Wo rking with PENCIL Fo u n d ation was an experience I will alway s D e p a r tment of E d u c a t i o n’s remember and appre c i at e. Since I began Fisk Univ e rsity in 2003, I had new math standard s been looking for something meaningful to do with my spare time. In Ja n u a ry 2005, I was fo rt u n ate to meet people at PENCIL. I became a volunteer for Math Partners, and I enjoyed every minute. First and foremost, the four kids I tutored two days a week were wonderful. Their enthusiastic smiles seemed to light the entire room. The satisfaction that I felt from watching the kids improve their math skills was indescribable. — Kiko Bethel, Math Partners volunteer 4 Reading Partners Research shows that children who read well in the early grades are far more This year, Reading Partners: successful in later years. Reading opens • Served 2,621 students in 45 schools the door to learning about math, history, • Coordinated 359 volunteer commitments and science, literature, geography and much four federal work-study placements in schools more. On the other hand, students who • Provided 413 students with individual assistance cannot read well are much more likely • Served 2,208 students through the to drop out of school and be limited to classroom reading component low-paying jobs throughout their lives. • Increased number of students served Reading is undeniably critical to success. by One-on-One Readers by 26% over last year Reading Partners sends volunteers into • Increased number of students served by kindergarten through 4th-grade classrooms Classroom Readers by 14% over last year to tutor students not yet reading on grade • Contributed more than 7,000 volunteer service level and to read to entire classes. hours to MNPS When Tyler and I began, he read stories as a monotonous and homogenous text.