The Need & Our Impact

Transcription

1 STORIES OF SUCCESS

2 The Need & Our Impact Horton s Kids serves some of the most at-risk children in Washington, DC, who live in a violent and isolated Anacostia neighborhood. The average family has an annual income of less than $10,000, and only 19% of adults have a high school diploma. Using a comprehensive approach, Horton s Kids provides programs and services that empower children in grades K-12 to break the cycle of poverty by staying in school and graduating ready for college and career. Horton s Kids has significant impact: the high school graduation rate for a Horton s Kid is nearly twice the neighborhood average.

3 Our comprehensive model, which includes case management for all children and an onsite Community Resource Center, makes success possible. ACADEMICS One-on-one tutoring Literacy recovery and intervention Educational advocacy for school placement and special education services Homework help A well-stocked library YOUTH DEVELOPMENT One-on-one mentoring for older youth Discussion sessions for older youth Field trips in the DC area Life skills programming Enrichment opportunities such as cooking and gardening clubs Athletic instruction and team sports HEALTH & BASIC NEEDS Healthy meals and food services Counseling to support social and emotional development Basic needs supports, including toiletries, coats, and school supplies Diaper distribution Assistance with dental and vision care

4 Horton s Kids saw my potential when a lot of people didn t. It made me feel like I could be better; there is more out there for me to learn.

5 CONDREA Penn State Graduate Years in Horton s Kids: 10 Condrea remembers that when she was younger, adults often thought she had a poor attitude because she could not take directions well. Horton s Kids staff and tutors saw past this challenge, instead recognizing her intelligence and drive and inviting her to participate in a book club, where she thrived. Condrea loved Shakespeare s Macbeth so much that she would read while riding the Horton s Kids school bus to and from tutoring even when it was pitch-dark. Horton s Kids saw my potential when a lot of people didn t, said Condrea, who started attending Horton s Kids when she was five. It made me feel like I could be better; there is more out there for me to learn. When I started pushing myself, it taught me that there are so many ways to do one thing. When she was 15, Condrea s family moved away from Wellington Park, but Horton s Kids Deputy Director Julie kept in touch through meetings with her mom and conversations over the phone and on Facebook. Condrea remembers Julie saying: There s always space for you. After high school graduation, Condrea went to Penn State to study Criminal Justice and Early Childhood Education. The first in her family to go to college, it was an exciting time, but also a challenging one. Family and friends were far away, and at times, she felt out of her comfort zone as she navigated college life. During her junior year, the challenges of balancing a fulltime job with a full class load were overwhelming, and Condrea started falling behind academically. After losing some of her financial aid, she could not afford textbooks. A longtime Horton s Kids volunteer, Carrie, quickly stepped up to raise funds for books and other expenses. Horton s Kids taught me that I should never give up, and they will do anything to make sure that I succeed, Condrea said. They have never let me fall through the cracks. Condrea graduated with her Bachelor s degree in She now works as an educator at City Kids, a DC nonprofit, and helps run an afterschool program. In her job, she applies what she learned in college about educational inequalities with her personal experience of growing up in Ward 8. For children who face obstacles similar to hers, Condrea offers some advice: There are a lot of times when you feel like you can t go any more, but you got to dig deep and ask for help. This world needs you more than you think.

6 When I come here, I can be me. It s a community. We can talk about certain topics without being judged. TAQUAN Years in Horton s Kids: 2 Fifteen-year-old TaQuan is so enthusiastic about Horton s Kids that he hasn t missed a day of the older youth program this year. Currently a sophomore in high school, TaQuan is an A and B student who wants to go to college and study chemical engineering. He said: [I plan to] be successful, have everything planned out, have a house and a good job. TaQuan is a regular participant in Horton s Kids weekly boxing class, made possible through a partnership with a local recreational center. Although he has natural athletic ability, TaQuan appreciates the discipline boxing requires and is often the first to finish the required threemile warm-up run. It s different from other sports, TaQuan said. It gets me stronger, and I feel confident. I just want to be good at it and improve. In addition to enrichment, TaQuan especially likes the weekly discussion forums for older youth participants. Known to the kids as rap sessions, they provide TaQuan an outlet to express his feelings. When I come here, I can be me, TaQuan said. It s a community. I can be more open with people. We can talk about certain topics without being judged. TaQuan also recognizes the important function that the Horton s Kids onsite Community Resource Center plays in providing a safe space for kids in the neighborhood. There s so much violence, shootings [in the neighborhood], TaQuan said. I want to separate myself from people who are not good influences on me. You re not going to get anywhere in life doing what others do. You can t be like everyone else, ending up in jail or dead. It s okay to be different.

7 MONE Years in Horton s Kids: 7 When Mone joined Horton s Kids as an energetic eight-year-old, there was nothing she hated more than schoolwork. Back then, I didn t like doing my homework, Mone said. Going to tutoring at Department of Education, I was forced to do it. My grades would be terrible if I wasn t in this program. Now an articulate 15-yearold, Mone has a 3.37 GPA at KIPP DC College Preparatory, a highperforming high school, and aspires to be a talk show host when she grows up. She participates in numerous extracurricular activities, including the school choir and drama team and her church dance program. She also writes poems in her free time. Horton s Kids introduced me to new things that showed [me] there is more to look forward to in the future. For Mone, future success means the ability to travel and see the world beyond DC, especially Hawaii, Japan, Milan, and Paris. Travel is important because you don t want to get wrapped up in one particular location because that location will absorb you, Mone said. I want to meet new people, see new cultures, eat new foods, speak other languages. Mone plans to attend college after high school graduation. Currently, she s interested in attending Penn State, NYU, Virginia Tech, or UCLA. When I get my college acceptance letter, I will scream, she said. I will shout. Backflips, all that. Horton s Kids introduced me to new things that showed [me] there is more to look forward to in the future.

8 JOEMESE Junior at Towson University Years in Horton s Kids: 7 When Joemese began attending Horton s Kids in middle school, she had a few doubts at first. Laughing, she remembers her initial reaction: Who wants to do school after school? I was not into it at all. But then, I looked at what everyone else [in the neighborhood] was doing is that what I wanted to do? I wanted to do something different and better. After she started high school at Thurgood Marshall Academy, a highperforming charter school, Joemese began looking forward to one-onone tutoring sessions for help with challenging homework, especially geometry. It was good to be with someone who knew how to do it, Joemese said. One of the tutors showed me a shortcut to an answer, and it became easier. Every time I took a test, I would remember the shortcut. In addition to tutoring, Joemese participated in Horton s Kids older youth development programs that fostered key non-academic skills, such as perseverance and leadership, through activities, like rock climbing and group presentations. Joemese credits Horton s Kids with keeping her and her friends on track for high school graduation: Anyone can tell you, Go to school, but when someone is actually trying to help you stay in school, it s motivating. Today, Joemese is a junior at Towson University and hopes to pursue a career in family counseling. Horton s Kids recently named Joemese the second recipient of the Brenda Chamberlain Scholarship, created in honor of the former executive director. Brenda said: I love her commitment to self-improvement. She values being a role model and giving back to the community. It really feels good and so exciting; a really proud feeling, said Joemese, who will use the funds for school housing. My goal is to graduate and attend graduate school. Showing my younger sisters that I can do better by going after my dream is what I stand for.

9 Anyone can tell you, Go to school, but when someone is actually trying to help you stay in school, it s motivating.

10 Horton s Kids helped me value service to people who don t look like you or come from the same place as you.

11 GREGORY Sophomore at Fisk University Years in Horton s Kids: 7 Gregory s mom Shawnette recalls how her son eagerly waited to attend Horton s Kids tutoring when he was seven: He saw the bus pull out, said Mama, the bus is out there! and ran outside. His face just lit up. Horton s Kids was a safe haven that I trusted, and Horton s Kids was a major part of the village that helped Gregory become who he is. Everything he did was because he had opportunities presented through Horton s Kids. Attending Horton s Kids was Gregory s first extracurricular activity that led to many other firsts, including going to summer camp and learning Japanese from his tutor. In middle school, Gregory enrolled in KIPP DC, a high-performing, college-preparatory charter school that Horton s Kids recommended to Shawnette. They pushed me to limits I would have never done, Gregory said. If I can coast, I ll find a reason to coast. At KIPP, there is no coasting. Now a confident young man, Gregory still loves learning and is determined to work hard. This summer, as he headed into his sophomore year at Fisk University, Gregory continued to set ambitious goals. Academically, he set the bar high for himself: his 3.55 GPA from freshman year seemed mediocre, and he wanted to do even better. Outside of classes, Gregory serves as a senator in the student government and, this year, is getting an opportunity to create a constitution for his school. He is also working to become a mentor to local high school students on issues related to college life and financial aid. Gregory has high aspirations for life after college with plans to pursue a career that will either lead to becoming the U.S. Attorney General or starting his own nonprofit to benefit underserved communities. Horton s Kids helped me value service to people who don t look like you or come from the same place as you, Gregory said. It made me feel like I can give back, and it doesn t have to be only to my community. I have to make myself knowledgeable enough to help.

12 Every child can succeed, no matter their circumstance. GET IN TOUCH 100 Maryland Avenue NE, Suite 520 Washington, DC CFC # 86543