Newsletter Spring 2024

Meet twins Emma and James, from the Class of 2024, pg.

Make a difference that will last for generations, pg. 8

Celebrate our Class of 2024, pg. 10

Dawn S. Reese Chief Executive Officer @DawnSReese

Listening, Learning, Evolving

As we look ahead to our next 40 years of impact, we are heartened by the community of supporters, both longtime and new, who have made an indelible mark on our mission and our students’ success. And as we emerge post-pandemic, we are stronger as an organization and as one community. We are grateful and have been reflecting on how we have been changed by the past four years as an organization and society. We are listening and learning about the evolving needs of our students and finding ways to continually innovate our dance education, academics, college and career readiness, and family services programming to well-position our students today and for their bright futures ahead.

One of the ways we are looking ahead is by developing our next Strategic Plan 2024-2026 to further our 10-Year Strategic Vision 2021-2031, which includes input by a variety of community voices: our elementary, middle and high school students, parents, alumni, supporters and foundation partners, as well as external stakeholders. This inclusive and thoughtful process ensures we are assessing our current state and learning about external community trends.

“I feel safe here.” – Middle School Student

“When you come here, you feel like you are with family.” – Parent

“The skills of the future are going to be creativity, innovation, and collaboration. That’s what the future is going to be about. With AI, you don’t have to know the answers anymore…you have to be able to find the answers and be creative in what you DO with them. That’s the shift…. These are future skills students and organizations need to build.” –External Stakeholder

“They are just a world class organization. I love how they engage the entire family as part of a comprehensive approach to move kids ahead in life.” - Supporter

Some of the initial themes to emerge from the input that we received include: the importance of centering on the students' experience to meet their evolving social, emotional, and academic needs; connecting to build deeper relationships with our students and families, alumni and supporters; and sharing our creative youth development and nonprofit best practices to influence the field, both locally and nationally. (See Page 3 to learn about the way we are expanding our community engagement programming.)

As we engage in the growing discussion of the impact of AI advancements on our lives, we are committed to remaining focused on the vital role empathy plays on humanity. By listening, learning, and evolving, we will be able to help our students meet the demands of a rapidly changing 21st-Century workforce and world.

Join us to learn more about our important mission and the ways you can make a difference in our work, together.

Mission Moment

The Wooden Floor is thrilled to announce we are expanding the impact of our award-winning dance education curriculum to students within the Garden Grove Unified School District through a pilot program titled Dance Uplifts ©, beginning January 16 of the 2023-2024 school year, held at nine school sites, over six weeks. Dance Uplifts is an after-school dance education program designed to encourage creative expression as well as physical and emotional well-being. The Wooden Floor’s unique creative youth development approach fosters acquisition of developmental skills and assets known as the 5 C’s: Critical-Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, Character, in addition to The Wooden Floor's 6th C: Courage.

This after-school program will be provided on school sites in the Garden Grove Unified School District through their 20-year partnership with Boys and Girls Clubs of Garden Grove. The program will include an hour-long movement class provided two days a week to third and fourth grade students, where they will create and learn a variety of modern dance movements that culminate in a transformative dance presentation for their classmates. Dance Uplifts is an extension of The Wooden Floor’s community engagement efforts called Dance Free Weeks, an in-school program held each fall, which has served over 95,000 students since 1983.

Newsfeed

MARK MORRIS MASTER CLASS NOVEMBER 2023

We partnered with the renowned Mark Morris Dance Group for a contemporary dance Master Class, meant to expose our students to new avenues of dance. Billy Smith led the class in a series on fluid and unique movements that both inspired and engaged our students in the elements of modern dance.

CAREERS IN MEDICINE NOVEMBER 2023

The Wooden Floor welcomed alumna Dr. Sarah Lopez, MD, MBA, the first ever Latina Chief Medical Officer for Zocalo Health; fellow alumna Cristina Garcia, an RN in labor and delivery at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Long Beach Memorial Care Medical Center; Reetu Kumar Garamoni, Manager of Ambulatory Care Management at Providence Medical Foundation; and Brooke Winder, owner of Renew Motion Physical Therapy and Associate Professor of Dance at Cal State Long Beach. The panel presented on a wide range of careers in the medical field. Career Nights at The Wooden Floor connect our students with industry professionals and educate them on their desired professional field.

STUDENT HOLIDAY PARTIES

DECEMBER 2023

Our students rang in the holiday season with festive holiday parties chock-full of delicious food, a pajama party movie screening, and a dance party complete with a DJ. All our students ended the night by receiving a gift that was lovingly wrapped by supporters at our Eat & Wrap event.

BETTER MONEY HABITS® WORKSHOP

SEPTEMBER 2023

Bank of America's Elizabeth Gomez and Nicole Quinlan hosted a “Healthy Money Habits Workshop” for our high school students, sharing essential financial information. During the session, students learned about budgeting and banking fundamentals, savvy spending and saving strategies, safeguarding their financial well-being, as well as exploring the exciting world of entrepreneurship.

VIRTUAL CAREER DAY WITH PIMCO

JULY 2023

Employees from PIMCO, a Newport Beach investment management organization, connected with our students and alumni via Zoom to share their journeys to higher education and their careers. PIMCO representatives, many who hold titles of Director, Vice President, and Executive, shared about their roles in various departments and what makes PIMCO a global leader.

In the First Person:

Emma

& James

CLASS OF 2024

“Dance has helped me in school because at The Wooden Floor you have to figure out movements right away. This has helped me in math, by practicing, applying what I learn, problem solving, improvising, and always being my best in what do. People think taking so many dance classes is stressful, but it is actually relaxing and clears my mind for my schoolwork. You disconnect from your body, you get encapsulated in your thoughts, and you choose which emotion you feel while you’re doing it. Dancing is a matter of disconnecting and connecting at the same time.”

Emma, CLASS OF 2024

Twin siblings Emma and James, Class of 2024, joined The Wooden Floor in 2017. They have been a part of Annual Concerts, Career Days, The Next Step college and career readiness program, and Emma volunteers to help younger students in their dance education classes. Both are exceptional role models to their peers and natural leaders in their student community. As they approach high school graduation, Emma and James are proactive in their goals for higher education, applying to eight of the same colleges and universities, with the hopes of attending the same institution.

“The Wooden Floor allowed me to have a space during the pandemic where I could express myself. Otherwise, I would have been stuck and isolated. The Wooden Floor helped me in a time when it was hard for me to help myself. They were really there for me. Without The Wooden Floor, I would never have learned how to express myself and wouldn’t have been able to be part of a community.”

James, CLASS OF 2024

Step Forward:

BUILDING UPON 40 YEARS OF IMPACT

The Wooden Floor Endowment Campaign

Last year, The Wooden Floor launched a special fundraising campaign in celebration of our 40th Anniversary. Step Forward is designed to further grow The Wooden Floor’s Endowment Fund to ensure future generations of students can reach their full potential in school and life.

Your impact when contributing Endowment resources to The Wooden Floor:

■ Serve hundreds more students each year through community engagement efforts.

■ Reach those students least likely to be able to afford the programs and services we offer.

■ Maintain our connected-campus model plus potential new spaces, and much more.

■ The Endowment Fund helps us sustain the high impact and quality programs and services that we are known for. We aim to provide long-term financial sustainability for today, and future generations of students to come.

ENDOWMENT FUND OPPORTUNITIES

There are three main areas of focus where your gift to the endowment can make an impact.

The Wooden Floor Endowment (in support of greatest need)

Contributions to The Wooden Floor’s Endowment Fund create a legacy from your support, addressing areas of greatest need: inventive artistic and performance opportunities; wrap-around services, including mental health support, academic tutoring, and technology; college and career readiness; individualized mentoring beginning as early as 6th grade; family support services, and much more.

The Wooden Floor Scholarship Endowment

Direct gifts or planned gifts towards The Wooden Floor’s Scholarship Endowment create long-term sustainability for the College Scholarship Awards program, to support more tailored college scholarship awards to keep pace with students’ access to higher education and help ensure our students graduate.

Build Upon the Future Endowment

Direct gifts or planned gifts in support of The Wooden Floor campuses will ensure that we will be able to grow prudently while focusing on financial sustainability, support the infrastructure and staffing required to sustain services, and update and improve upon our beautiful student facilities.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE THAT WILL LAST FOR GENERATIONS

Please consider a gift to our Step Forward campaign to strengthen our important mission to inspire and transform the lives of young people through the power of dance and access to higher education. We are happy to share more and discuss your thoughts on how you can make an impact today with a direct gift and/or through your estate planning as part of The Wooden Floor Legacy Society. Please contact CEO Dawn S. Reese at 714-541-8314 x136 or at Info@TheWoodenFloor.org. With you walking by our side, we will step forward together.

2023-2024 Board of Directors

Theresa Allen,* Board Chair

Managing Director, RBC Wealth Management

Judith F. Posnikoff, PhD,* Immediate Past Chair

Managing Director, Martlet Asset Management, LLC

Saar Swartzon,* Vice Chair

Principal Attorney, Cohn & Swartzon, a Professional Law Corporation

Yvonne O’Neill,* Treasurer Certified Public Accountant, O’Neill Financial Management

Joseph Chatelle,* Secretary

Principal, Mercer

Milton J. Acosta, Corporate Finance Manager, Ingram Micro

Wendy Arciero Executive Director, Anaheim Ducks Foundation

Sasha Ayloush,* Director of Sales & Marketing, Hydraflow

Seán Curran, Chair, Department of Dance, NYU Tisch School of the Arts

Michelle Dean,* Community Leader

Jen Dibble, VP, Corporate Counsel, Edwards Lifesciences

Christina Di Rocco, Business Solution Design Manager, Capital Group Companies, Inc.

Brent Funston, Chief Executive Officer, Wind River Group, LLC

Elizabeth Gonzalez, Alumni Representative

Community Leader

Raquel Gonzalez, Parent Representative, Community Leader

Bryan Green, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones

Jehan Jayakumar,* Founding Partner, Carlson & Jayakumar, LLP

Naveen Jonathan, PhD, LMFT, Community Representative

Clinical Associate Professor of Marriage & Family Therapy, Chair, Marriage & Family Therapy, Crean College of Health & Behavioral Sciences, Chapman University

Jeremy Krout, President/CEO, Environmental Planning Development Solutions, Inc.

Richard Lee, Market President, Retired, Aetna, Southern California

Catherine M. MacIver, Community Leader

Alix Portillo, Assistant Vice President, Compliance Monitoring Officer, Genesis Bank

Morgan Ratcliffe, Executive Director, Chief Communications Officer, Providence Health Plan

Dawn S. Reese, CFRE, Chief Executive Officer, The Wooden Floor

Jim Slaughter, Partner, Slaughter & Slaughter, LLP

Shervin Vadood, Vice President, Branch Manager, Farmers & Merchants Bank

Ernesto M. Vasquez, FAIA, NCARB, Partner & CEO, SVA Architects, Inc.

Fabiola Velazquez, Parent Representative Community Leader

Board Emeriti

Joan Beall, Community Leader

Beth A. Burns, Founder of The Wooden Floor and Artistic Director (’83-’05)

Sharon Hartshorn, Community Leader

Richard C. Hunsaker,** President, Hunsaker Management

Virginia Hunsaker,** Community Leader

Damien M. Jordan, General Manager, Retired, American Funds/ Capital Group Companies, Inc.

Yvonne M. Jordan, Community Leader

Socorro Vasquez, Community Leader

* Executive Committee Members.

** In Memoriam.

As of January 31, 2024.

11th

TOP 5 FUNDRAISING BREAKFASTS FOR 10 CONSECUTIVE YEARS!

THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2024, AT 7:30AM HILTON

MESA 3050 BRISTOL ST, COSTA MESA, CA 92626

■ Celebrate and support the Class of 2024, The Wooden Floor’s 20th consecutive graduating class to have 100 percent of students on track to finish high school on time and enroll in higher education

■ Join us in recognizing Class Partners who help underwrite the college and career readiness journeys for each of our graduating classes

■ Participate in an inspiring morning that will leave you filled with hope for the future leaders of our community

UNDERWRITERS As

LEAD CLASS PARTNER

The Beall Family Foundation

Capital Group Companies

Carl and Roberta Deutsch Foundation

The Ceres Foundation

Suzi Chauvel / Chauvel Foundation

DevTo Support Foundation

Dhont Family Foundation

Green Foundation

Nancy & Brian Hunsaker

The Kennedy Foundation - Fletcher Jones

KNU For Kids Foundation

New York Life Insurance Company

O.L. Halsell Foundation

PIMCO Foundation

Sishir Reddy

Samueli Foundation

Sharon D. Lund Foundation

Sun Family Foundation

Ueberroth Family Foundation

Linda and Tod White Charitable Fund

CLASS PARTNER

Bank of America Foundation

Charleys Kids Foundation

Croul Family Foundation

Don Yoder Foundation

Edwards Lifesciences Foundation

Farmers & Merchants Bank

The Hughes Family

Robert J. Mairena / Office Solutions

Pacific Life Foundation

Charles and Mildred Schnurmacher, Inc. Segerstrom Foundation

TROY Group, Inc. / The Dirk Family US Bank

INNOVATION UNDERWRITER

Michelle & Timothy Dean

Yvonne & Damien Jordan

Michelle & Robert Kargenian

Carole & Rich Lee

Trish O'Donnell

CREATIVITY UNDERWRITER

Joe and Michele Chatelle

ENCOURAGEMENT UNDERWRITER

The John and CC Nelson Family

of February 1, 2024 Sponsorships and individual tickets available now at TheWoodenFloor.org/StepBeyond.

Supporter Sightings

Eat & Wrap December 2023

Board Member and event Chair Sasha Ayloush hosted our annual Eat & Wrap event, an inspiring way to kick off the season of giving. We thank the guests that joined us in wrapping nearly 500 gifts, one for each student at The Wooden Floor! We are heartened by the collective efforts of our supporters, underwriters, board members, and guests for helping us supply gifts and trees, and making spirits bright for our students and families.

"The shopping spree is an annual favorite for our Ducks players, their significant others, the Lady Ducks, and front office members! It is wonderful spending quality time getting to know the amazing The Wooden Floor students and for us all to share the joy of the holidays."

Wendy Arciero, Executive Director, Anaheim Ducks Foundation and The Wooden Floor Board Member

16th Annual Ducks Shopping Spree December, 2023

For the 16th year, The Wooden Floor partnered with the famed Anaheim Ducks players for a once-in-a-lifetime holiday shopping spree at Target Irvine Spectrum. Students selected to participate are from families with extremely limited resources, to ensure they had gifts for the holidays because most would have otherwise gone without. This shopping spree sparks joy among our students and reminds them that they are supported and valued by their community. We are grateful to the Anaheim Ducks, the Anaheim Ducks Foundation, and Target Irvine Spectrum for bringing such a memorable event to life.

From Center: Board Member and Eat & Wrap Chair Sasha Ayloush, Director of Sales & Marketing, Hydraflow with guests

1810 North Main Street

Santa Ana, CA 92706-2727

714.541.8314

TheWoodenFloor.org

Follow us @TheWoodenFloor

Please Save the Date!

Please gather with us at the following events to help propel our students and our mission forward.

Inside the Studio®

Thursday, March 14, 2024 | 6:00pm

THE WOODEN FLOOR MAIN STREET LOCATION

Spend time with our students and guest choreographer Momar Ndiaye as they demonstrate works-in-progress and take your questions on our innovative dance-making process.

More information at TheWoodenFloor.org/InsidetheStudio

12th Step Beyond Annual Breakfast®

Thursday, April 18, 2024 | 7:30am HILTON ORANGE COUNTY/COSTA MESA

Gather for an inspiring morning to celebrate our 20th consecutive graduating class on track to have a 100 percent college enrollment rate and support our college and career readiness programs.

More information at TheWoodenFloor.org/StepBeyond

41st Annual Concert

May 30 - June 1, 2024 | 8:00pm nightly plus 2:30pm Saturday matinee

IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE

Be inspired by our young dancers as they perform new dance works co-created with leading contemporary dance choreographers, reflecting the organization’s reputation for artistic excellence.

More information at TheWoodenFloor.org/AnnualConcert

Photography by Sargeant Creative and Tony Lattimore. ©2024 The Wooden Floor.