1315 Duke Street • Alexandria, Virginia 22314 • www.cyep.org • [email protected] Over the past three years, CYEP has strived to strengthen the Northern Virginia community by addressing family issues through educating fathers and reuniting them with their children. The 2010 fiscal year was a very exciting one for CYEP and its supporters! We improved our programs to ensure that all of our clients get the best possible service and that out funders get the desirable IMPACT. Some of the improvements that occurred in 2010 include expanding our Fathers in Touch class to include Spanish speaking fathers; adding a case management component so that we can effectively engage fathers; and forming partnerships 1 with the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County’s Alcohol and Drug Services (ADS). CYEP is one of the only community based organizations in Northern Virginia that focuses on strengthening the family unit and empowering men to 2 take a more active role in their families. Our two major programs continue to fill a gap in services to our area residents who are most in need. Our Fathers in Touch (FIT) program focuses on 4 enhancing a father’s emotional and financial involvement with their children in an effort to make them more invested and engaged in their lives. Additionally, 7 FIT encourages responsible fatherhood, supports the role of the father to ensure the well-being of their children, and increase overall family functionality. FIT had 50 men that graduated from the program in FY 2010 with ages that ranged 8 from 17 to 55. A majority of the fathers serviced by our program lived in Alexandria, VA and Fairfax County, VA, but we also serviced fathers who live in Washington, DC and Prince William County. 8 Our teen pregnancy prevention program, Project Success, is a program that is tailored for middle school boys and addresses teen pregnancy prevention and promotes a more positive youth development. The unique aspect of Project Success is that the program is designed to address the male aspect of teen pregnancy that is often overlooked - educating boys on their roles of prevention and responsibility. The program addresses a variety of topics and subject matter which includes: self-responsibility, sexual responsibility, family communication, and developing positive decision-making skills. The program takes place after-school at Francis C. Hammond and George Washington Middle Schools. Project Success had 40 graduates in FY 2010 with ages that ranged from 11 to 15. One of CYEP’s goals was to effectively address the teen pregnancy issue within the Hispanic community who statistically have the highest incidence of teen pregnancy in the City of Alexandria. CYEP partnered with Community Lodgings, a local nonprofit organization, which focuses on servicing the needs of the Hispanic population to ensure Hispanic representation within the program. CYEP looks to continue its successful programs for years to come. We want to thank all of our financial supporters and the numerous organizations that have partnered with us to provide a holistic approach to dealing with the serious issues of the fatherless home and teenage pregnancy. CYEP is truly appreciative of the support you have shown us over the past year and we look forward to continuing to help fathers and families for many years to come. Sincerely, Erick T. King President & Chief Executive Officer The Capital Youth Empowerment Program, Inc. (CYEP) is a non-profit, nonpartisan, multi-ethnic, social service organization. Our mission is to provide innovative, high quality, and cost effective programs that address the fatherless home, teen pregnancy, and family dysfunction. Established in 2008, CYEP strengthens the Northern Virginia community by addressing family dysfunction through education and family reunification. Our service delivery area includes the City of Alexandria along with the counties of Arlington and Fairfax. CYEP is one of the only community based organizations in Northern Virginia that focuses on strengthening the family unit and empowering men to take a more active role in their families. CYEP has a vision to develop a strong foundation for our community by nurturing our most valuable resources—families and education. CYEP combines the resources of government, corporations, and community organizations to unite families and empower fathers and children to reach their full potential. Fathers in Touch (FIT) Project Success Fathers in Touch focuses on enhancing The teen pregnancy prevention program, a father’s emotional and financial involvement Project Success, is tailored for middle school with their children. The curriculum focuses on aged boys and addresses teen pregnancy the five characteristics that a father needs to be prevention and promoting positive youth a 24/7 dad. These characteristics are as fol- development. The unique aspect of Project lows: 1) Awareness of himself and the impact Success is that the program is designed to he has on his family, 2) Takes care of himself address the male aspect of teen pregnancy that by eating the proper foods and getting annual is often overlooked - educating them on their physicals, 3) Awareness of the significant role roles of prevention and responsibility. Project he plays in his family, 4) is a Nurturing parent Success uses the award winning "Wise-Guys" and understands the importance of being in the curriculum which has three major objectives: 1) life of his children and 5) works to build and Improve family communication skills between maintain a healthy relationship with his parents and children, 2) Educate boys on the children. Additionally, FIT encourages negative impact of sexually transmitted dis- responsible fatherhood, supports the role of eases and teen pregnancy, and 3) Teaching the fathers to ensure the well-being of their boys the importance of self-responsibility. children, and increase family functioning. FIT is a 12 week program that includes supervised monthly activities and coaching/mentoring for the fathers. The program is free to all participants. In addition, men are both court ordered and voluntarily registered for the program. Advancing the Art, Science and Practice of Professional Coaching On October 22, 2010, CYEP was awarded the work in the Northern Virginia community. Erick NAACP Community Service award presented by accepted the award on behalf of the CYEP Board the Fairfax County Chapter of the NAACP. The of Directors and staff whose hard work made the acceptance of the award occurred during the 65th honor possible. Annual Freedom Fund Awards Banquet held in Springfield, VA. On October 24, 2010 CYEP received the Alexandria Branch of the NAACP Community Service award at the Alexandria Hilton-Mark Center during the 77th annual Life Membership and Awards banquet. The award was presented to CYEP by two of its CYEP Hon- orary Board members, Congressman James P. Moran and the City of Alexandria Mayor William Euille. In March 2011, the Northern Virginia Urban League Young Professional Network awarded Erick King, CYEP President & CEO the “Next Generation of Leaders” award for his exemplary In 2010, CYEP began This widely used approach In 2010, the CYEP Board of implementing motivational within the mental health, Directors solidified the interviewing throughout all of substance abuse, adult and infrastructure of the its program service offerings. juvenile corrections systems organization. CYEP was awarded Motivational Interviewing (MI) teaches effective listening a capacity building grant from is a clinical method of helping techniques that enable staff to Fairfax County which allowed for people to resolve ambivalence focus on the positive aspects of private consultants to assist in about change by evoking clients’ thinking and speech establishing the first annual intrinsic motivation and patterns. These strategies shift Board retreat, policies and commitment. MI is an the focus from problems to procedures, board development, empirically based practice that strengths, from punishment to and leadership training. The has proven successful in treatment, from adult employee handbook was teaching practitioners how to constructed solutions to developed and it includes communicate with clients about client-involved solutions, and position descriptions and annual compliance and behavioral realize that change comes from employee evaluations. In change. the strengths of clients and not addition, all members of the necessarily from the coercion CYEP Board of Directors were of the interventionist. Our goal provided executive coaches is to continue to improve a courtesy of the International father’s attitude and behavior Coaching Federation (ICF). Each about his role as a father and CYEP Board Member worked increase involvement with his individually with executive children. coaches to help them improve in different areas such as leadership, fundraising and organizational development. CYEP was very fortunate to he has made to the Church Community Services expand its Honorary Board of international business Board; and Office of Human Directors in 2010. The new community. Rights. Since his retirement, he Honorary Board members has been very active with Mr. Haywood has over 30 years include Dr. Robert Wallace, several boards, authorities and of experience working as the Chairman & CEO of BiTH commissions within the local Fairfax County Deputy County Group Technologies and community. These new Executive. He was responsible Verdia Haywood, former members bring a wealth of for overseeing the county’s Deputy County Executive of resources