Annual Report September 1, 2012 August 31,

Transcription

1 Annual Report September 1, 2012 August 31,

2 Board of Directors: Vision: All at-risk youth complete high school with a plan for the future to become contributing members of society David Shellenbarger, Chairman Debra Haley, Vice Chairman David Ames, Secretary Ellen Nichols, Treasurer Robert Lancaster Dr. James Wismar John Jazwa Robert Nichols Clare Ward Mission: To empower at-risk youth to reach their full potential through tutoring, mentoring and faith 2

3 Programs Super Kids Clubs: East Naples Baptist Church Estero United Methodist Church (UMC) Manna Christian RV Park Rosemary Park Super Teens Clubs: Manna Christian RV Park Rosemary Park Super Kids Club Reading Camps: Estero UMC, K-5th Manna Christian RV Park, K-5th Rosemary Park, K-5th Shadowlawn, K-5th Super Teens Leadership Camp Rosemary Park, 6-12th ANNUAL REPORT Table of Contents Program Overview pg 3 Year in Summary pg 4 Program Report Super Kids Club pg 4 Super Teen Club pg 4-5 Super Girls Club pg 5 Super Kids Reading Camp pg 6 Super Teens Leadership Camp pg 7 Super Kids Church and Choir pg 7 Super Moms Club pg 8 Community Partnerships pg 8 Short Term Teams pg 8 Measures of Success pg 9 Financial Summary pg Goals pg 10 Contact Information pg 11 Publications Information pg 11 Super Girls Club Rosemary Park, 4-5th grades Estero UMC, 4-5th grades Super Kids Church and Choir River of Life Church, All Super Moms Clubs Rosemary Park Estero UMC Program Results 260 students enrolled in programs 35% average improvement in reading skills for elementary aged students Three students graduate high school 32% of middle high students on honor roll/teens average GPA 3.12 Eight teens in JROTC Two students earned four year college scholarships Improved student performance impacted classrooms and families Students and families integrated into society 3

4 Year in Summary All seven of our programs work in a variety of ways to help our students improve academically, socially and spiritually. This past year our programs grew at our East Naples and Estero sites. East Naples launched a Super Kids Reading Camp for forty students. We expanded our Estero site to offer a Super Kids Club (40 students enrolled), Super Girls Club (20 girls enrolled) and Super Moms Club (10 moms enrolled). We invite you to read throughout the report about the impact of these program on the lives of our students and their families. It is only through our staff, volunteers, community partners and our stakeholders that these programs are offered and our students are able to reach their full potential in life. Project Report by Program Super Kids Club Super Kids Club enrollment during the 2012/13 school year was 203 at the East Naples, Estero, Rosemary, and Manna sites. Again this year feedback from Super Kids, parents and teachers recognized Super Kids Club for improving students attitudes and success in the classroom. Our volunteers, 250 strong, provided over 30,000 hours of tutoring and mentoring to the children K 5th grades. The volunteers came from throughout our communities to serve. With their help, our students made great strides in reading and school work: Students who scored below grade level on pre-tests in the learning lab made an average gain of 35% on building vocabulary and an average gain of 40% on reading. When parents were asked how well their child was doing in school since being enrolled in the Super Kids Club this year, 98% believe their child maintained or improved their grades. 91% of students responded to a survey that they feel better about school and their abilities. Super Teens Club Super Teen enrollment this year of 6th-12th grade students was 60, at our Manna and Rosemary sites. Super Teens excelled this year with: Three graduating from high school; all three have jobs in construction. (One of our teen graduates and Ellen Nichols, Program Director and Founder, are shown to the right) Middle school students - 32% were on the honor roll and two earned all A's 4

5 Average GPA for the Super Teens was 3.12 Two students were awarded by Take Stock in Children 4 year scholarships to a Florida college/university (shown on the right) Fifteen teens volunteered at our annual golf tournament Five Super Teens were speakers to an audience of 270 at the New Horizons Benefit Luncheon at Spanish Wells Country Club. Ten additional Super Teens were hosts and hostesses at the event Volunteer service was on display and much appreciated as they tutored at Super Kids Club Career guidance from community leaders encouraged the teens to set their sites high and gave them a closer look at careers ranged from construction and architecture to nutrition Eight of the teens are developing leadership skills as members of JROTC (five of them are shown to the right) Our Super Teens had the opportunity to participate in "Chalk it Up on Fifth" in the heart of downtown Naples Our staff and community volunteers provided over 20,000 hours of tutoring and mentoring to our 60 teens in mid and high school at our Rosemary and Manna Super Teens Clubs. These amazing students are developing leaders at home, school and within the New Horizons programs. Super Girls Club Forty 4th and 5th grade girls are participating in a special Friday afternoon program; Super Girls Club at our Rosemary and Estero sites. The girls completed nine units of study. The study units emphasized team building and good relationships and helped prepare them for middle school. They now work together as a team instead of each for themselves. It is awesome to see them build each other up, not something this age group usually does. Each girl signs a Promise which details how to resolve differences. One lesson in particular, had a strong impact on the girls and their parents the lesson was about the parent-child relationship and the girls worked on a project that they took home as presents for their parents which contributed to strengthening their relationship and promoting better communication (an issue their families face at home due to language barriers). This year they made two quilt tops for children in Appalachia and included the note We are praying for you (pictured to the right). Field trips included Holy Land Experience (shown on the right) and Wiggins Pass State Park. They served others with smiles and love at local nursing homes. This special group of young ladies are helping to fund this program with yard sales. 5

6 Super Kids Reading Camp The months of June and July were filled with summer camps for Super Kids and they were action packed. We offered four Super Kids Reading Camps (summer camp at Shadowlawn was a new and wonderful addition). The total impact of spending the summer with 210 children reading, writing, and studying the Word of God is difficult to measure, however, based on student surveys and test results, we know that God used New Horizons to touch and change lives! Here are the survey and test score results from our Super Kids Camp: 97% of the Super Kids surveyed believe they improved their reading skills and are better prepared to start school 93% feel they understand more about reading and will do better in school this year because of the Super Kids Reading Camp 81% feel less worried about starting school 99.4% believe the daily Bible lessons helped them learn more about making good decisions and trusting God! Oral Reading Fluency: Super Kids improved oral reading fluency by an average of 16 words per minute. This is double the average standard improvement made by students in a four week period of school. Reading Comprehension Gain: Super Kids improved their reading comprehension by 36% from pre and post testing Every elementary student received a backpack full of school supplies donated by Estero United Methodist Church and Trinity by the Cove Arch Angel Fund. Laces of Love provided 55 pairs of shoes to the Estero Super Kids. Lee County Food Program provided breakfast and lunch to our students in Estero and Bonita Springs. And every Friday afternoon, the students went swimming at the Bonita Springs or Naples Aquatic Center. Community partnership truly enriched the students learning experience! What our students said about their reading camp experience: "At Super Kids Camp I learned to not make fun of people and not to make bad decisions." "At Super Kids Camp I learned how to be a better reader and believe more in myself." "At Super Kids Camp I learned the importance of reading and to be respectful." 6

7 Super Teens Leadership Camp Forty-five at-risk 6th-12th grade teens participated in the Super Teens Leadership Camp this year. The focus of the camp was to develop leaders for tomorrow s generation. Through a variety of activities and daily faith-based lessons, they learned the importance of collaboration, being a positive role model, decision making, self-control and discipline, being proactive, time management, serving others, honesty, commitment, and communication. Physical fitness was taught through a partnership with the Bonita Springs YMCA. Exciting field trips, such as visiting the Holy Land Experience in Orlando (pictured on the right), canoeing down the Estero River, boating in Naples with Freedom Waters, participation in the Bonita Springs 4th of July parade (picture to the right their bus entry took second place), snorkeling on coral reefs in Key Largo and seeing a performance at the Broadway Palm Theater allowed students to explore "new horizons!" Through generous donations, New Horizons took 24 high school Super Teens to a week-long Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership Camp at Southeastern University in Lakeland, FL. The teens had a lifechanging experience as they connected with 200 other Christian teens from across the state of Florida in a week filled with motivational speakers and activities. Church and Choir The year began for all our students with church at the Manna site and midway through the year a special invitation was extended by the River of Life Assembly of God Church to join them in Sunday services. The River of Life Legacy service was specifically created to connect the generations as they worship together. Super kids and teens learned Bible stories and verses, joined in the singing and enjoyed skits and meeting others. Each service ends with everyone coming together at the front of the church in small groups for discussion and prayer (picture to the right). The choir sang at 13 churches/community events during the year. As always, they touched hearts while learning about public performance and sharing their faith. 7

8 Super Moms Club This program focuses on the mothers of our Super Kids/Teens. Bible study, marriage and family issues, nutrition and English lessons (offered in partnership with the Literacy Council) are the key components of weekly meetings with the women and their pre-school aged children. The program is offered at our Rosemary and Estero sites. Over 30 women attend each week enjoying their time together; learning about their relationship with God and better understanding the U.S. culture. Short Term Teams Teams are invited to visit and/or volunteer for New Horizons throughout the year. We currently have 250 volunteers in our program. Volunteers assist children with their homework, listen to them read, play educational games, and work with them in the computer lab. We welcome teams that would like to do a special activity such as: crafts, drama, music, food or building projects. This year, a Covenant Presbyterian Church mission team and Love Inc. painted the exterior of our Rosemary site buildings and did yard work. The Estero United Methodist Church Mission Committee provided 150 book bags with school supplies for our summer camp students to go back to school. Community Partnerships Community partnerships were incredibly valuable to our programs as businesses and organizations lent their support: Over 20 local businesses were sponsors at various levels for our golf tournament Bonita Springs YMCA hosted the students at our summer camps for swimming, physical fitness training and more Lee County Summer Food Program provided breakfast and lunch to over 150 students at our four summer camps in Lee County Laces of Love provided back to school shoes to our 54 students at the Estero summer camp East Naples Baptist Church, Manna Christian Missions, Estero United Methodist Church served as host sites for our programs throughout the year AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals recognized a very committed New Horizons volunteer, Wendy Kephart with their 2012 Distinguished Volunteer Award Bonita Springs Literacy Council provided English lessons to the students' moms 8

9 Measures of Success Academic Improvement Students K-5 th Building Vocabulary Reading Reading Grades in School % ave gain 40% ave gain 80 ave Students 6-12 th FCAT Reading Peers FCAT Reading GPA/Middle School Honor (passing score) (passing score) Roll 59 48% 33% 3.12/32% Social Improvement Students 4-5 th Grade Social Skill Units Social Skill Units Events /Outings Attended Girls Completed Hours Attended (total) 16 9 units 1,144 3 Student Feedback K-5 th Student Feedback 6-12 th Parent Feedback For Students K-5th 91% feel better about 92% noted improvement 86% noted improvement school and their abilities in how they view school in child s attitude/ and their responsibilities desire to do well Choir Overall Participation/ Performances 75/13 Character Development Bible Verses Learned During School Year All Students K-5 th Bible Lessons Completed During School Year All Students K-5 th Church Attendance Students K-12 th ave attendance by 75 students Devotions Completed During School Year Students 6-12 th 150 9

10 Financial Summary Fund raising events for this year included: Benefit Luncheon February 9, 2013 at Spanish Wells Country Club and Golf Tournament May 5, 2013 at Worthington Country Club Additional financial information for New Horizons may be accessed at Goals With the strong support of our Board of Directors and many community partners and donors, New Horizons will: Open a new Super Teens Club at the Shadowlawn site for 30 at-risk teens who attend East Naples Middle, Lely High and Naples High Schools Launch a Super Moms and Super Girls Club at the Shadowlawn site Launch Super Kids Club at a new host site at First United Methodist Church of Bonita Springs Relocate the Super Teens Club from the Manna site to the Rosemary site Increase the visibility and community awareness of New Horizon s mission and student achievements through rebranding, marketing and partnerships Grow our endowment fund for long term sustainability of the New Horizons mission Develop robust strategic plan for

11 Contact Information New Horizons of Southwest Florida P.O. Box Naples, FL Website: Points of Contact: Ellen Nichols, Founder and Program Director Debra Haley, Executive Director Program Locations: East Naples Baptist Church, 1697 Shadowlawn Drive, East Naples Estero United Methodist Church, 8088 Lord s Way, Estero First United Methodist Church, Shriver Avenue, Bonita Springs Rosemary Site, Vagabond Way, Bonita Springs Publications Information New Horizons celebrates eleven years of reaching at-risk children with the life changing message of Jesus Christ the ultimate new horizon. From its humble beginnings with 20 children, New Horizons currently reaches over 260 children and teens by providing 1,200 hours of free tutoring and mentoring weekly through its Super Kids Clubs and Super Teens Club. In addition, through Super Girls Club, Super Moms Clubs, Super Kids Church/Choir, Super Kids Reading Camp and Super Teens Leadership Camp, the students and their families are provided many additional opportunities to grow and learn socially, academically, and spiritually. New Horizons students and their families are learning to become productive and responsible members of society through education, career development, and community service. New Horizons provides the most vulnerable members of our community with the opportunity to choose a different course for their lives. 11