Details on the 2010 Youth and Literacy Grants follow.
Grant request for continued administrative support for Big Buddy Program in all six elementary schools. Program matches children from single parent homes with high school, college, and adult buddies for weekly activities. There are currently 71 Big Buddy matches. Report due at year-end.
Cooleemee Elementary School– S.O.A.R. III – $5,000
Grant requested support for the Summer Reading program which has been very beneficial in supporting student growth for the past two years. SOAR is available to provide continued instruction over the summer months and to avoid student regression. SOAR ran for 18 days, 3 hours per day, during the month of July with 35 students.
Principal Carol Cozart reported that, “Three years ago, Cooleemee Elementary was on the “No Child Left Behind Watch List” and its penalties. For the past two years, CES has earned High Growth recognition under the North Carolina ABC growth model and Acceptable Yearly Progress under the No Child Left Behind federal guidelines. No one thing has produced that improvement, but our staff firmly believes that the summer reading program has been a component of that success.”
Cornatzer Elementary School– Hands-on Minds Together – $5,000
Grant requested support for a summer engineer and environmentalist camp for students entering Kindergarten – 4th Grade replicating interdisciplinary real-world careers. Interactive program elements in reading and math capture student’s interest to challenge thinking and problem-solving. Grant funds provided summer instructional time for students considered “at-risk” by classroom teachers. All participants were English Language Learners, low-wealth, Hispanic, or learning disabled.
As many as 60 children participated in the camp. Week one featured a gardening theme with activities organized around planting of flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Week two featured a motion/transportation theme. Children visited the Transportation Museum in Salisbury, sailed a model sailboat, and created and flew their own helicopters. According to Principal Cinde Rinn, “Students have a real sense of confidence after attending the camp, and they a relationship with the school they didn’t have before.”
Davie County Sheriff’s Office – D.A.R.E. Leadership Camp – $3,500
Grant request for funding for two one-week camps (one for boys and one for girls) to help students develop positive role models, strengthen friendships, and build self-esteem. The camp is for rising 6th grade students that have successfully completed the DARE program. Campers spend one week together in a variety of activities and adventures. While having fun, participants work on team building and trust activities as well as individual self esteem. Report due at year-end.
Davie Family YMCA – Davie County Reads – $1,000
Grant request for support of Davie Reads – Provides one-on-one tutoring to adults in our community. Chiefly non-English speaking adults with some adult non-readers as well as low level adult readers. One of the program goals is to teach participants basic skills that help them function in the community. Report due at year-end.
Mocksville Elementary School – Summer Literacy Camp – $ 5,500
Grant request for funding for a four week camp in the summer to serve 1st-5th Grade students that are reading below grade level. Focus will be on all areas of literacy for the purpose of catch-up growth and regression avoidance. Teachers recommended students for attendance at the July camp. Approximately 40 children received instruction for three hours each day.
In conjunction with the grant, 535 packets of summer literacy activities were sent home with every rising first through fifth grade student at Mocksville Elementary School.
North Davie Middle School – Student Transitions Camp – $ 3,000
Grant request for support for a four day workshop for rising seventh and eighth grade students who are at-risk academically based on their EOG scores, grades, and teacher recommendations. The camp would help students develop goals for their future.
Because of the low response from targeted students, the camp was opened up to all rising 7th Grade students. A total of 35 rising 7th and 8th Grade students attended. The camp focused on student learning styles, developed skills for dealing with a heavier academic schedule, and educated them about educational and career choices. According to organizer Jenny McPherson, “One of the best benefits of the camp was the relationship building that took place between the teachers and students. Most of the students will have one of these teachers during the 2010 – 11 school year.”
Pinebrook Elementary School – Trojan Summer Reading Camp – $5,250
Grant request to pay 4 teachers and 1 assistant to operate a camp for approximately 60 students. Camp will operate 15 days in July (8:30am to 11:30am). Camp will target students K-5 identified with reading deficiencies.
Kindergarten – 5th Grade students were selected to participate with an individualized plan to maintain and/or increase their overall reading proficiency, provide for continuity for students over the summer months, and avoid regression in reading skills. Fifty-three students participated for 15 days in July. Students were assessed at the end of camp and all but one either maintained their entering reading level or showed progression.
Grant request for PAWS Day Camp. The Shady Grove Elementary PAWS (Panthers Achieving Wonderful Success) Day Camp will serve 24 students who are below grade-level in reading. Rising 3rd and 4th graders will work in groups building basic reading skills and use those skills to build a love of reading.
Twenty students attended PAWS for 6 days in August working in small groups with certified teachers. Testing benchmarks showed progress for the attendees and according to Assistant Principal, Mary Foster, “One little boy asked if we could this every day after school.” The children and teachers loved the small groups and the creative activities!
Smart Start of Davie County – Imagination Library – $4,000
Grant request for continued support for Imagination Library available to all children in Davie County ages 0-5. New books are mailed once a month until the month of each child’s 5th birthday. Funding would enroll another 185 children. There are currently 650 children enrolled. Report due at year-end.
S.U.R.F. Board Youth Grantmakers – Board Administration – $ 748
Grant request for funding to support the high school aged youth philanthropy board sponsored by the Foundation. SURF members learn about philanthropy and the importance of giving back to their community. They develop leadership and team building skills through a variety of experiences and activities. Report due at year-end.
Wm R. Davie Elementary – Summer of Fun Learning Academy – $7,300
Grant request for support to provide reading/math remediation to students that are having difficulty academically in reading and mathematics. Students worked one-on-one and/or in a small group with a teacher/teacher assistant during the summer.
Twenty-nine children participated in a camp during the four weeks in July. Each week featured a theme that activities were centered on such as camping, jungle week, beach week, and carnival week. Reports from Successmaker and Waterford showed gains for all of the children in reading and math.
According to one of the 5th Grade teachers, “One particular child was in my class last year and is repeating 5th Grade this year. During the last school year she was quiet and withdrawn. She went for weeks without completing assignments and often found excuses to go to the nurse or call home. At the summer program, she truly bloomed. She came smiling every day, participated actively, and on several occasions brought in extra work she had completed at home. I am happy to report that this has continued during this school year. I believe that the intimate, supportive group in the Summer of Fun Learning Academy helped to build this child’s confidence and is allowing her to excel.”
