alabama possible from the alabama poverty project

Site Navigation

Posts Tagged ‘mentoring’

Blueprints Highlighted in the National College Access Network Best Practices Gallery

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

Here’s a guest post from Blueprints founder Nicole Bohannon:

Earlier this month, Kristina, Hannah, and I had the opportunity to attend the National College Access Network’s (NCAN) annual conference in St. Louis to share experiences from Blueprints College Access Initiative and learn from other college access providers around the nation.

From breakout sessions sharing best practices for assessment and sustainability to inspiring plenary sessions and networking opportunities, the conference provided for an incredible time of learning and growth that will undoubtedly prove valuable as we work to deepen the relationships with our Blueprints partners and their communities.

During the conference, we also had the privilege of presenting Blueprints at NCAN’s Best Practices Gallery, which focused on best practices in helping diverse student groups access and success in college. We were thrilled to share information about what Blueprints is doing in Alabama with over 600 conference attendees.

One of the most important things we learned was the power of state and local college access networks. These networks work to get more 21^st century students into and through college, and by leveraging their collective impact they are able to create large-scale social change for student success. Alabama does not currently have a college access network, and that is something we aim to change over the next year.

The NCAN conference was a wonderful learning opportunity, but even more so, a motivator to see the ground we must make up in college attainment in the state of Alabama. Increasing college access is vital to fighting poverty in Alabama, and we couldn’t do it without your help.

Want to learn more about best practices to increase college access? Some of the conference sessions are posted in the virtual conference section here, and many of the presentation handouts are available here.

Want to get involved with Blueprints? Here’s how:

Organize college visits with local high school students: email Hannah Selles to get started.
Become a mentor: connect with Blueprints programs currently underway in Tuscaloosa (at the University of Alabama), Marion (through Judson College), Montevallo (at the University of Montevallo) and Birmingham (with UAB).
Help cover the costs of materials and staffing with your financial gift.

Tags: advocacy, blueprints, college access, educational attainment, higher educational attainment, mentoring, poverty, service-learning
Posted in Economics & Employment, education, Making A Difference | No Comments »

How to stop kids from dropping out of high school: engage and innovate.

Thursday, July 7th, 2011

A guest post from Hess Fellow David Olsen:

Hannah, Kristina and I recently attended the David Mathews Center’s “Making Community Decisions About Alabama’s Dropout Situation” at Auburn University Montgomery.

I learned that high school dropouts earn $10,000 less a year than high school graduates and $1,000,000 less over a lifetime than those with a bachelors degree.

And 75 percent of all state prison inmates dropped out of high school.

Hannah was there to present our Blueprints College Access Initiative along with our partner University of Montevallo Service-Learning Coordinator Dr. Hollie Cost, and I visited with other community-based programs targeting educational attainment.

Two words stood out throughout the day: engagement and innovation.

Most programs engage others to keep kids in schools. What surprised me was that they all do it differently.

Some engage students by helping and inspiring them to graduate and go to college, like the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County.
Others engage parents and equip them to help their child, like First Teachers@home.
Many engage schools and inspire them to become something better, like Winterboro High School.
Still others engage entire communities and hold everyone accountable for their public schools, like the Montgomery Education Foundation.

Innovation was also a common theme. The problems facing our schools are not simple, so we must be creative and adapt to a new generation of students.

But for a moment, I doubted if all of this work actually made a difference.

Then Keynote Speaker Dr. Tommy Bice told us that Alabama had the nation’s fourth largest gain in graduation rates between 2002-2008.

This stuff does work.

Tags: blueprints, civic engagement, college access, drop out prevention, higher education, mentoring, service-learning
Posted in civic engagement, community, education | No Comments »

Justin’s dream is to be a meteorologist.

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

We talk a lot about how our Blueprints initiative increases college access for low-wealth communities.

Now we want to show you by introducing you to people involved in Blueprints. Students like Justin, an aspiring meteorologist, are learning how they can plan for the future, prepare for graduation, go to college and pursue their dreams.

Watch the video to hear from Justin and other students participating in Blueprints at one high school in Birmingham:

Want to help create a college-positive culture for students in your community?

Find our Resources on education, mentoring and college access.
Join in Partnership with the Alabama Poverty Project.
Give now to help us continue our college access work with students like Justin.

Thank you for your continued support!

Posted by Robyn Hyden

Tags: Birmingham, blueprints, college access, college preparation, financial aid, james spann, mentoring, service-learning, woodlawn
Posted in Economics & Employment, education, Making A Difference | 1 Comment »

Alabama Possible spotlight: Father Alex uses relational ministry and education to fight poverty

Monday, October 25th, 2010

Monday’s Alabama Possible summit was all about transforming lives through relational ministry. In this week’s Alabama Possible spotlight, we look at one minister who brings this strategy to his daily work.

Father Alex Steinmiller is someone who knows about relational ministries, because he sees them transforming students every day. He is a founding organizer and president of Holy Family Cristo Rey High School in Ensley, Birmingham.

As a part of the Passionist order of the Catholic church, Father Alex is called to serve those living in poverty. He grew up in downtown Chicago, and he can still remember the day he first felt called to be a priest. “A Passionist missionary came to speak to our class and said people can be changed by the love of Christ on the cross. I had never heard that before.” This idea changed his life.

After he was ordained in 1970, Father Alex went to Detroit to work with young gang members. He saw white flight happen right before his eyes, and whole neighborhoods were abandoned by the middle class. “I realized that the best way to help at-risk youths is to relate them with a high-achieving peer. I didn’t have one class in the seminary that prepared me for this,” he laughs. Those years of experience “walking the streets of Detroit,” he says, convinced him that relationships could transform lives.

Working now with youth in Ensley, Father Alex sees this model in action every day. “Since 2007, every single one of our graduates has been accepted to college,” he brags. This is especially notable given their neighborhood, their household income, and the education levels of their parents. So what is Cristo Rey doing that other programs could replicate?

Cristo Rey is “the school that works” – literally. Like all 24 Cristo Rey schools across the country, they employ all of their 174 students in corporate internships. Students work 1-2 days a week to earn a portion of their tuition. They compensate for time spent outside the classroom by going to school for extended days the remainder of the week (8 am – 3:30 pm) and for a longer school year. This program gives the students the opportunity to both afford a private education and to get valuable work and mentorship experiences in high school.

“Jobs really make the most difference. Students get to form adult relationships, and to get that affirmation from adults. I hear them say all the time ‘I can do this, Father.’ That’s such a great breakthrough.”

Students and faculty pose in front of the Honor Society wall.

Applicants must have a combined household income of less than $38,000/year, and the school offers significant financial aid through the work-study program. Students must also meet nine other requirements before starting at the high school, including an interview with both the student and parents, an essay submission, teacher recommendations, and placement testing. “We accept students who are up to two years behind grade level if we believe they have potential,” he says. Holy Family ultimately hopes to sponsor up to 300 students with corporate internships, but they need more support from local businesses to make that happen.

Father Alex connected with APP through our 2010 Lifetime of Learning conference and the Alabama Possible summit, where he shared resources and experiences with others fighting poverty through education and ministry.

How can you bring relational ministries to your community?

visit the Alabama Possible Summit event page to learn more about bringing relational ministries to your community
read more about Mentoring and Youth Development in our web resources
contact Scott Meinberg about opportunities to partner with Holy Family for corporate internships.

People like Father Alex are engaging poverty in Alabama every day. Know someone showing what is possible? Nominate them for the Alabama Possible Spotlight.

Posted by Robyn Hyden

Tags: alabama possible spotlight, Alabama Possible Summit, college access, ensley, father alex, graduation, high school, higher educational attainment, holy family, mentoring, work-study, youth development
Posted in Economics & Employment, education, Fighting Poverty with Faith | 2 Comments »

Increasing college access to build a strong middle class

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

A report on al.com Tuesday, “Alabamians lag on college degrees,” summarized the findings from a recent Lumina Foundation study, A Stronger Nation Through Higher Education (PDF).

Namely, we rank below the national average in higher educational attainment. 68.4 percent of working-age Alabama adults have no college degree. 8 percent have a 2-year associate’s degree, while 24 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

: Via al.com

This means that we’re less competitive with neighboring states for economic development, and our workers are less equipped for the future job market. According to a recent study by the Center for Education and the Workforce, Help Wanted: Projections on Jobs and Education Requirements Through 2018:

by 2018, nearly two-thirds of jobs will require some form of higher education
over the next 10 years, new jobs in Alabama requiring post-secondary education will increase by an estimated 132,000, while other jobs will increase by only 89,000
currently, 55 percent of all jobs in Alabama require some form of post-secondary training

As we have said before, low educational attainment hampers our ability to attract economic development. We also know that college graduates bring over $1 million in spending power (PDF) back to their home communities.

A college degree is one of the fastest routes for an individual to move out of poverty into the middle class – and a strong, stable middle class benefits us all.

What is the good news?

Our Higher Education Alliance and other K-12 and college programs are using innovative programming to educate our children and increase access to higher education. We talked about some of these initiatives at our recent Lifetime of Learning Conference.
Our state gubernatorial candidates are publicly debating the role of the state in college access and funding for higher education, which means that people are starting to pay attention.

What can you do? Stay informed. Stay engaged. Help create a college-positive culture in your community (see page 12 of our annual report). And advocate for increased access to higher education through financial aid, mentoring programs, and improved college preparation.

Posted by Robyn Hyden

Tags: advocacy, alabama governor's race, building a strong middle class, college access, college degree, college positive culture, college prep, economic development, financial aid, higher education alliance, higher educational attainment, lifetime of learning, mentoring
Posted in civic engagement, community, Economics & Employment, education, Making A Difference | No Comments »

Creating a college-positive culture

Monday, August 9th, 2010

By 2018, nearly two-thirds of available jobs will require some form of higher education. But Alabama lags behind the nation in getting our young people to college.

Alabama’s median household income is $9,443 less than the national average. According to the Southern Education Foundation, 60 percent of that gap is due to Alabamians’ low educational attainment. For every dollar earned by individuals with a bachelor’s degree, high school dropouts only earn 32 cents and high school graduates only earn 51 cents. College graduates elevate their personal earning capacity and bring nearly $1 million in spending power back to their local communities. (The Big Payoff, US Census Bureau – PDF)

A college-going culture includes the environment, attitudes, and practices in schools and communities that encourage students and their families to obtain the information, tools, and perspective to enhance access to and success in post-secondary education.

How can you create a college-going culture in your community?

1. Have high expectations. Young people will follow your lead and work to meet your expectations.
2. Share your passion/vocation. Teens are often conflicted about the career path they wish to pursue. Share your story about why you picked the career you did, how you got there, and what you hope to see in the future. This simple act can serve as an invaluable resource to a teenager struggling to choose a career path.
3. Utilize your business or occupation. Invite local teens to shadow you or your colleagues for a day. Giving young people the opportunity to experience a career they may have not have ever considered could be one of the biggest gifts you can give.
4. Mentor a young person. Children that come from homes without a college-educated parent often do not see the value of a college education. By sharing your educational experience and encouraging a young person to pursue post-secondary education, you will dramatically increase her chances of being exposed to new opportunities.
5. Answer questions. Young people can be timid and may not always ask the questions they need to. Answering what seems like simple questions may turn into a larger conversation and guide young people to a more successful future.
6. Participate in or produce a college or career fair. Hosting a fair could be one of the most beneficial activities that you can provide for your community.
7. Contribute to initiatives already underway. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel, and by financially supporting organizations already undertaking initiatives, you allow them to increase their impact.

Check out our page on the Blueprints college access initiative for more information on why increasing college access for all Alabama students matters.

Posted by Kristina Scott

Tags: blueprints, college access, college going culture, mentoring
Posted in education, Making A Difference | No Comments »

32% of persistently impoverished children stay poor into adulthood

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

Children born into poverty are more likely to have negative outcomes and remain in poverty into early adulthood, according to a study released by the Urban Institute.

Nearly half of kids born into poverty will remain persistently poor throughout childhood, meaning they spend at least half of their childhood at or below the poverty line.

And 32 percent of persistently poor children will remain impoverished into adulthood. They are also more likely to become unwed teenaged parents, drop out of high school, or have a spotty employment record – all of which significantly impact their economic status.

“Because poverty status at birth is linked to worse adult outcomes, targeting resources to children born into poverty and their families would help particularly vulnerable people,” the authors of the study note. In Alabama, 22% of Alabama children live in poverty, and over 1 in 10 live in extreme poverty.

And we still have a racial divide: “Black children are roughly 2.5 times more likely than white children to ever experience poverty and 7 times more likely to be persistently poor.”

What can you do?

Build relationships – mentor a child or young adult. Encourage them to pursue education and work experience, and serve as a positive role model. Sometimes, students just need to hear that success is possible.
Provide for immediate needs – children who lack basic necessities are less likely to have positive outcomes. For example, hungry children are much less likely to succeed in the classroom.
Support working parents – 32 percent of children living in poverty have at least one parent who is working outside the home, and over over 45 percent of households headed by a single female live in poverty. These parents may need help with transportation, tutoring, or child care.

Posted by Robyn Hyden

Tags: childhood poverty, extreme poverty, high school dropouts, mentoring, persistent poverty
Posted in Economics & Employment, education, Making A Difference | No Comments »

Update on our first semester of Blueprints

Friday, May 28th, 2010

Check out this video of our mentors from the University of Montevallo and Judson College talking about their first semester of mentoring with Blueprints:

I am so impressed with the hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm of our Blueprints mentors, students, and partners this semester. It wouldn’t be possible without them!

Thanks also go to the generous donors who made this semester possible. By sustaining the Blueprints initiative, we can continue building our relationships in these communities and help even more Alabama high school students start to think about college as a realistic option.

Posted by Robyn Hyden

Tags: birmingham-southern, blueprints, civic engagement, college access, college affordability, francis marion, hueytown, judson college, mentoring, montevallo, service-learning
Posted in education, Making A Difference | No Comments »

Illiteracy in AL: not just about driving tests

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

Tim James recently made headlines by suggesting that people who can’t pass the Alabama driver’s test in English would not be safe drivers. But what about all the Alabamians who speak English and just can’t read?

Alabama ranks 37th in reading proficiency, reports the Annie E. Casey Foundation. And according to The Literacy Council, approximately 1 in 4 of all Alabama adults is functionally illiterate.

Why are we concerned about this? Not because of road signs. Literacy and poverty are directly linked: 43% of adults with low literacy skills live in poverty (Birmingham Metro, “Illiteracy’s Devastating Impact on Alabama”). And our literacy woes are directly related to our education system. In a 2007 assessment of 8th graders’ reading levels nationwide, the average student score in Alabama was lower than 48 other states.*

This video from the Literacy Council shows the impact of illiteracy on individuals:

How do we solve this problem?

Mentoring can make a difference in the life of one child or young adult. Mentors can help identify literacy problems early, encourage a love of reading, and read aloud to younger children.
Public libraries play a large part in helping young kids to read. Birmingham’s Mayor William Bell recently proposed closing public libraries as part of budget cuts, and school and public libraries across the state are facing financial woes. Support your local library by joining their library guild or Friends of the Library program.
Become a literacy tutor. The literacy council identifies 90,000 adults who need help improving their reading skills.

Posted by Robyn Hyden

Tags: advocacy, alabama reads, literacy, literacy council, mentoring
Posted in Economics & Employment, education | No Comments »

“I can afford to go to college when I thought I couldn’t!”

Friday, May 7th, 2010

Above: Montevallo High School freshmen visit the University of Montevallo with mentors from UM and APP.

“I learned today that I can afford to go to college when I thought I couldn’t!” -Francis-Marion High School Blueprints Student

Last week, we wrapped up our first semester of Blueprints, which matched college student mentors from Montevallo, Birmingham-Southern, and Judson College with high school students in Montevallo, Hueytown, and Marion. The goal of Blueprints is to show Alabama high schoolers that they can go to college, while getting college students out of the classroom and into a rewarding service-learning experience. We received consistently positive responses to our 8-week pilot program.

Your donations made this program possible! Thank you to all of our donors for helping improve higher educational attainment in Alabama. We rely on your continuing support to ensure that Blueprints thrives into next semester and beyond. In order to sustain the relationships we have built with students, teachers, and counselors at our Blueprints sites around the state, we need your help.

Thank you also to all our Blueprints mentors and partner schools. Your hard work and dedication showed us that through relationships and a servant-based approach to leadership, change is possible.

Posted by Robyn Hyden

Tags: birmingham-southern, blueprints, college access, college affordability, francis marion, hueytown, marion, mentoring, montevallo, service-learning
Posted in education, Making A Difference | 1 Comment »