A Tale of Two Cities

A volunteer driven cross cultural strategy designed to support public schools, reduce bias & overcome the effects of childhood poverty through home styled education enhancements.

Syracuse, a great little town

Extraordinary People

We Bleed Orange,

Cherish Natural Beauty,

Embrace Four Seasons,

But too Many Struggle…..

• 9th most segregated city in America http://www.syracuse.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/05/syracuse_university_students_tell_stories_of_segregated_syracuse.html

• 23rd poorest city in America http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/09/syracuse_revealed_as_23rd_poorest_city_in_the_us_by_census_database.html

• 47th most violent city in America http://lawstreetmedia.com/fbi-uniform-crime-report-2012/

• 50% high school graduation rate http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/06/graduation_rates_rise_slightly_in_central_new_york_across_state.html#incart_river_default

http://cnyvitals.org/onondaga/education/education-initiatives-and-goals

Children @ Risk

Children @ Risk are: • 25 % more likely to drop out of school

• 40% more likely to become a teen parent

• 50% more likely to be placed in special education

• 60% more likely never to attend college • 70% more likely to be arrested for a violent crime

http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/data/soac-2012-handbook.pdf

Education, opportunity & Hope

Concentrated poverty metastasizes.

Hopeless is without conscience.

Violence knows no boundary.

Opportunity is the remedy…

Education the cure…

Children, our hope for the future…

http://vimeo.com/33221356

“Children are the living messages we send into a time

we’ll never See.” Neil Postman

“the ProMiSe”

“Children will succeed if they work hard & Play By the ruleS.”

The Achievement Gap • Disadvantaged children enter school

• Too many fail to develop basic K-4 skills

• Simple school tasks become a challenge

• Many lose confidence in themselves & the promise

• Self esteem issues trigger poor choices

• Invalidates civility & work ethic promise http://cnyvitals.org/onondaga/education/education-initiatives-and-goals

The Challenge

• Poverty need not limit a child’s potential.

• Our inability or reluctance to mitigate the effects of poverty limit a child’s potential.

A Smart & Caring Plan

• Build a volunteer driven extended family village

• Enhance K-4 Learning experience

• Validate the child

• Validate the parent

• Validate the promise

A Domestic Peace Corps of sorts

Empowering children rather than reinventing Public Schools

• “School System is integral to the survival of the City.”

• “Change the culture, do right by the kids, keep them in School, and help them succeed.”

• “Living within city limits is not a prerequisite for caring.”

• It takes a village. Build it.

Post Standard Editorial Board 11.13.14 http://www.syracuse.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/11/prepare_for_harder_days_ahead_as_syracuse_sc

hools_revamp_student_discipline_edit.html#incart_river

Dare Mighty Things

(Village Dry Cleaners, 11.13.14)

• “How does blaming the parents, teachers or administrators help the school district improve?”

• “We need to get beyond the blame game & look for ways to solve district problems.”

• “If their parents can't do it, then we need to.”

Charley Hannagan post 11.13.14

“SMart & Caring” Pilot • Provide 2 hours/weekday of Smart & Caring

@ 4 “home rooms” in 2 city schools serving 100 K-4 students.

• Recruit 20 committed private sector & faith based Affinity Leaders/CEO types to provide 12/120 affinity/cross cultural volunteers.

• Manage volunteer base (resource development,

selection, training, staffing, curriculum, motivating, quality control, recognition, & results analysis)

“tiPPed” concept

Extended Family

K-4 Focused

“SMart & Caring ” differenCe

Cultural Affinity

One on one Coaching

Character centric

Quality control

Outcome Focus

Fresh

cross-cultural

Family inclusive

Not About money

Expandable

Community Buy In

http://www.ted.com/talks/geoffrey_canada_our_failing_schools_enough_is_enough

NBT

M & T

Catholic Charities

Lemoyne

College

Blue Cross

SRC

Crouse Hospital

Our Smart & Caring World

Solvay Bank Bank of America

Hayner Hoyt

C & S

daily “SMart & Caring“ teaM

• 1 affinity Home Room Director and/or assistant daily to provide consistency

• 1 Education Intern daily helps implement curriculum & assure quality

• 1 cross-cultural vol Team Leader and/or assistant manages team-1day/week

• 2-4 Smart & Caring cross-cultural vols-1day/week

A smart & Caring Day

• 40 minutes Homework Help & Literacy

• 40 minutes Snacks, Life lessons & Social skills

• 40 minutes Enrichment Activity

Little Things Make A Big Difference 2 Hours/day after school X 5 days/week X 35 weeks/year 350 Hours/year of Smart & Caring

Andrews Memorial UMC, North Syracuse

Andrews Memorial UMC @ Chittenango Falls

Lemoyne College Basketball @ Beard

Crab Cakes

Path to “SMart & Caring”

• Stakeholder pilot endorsement - MOU

• Commitment from CEO leadership team

• Steering committee (12)

• Marketing plan-Affinity Leaders/CEOs

• Recruit 12/20 affinity vols/CC teams

• Train, motivate & manage volunteers

”SMart & Caring” org Chart Steering Committee

Co-Chair Quality Control

Co-Chair Resource Management

Site Director + 1 x 4 Site Resource Management x 4

Volunteer Team Captain +1 x 20

Volunteer Team Member x 80

Education Intern x 4

“dare Mighty thingS” Theodore Roosevelt

Equal inputs don’t insure equal outcomes

Background Was a career banker with 20 years’ experience in Syracuse’s inner city confronting a myriad of urban issues. Recognized the positive outcomes Mrs. Geneva Hayden’s family empowering efforts were producing on a small scale and began supporting them in various ways. Recent events at Kirk Park and the subsequent rhetoric prompted the realization that after 30 years we still didn’t understand core urban issues and the need for real long term remedies. Experience with Mrs. Hayden’s programs provided insight into those core issues, a remedy and an expansion strategy. We believe that a Smart & Caring pilot is the type of bold communitywide cross cultural solution that will begin to address the core issues that face Syracuse and many other cities across America. Marlin “Mike” Kisselstein https://plus.google.com/100098515178867135442/about November 11, 2014