Kids On Point Impact Report 2022-2023

IMPACT REPORT

22 23

LETTER FROM LAUREN In the last 14 years, Kids On Point has accomplished so much, and this year was certainly no exception.

We saw our first secondary site expansion and began partnering with Charleston Civil Rights & Civics on curriculum that is so important for our students and a critical benefit to the greater community. We developed a significant partnership with the Call Me Mister program that elevated our summer experience for over 200 students. During my 9 years as Executive Director I have seen students evolve & mature and I've witnessed this program come full circle with our now 13 high school graduates. I am radiating with pride for the community we have built and the support we have been able to provide to our amazing students throughout the years. We have come a long way from working out of a closet, and I hope to see that growth continue even further.

This year's achievements combined with those that came before it illustrate the power of Kids On Point and the magnitude of this life-changing endeavor we're embarking on. We're thrilled to have you on this journey with us and know that this is only the beginning of what is possible and what we will accomplish.

We’re grateful to have your vote of confidence as we entertain each new possible program enhancement.

Encouragement and partnership from people and organizations, like you, enable us to create truly transformational opportunities for each and every student at KOP. It is my sincere hope that this report fills you with pride, as it does for me. After all, we wouldn’t be here today without YOU!

WHAT WE DO

Vision: A world where all kids thrive.

Mission: To embolden the potential of our kids through access, exposure and opportunity.

For 14 years, Kids On Point has offered free year-round support for youth in the Charleston community. As a nonprofit working to tackle systemic issues (educational inequality and poverty) in Charleston, we operate intentionally based on data-driven outcomes to avoid the ‘mission creep’ that can dilute the effectiveness of many nonprofits. Year-round, our programming focuses on alleviating the resource disparity that students throughout Charleston experience. Our core program areas consist of the following: After-school programming: 4 days a week, students are given healthy after-school meals and participate in academic & athletic enrichment facilitated with mentors from CofC Year-round college and career counseling from certified college counselors Enrichment field trips locally and around the country in order to expose students to new ideas, cultures and people that they may not encounter in their schools or neighborhoods Family outreach events to connect families with resources and information relevant to supporting their students’ success Summer Camp: A 6-week academic and enrichment experience to address the “summer slide."

GROWING UP & GOING PLACES Our High School Pathways initiative and Post-Secondary Programming launched at the start of this academic year and will continue to intentionally provide and secure postsecondary and career learning opportunities for our middle and high school students. With the implementation of Level All, a platform designed to provide every guardian and high school student with personalized, in-depth support and guidance for college and career planning, students will have access to valuable information and resources to achieve their life goals. Coupling our Level All platform with guidance from The College Sage, we look forward to celebrating more and more graduations from both high school and college.

This year, all four of our 12th grade students received their high school diplomas and we’re happy to say that two of our graduates are moving forward with their education at Claflin University this Fall.

We are so proud of our graduates and the initiative they have taken to pursue their goals!

CHARLESTON CIVIL RIGHTS & CIVICS

C3 Charleston Civil Rights and Civics (C3), in partnership with Kids on Point, is an immersive civil rights experience for high school students completing their freshman year. Through a weeklong program, students engage with our civil rights history and democratic process, enabling them to better understand each other and become life-long active citizens.

Rooted in an immersive curriculum, students visit some of the most impactful sites in the Lowcountry

to

learn

firsthand

about

our

region’s history of slavery and civil rights.

Students

visit

the

International

African

American Museum, historic sites throughout Charleston, Robert Small’s House, church and burial site, the Penn Center on Saint Helena Island, HBCUs and the sites of the Orangeburg Massacre and the Gibbes Museum of Art. Learning from experts in the field and hearing first hand accounts of the Charleston Hospital Workers Strike, the Orangeburg Massacre and other significant civil rights movements. The week concludes at the Charleston Board of Elections where students learn about our election process, how to register to vote and the importance of voting, in addition to a legislative panel with local elected officials and a special graduation ceremony.

The inaugural class convened in August and future cohorts will gather during school breaks throughout the year.

OPPORTUNITY ABOUNDS MORRISON YARD Ushering

in

a

revitalized

focus

to

the

community on-and-surrounding North Morrison Drive, Woodfield Development joined Kids On Point with a commitment to provide access and opportunities for students and families on the peninsula of Charleston and beyond. Through this new partnership, both Woodfield and KOP invested in resources to ensure students and families are fully equipped to take advantage of every opportunity.

Illustrating their strong commitment to the community, Woodfield Development along with a dozen partners joined together to create the Kids On Point Student Opportunity & Access Fund. This fund will support programs that are mutually

inclusive

and

work

reinforce

the

knowledge,

together skills,

to and

characteristics students need for success.

In February, community members gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Morrison Yard & the new partnership.

“We look to partner with those charitable organizations that have the maximum positive impact on the communities in which we live, work, and invest. Given Kids On Point's impressive reputation and track record along with their commitment to families in the Lowcountry, they were a natural choice for us”.

- Mike Schwarz, Partner, Woodfield Development.

AFTERSCHOOL

Afterschool programs tailored to underserved, urban youth are indispensable in addressing the multifaceted challenges these young individuals face. By providing academic support, safe environments, skill development, mentorship, and community engagement opportunities, these programs offer a lifeline to a brighter future.The importance of afterschool programs in building a strong foundation for these youth cannot be overstated, as they pave the way for academic success, personal growth, and a hopeful future.

Participation in afterschool programs encourages community engagement and social development. These programs often foster a sense of belonging and camaraderie among participants, leading to the development of essential social skills. Youth are exposed to diverse groups of peers, helping them build tolerance, empathy, and the ability to work collaboratively with others. As they engage in community service projects and cultural activities, they learn the value of giving back and become active, responsible citizens within their communities.

AFTERSCHOOL

ACADEMICS

Our students receive help with homework, Homework Help 20%

AcademicAssessment 25%

access to tutoring services and participate in

enrichment

activities

classroom learning grasp

complex

that

reinforce

helping students

concepts

and

bridge

educational gaps.

Utilizing our assessment tool, ExactPath, Hands-On Projects 55%

provided through a gracious partnership with Edmentum, we are able to assess our students' progress in English and Math.

After three assessments throughout the year, our students showed improvement by

ATHLETCIS

55 points in Math overall and 44 points in English overall. These gains in apptitude will

bolster

classroom

confidence,

participation and generally improve grades.

Pickleball 56%

Squash 41%

Wellness

continues

to

be

supported

through our nutrition partners at Lowcountry Food Bank, who provides nutritious meals to our students daily and Mad Park who conducts enrichment lessons for students

Wellness 3%

on accessible healthy choices.

In total, each student received an average

College & Career Prep 6%

ENRICHMENT

Life Skill Building 13%

of 968 hours of enrichment programming

Community Service 1%

throughout the year. Through Kids On Point staff and collaborative partnerships, our students receive additional instruction and guidance

Celebrations 19%

for

life

skill

development

to

compliment the work they do in athletics and academics.

These activities not only

enhance creativity and physical health but Travel 1% Partner Programs 63%

also

provide

avenues

for

discovering

hidden talents and passions, unlocking potential.

AFTERSCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

Top Left - Students heading out to learn more about our local scenery and history. Top Right - A group of our students traveled to Philadelphia for a squash tournament! Bottom - Squash still remains as one of our cornerstone activities.

AFTERSCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

Top Left - We encourage students to participate in wide variety of sporting activities Top Right - All students deserve to have a cotton candy celebration for their achievements! Bottom - A group took an in-depth tour of The American College of Building Arts.

SUMMER CAMP

Our 2023 Summer Camp kicked off on June 27th with 218 students from Kindergarten - 8th grade. A great increase from the number of students served last summer! In partnership with the College of Charleston School of Education, our 6-week summer camp gives students access and exposure to a myriad of handson activities that reinforce academic skills. For our summer camp, we hire Charleston County School District teachers to lead our students to exciting activities on and off campus which included: Kayaking, Paddleboarding, Crabbing, Robot Coding, Gymnastics, Swimming, Basketball, Soccer, and many more!

Students engaged in creative math and literacy lessons to keep their academics sharp.

This summer, our teachers and program counselors worked diligently to implement the best project-based curriculum for comprehensive units that tied in our STEM theme ‘Over The Moon’. Through these projects, students became enthusiastic about learning new concepts, collaborated together, and discovered new strengths within themselves. In recognizing our student’s love of STEM, we hired a STEM specialist this summer to work with all of our teachers & program counselors on implementing fun, interactive lessons.

SUMMER CAMP

This summer we built a new partnership with the Call Me MiSTER program. The "Call Me MiSTER" initiative out of Clemson University is a pioneering program designed to address the underrepresentation of male teachers of color in American K-12 schools. Established in 2000 by Dr. Roy Jones, the program aims to recruit, train, and support African American men, as well as other men of color, to become educators and role models in classrooms where diversity is often lacking. This summer we hired 11 MiSTERs as program counselors, working alongside our Lead CCSD teachers in a team-teaching format working to equip them with real classroom experience. During their time with us, the MiSTERs had robust professional and personal development opportunities. Arriving from universities around the state (Clemson, College of Charleston, Charleston Southern & Trident Technical College), Our MiSTERs were housed on the College of Charleston campus in historic housing, giving them the opportunity to become fully immerse in the 7 week experience.

SUMMER CAMP HIGHLIGHTS

Left - Students experienced a variety of new physical activities including gymnastics, thanks to Charleston Parks and Rec. Top - Creativity shines through in class with arts and crafts. Bottom - Cooking skills were expanded all summer long thanks to Lowcountry Food Bank .

SUMMER CAMP HIGHLIGHTS

Left - Brushing up on reading skills while hanging out with furry classroom friends. Top - An assortment of wildlife was brought into the classroom for hands-on learning. Bottom - Swim lessons are a key safety component to our summer fun thanks to Gullah Swim Academy!

TESTIMONIALS

“While working with Kids On Point, I’ve gotten to know many of the kids. They are incredible. For example, Howard (7) has dreams to be an author. He told me just the other day how he wants to read and write books all day. That’s just one example, all these kids have big dreams! It’s important to take the time to foster these dreams and their learning. …Their optimism and dreams inspire me to be more like them in a way: strong, resilient, and grateful. Now, when I think about the issue KOP seeks to overcome, I see the faces of all kids I work with rather than a faraway community I have no relation to. I see Howard, June, and Rakaia and the hugs and the smiles that come with them.”

-- CofC Student Volunteer "I’ve volunteered for hours on end with the same group of kids, week after week, month after month. I’ve seen their reactions to seeing me change from skepticism to indifference, to eventually, elation. The day I walked in and heard a kid joyfully yell the nickname I’ve been given by the kids, might’ve been the best day of my entire first year at CofC.” -- CofC Student Volunteer

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON

Since 2010, The College of Charleston has played a pivotal role as a foundational collaborator with Kids On Point. Every year, our initiatives harness the energy and dedication of undergraduate volunteers, who offer invaluable tutoring, mentoring, and guidance to our budding scholars. Furthermore, we engage with CofC faculty and interns to facilitate research, enrich course materials, and foster curriculum development. The enduring alliance between Kids On Point and The College of Charleston stands as a crucial partnership, equipping young students with the essential tools for future success.

KOP collaborates on a variety of initiatives with the following College of Charleston departments: School of Education

Athletics

School of Science & Math

Public Safety

School of Public Health

Greek Life

The Avery Research Center

Student Affairs

The Mace Brown Museum

Campus Recreation

School of The Arts

Call Me MiSTER

Grice Marine Lab

The Halsey

Institutional Events

Office of the Registrar

FINANCIALS

ANNUAL INCOME $1,457,916 Corporate $381,887

Individuals $436,971

Grants/Foundations $639,058

ANNUAL EXPENSES $1,347,866 Operations 17.1% Programs 33.4%

Core Mission Support 49.5%

BY THE NUMBERS

Students served in 20222023 through afterschool & summer programs

Community partners and nonprofits we collaborate with throughout the region

Hours of enrichment activities and lessons provided to each student in 2022 - 2023

Daily attendance rate, which exceeds our 80% attendance requirement

Of Kids On Point students graduate high school

of our students return year-after-year to gain personal transformation

CofC students volunteered daily as mentors in 2022-2023

Required for participating Kids On Point families

Volunteer hours from CofC student mentors in 2022-2023

OUR TEAM

Lauren Herterich Executive Director

Stachia Bennett Director of Operations

Barbie Schreiner Director of Advancement

Dylan Woodward Program Director

Tenise Holloway Program Director North Charleston

Josh Grimard Athletic Director

La’Shana Glen-Hall Academic Coordinator North Charleston

Paola Macias Academic Coordinator

Sterling Savage Student Support Specialist

David Felipe Athletic Coordinator

OUR BOARD

Add a subheading Chris Riley Board Chairman

Renard Harris Vice Chair

Steve Werber Treasurer

Molly Butler

Bill Youngblood

Steve Osborne

Sue Woods

Amanda Roberts

Steven Thomas

Judith Ranger-Smith

Todd Abedon

Ben Liebetrau

Thomas Cutler

Mason Rees

Anthony James

Deronda Washington

THANK YOU PARTNERS Kids on Point has been sustained for over a decade by a group of passionate individuals, corporations, and foundations who all look to close the opportunity gap. Our continued success has been shared with you, our investors and partners, as tangible outcomes become more evident and as the broader community begins to take interest in our work.

Each time we have come to you with a new challenge or opportunity, you have responded with generosity, connections, resources, and support. We cannot emphasize enough how much we appreciate your vote of confidence. Thank you for being in our corner and helping us to create a world where all kids can thrive.

The work done at Kids On Point is done with intentionality and it is successful because of deep relationships with people and organizations who are all committed to advocating for student’s ability to design their future. We share in these successes and like to call special attention to the following entities for their steadfast commitment.

Allegro Charter School Bosch Capeder Co. Call Me MiSTER Program City of Charleston Rec Department Charleston County Library Charleston County Parks & Rec Charleston County School District Charleston Library Society Charleston Riverdogs Charleston Stage City Gallery Claflin University C of C Athletics C of C Grice Marine Lab C of C Public Safety C of C Mace Brown Natural History Museum C of C Men’s Varsity Soccer Team

C of C School of Education C of C School of Health & Human Performance C of C Sustainable Agriculture College Sage Doors to Dreams Edmentum First Tee Golf Friends of the Hunley Future Ready Education Initiative Gibbes Museum of Art Greenheart Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art Heart Math Tutoring International African American Museum Kinful Lowcountry Food Bank MadPark Men of CHS Teach Program

MUSC Orange Grove Charter School Peace Culture Music Read2Be Redux Art Center Roper St. Francis SC Aquarium SC Afterschool Alliance

Social Venture Partners South Carolina State University Squash and Education Alliance Surf City Futsol SUP Safaris The Avery Research Center The Cecil Williams Museum Wild Blue Ropes Adventure Park Youth to Ocean YWCA/ Y Girls Code

Kids On Point P.O. Box 22731 Charleston, SC 29413 Info@kidsonpoint.org 843-256-6765 KidsOnPoint.org