SPECIAL PROGRAMS | 2011 - 2012

YMCA – Community Learning Center at Sulphur Springs Elementary School

Now in its fourth year, the Community Learning Center (CLC) at Sulphur Springs Elementary has engaged the entire community and created a synergy between the school and the neighborhood.  The CLC is a key element in the piece of the Neighborhood of Promise pipeline for children age 5-12 to ensure they transition to middle school on grade level.  For the 2010-11 academic year 281 students were enrolled in the CLC.  Students in the CLC participating in additional tutoring sessions with certified educators made gains at a faster pace than their peers not enrolled in the CLC.  Fourth and fifth grade FCAT data showed 56% gains met in reading for CLC students vs. 43% non-CLC and 53% gains met in math for CLC students vs. 50% for non-CLC.  Sulphur Springs Elementary has earned a Five Star School status for the third year in a row. 

Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay – Middle School Program

This program in Sulphur Springs provides the middle school age piece of the pipeline and will support fifth graders who graduated from Sulphur Springs Elementary.  Programming is currently underway at the Bartholomew Recreation Center to provide access to comprehensive high quality learning opportunities geared toward the youth’s specific developmental needs to engage this age group.  Planning is underway to have this programming at Sligh Middle School by January.  Year one program successes included:  92% progressed to next school grade; 91% increased financial literacy competencies; 84% missed less than 5 days of school; and 88% had no referrals or disciplinary actions.

 Hillsborough Education Foundation – Project Success

For the past three years CFTB has funded this program for students attending South County Career Center (SCCC), a Hillsborough County School District alternative high school that combines basic academics with career and technical training.  This year funding is for Simmons Career Center in Plant City as well as SCCC.  Project Success assists the students with pre-graduation needs, certification or association expenses, tools, and post-secondary scholarships to technical education centers or HCC.  Successes include a dramatic impact on the graduating seniors with a 100% graduation rate and students pursuing post-secondary education at HCC or other college increasing from 4% to 67%. 

David A. Straz Jr. Performing Arts Center/Metropolitan Ministries Partnership School

This program provides a full year of in-school music, dance, and drama classes for the homeless, nearly homeless, and recently homeless grade K-5 children attending the Metropolitan Ministries Partnership School and after-school programs for K-5 and teens from the community.  The arts play a key role in establishing social, academic, and developmental competencies among economically disadvantaged youth. Pre and post-program assessments by teachers last year include significant development of student skills in not only arts discipline related skills but also in problem solving, communication, and responsibility.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay – HYPE (Helping Young People Excel) Program

HYPE is a gang prevention program that provides effective prevention programs for youth who are the most likely targets of gang recruitment by providing positive out-of-school time activities and youth development programs.  HYPE has been recognized by the Florida Attorney General as a best practices program for delinquency prevention.  Youth in HYPE, especially middle school students, have become more engaged in school and their community, achieved higher learning gains, and have progressed academically at higher rates than their peers.  Outcomes from the HYPE program for the 2010-2011 year include: 81% missed less than 5 days of school; 88% progressed to the next grade; 96% had no referrals or disciplinary actions; and 98% remained free from delinquency and gang involvement. 

Ready For Life

Ready For Life (RFL) engages foster care youth, private citizens, and public resources to assist Pinellas County foster youth in a successful transition to adulthood.  Current and former foster youth are key partners in efforts to understand how to improve community efforts supporting their successful transition.  Youth serve as part-time RFL staff, volunteers, members of the Youth Council, participate in focus groups, and assist in creation of a youth-oriented website.  The website contains resources for the youth in areas such as health, education, employment, housing, legal matters, etc.  During the 2010-11 year over 500 youth have been engaged and over 100 community volunteers serve on 9 committees addressing youth issues.

Community Tampa Bay - Anytown

Anytown is a youth leadership and diversity education program, the mission is to empower diverse groups of young people to create more inclusive and just schools and communities, where all individuals are treated with respect and understanding. The central objective of Anytown is to enable youth to discover their potential to become leaders and to empower them to be positive role models in their schools, neighborhoods, and communities.  Program evaluations confirm graduates significantly increased acceptance of individuals with backgrounds differing from their own; knowledge of causes, consequences of, and solutions to prejudice; stereotyping and discrimination; importance they give to memberships in broader social categories as an aspect of their identity; and importance they give to being personally involved in broader community and social issues compared to peers not attending Anytown.

American Red Cross – Nurse Assistant Training for Aging Out Foster Youth

The American Red Cross provides career training for youth aging out of foster care to attend Nurse Assistant Training (NAT) to prepare participants with the information and skills needed to become Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and provide quality care for residents in nursing homes and other health care settings.  Each scholarship will assist with course tuition, uniforms, vaccinations, and state licensing exam fees.  Students will be mentored to ensure that this development opportunity suits the goals and needs of the youth prior to placement.
 

SPECIAL PROGRAMS (2009 - 2011)

SPECIAL PROGRAMS (2008 - 2009)