Meet The Allies. Class of

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1 Class of Public Allies Maryland is an AmeriCorps program of the Social Work Community Outreach Service of the University of Maryland School of Social Work Public Allies Maryland operates with the support of: FUND FOR CHANGE Joseph and Harvey Meyerhoff Family Charitable Funds

2 New Leadership for New Times Public Allies Mission is to advance new leadership to strengthen communities, nonprofits, and civic participation. We are changing the face and practice of leadership in communities across the country to meet the demands of changing times. Public Allies in Maryland Public Allies Maryland is a program of the Social Work Community Outreach Service (SWCOS) of the University of Maryland School of Social Work. We launched our program in October of 2009 with a class of 20 Allies. The Allies featured in the pages that follow are members of our fifth class; they began their service on September and will graduate on July 16, Who are the Allies? Public Allies are talented young adults, ages 18-30, from diverse and under-represented backgrounds who have a passion to make a difference. Through the Public Allies program, Allies: Serve as full-time AmeriCorps Members Receive a $15,000 living stipend, $5,550 Education Award, health care, and other benefits if eligible Turn their passion into a viable career path The Public Allies Model Our 10-month signature AmeriCorps program includes: 1 Full-time apprenticeships in local nonprofit organizations or public agencies Where Allies create, improve and expand services that address diverse issues such as education, economic opportunity, healthy futures, and the environment. Allies are matched with nonprofit organizations and public agencies using a thorough matching process. 2 A rigorous leadership development curriculum that includes: Intensive weekly skill training and leadership development seminars. Critical feedback, reflection, and personal coaching toward individual performance and professional goals. Community building and service opportunities with a diverse cohort of peers. Team Service Projects created and implemented using an asset-based community development approach that benefit local communities.

3 Second Year Executive Allies Antoinella Peterkin Elisa Urtiaga Leichelle Smith Antoinella develops new programs at the Mt. Washington School aimed at reducing conflict on and off the playground, reducing office referrals, and improving the social, leadership, and academic skills of students. This involves mentoring middle school girls, tutoring students in math and reading, developing and implementing conflict resolution and peer mediation strategies designed to decrease bullying and to improve interactions at lunch/recess, and creating an after-school opportunity for students to develop leadership skills. In her role as Youth Services Coordinator at CASA de Maryland, Elisa is launching the youth program, "Mi Espacio", a summer and after school program for middle and high school youth. By launching "Mi Espacio", CASA de Maryland will be able to serve more immigrant youth in East Baltimore. As Program Manager at Charm City Clinic, Leichelle reaches out to local service providers and community associations to strengthen partnerships that will in turn better connect clients to local health and wellness resources. Nyasha Dixon Oyinade Koyi As the Service Coordinator at the YES Drop-In Center, Nyasha provides support to homeless youth who are seeking to access services as well as coordinates life skills and enrichment workshops and activities. Nyasha is also working in partnership with the University of Baltimore to design a continuing education curriculum for helping professionals working with homeless youth. At Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Chesapeake, Oyinade serves as the Outreach Coordinator and focus on volunteer outreach by recruiting Big Brother and Big Sister mentors for youth ages 8-16 years old. She plans recruitment events, makes community presentations, hosts information sessions, assists in partnership development and manages an online data base of volunteers.

4 Adrian Atkinson As a Resource Counselor and Advocate in Project PLASE s men s transitional housing facility, Adrian completes intakes and orients new residents, counsels clients, assists clients in accessing resources, teaches clients life skills individually and by developing group trainings, and otherwise ensures the smooth functioning of the house. Alyssa Budros As the Youth Support and Development Coordinator for Soccer Without Borders, Alyssa is designing a curriculum around intentional culture development that will help the youth to build community and improve in school and sports. She works to improve existing programmatic activities, design a framework and create the tools required to implement the new curriculum, and pilot new outcome measures. Ariel Smallwood Ariel is working with Learning and Leadership in Families Perfectly Punctual Campaign to build strong relationships with the Elementary School and Head Start partners. She is a creating a system to efficiently access student data and improve programming. She is developing a parent outreach initiative in the schools as well, through which she is recruiting parents to attend workshops and engaging parents in creating individual or school-wide projects to overcome attendance obstacles. Ashley Grimes Ashley is responsible for marketing Big Brothers Big Sisters programs through telemarketing recruitment and outreach. She corresponds regularly with youth on the Agency wait list and families through direct contact and monthly newsletters to provide support and special opportunities for youth that are waiting to be paired with a mentor. She is responsible for planning activities for children on the wait list and coordinates fun and enriching activities for matched volunteers and youth.

5 Chakarra Lumas Chris Jones As the Admissions Assistant for the SEED School of Maryland, Chakarra coordinates activities that support families with the successful completion of application packets. This includes identifying and attending community events for recruitment purposes, leading the Student Ambassadors program of students who give tours to prospective families, and working one-on-one with families as they complete applications. In his role as Assistant Volunteer Manager at Moveable Feast, Chris reaches out to community groups with the goal of recruiting and retaining new volunteers. Chris manages the volunteer profile and reporting system. Chris works to orient, train and supervise volunteers and volunteer leaders that come to work at the facility in East Baltimore, in the community garden, or at special events such as Ride for the Feast. Danielle McDonald As an Intervention Tutor in Hilton Elementary School through Child First, Danielle works with students during the regular school day and during the expanded hours to assist low performing students. She mentors/ tutors students one-on-one and in small groups based on recommendations from teachers. She helps the students with academic success as well as social and emotional skills. DeAndra Mayo-Wilson DeAndra is supporting the implementation of a new attendance initiative at Historic Samuel Coleridge Taylor Elementary School in the Promise Heights Initiative designed to decrease lateness and absenteeism of students. This involves designing a school-wide program for rewarding and recognizing positive attendance, managing parent relationships and communication with families with high absences and lateness, and maintaining positive relationships with students at the start of every day. Out- Social Work Community reach Service University of Maryland School of Social Work

6 Kezia Snipe Kiana Hawkins Lance Cooper As a Program Associate at Baltimore Child Abuse Center, Kezia performs a critical role in the areas of Prevention and Community Outreach. This involves coordinating and delivering prevention and outreach presentations for adults and professionals, as well as work with task force volunteers. She also supports the D.I.V.A.S program which engages teenaged female survivors of abuse in community activities and support; which involves marketing and recruitment, evaluation, and sharing success stories. As a coach in the new CCBC Cares Financial Coaching Program, Meagan assists students with analyzing their financial situation and generates goals and action strategies collaboratively to improve their financial capability and sustainability. She also coordinates volunteer-led workshops on financial literacy topics. She recruits and promotes the CCBC CA- RES program by attending student events, partnering with CCBC faculty and staff, and using social media. Lance manages the day-to-day operations of Charm City Clinic and assists walk-in clients as they arrive. As a case manager, he completes client intakes, and then works with clients through the eligibility and application process for health care resources. Additionally, he supervises student volunteer case managers who are in the office during clinic hours as well as assists with community outreach. Lia Martin For Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, Lia serves as a Program Pathways Assistant. Lia facilitates 6 week programs in schools that use an approved curriculum covering topics such as STEM, self-esteem, antibullying, financial literacy, and more. She plays a critical role in communicating with the partner schools, parents, and the community about the Girls Scouts program. She cultivates and identifies potential troop leaders in an effort to transition each program into a traditional troop.

7 Mairead Jacobs-Dougherty Mariah Pratt Maya Colbert Maya Gaines Mairead supports the work of Alternative Directions Civil Legal program, which helps clients address family law matters in order to keep their affairs in order while incarcerated as well as successfully re-enter society upon release. She facilitates resource workshops and provides individual follow-up inside several men s and women s state correctional institutions. She also designs new resource workshops based upon request and feedback from clients. As an Outreach Coordinator at Community Law in Action, Mariah supports high school students in the Law and Leadership Academies in four Baltimore City high schools, by creating opportunities for youth and developing relationships with students, teachers and administrative staff. She informs students of activities and opportunities available to them; assists them in maintaining their academic records; and encourages them to stay in school, work hard, and prepare for life and work beyond high school. As a Member Connections Coordinator in the Northwest Neighbors Connecting program at CHAI, Maya trains and supports Village members/volunteers who will run the matching service program - aka connect seniors in need to available services. She also manages a team of senior volunteers who produce the Village Newsletter which keeps the community aware of program happenings. Lastly, she conducts outreach into the community to recruit new members. As a Family Wealth Advocate at the Baltimore CASH Campaign, Maya works one-on-one with low-income Baltimore families using the Earn Benefits Online tool to connect clients to income-enhancing benefits, such as food stamps, child care subsidies, health insurance, and the Earned Income Tax Credit. She completes basic level returns during tax season andmanages Financial Resource Volunteers that work with clients on asset development. She also works alongside the marketing consultant to develop marketing and outreach

8 Megan Sherman Megan coordinates CHAI s Community Conversations program, which is designed to increase communication and understanding between diverse groups of people in CHAI's 5 target neighborhoods in Northwest Baltimore. She provides support to the leadership team of community volunteers and the subcommittees as they begin to implement new community activities. In particular, she plays a lead role in helping diverse girls to learn how to photo document the neighborhood and plan an exhibit event as a launch for the program. Nnedi Umeadi In her role as Communty Engagement Coordinat at the SEED School of Maryland, Nnedi serves as the main point of contact and the gatekeeper for any community member interested in volunteering at or engaging with SEED. She streamlines the existing volunteer process, with a special emphasis on the mentoring and tutoring programs. She manages SEED's external presence online and attends networking events in order to increase community engagement. Olivia Maruca Ricardo Bartee As the High School Academic Coordinator at Squash- Wise, Olivia assesses and implements the academic tutoring program for the High School students. She is responsible for working with SquashWise students in daily sessions comprised of academic tutoring and enrichment curricula in the partner schools. She is also responsible for tracking student progress, communicating with teachers and parents, leading field trips and community service projects, and maintaining relevant data. As a Resource Counselor and Advocate in the medically fragile housing facility at Project PLASE, Ricardo completes intakes and orients new residents, counsels clients, assists clients in accessing resources, teaches clients life skills individually and by developing group trainings, and otherwise ensures the smooth functioning of the house.

9 Rodney Stallworth Rodney serves as the Partnerships Coordinator in the Workforce Development Program at Greater Homewood Community Corporation, where he creates strong relationships with local resource organizations that can help clients overcome barriers to employment, including resources such as child care vouchers, interview clothes, etc. He also creates and facilitates a Job Search Club for clients in the job placement Romaine Burke phase. As the Middle School Academic Coordinator at SquashWise, Romaine assesses and implements the academic tutoring program for Middle School youth. He is responsible for working with SquashWise students in daily sessions comprised of academic tutoring and enrichment curricula in the partner schools. He is also be responsible for tracking student progress, communicating with teachers and parents, leading field trips and community service projects, and maintaining relevant data. Twannesha Thomas Twannesha supports smooth delivery of Business Volunteer Maryland s Pencil Program which connects skilled local volunteer business leaders with Baltimore City Schools. She conducts check-ins and site visits with the schools, facilitates expansion of school and corresponding business partnerships, participates in events for the program at the schools, and documents/ photographs the program s success. She also manages Volunteer Central- which connects citizens seeking volunteer opportunities to local nonprofit organizations. Vivian Taylor For Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, Vivian serves as a Program Pathways Assistant. Vivian facilitates 6 week programs in schools that use an approved curriculum covering topics such as STEM, self-esteem, anti-bullying, financial literacy, and more. She plays a critical role in communicating with the partner schools, parents, and the community about the Girls Scouts program. She cultivates and identifies potential troop leaders in an effort to transition each program into a traditional troop. Out- Social Work Community reach Service University of Maryland School of Social Work