Southwest Partnership
Education and Workforce Development Committee Meeting
April 7th 2016
7pm
George Washington Elementary School
800 Scott St
Present
Jane Buccheri
Yusef Shaabaz
Lisa Rawlings
Lou Packett
Jordan Packett
Vernell Lewis
Elizabeth Weber
Project Updates
- Small Grants Fund for Schools
The Southwest Partnership received two donations: one from the Cristata Cares foundation and one from an anonymous private donor to provide small grants to area schools for enrichment activities and after school programming. The Committee has currently given out five grants and has three pending. Programs funded are:
- A garden club at Southwest Baltimore Charter School
- Attendance incentives and school store supplies at George Washington Elementary School
- A community health fair at Vivien T Thomas Medical Arts Academy
- A school garden at the Excel Acadmy
- Gym supplies and attendance/good behavior/academic incentives at James McHenry Elementary/Middle School
- A spring fun day at Steuart Hill Academic Academy.
The fund has been re-opened to schools that have previously received funding and we will continue to give out money until it’s gone. The Committee will put together a donor packet to demonstrate what the fund has accomplished and to continue to have the fund supported.
- Southwest Wheels
Morgan State University has funding through their ASCEND program for community based participatory research projects that will benefit and involve community members and improve health outcomes. The Southwest Partnership is working with James McHenry Elementary/Middle School on Southwest Wheels, an after school bicycle repair, healthy eating, and exercise program. We have applied for funding ($20,000) through the ASCEND program, but are committed to looking for funding for the program even if it’s not funded through ASCEND. The major costs are a program coordinator and bicycle repair tools, which will be about $13,000 total.
There will also be a need for volunteer mechanics to work in the program,. BYKE (Baltimore Youth Kinetic Energy) runs a bike club on the eastside and has offered a number of resources, including curriculum and training materials. Digital Harbor High School has a bike club and and makes extra money off of bike sales. Lou has a connection with the JHU Engineering Society and suggested that they may be a potential source of volunteers.
- Summer Youthworks Program/Summer Enrichment Program
The SWP/UMB Office of Community Engagement Summer Youthworks program did not get funded through the Summer Funding Collaborative. The program will still move ahead. The critical need is for $7000 to provide stipends for community supervisors. If anyone has ideas about potential sources of funding please contact Lisa or Elizabeth.
The Summer Enrichment Program was also not funded–it was not an established program and didn’t fit the pattern of what funders were expecting to fund, so we will be unable to hold it this summer.
CUPs and the Hollins Creative Placemakers did receive funding for their summer YouthWorks program, which will serve 60-65 students.
Additionally, Jerrell Bratcher referred two programs to area schools: James McHenry and the Excel Academy, which should increase the amount of summer programs in the area this summer.
After School Reports
The Committee has been meeting with area elementary and elementary/middle schools to learn about their after school programs and areas of need.
Vernell is working on a meeting with the administration at Charles Carroll Barrister, and met with the staff at James McHenry. They are still completing the assessment sheet, but have a number of after school programs that started this year or will be starting next year. They are still unsure of their major needs.
Lou has met with Franklin Square and Elizabeth will send the data collection for them to fill out.
Elizabeth met with Southwest Baltimore Charter School–they have a number of afterschool programs and are most in need of funding to coordinate their programs. They also may be losing funding for Reading Partners next year, and are looking into ways of having Reading Partners at the school as part of an after school program serving students across the neighborhood.
The Committee will continue to meet with area schools.
