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Madison Square Boys and Girls Club
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VIA
Friends of the Children-Boston
Hoops for the Stars Program DESTINY INTERACTIVE XIV Q1 2021
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Madison Square Boys and Girls Club
Offers Stability in a Challenging World By Christine Berardi
The mission: simple; the need: great; the learning and success: real; the work: rewarding. All this happens at Madison Square Boys and Girls Club. For more than 137 years, Madison has been a safe, supportive environment for young people from New York City’s most underserved neighborhoods. Madison’s two Brooklyn locations at the Navy Yard Clubhouse and the Thomas S. Murphy Clubhouse provide programs for children from the Clinton Hill, Fort Greene and Crown Heights areas. Like other organizations, Madison was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. While Madison pivoted last year, the organization continued to provide needed programs virtually to students. The Explorers Academy offers students Power Hour – homework help; KidzLit & KidzMath - reading and math development; Computer Literacy - technology skills support; Academic Enrichment - additional educational assistance; and Summer Brain Gain – an in-person program to help prevent summer learning loss. National Grid Foundation has supported Madison for six years. Antonio Fort, Director of Clubhouse Operations and an alumnus of Madison, said, “We took a step back last April. We regrouped and rebounded in June to provide our students a Virtual AfterSchool Program (VAP).”
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A quarterly publication created to share a glimpse into the work of the organizations and programs National Grid Foundation supports.
Editor Creative Director Executive Director
Christine Berardi Pamela Focá Edward H. White Jr.
DEST I N Y I N T E R AC T I VE X I V Q1 2 0 2 1
Photos courtesy: Madison Square Boys/Girls Club: Ms. Denys Salas, Navy Yard Clubhouse Director
The VAP allowed Madison’s staff to continue teaching and keep everyone safe during a changing and challenging time. Fort adds, “What is unique about Madison is that we kept the VAPs consistent within each Clubhouse. The students took the same class with the teacher they knew and were comfortable. We weren’t going to change teachers on them making a stressful situation even more stressful. We have maintained communication with parents, so they can make decisions for their children as changes happen.”
With the utmost concern for safety and following the COVID-19 protocols, Madison’s Clubhouses were allowed 25% of their students to attend in-person programs for the summer. Of the approximately 250 students, 40-50 children attended. Last summer, the students in the Explorer Academy participated in several Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) projects. Projects and experiments included: Pop Rocket and Unpoppable Bubble. With a balloon and a bottle of soda, students tested
air pressure and if the rocket would pop. In the Unpoppable Bubble Experiment, members used different mixtures of ingredients to test which made bubbles last the longest. They were able to hold the bubbles and bounce them on different surfaces. No matter what is going on in the world, the important takeaways are that Madison Square Boys and Girls Club offers a safe space for children providing them with educational programs, fitness activities and emotional support so they can succeed in life. ❧
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A Beacon of Hope
Path to Success at
VIA
By Christine Berardi
Visually Impaired Advancement (VIA) has a long history of offering support and the necessary skills to people who were born blind or who have experienced vision loss. VIA teaches people to achieve the life they want and deserve while becoming more independent. Formerly the Olmsted Center for Sight, VIA (pronounced – VeeAh) is in Buffalo, NY and serves Western New York. VIA’s 150 dedicated employees are with clients each step of the way and beyond as they navigate through their journey. Services and programs offered include: education, vision rehabilitation services and adaptive technology for clients of all ages, targeted assistance for children and young adults, workforce training, employment readiness and job placement for adults. People who are blind or visually impaired struggle with unemployment, underemployment and live near the poverty level and receive supplemental financial assistance. Many individuals previously worked prior to their vision loss. VIA’s programs are directed specifically to residents who want Terrance Young, a client of VIA, graduating from Buffalo State College.
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financial independence through meaningful work. “VIA is able to provide Workforce Training to approximately 25 blind or visually impaired working–aged adults on a rolling admission on an annual basis,” said Renee DiFlavio, Senior Vice President, Development, VIA. “The scholarships for vocational training, supported by National Grid Foundation, are instrumental in enhancing lives.”
VIA is proud that more than 78% of students are placed in fully integrated competitive employment six months after graduation and has continued to place students throughout the pandemic. To become gainfully employed, students go through rigorous training in technical and softskills training necessary for successful employment. Classwork, both in person and
online, is supplemented with internships, job placement and wrap-around services that continue after graduation. Jillian Snyder, VIA Placement Specialist, works with each student navigating his or her own path toward employment. The organization is not a onesize fits all. “What is special about VIA’s programming is that it is customizable to each student based on their
Jordan B. works in VIA’s Manufacturing Division. Photos courtesy of VIA
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needs, skills and comfort level,” she said. “Each person is unique and so is their journey to success.” Along with resume writing and interviewing, VIA provides industry-specific training for hospitality, customer service, telecommunications, contact center and food preparation. “At VIA, we aim to pair jobs with the person and their skills and passions,” said Snyder. “Not the opposite.” In addition to workforce and job-placement training, VIA students receive comprehensive instruction in basic computer, computer software skills, telecommunications, business math and communications. As a leader in Workforce Development and Vocational Training, VIA has provided online learning to its students long before the current pandemic gripped the world. VIA’s distance learning reaches students from across the country. Ray Zylinski, who is totally blind, knows the value of the organization. He lost his vision at age two due to retinoblastoma, a rare form of cancer, and started going to the Olmsted Center (now VIA)
Ray Zylinski teaches Windows Excel to a student using “JAWS” Adaptive Technology (Job Access With Speech) a screen reading software that allows severely sight-impaired individuals to become as technologically proficient and productive as their sighted counterparts.
when he was four years old. It has come full circle, and now Ray works as an Assistive Tech Administrator where he once was a student. Current VIA students often mention that having teachers who are blind and have experienced the same things they have motivates them and shows that anything is possible. “We deliver the curriculum, IT skills and technology to make sure that people are technology ready enter the
workforce such as fullyintegrated Contact Center work environments,” he said. VIA’s relationship with students doesn’t end when they graduate and become employed – it continues to be a source of support, strength and reliance. ❧
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Board Member Moment
Eboné Carrington Destiny: How did you first become interested with National Grid Foundation? After being initially approached by a person I admire greatly – Don Lowry – I began to research National Grid Foundation and was so impressed with the mission and reach of the grant recipients. Once I began to read and research the community change that many of the grantees work promulgated, I knew this was an organization truly committed to meaningful service. The passion and commitment of the Executive Director is always indicative of an organizations potential, and anyone who speaks with Ed White knows he is results oriented and deeply devoted to the work of the Foundation. That is appealing to any potential governing body member. Destiny: What interests you most about the Foundation and the organizations it supports? The scope and diversity of the organizations which benefit from the Foundation struck me. I was so impressed with the different types of organizations and their grass roots nature that I felt compelled to participate and support the Boards work. I have devoted my entire career to servicing vulnerable populations and the underserved. The consistent assistance provided to the less fortunate is a social responsibility that drew me close to the work of the Foundation. Destiny: Board members bring their business and life experience and a host of other attributes to a board. What are your strengths? ✷ Quality Assurance and Performance Management ✷ Hospital Operations and Facilities ✷ Strategic Planning and Change Management ✷ Executive Leadership Fellow
Destiny: List some of the other boards you serve. ✷ Secretary, Board of Trustees of First Corinthian Baptist Church ✷ Advisory Board Member, NYU Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service ✷ Member, Board of Trustees of NY Theological Seminary
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Photo: Yi-Chin Chen
Mentoring Excellence Excels During Pandemic By Deborah Drew
While the entire world was challenged this past year – challenged to do differently, think differently -- Friends of the Children-Boston took on these challenges and went well above and beyond to serve the children – and their families – who are part of the “Friends” community.
The Friends of the ChildrenBoston model was originally created to address adverse childhood trauma and instill resiliency by engaging in every part of its student participant lives—from the home, to the school, to the community. This unique organization
provides a salaried, professional mentor, called a Friend, for a child’s entire childhood, from kindergarten through graduation for 12+ years, no matter what. The process starts every spring when the organization begins a four-week observation in kindergarten classrooms to
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identify those children who face an at-risk situation at home. Once selected, each student is matched with a long-term, full-time Friend who is a staff member of the Friends of the
impact, while children and families struggled isolated. COVID-19 changed the lives of Achievers, creating new obstacles to their educational, social-emotional,
no one would be left behind. Not letting the pandemic deter its work to be there no matter what, Friends–Boston doubled down on its support of the Achievers and their families
“Our partnership with National Grid Foundation helps our Achievers envision their goals and a future, then draw clear lines between their academic success and their goals of career and college, even during a pandemic, But the most recent additional COVID relief support added a new dimension that helps with food insecurity for the entire family, along with successful remote learning.” Yi-Chin Chen, Executive Director, Friends of the Children-Boston.
Children-Boston, and is trained in social work, education and youth development. To assure success, student ACHIEVERS receive years of comprehensive support. Each Achiever has a RoadMap for Success that lays out short-term and long-term goals and the incremental steps it will take to reach them. The RoadMap is focused on School Success, Social & Emotional Development, Improved Health, Making Good Choices, and Plans & Skills for the Future. But during a pandemic, that kind of commitment – and more -- is needed more than ever before, when so many local and community programs were forced to go on hold or otherwise lost
and health needs. As these challenges took on a different meaning, educational inequity also was highlighted by the pandemic. Friends-Boston professional mentors continued to show up for all Achievers as it has done each day over the last 16 years. When the world was awakened and took to the streets to demand justice for the Black community, Friends-Boston remained steadfast in demanding equity in systems that impact youth, so Achievers could show up each day in their own power. As the world watched the economy collapse on the most vulnerable citizens, Friends of the Children-Boston stepped up to deliver weekly essentials so
and enhanced and broadened its services. In addition to continuing one-on-one mentoring with all the Achievers both in-person and virtually, it added critical support services and resources for families. Friends During COVID-19 The National Grid Foundation has supported programming at Friends of the ChildrenBoston since 2013 and understands that working with the selected children through high school graduation — in close partnership with their family, school, and community — assures that each child receives appropriate services to stabilize their lives. What could never have been imagined was the unprecedented strain
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COVID-19 would put on basic needs and educational supports at the organization during the pandemic. Through two special grants earmarked for COVID relief during the spring and winter of 2020, The Foundation stepped up to help assure Achievers’ lives continued to have stability. “Our partnership with National Grid Foundation helps our Achievers envision their goals and a future, then draw clear lines between their academic success and their goals of career and college, even
during a pandemic,” said YiChin Chen, Executive Director, Friends of the ChildrenBoston. “But the most recent additional COVID relief support added a new dimension that helps with food insecurity for the entire family, along with successful remote learning.” With many additional donors and community supports in place, Friends-Boston continued to serve more than 140 of Boston’s most vulnerable children and youth ages 5-21, primarily living in Roxbury and Dorchester.
It worked with Boston Public Schools around remote education, including helping Achievers use Chromebooks, assisted families access steady internet, fostered partnerships with both caregivers and teachers, and helped children create learning environments at home. It provided noisecanceling headphones, desks and chairs, and even worked on educational backdrops so that Achievers were able to create their own space to focus on learning.
Excelling at mentoring excellence during a pandemic seems at first glance to be quite the oxymoron, but Friends-Boston’s success is demonstrable: ■ 91% of Achievers report consistent remote school attendance, compared to 72% for all Boston Public School (BPS) students despite Achievers’ having significant more barriers in their lives. ■ 69% of Achievers had successful course completion, compared to 24% of all BPS students (as demonstrated by 80% or more days of using their online learning platform). ■ I n 2020, new data tools identified exactly what obstacles Achievers were facing in nearly real time (food insecurity, barriers to distanced learning, loss of income) and Friends-Boston pivoted its efforts to address these, while continuing 1:1 and group programming: ▲ 80% of the families are receiving deliveries of food from Friends-Boston since the start of the pandemic; receiving 35,000 lbs. of food to date ▲ 98% of Achievers graduated to the next grade, while all avoided incarceration and early parenting ▲ 7,320 items of PPE gear, including masks (adult and child sized), gloves, disinfectant, transportable first aid kits for vehicles, temporal thermometers, and hand sanitizer (as of December, 2020) have been provided
Photo: Yi-Chin Chen
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Friends of the Children-Boston families identified food security as one of their most pressing and significant challenges. Friends-Boston responded and partnered with a number of organizations, and experimented with different ways of getting food to Achievers and their families. From staff picking up food donations from as far away as Foxboro, then sorting and delivering groceries to them, to local bodegas providing credits for groceries so that
families can access the fresh vegetables and meat that its data shows they most want and need, Friends remains a true friend, indeed, by solving for key human needs. Anti-Racism, Social Justice Friends As if a pandemic was not enough to confuse, frustrate and provide detrimental impact on Achievers, 2020 bore witness to extraordinary social injustice and racism across the county with the murders of so many innocent people of color. With most Achievers identifying as black, brown or of ethnic
descent, Friends of the Children-Boston immediately understood its key role in mentoring, supporting and teaching Achievers their worth and brilliance, even during the most trying of times. As calls for justice echoed throughout the world, FriendsBoston continued its role and continued to raise its voice in demanding equity in systems that impact youth (as they always have) so that it Achievers can show up each day empowered, enlightened and enriched.
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A trusted community leader and advocate, Friends-Boston also reached out to its stakeholders with a letter of support and solidarity that renounced systemic racism, and called for healing and unity, and recognition that our fate and success is inextricably linked to one another. Further, to help illustrate and build upon messages of strength, social justice and anti-racism, Friends-Boston established a series of virtual monthly “coffee chats” to open a dialogue and seek solutions:
Photo: Yi-Chin Chen
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■ I n January 2021, it offered a discussion with Imari Paris Jeffries, executive director, Kings Boston where participants discussed redefining the role of mentoring in racial healing and the role of that work in 2021; along with the important role Friends-Boston plays in Dr. Martin Luther King’s Legacy in 2021. ■ F ebruary’s Coffee Chat celebrated black excellence as part of Black History Month where Achievers and participants explored Amanda Gorman’s poem, "The Hill We Climb", and what racial equality means to them. For most of us, 2020 was a year like no other. For Friends-Boston, it was a year much like the others – a year where it continued to show up for its children, their families and the community, No Matter What.
FRIENDS 2020 - AT A GLANCE ■ Celebrated 20 Achievers’ graduations ■ Carried out 9,500 in-person and virtual outings ■ Offered close to 20,000 hours of support to its youth and their families ■ All Achievers made progress in gaining proficiency in its 9 Core Assets ■ 100% of youth continued to progress in their education trajectory ■ W ith their Friends by their sides, Achievers experienced joy, felt comforted, learned new skills, built new habits, set bigger and bolder goals for their future, and continued to stay hopeful for a better tomorrow.❧
... a better tomorrow
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FROM SIDELINED TO
SLAM DUNK Hoops for the Stars Program COVID Pivot Scores for Students By Deborah Drew
We hear it every day: Last year was unprecedented; unparalleled uncertainty; presented extraordinary challenges. We added “new” language to every day conversations: Social distance; PPE; Zoom, hybrid and distance learning; coronavirus; pandemic. And pivot. Usually used as a term in basketball to define both the act of keeping one foot in place while moving the other. A re-positioning. That is exactly what happened with the National Grid Foundation Hoops for the Stars 2020-2021 program. For more than a decade, Hoops for the Stars had been a consistent program under which select local colleges partnered with the Foundation to help underserved and at-risk youth in elementary and middle schools throughout Rhode Island and upstate New York increase school attendance; increase test scores and academic achievement; and encourage community engagement. Both students and teachers depended on it to incentivize excellence both in the classroom and in the community. Classroom visits from college coaches and student-athletes, tickets to men’s and women’s basketball games, t-shirts, and essay contests were a few of the highlights from the program that showcases the opportunities that come with an education. Then COVID-19 took to the court and brought challenges and uncertainty to the entire education system, leading to school closings, strategies around in-person and virtual learning plans, staffing cuts, and administrators and teachers grappling to find a way to educate in the pandemic.
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The Hoops for the Stars Program in its traditional form was not designed to thrive in the current climate of a pandemic. With in-person events on hold, the heart of the Hoops for the Stars program was shattered.
Providence College Presents the Pivot
Providence College (PC) was the first to recognize that during this challenging time, the need for the Hoops for the Stars Program (HFTS) was greater than ever. With children experiencing virtual learning, teachers were faced with the challenge of how to engage, motivate and educate remotely, and with physical education, recess and even access to the cafeteria being eliminated or curtailed, students yearned for content and voices to freshen a curriculum stripped of its social and physical stimulants. For its 13th season with the program, the PC team revamped HFTS and planned a series of 10 monthly videos, branded with the National Grid Foundation logo and professionally produced by the Providence College Athletic Department, to be shared in Providence Schools. The videos feature coaches and student-athletes from PC with a broad range of topics from physical education, nutrition, study habits and teamwork; topics centered around the importance of education and community. The content not only provides exciting opportunities for the students to look forward to, but also allows teachers to build discussion topics and classroom assignments around them. So far, four videos have been produced and shared with students. PC also delivered cobranded t-shirts and mascot “Friar” binders to the local schools as an added incentive bonus for the children.
The PC videos - click on the photos below:
National Grid Foundation's Hoops for the Stars Tour with Coach Cooley
Vannelie Melendez for National Grid Foundation
Kaitlyn O’Malley, Senior Associate Director of Academic Services at Providence College.
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University at Buffalo’s Full Court Press University at Buffalo Athletics also reimagined its Hoops for the Stars format and teamed up once again with Buffalo City Schools and the Foundation. Its pivot, in an effort to maintain social distancing, connects men's and women's basketball student-athletes, coaches and administrators virtually with inner city youth to promote literacy, learning and nutrition. Each participating elementary school partakes in a virtual chat engaging UB men’s and women’s basketball student-athletes and staff with students who exhibit positive behaviors as recognized by their teachers. UB Athletics also is producing a series of educational videos to be shared with students addressing virtual learning, the importance of exercise, social distancing and teamwork. The programming has five key components: ■ Live Zoom or Pre-Produced Video (One per school) ■A ttendance criteria by classroom in which one class per school with the highest attendance rate in school and / or virtually receives free t-shirts and the opportunity to have a live virtual session presented to their classroom. ■E ach school will receive a to-be-determined amount of tee shirts to be used by teachers as incentives for students. ■ Through UB Men’s or Women’s Basketball Twitter and/or Facebook page 5 coaches will give out Star of the Year Awards (one per school). Trophies and a signed basketball from Jim Whitesell or Coach Jack will be gifted. ■ Under a special reading component, the more books a student reads makes them more eligible for prizes: T-shirts, autographed team posters, and a group Zoom chat with a UB student athlete or coach. (i.e. free throw prize, 3-point level, etc.)
Follow the links below to see UB’s videos promoting education, health, and wellness:
Academics
Mindfulness and Sleep
Nutrition and Hydration
Physical Activity and Recovery
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The Siena College Ally Oop Albany’s Siena College also joined the season with a re-positioning of the Hoops for the Stars program and also offered the program in a digital format, with no personal contact delivery. Similar to the other strategies, Siena partners with select community school districts in the Albany area and encourage young fans to follow in the footsteps of their favorite Siena basketball players’ in healthy lifestyle habits, along with a strong emphasis on academic success. These young fans are able to engage with basketball players with virtual visits through the program, with the program concluding with a virtual ceremony in which the young students will receive (mailed) accolades and giveaways. Program “MVPs” will be recognized for those who exemplified the goals of the program. Certificates of accomplishment will be given to all participants. Here’s a link to Siena’s video that recaps its visits:
Siena Basketball's 2021 Virtual "Adopt a School" Visits
Beauty is everywhere. You only have to look to see it. — Bob Ross