In this Issue

August 2009

Hello! We are very excited to be entering a new school year and re-connecting with all of you after a very productive summer!

We are eagerly preparing for this month's Provider Meeting on Wednesday, 8/26, 10:30am - noon where we will provide a walk-through of the Youth Mapping Initiative. After the meeting there will be light refreshments and a presentation on a funding opportunity focused on incorporating the nationally recognized KIDZLIT/KIDZMATH curricula. For complete meeting details check out the Resource Spotlight and Provider Meeting information included in this issue.

Please NOTE: Due to speaker scheduling conflicts we have had to postpone the Crime Prevention and Youth Development Funding Fair scheduled for 8/7. We will be sending out a new date as soon as possible.

CITY BUSINESS INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

Afterschool Partnership's Youth Mapping Initiative, a youth-driven project to gather, collect, and update information and opportunities for youth and families in our community and neighborhoods, has received a CityBusiness 2009 Innovator of the Year Award.

We are proud to be part of this elite group of accomplished organizations, businesses, and individuals who are being recognized because they succeed by operating progressively or create unique products. CityBusiness will announce the top three innovators on September 25. Congratulations to all of the involved youth and our staff, especially Eric Jensen who has led this effort!

 

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MAPPING NEW ORLEANS UPDATE

Early this summer, Afterschool Partnership officially unveiled the Youth Mapping Initiative to the media with the support of U.S. Attorney Jim Letten, Police Chief Warren Riley, and James Logan of Youthline America.

Validating the objectives for this project, Letten affirmed his belief that it has given children alternatives that will reduce the chance that they will turn to criminal lifestyles. Chief Riley recounted how his ability to play football at Carrollton Park made a tremendous difference in his life, while Logan highlighted how New Orleans is leading the country in this kind of technological effort.

To date, Urban League College Track students have participated as mappers as well as students from Cohen High School and Douglass High School. The Freret corridor, Central City, St. Roch, and Treme neighborhoods have been mapped. Outreach continues and the entire New Orleans area should be completely mapped by next summer. To view resources currently listed, find out more about this initiative, or list your organization please visit neworleans.ilivehere.info or call Eric Jensen at (504) 304-9591, ext 32.
 

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CONNECT2EDUCATE COLLABORATIVE

C2E, a collaboration among Afterschool Partnership, Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities - Prime Time, Save Our Schools NOLA, Communities in Schools, and Start The Adventure In Reading (STAIR), provides a forum for communication between school leaders and community organizations. C2E allows school administrators and community resource providers a way to collaborate around meeting school needs for improved programming and youth opportunities.

The 2009 C2E Notebook is now on-line at connect2educate.org and offers a comprehensive snapshot of high quality community resource programs available for public schools.

For more information and to get involved in the collaborative email info@c2e.org.
 

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NATIONAL SUMMER LEARNING DAY

President Obama proclaimed 7/9 as National Summer Learning Day. We applaud our friends at the Center for Summer Learning for making such incredible progress in their quest to bring national attention to this important issue. They’ve helped the country to understand that summer learning loss is a reality and assisted New Orleans in enhancing the quality of our summer programs through training and community awareness.

In New Orleans, Pentecost Baptist Church celebrated National Summer Learning Day by showcasing their students' learning achievements. At the showcase students sang, danced, performed mime and slam poetry, produced and presented a play around bullying, and created posters about what they learned during their summer program. Congratulations to all New Orleans summer programs for all your hard work towards stopping summer learning loss!
 

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TODAY - 8/4, NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AGAINST CRIME

The 26th Annual National Night Out Against Crime, a unique crime and drug prevention event, has been scheduled for Tuesday, August 4, 2009.

National Night Out is designed to:
- Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness
- Generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime programs
- Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnership; and
- Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

We encourage you to join with your neighborhoods to celebrate this Night Out. If you are looking for a place to join the celebration, please join us at Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association's Big Night Out Against Crime Party. It will be held at 3006 Esplanade Ave, starting at 6:30pm. There will be food, music, and everything a party should have!
 

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BOOK DRIVE – READ ON!!

Afterschool Partnership and interns from Tulane’s School of Social Work organized the collection of over 2,000 books for distribution to summer camps and youth development programs throughout New Orleans. These free books will provide children and youth access to reading as part of their out-of-school time and summer activities.

The generous collection and donation of books was made possible through the efforts of the Hornets Bookmobile, Cops4Kids, NOPLAY, Sojourner Truth Community Center, Maple Street Bookstore, Desire Street Ministries, Pentecost Baptist Summer Camp, and students at Tulane’s School of Social Work.
 

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ZEPHYRS BASEBALL

Thanks to the ZEPHYRS for making it possible for over 550 participants in summer programs and camps to attend the 7/27 home game at no cost. Their generosity and support of the children and youth on New Orleans is greatly appreciated!

It was a fantastic day and we were pleased to coordinate with Councilman Fielkow's office to help make this day possible! Go Zephyrs!!!

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WE’RE ON FACEBOOK

Please visit us on Facebook! We update frequently with all our activities, photos, and videos. It's a great way to learn more about you and share our work. We look forward to interacting with you!

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Resource SPOTLIGHT

EVERY MONDAY MATTERS
The book, “Every Monday Matters: 52 Ways to Make a Difference,” promotes the fact that people have the power to make change through action. The belief is that no matter how big or small the actions, they matter. From this, the YOU MATTER Curriculum was created to help educators help students become the leaders our schools, families, and communities need.

The curriculum is a K-12 service learning, project-oriented program that focuses on empowering students to make a difference in their schools and communities with modules such as “De-Trashing Our Schools,” “A Healthy Me” and “Great at Gratefulness.” There are nine, four-week modules designed for one hour increments weekly. The curriculum can be implemented inside or outside of the academic school day. For more information, join us for our 8/26 Provider Meeting or visit www.everymondaymatters.com.
 

KIDZLIT/KIDZMATH Funding Opportunity
The New York Life Foundation and DSC are partnering to make the AfterSchool KidzLit® and AfterSchool KidzMath™ programs more accessible to a broad range of after-school programs. The KidzLit (K–8) and KidzMath (K–6) enrichment programs are designed specifically for out-of-school time.

The initiative provides:
Materials
• All participating sites will receive a 20% discount on the purchase of KidzLit and KidzMath materials.
• Up to 30 sites that serve a high percentage of low-income youth will receive KidzLit and/or KidzMath materials at a 50% discount.

Training
• Two days of staff training at no cost will help after-school staff implement the programs effectively
and create supportive, caring learning environments.
• A complimentary On-Site Support Kit for each program will help after-school sites train, sustain,
and deepen program implementation over time.

Selection criteria
To be eligible, after-school sites must:
• Be located in the New Orleans metropolitan area
• Serve at least 40 children, ages 5–14
• Commit to purchase a minimum of $500 of program materials after the awarded discount
• Commit to sending 2–3 staff members from each participating site to the two trainings

Join us for our 8/26 Provider Meeting or visit www.devstu.org/nylife to learn more.

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GRANTS

Ronald McDonald House Charities, www.rmhc.org

Kresge Foundation, http://kresge. org/index. php/what/ community_ relief_fund/

Lowe’s Toolbox for Education, http://www.lowes. com/lowes/ lkn?action= pg&p=AboutLowes/ Community

The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, www.barbarabushfoundation.com

NFL Youth Football Fund Grassroots Program, www.nflyouthfootball.com

Tony Hawk Foundation, www.tonyhawk.com

Kids In Need Foundation, www.kidsinneed.org

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, jazzandheritage.org

Tom's of Maine, www.tomsofmaine.com/community-involvement/project-sponsorships.aspx

Blue Moon Fund, www.bluemoonfund.org

The Alec Dickson Servant Leader Award given by the National Youth Leadership Council, www.nylc.org

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UPCOMING PROVIDER MEETINGS

8/26/09, 10:30am - noon
Please join us THIS month (4319 Carondelet Street) for a Mapping Initiative overview, Spotlight from Matthew Emerzian, one of the authors of EVERY MONDAY MATTERS: 52 Ways to Make a Difference and a lunch presentation of the KIDZLIT/KIDZMATH Funding Opportunity.

Future meeting dates:
9/23/09
10/28/09
11/18/09
12/16/09
 

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