September 2012 Graham Windham Record Newsletter

record

Volume Volume 39 41

The Graham Windham T HE G RAHAM W INDHAM

Spring/Summer September 2011 2012

Serving Children, Supporting Families, and Strengthening Communities Since 1806

A Promise to Keyveon Lisa and Kent were looking to adopt. Keyveon was looking for a family. We had the joy of bringing them together.

Story on Page 4

www.graham-windham.org

facebook.com/graham.windham

Twitter handle: @grahamwindham

A Commitment to the Journey

A Little Help from Our Friends

Our Dance Team Wins 1st Place!

President Jess Dannhauser

Meet corporate supporters like

Our kids took top

on what it takes to truly

the Penguin Young Readers

prize in the citywide

transform lives

Group who have lent a hand

Step It Up contest!

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Page 6

Page 10

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

A Commitment to the Journey A message from Jess Dannhauser, GRAHAM WINDHAM PRESIDENT

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ommitment to something bigger start in life experience the consistent than ourselves is at the root of love of a permanent, nurturing family what happens every day at Graham and the joyful accomplishment of Windham. Examples abound: a success in school and life. parent, despite past mistakes, decides As an organization, our that generational cycles of abuse will commitment is to build solutions with stop with her; a young person decides children and families that endure. to spend his time intensively learning To do so, we believe it is essential how to put his leadership skills to not only to work with rigor and productive use rather than having heart, but also to routinely measure his freedom curtailed for using them our effectiveness, learn from our the wrong way; a staff person works performance, and act on that learning tirelessly to find a young man’s family to continue to increase the likelihood from whom he was separated years that we can make a critical and life ago in a remote village half way across altering difference for children and the globe so that he again knows his families. Graham Windham’s selffamily’s loving embrace. The list goes evaluation practices were recently on, I assure you.

We have seen the same "Beyond helping commitment from friends like you in children, youth and the community, who have generously families through dedicated time and resources to the children and families we serve. needed change, we Many of you attended our Leadership must facilitate or Council Celebration Dinner at the create access to Museum of Modern Art this spring, helping us raise over $1.3 million real opportunity for toward vitally needed services. them to capitalize Employees of companies like Viacom on these inspiring and Penguin Books volunteered this summer to paint a mural at individual and family our Harlem after-school center and transformations." give books to children at our Bronx and Brooklyn sites. And, over 100 people supported a 100-mile bike highlighted in an article by the wellrace through Texas that my brother known non-profit consulting group, and I undertook, helping us raise over Bridgespan, as a leading example of $50,000 in August for our kids and excellent performance measurement families. We are grateful to everyone and accountability practices. (To see who has supported our work through the report, please visit our website these initiatives and many others. and, under "About Us", click on Through your contributions you are "Performance Culture/Outcomes".) helping children who’ve had a tough

We are honored by this recognition.

Still, sometimes what we learn from evaluating ourselves is hard to hear: we don’t get it right every time. We keep at it though, taking our lumps because we know that’s what it takes to improve our practices and get even stronger as an organization. But we also take a hard look at ourselves because that is what we ask young people and parents who have endured incredible stress and trauma to do when they work with us to create new habits that promote safe, healthy family lives and success in school and beyond.

It would be a mistake to stop there.

Beyond helping children, youth and families through needed change, we must facilitate or create access to real opportunity for them to capitalize on these inspiring individual and family transformations. Young people who are in the midst of overcoming massive obstacles are most deserving and in need of access to excellent schools, employment opportunities and career preparation, college support, and leadership training.

They also need to be surrounded by positive peers and dependable adults who teach them well, expect much of them, and believe they can succeed.

At the end of December, CEO Poul Jensen, whose visionary leadership over the past 15 years transformed Graham Windham, will retire, passing the baton to President Jess Dannhauser to lead our team in achieving even greater outcomes for children and families. The coming months provide an opportunity for both leaders to ref lect on our vision for the future, as well as the achievements and lessons of the past. Stayed tuned for words from both Poul and Jess in upcoming issues.

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SEPTEMBER 2012

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT We intend over the next few financial support, they will become an years, through our own program essential part of the Graham Windham development and community community, impacting the lives of partnerships, to ensure that each of individual children, young people and the thousands of children and young families through a host of volunteer people with whom we work has access events and programs. to these essential opportunities and If you are interested in having support systems. We know how to do your organization become a Corporate it well; we are doing it now in Bedford- Champion for Kids, please contact Harry Stuyvesant, Hunts Point, Harlem, and Berberian at 212-529-6445 ext. 353 or Hastings-on-Hudson. Still, informed at berberianh@graham-windham.org. by our careful measurement of our You can also learn more at our website, effectiveness, we know we need to go www.graham-windham.org (click on further to deepen and broaden our "Get Involved" and then "Be a Corporate attention to positive peer networks Champion for Kids"). and opportunities for life preparation Thank you to each of you for throughout all of our programs, living your support of the children and out that part of our mission which families of Graham Windham. If you forever commits us to seeing to it are considering joining us on this that every child with whom we work important journey, know that it will succeeds in school and life. have an enormous impact. I am also As you know, it will take all of us sure that you will find as much joy in as a community, lifting together, to it as I do. realize this dream in full. To that end, we are excited to announce a new way Gratefully, for businesses in our community to become a part of the Graham Windham family. This fall, we are launching our new Corporate Champions for Kids program. Corporate Champions will not only help fuel the realization Jess of our common dreams through from Viacom, led by Rich Eigendorff (center, in deep green shirt), Chief Operating Officer of MTV Networks Company (an affiliate of Viacom, Inc.), volunteered to paint a fantastic mural at our Harlem Beacon after-school center for our kids! Learn more about Viacom and our other corporate supporters on page 6.

q Employees

1806 FOUNDERS Joanna Bethune

Elizabeth Hamilton

Isabella Graham

Sarah Hoffman

HONORARY TRUSTEES Arthur Ashe †

Wynton Marsalis

Joan Ganz Cooney

Jim Henson †

Oscar de la Renta

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Georgia Wall Chairman

R. Kenneth Bryant

Jennifer Mackesy

Henry J. Carnage

Andrew Makk

John L. Cecil

Barbara Marcus

Gail Cohen

Heather McVeigh

Sally E. Durdan

Pamela C. Minetti

Fran Eigendorff

Carmen Paolercio

Eric Gerster

Salim Ramji

Michael Golden

Richard Rothman, Esq.

Dr. Tom Haines

Mark Rufeh

Jessica Hunt

John Sargent

André Koester

Dr. Eyal Shemesh

Shamika Lee

Melissa M. Thomson Poul Jensen

Chief Executive Officer

Jess Dannhauser president

TRUSTEES EMERITI Michael Ainslie

Elizabeth Sargent

Suzanne Ainslie

Harriet Savage

Suzy Bales

Diane Schlinkert

Barbara Carr

Leo Schlinkert

Richard DeMartini

Richard Stewart

Robert Ferrari

Sandra Trim-DaCosta

James Gorman

H. M. Baird Voorhis

John C. Hanson

HONOREES Marian Sulzberger Heiskell

Michael Ainslie Arthur Ashe † Mrs. Vincent Astor † Suzy Bales Dr. T. Berry Brazelton Ruby Bridges Joan Ganz Cooney Oscar de la Renta Michael Golden James Gorman Donna Hanover

VOLUME 41

Jim Henson † Charlayne Hunter-Gault Judith Jamison Chancellor Joel I. Klein Kenneth Lewis Wynton Marsalis Cokie Roberts John Sargent Maurice Sendak †

THE GRAHAM WINDHAM RECORD 3

HOMECOMINGS A Promise to Keyveon How one child found his forever family

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isa and Kent were looking for a child to call their own, while Keyveon, who had been in foster care with Graham Windham, was looking for the right family. The day they met is one they will always remember.

“The first time Lisa saw Keyveon, she had tears in her eyes,” said Amrita Raju, our Adoption Expeditor, recalling how Lisa took off her sunglasses to wipe her eyes. Lisa, who had come with Kent to Central Park to spend some time getting to know Keyveon, remembers, “I bent down to meet him and he said, ‘I’m kind of shy.’ I told him, ‘That’s ok – I’m shy too.’ I took his hand and by the time we got to the bottom of the park, I was convinced that he was my child.”

Lisa and Kent had first learned of Keyveon through the New York Council on Adoptable Children (COAC), an adoption service agency that helps to place children in the foster care system with permanent, loving families.

Amrita Raju, our Adoption Expeditor, had come to COAC as an outreach effort to find families for children in foster care with Graham Windham, for whom we had determined that adoption was the best option. As Amrita began to tell the group of prospective parents about a six-year-old boy named Keyveon, Lisa and Kent told her – even before she could finish the narrative – “We’d like to talk with you.”

“They were so ready to be parents,” said Amrita. Lisa and Kent had been longing for a child, and immediately felt that Keyveon would be the one. Amrita carefully read the home study that had been put together, providing more background on the type of environment and upbringing Lisa and Kent might be able to give a child. She told the rest of our adoption team: “I think I found the right family.”

The End of a Long Search We had reviewed many families for Keyveon up to that point, but none seemed to be quite the right match.

Sondra Edwards, Adoption Case Planner, recalls having a nagging feeling about each, and could not set her doubts aside. It was critical to find a family that would have a strong emotional connection with Keyveon. Lavern Harry, Regional Director of Bronx Family Permanency Planning Services, says of our approach, “We’re not afraid to say it’s not the right match, and to stand by it. The situation I want to avoid is meeting a kid 20 years from now and having them ask me, ‘Why did you allow me to be adopted by this person?’” With Lisa and Kent, the connection was evident, and their interactions over the following weeks cemented our conviction that we had found Keyveon the right home.

After their first meeting in Central Park, Lisa and Kent had some more supervised visits with Keyveon, and then unsupervised and overnight stays. Lisa had long since identified Keyveon as their own, setting up his room with clothes and toys, and had nicknamed him Key. Keyveon, who had first been skeptical about having “another mom and dad” after the various foster parents he had lived with, instantly warmed to them. He called Lisa “Lala” for the first two days. After that, it was “Mom.” As they drove back to our office after one visit, Keyveon, who had fallen asleep in Lisa’s lap, told her “I don’t wanna go back.” She reassured him that everything would be alright, but when he came into our office, he tearfully told us that he wanted to go with “Mommy and Daddy”. We saw then that the connection was mutual, and expedited his move-in by a few weeks. Lavern said, “A child knows when he is appreciated, truly loved, and cared for. He was a different child with Lisa and Kent – a much happier child.” Amrita adds, “We explained to them that they needed to be realistic, that they would be challenged. It did not deter them.”

Soon, the long process of adoption paperwork and procedures followed, a process that can leave parents feeling overwhelmed and frustrated because of the endless list of documents and background information adoptive parents must provide. Lisa, who was very ready to have Keyveon officially part of her family, was impatient to have it over with, but told us, “It’s worth the struggle.

The greater joy is worth all the inconvenience of the paperwork.” u Keyveon

4 THE GRAHAM WINDHAM RECORD

and adoptive dad Kent SEPTEMBER 2012

HOMECOMINGS

Learning to Be Parents The biggest challenge Lisa and Kent would face was learning how to be parents. “They went from not being parents to being parents, overnight,” said Lavern. Sondra says, “We constantly coach them on parenting and how to handle tough situations. We have coached them from the start, before they had even met him.” Sondra taught Lisa and Kent how to give Keyveon the structure he needs, with clear expectations, nurturing, and appropriate limits.

Lisa says of Sondra’s coaching, “Sondra is a great, great, great social worker. You can tell by the way she interacts with Key and with us. She is a rock star.” For Sondra, “It’s about respect, about responding to our adoptive parents and developing a working relationship.”

We developed a plan for the new family using Solution-Based Casework, a model of casework we are using agencywide to identify challenges a family might face and specific steps for overcoming them. We helped Lisa and Kent to identify a pediatrician and prospective schools for Keyveon, and directed them toward resources in the community.

In addition to monthly visits at home and at our office, Sondra and Nicole Porter, Adoption Supervisor, have been in daily contact with Lisa by phone and email, and are available to her as needed.

“‘This is it,’ I tell him. ‘We’re it.’ I made a promise to a child.”

-Keyveon's adoptive mom, Lisa

The team remembers when Lisa called, distraught, after a parent-teacher night at school. She told us, “All the parents were helping their babies, but Key didn’t want me to help him. I was so hurt!” She felt unneeded, and Nicole explained to her that Keyveon was used to doing things himself, and that he didn’t always have someone to help him.

Though it would take some getting used to, Lisa understood. She said, “Time will heal that. It’s an exercise in patience. And it changes you.” She also spoke of the adjustments she made in her lifestyle, which had previously afforded the couple the f lexibility to make spur-of-the-moment plans for travel and activities. As a mom, she had to slow down, and put Keyveon’s need for stability and structure first. “It’s an exercise in self lessness,” she says. She adds, “I want people to know how wonderful it is to adopt. A lot of people don’t know what a joy it is to love someone.”

Today, Lisa assures Keyveon that they are his last stop in the search for a family. ‘This is it,’ I tell him. ‘We’re it.’

I made a promise to a child.”

And it is a promise we are helping Lisa and Kent keep, thanks to friends like you who support our work every day. Thank you for ensuring Keyveon, and close to 60 other children whose adoptions we facilitated this year, to find their forever families. video: Janice Huff of NBC 4 News profiled Keyveon last year on “Wednesday’s Child,” when we were still looking for a family for Keyveon.

This summer she visited Keyveon in his new home with Lisa and Kent. You can watch the segment at www.graham-windham.org (click on “Care for a Child” and then “Become an Adoptive Parent” to see the video).

u Keyveon,

Lisa, and Kent during their first Halloween together

One of our greatest needs is finding loving foster and adoptive families for the children we serve. If you or someone you know is interested in providing a home for a child, please visit www.graham-windham.org and click on "Care for a Child," or contact our team directly. For information about adoption, please contact Amrita Raju at 718-875-1167 ext. 345 or rajua@graham-windham.org. To learn about becoming a foster parent, please contact us at 212-529-6445 ext. 444 or fosterparents@graham-windham.info.

Our Adoption Team: Going Above and Beyond Graham Windham's adoption team excelled once again this year. Every year the NYC Administration for Children's Services (ACS) asks the foster care agencies to work hard to ensure that a certain proportion of children who are legally freed for adoption are in fact adopted. This year, our team went above and beyond, performing 10% better than the standard. This 10% translates into more kids like Keyveon finding loving, permanent families to call their own.

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THE GRAHAM WINDHAM RECORD 5

NEWSWORTHY With a Little Help from Our Friends Our Corporate Supporters Lend a Hand

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n April a team of enthusiastic and talented volunteers from Viacom transformed the computer room at our Harlem Beacon after-school center with a fantastic mural as part of the nationwide annual ViaCommunity Day! They also donated new file cabinets for the Beacon center and upgraded the networking of our computers, helping to give our kids a head start in school and life. The Viacom team was led by Rich Eigendorff, who is the Chief Operating Officer of MTV Networks Company (an affiliate of Viacom, Inc.), and husband of Trustee Fran Eigendorff. Thank you to our friends at Viacom for giving the room a facelift, and for all that you do for the children and families we serve! q Viacom

employees in action on ViaCommunity Day, creating a beautiful mural for our Harlem Beacon after-school center in just one day. The mural was designed with Earth Day in mind, to show kids the beauty of our world and the importance of taking care of it.

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ur friends at the Penguin Young Readers Group donated 500 books to our Book Giveaways in the Bronx and Brooklyn this summer, with a wide range of classic and contemporary reads for kids, teens, and young adults. They also sent Penguin staff members to help kids pick out books and even had Peter Rabbit make a special appearance! Thank you, Penguin, for sharing a love of reading with our kids!

q Below:

Peter Rabbit arrives in the Bronx! Below right: Theresa, a designer in the Penguin Young Readers Design department who helped to create many of the book covers, helps a very young reader pick out a title. Right: Recent high school grad Alex, who is heading to college this fall, stops by for some summer reading.

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SEPTEMBER 2012

NEWSWORTHY

New Staff Appointments Katie Stoehr

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atie has been appointed Senior Vice President for Performance, Strategy and Advocacy, a position in which she will lead our program development, performance analysis, research and evaluation, policy development, and cross-divisional excellence initiatives, including the design of staff support and development work. Prior to her appointment, Katie served for two years as our Vice President for Family Permanency Planning Services (FPPS). Katie has a master's degree in Public Administration from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, and a bachelor's from the University of Pittsburgh, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude as a Chancellor's Scholar and nominee for Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships. She says,“I am excited to transition into the Senior Vice President role. I will greatly miss working closely with everyone in FPPS, but at the same time I am very much looking forward to working hard with the full spectrum of Graham’s programs.

Graham Windham is an incredibly dynamic organization with some of the most intelligent, caring, and dedicated staff I’ve ever seen. Each day, our staff touch the lives of thousands of New Yorkers, assisting them as they make changes to their lives and the lives of their families. It might not always feel like it, but what a privilege we have, to get to do this kind of work!”

Kym Watson

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ym will take on the role Vice President for Family Permanency Planning Services (FPPS), overseeing our family foster care and adoption services. Kym has served our Associate Vice President for the division for the past two years, during which time she led the re-creation of the Youth Development, Foster Parent Recruitment, Development and Support, and Family Team Conferencing practices. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University and earned her Master’s in Public Administration from Baruch College. Kym says, "First, I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of kind words and inspirational messages and gestures I have received from Graham staff. I truly appreciate this. In my new capacity as Vice President for FPPS, I look very forward to sharing what I have learned over the years about working with children, youth and families with the staff and our foster parents and to leading a dedicated team that is going to the next level.”

Kristen Ragusa

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risten, who serves as Associate Vice President for Westchester Services, has broadened her responsibilities to lead the Permanency Planning and Clinical Services departments at The Graham School, in addition to cottage life, which she has overseen for 14 years. In lending her strong leadership to both departments, we will be able to improve the integration and effectiveness of the services we provide to children at the campus and their families to promote their well-being and work toward providing each student with a safe, permanent, loving family. Kristen holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Connecticut, where she graduated magna cum laude. She says, " I am very excited to take on these new responsibilities and to be part of leading the program into the future. I feel very lucky to be able to work with such a strong group of directors, managers, supervisors and staff as well as directly with youth who inspire me every day."

Bonnie Kornberg

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onnie has taken on the role of Senior Performance Officer, leading the Program Performance and Planning (PPP) team in improving our outcomes for children and families by analyzing our performance to inform our practices. Bonnie, who joined Graham Windham first as a consultant, has been part of the PPP team since 2009, and has been instrumental in the planning and implementation of a range of initiatives, including Bridges to Health and Solution-Based Casework (SBC). She has an MBA from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business and a bachelor's in International Relations from Tufts University. She says, “I spent my first few years out of college in a job where I learned a lot about business but didn’t feel fulfilled. I decided to get my MBA so that I could make a career switch into social services. Now, I have the opportunity to do so many different things that I love, including learning about research, reviewing performance measures, working with staff to figure out how to act on data and information, strategic planning and developing new programs, and seeking program support. I have such varied days, doing work that is analytical, forward-thinking, emotional and exciting. I spend each day grateful for having such meaning ful work.”

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THE GRAHAM WINDHAM RECORD 7

SPOTLIGHT Meet Our Newest Members of the Board of Directors We are proud to welcome five new members to our distinguished Board of Directors. Each new member brings a wealth of talent and expertise to our agency and has a strong commitment to our important work of transforming the lives of each and every child and family we serve. We recently asked them to say a few words about why they chose to join the Graham Windham Board, and we have shared them below.

Gail Cohen Vice Chairman and General Trust Counsel, Fiduciary Trust Company International “It is an honor to join Graham Windham’s Board and this extraordinary group of people dedicated to improving the well-being of our poorest, most vulnerable children. Their impact and commitment to our community is immeasurable.”

Fran Eigendorff Former Executive, CBS Television Network “I joined the Graham Windham Board not only because I feel personally connected to its mission to better the lives and futures of at-risk children, but also because of how actively and successfully Graham Windham lives up to that mission. You don't often find such a breadth and range of child services rolled into one organization. From targeted interventions to preventative services, Graham Windham does it all. I am grateful and excited for the opportunity to contribute to this important organization in any and every way I can.”

Dr. Thomas Haines Graham School Alumnus (Class of ’47) and Professor of Biochemistry, Rockefeller University “I left The Graham School at age 14. When I returned after nearly 60 years, I felt a joy and a sadness.

The sadness was again realizing its natural beauty, yet knowing that none of the people I knew were here to see its marvelous changes. The joy was meeting the young people and the staff. I noted with pleasure the ethnic diversity that was absent in my time. I sensed the self-realization in the people who held it all together. Just being part of that action warms the spirit. I joined the Board to help make a difference in the lives of Graham students.”

Jessica Hunt General Manager, HighTable.com, Gerson Lehrman Group “Graham Windham’s mission is fundamental – safety, family, and education for children who need it. I’m humbled and thrilled with the opportunity to play a part in such an effective and storied organization.”

André Koester Former Columbia University Business School Admissions Officer "Children’s health, education and welfare have been the focus of my volunteer activities over the years, and I was drawn to Graham Windham because of the importance of its mission and its record of success. After volunteering at the Graham School for several years, I am thrilled to expand my involvement with the Graham Windham organization as a whole."

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SEPTEMBER 2012

HAPPENINGS A Tribute to Difference-Makers Our Leadership Council Dinner raises over $1.3 million for children and families

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n Wednesday, April 25, 2012, we held our annual Leadership Council Dinner, co-chaired by our Chairman Georgia Wall and Board Members Jennifer Mackesy and Heather McVeigh, and raised over $1.3 million dollars to support our innovative and transformative programs for New York ’s most vulnerable children and families.

Over 400 of our friends, volunteers and supporters attended this spectacular evening at The Museum of Modern Art in honor of our CEO Poul Jensen, who will retire this year after over 15 years of outstanding service. Chairman Georgia Wall said in her moving tribute to Poul, “In pursuing our mission, p The Museum of Modern Art Poul is demanding. He is brutally honest. He doesn’t take no for an answer. And, because of this, Poul has achieved extraordinary results for thousands of children. His absolute and unqualified commitment to at-risk youth has turned him into a fierce advocate for children who have no advocates and a proud champion for young people.” Our President Jess Dannhauser, who served as the evening’s host, underscored Georgia's remarks on the critical importance of holding to high standards in child welfare by noting, “When we do this work well, children learn to love themselves genuinely and wholeheartedly, to understand their difficult childhood experience and use what they’ve learned to propel them forward. Most importantly, they believe they are worthy of a successful future.”

Poul was honored with Graham Windham’s first “Children’s Champion” award for his outstanding dedication and relentless efforts to transform the lives of children and families. He remarked, “It’s been a privilege to be trusted by the Board and staff of Graham Windham to be their President & CEO for these past 15 years. What a profound honor! Most of all, it’s been a privilege to have been given the opportunity to be a positive difference-maker in the lives of so many of New York City’s neediest children and families.

For me at least…there is no greater joy.” Our keynote speaker Wes Moore, author of bestseller The Other Wes Moore, provided a compelling example of how radically a life can be transformed in his own story of growing up under adverse circumstances to become a Rhodes Scholar, White House Fellow, war veteran, and businessman, while another man of the same name, who grew up under similar circumstances, became a convicted murderer. Wes spoke of the many “Wes Moores” in our community – kids teetering on the line between a story of success and one of tragedy – and applauded the Graham Windham leadership, staff, and supporters for steering these kids in the right direction. p Guest

speaker Wes Moore

The dinner was a fitting tribute to Poul’s leadership in his final year of service to Graham Windham before retiring at the end of 2012, when he will pass the baton to Jess. As Poul noted in ref lecting on his 15-year run in the context of a 206-year history, “Leaders are provisional. Mission, however, is forever.” This spectacular evening was sponsored by members of Graham Windham’s Leadership Council, a group of distinguished leaders in the philanthropic and business worlds committed to shaping and securing Graham Windham’s future for our third century of service. We thank all of the difference makers who joined us photos: TODD SHAPERA on this very special evening to pay tribute to Poul’s leadership p Honorary Co-Chairs (from left) Jennifer Mackesy, Trustee; Georgia Wall, Chairman of the Board; and Heather and to support our efforts to effect change not just in individual lives, but in the course of family histories across our City.

McVeigh, Trustee with our Honoree and CEO Poul Jensen

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THE GRAHAM WINDHAM RECORD 9

33 Irving Place, 7th Floor New York, NY 10003 212.529.6445 ext. 477 info@graham-windham.org www.graham-windham.org

A SUMMER OF CHAMPIONS

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While the athletes at the Olympic Games in London showcased great skill and spirit, our students at The Graham School brought just as much passion and competitive drive to our annual Summer Olympics! The Blue, Gold, Green, and Purple Teams competed in a wide range of events, including Flag Football (below left), Volleyball, Swimming, Earth Soccer (below middle), Double Dutch, Baking, and Puzzles, a Potato Sack Race, Team Walkers (below right), Tug of War, Team Dance Off and Banner Judging. It was a strong effort on the part of all competitors, but in the end, the Green Team won the championship! Congratulations to all for games well played!

PhotoS: NIKE/Dept. of youth & community development

Our after-school Beacon dance team, "Vintage Quality," took home the first place trophy from among hundreds of dance teams in this year's Step It Up contest, a city-wide initiative of Nike and the Department of Youth and Community Development! Step It Up mobilizes young people to use dance to engage their community around causes ranging from health and homeless to gang violence. Vintage Quality received the highest score for community service for their work on the issue of diabetes and obesity awareness, working with our friends at Sweet Enuff to create a video highlighting the awareness campaign they conducted in the community. And, they were phenomenal in the dance component, with coaching from their choreographer, Torey Nelson.

Congratulations, Vintage Quality!

Marlo, a recent Graham School graduate, wrote an essay titled, "Ms. Fox: Her Work Changed My Life" for Represent magazine, created by youth in foster care.

Marlo writes about how our Guidance Counselor, Bridget Fox, helped him to get on track in school, and into college! Check out the story at graham-windham.org (click on "News & Events" and then "In the Press").