C H A U T A U Q U A S T R I D E R SA C A D E M I C S A T H L E T I C S L I F E S K I L L SM E N T O R I N G

2 0 1 8 - 2 0 1 9

A N N U A L R E P O R TDedicated to the mentoring and guidance of youth through

education, advocacy and athletics

W W W . C H A U T A U Q U A S T R I D E R S . O R G

Chautauqua Striders continued its strong performance in 2018 to 2019. All existing programming

received renewed emphasis from a fit and function perspective. Striders service to the greater

Chautauqua County community was also focused on a few key areas. 

Our investment in great people to operate our programs is considerable and has led to stability

in both the north and south county. Our partner school districts continue to recognize Striders'

value to students and families. 

Our strategic planning process started during this budget year is accelerating in 2019 to 2020

with the support and guidance from the Chautauqua Nonprofit Capacity Partnership. This will

help us with our collaborative efforts with the Chautauqua County Education Coalition,

Jamestown Public Schools, Dunkirk City Schools, the YWCA of Jamestown, the Jamestown Area

YMCA and the Boys & Girls Club of Jamestown. 

Chautauqua Striders Board and Management team kept its attention on financial matters and

delivered a balanced budget for 2018 to 2019. 

Chautauqua Striders is positively poised to continue making a difference in the lives of students

from Kindergarten to 12th Grade. 

We thank all our funders, contributors, stakeholders, patrons, and program participants for

another distinguished year. We look forward to noteworthy year in 2019 to 2020!

Sincerely,

John Zabrodsky

Board President

Chautauqua Striders, Inc.

MESSAGE FROM BOARD PRESIDENT

P A G E   1

LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION

P A G E 2

A Life Skills Educator with her students

at Ring Elementary School

Chautauqua Striders provided Life Skills Education to 207 students in

grades K-12 in Jamestown Public Schools.

Small group sessions, focused on enhancing social and emotional skills,

were held during lunch or specials using an evidence-based curriculum,

ARISE.  Activities that focused on making grade-to-grade transitions

easier were also provided.  Students and families were referred to

outside community programs as needed.

Latino/Hispanic45%

White/Caucasian35%

African American10%

Other/Mixed10%

Male57%

Female43%

Life Skills Education Participants 2018-19

Students in grades 1-12 in the Personalized Learning Program and/or the Alternative Education Program at the

Jamestown Tech Academy received Life Skills lessons. The Life Skills Educator also worked with students who were

suspended so that they could return to their regular school, and provided case management to students at

Jamestown High School and Tech Academy by doing home visits, providing referrals to the community, and

mentoring students one on one.

The Bilingual Life Skills Educator regularly met with 87 students (25 elementary, 39 middle school, 23 high school) in

collaboration with school officials to aid in management, offer translation services, assist in family engagement, and

help families in the community make connections. The goal of this programming is to support Hispanic youth and

increase their self esteem and future thought. Bilingual life skills sessions provided a comfortable, safe and

accepting environment for English as a New Language (ENL) students to seek out while in school. Creating a positive

yet productive environment for Hispanic students to express their cultural identity encourages them to attend school

regularly and enhances their chances of graduation.

Elementary51.7%

High School24.6%

Middle School23.7%

107

49

51

P A G E 3

Completed by the youth, the Hemingway

subscales measure positive connections to

important adolescent worlds including

connectedness to school (school and

teachers), family (parents and siblings),

friends and self. This chart represents the

number of 3rd through 12th grade students

enrolled in Life Skills Education who

improved or maintained their connections

within each subscale:

Life Skills students at Washington Middle School Making slime at our Family Fun Night

The Life Skills Students in Pre-K

through 2nd grade fill out a

survey in the beginning and end

of the year to determine how

Life Skills Education has

impacted them during the year:

PARENTS SAID:

“Participating in the Life Skills program

helped my child feel better about himself

and get along better with classmates.”

TEACHERS SAID:

“I can see the impact the Life Skills

Program has had on my student, and

how much she enjoys being a part of it.”

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Social Desirability

Self-Management Skills

Self-Esteem

Connection to Peers

Connection to Teachers

Connection to School

Connection to Neighborhood

Connection to Parents

2018-19 Hemingway Scale of Connectedness Outcomes

% of Life Skills students who improved/maintained in each area

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

I am kind and I use kind words

I can use words to say how I feel

I wait my turn

I try to do my best at school

I follow directions

I am a good listener

I like my teacher

I like school

I have friends

2018-19 Life Skills Pre-K - 2nd Grade Student Surveys

% of Pre-K - 2nd Grade Life Skills students who improved/maintained in each area

P A G E 4

The Strengths and Difficulties

Questionnaire is a research-based

behavior screening that measures 5 areas

including emotional problems, conduct

problems, peer problems, hyperactivity,

and pro-social behavior. The following

depicts outcomes for students enrolled in

Life Skills Education based on

parent/guardian reporting.

Teachers fill out a survey at the

beginning and end of the year that

assesses the growth students have

achieved in classroom behaviors from

the beginning to end of year after being

in weekly Life Skills groups. This graph

shows how students improved in each

area in 2018-19.

Program Highlights 2018-19:

Learning to tie a tie at Strides for Success

We hosted fun family events throughout the year, including game

night, movie night, the Jamestown Holiday Parade/Striders Open

House, a slime and sensory bottle making night, and an end of the

year picnic and carnival with games, face painting, a bounce

house, a petting zoo, pony rides, food, and prizes!

We held the second annual Strides for Success event in June at

Jamestown High School. Eighteen businesses, agencies and

schools such as Wegmans, Job Corps, Chautauqua Works,

Cummins, Athenex, Home Depot, Heritage Ministries, the US Army,

BOCES, JCC, JBC, and SUNY Fredonia had tables where they

talked to students about jobs and post-secondary educational

opportunities. There were several racks and tables full of donated

professional clothing that students could choose from, a

photographer taking head shots, and professional hair stylists

giving haircuts, so that students could feel confident and

prepared for job interviews. Students practiced networking and

interviewing, and learned how to tie a tie, give a solid handshake,

and make a good first impression. They were also given

information about budgeting, how to align their interests and skills

with a career path, and honing the soft skills that employers are

looking for.

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Is thoughtful of others' feelings

Contol emotional responses to peers

Able to sit still when needed

Keeps working on tasks that are difficult

Teacher Survey - Life Skills Students

0% 25% 50% 75%

Increase in Pro-Social Behavior

Decrease in Peer Problems

Decrease in Hyperactivity

Decrease in Conduct Problems

Decrease in Emotional Symptoms

2018-19 SDQ Outcomes - Life Skills Students

% of improved or maintained behaviors/symptoms in each area

% of improved or maintained behaviors/symptoms in each area

P A G E 5

MENTORING

Match Breakdown:

Working in collaboration with school staff, outside agencies, and families, Mentoring Coordinators work to create

effective and long-lasting matches. They partner with counselors, teachers, and families from the Jamestown, Bemus

Point, Southwestern, Frewsburg and Falconer school districts to obtain referrals for students who would benefit from

the program.

79 youth matched with a mentor

43 Elementary/Middle School matches

36 High School matches

45 School – Based matches

19 Community –Based matches

15 Project-Based Mentoring matches

Volunteer mentor hours spent with youth: 1,442

100% of students with a mentor graduated on time

During the 2018-2019 program year, Mentoring Coordinators

achieved the following:

Chautauqua Striders Mentoring Program provides students in grades 2-12 with a

caring adult to offer support, guidance, and encouragement. Based on the type of

match they are engaged in, mentors and mentees spend a minimum of 2 to 4 hours

together each month setting goals, exploring the community, having lunch at

school, collaborating to complete a project, or preparing for life after high school.

The overall goal of the program is to guide mentees along a path of positive social,

emotional, and academic development which ultimately leads to graduation from

high school.

Match Types:

School Based - Mentors and mentees meet on a

weekly basis in the school setting during a lunch or

free period.

Community Based- Matches spend time together on

evenings and weekends engaging in community

related activities.

Project-Based - Mentors and mentees meet on a weekly basis for

1 ½ hours after school and have time together as a group as well

as in one-on-one pairs to engage in activities and projects. In

2018-19, Striders partnered with St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and

Tree of Life Lutheran Church to provide fun and meaningful

mentoring experiences at Love and Fletcher Elementary Schools.

Female59%

Male41%

White70%

Hispanic or Latino13%

African American11%

Other6%

A School Based Mentor with his mentee at

Fletcher Elementary School

Mentees

P A G E 6

Program Outcomes:

The same pre and post evaluations used in Life Skills

Education programs are used by staff in mentoring to

assess program impact. The Hemingway Scale of

Connectedness and the Strengths and Difficulties

Questionnaire provide an overall picture of social,

emotional, and behavioral changes youth participants

display during their time in the program.

0% 25% 50% 75%

Social Desirability

Self-Management Skills

Self-Esteem

Connection to Peers

Connection to Teachers

Connection to School

Connection to Neighborhood

Connection to Parents

2018-19 Hemingway Scale of Connectedness Outcomes

% of mentees improved/maintained in each area

0% 25% 50% 75%

Increase in Pro-Social Behavior

Decrease in Peer Problems

Decrease in Hyperactivity

Decrease in Conduct Problems

Decrease in Emotional Problems

2018-19 SDQ Outcomes

% improved or maintained behaviors/symptoms in each area

PARENTS SAID:

“You guys are so helpful

when it comes to raising

kids. They say it takes a

community and honestly I

think Striders is really good

for her. Thank you guys so

very much.”

“The mentor has made such

a huge impact on my

daughter’s life. Her

confidence has improved

week after week, with every

lunch meeting they have. I

see the impact in her, and a

lot of that is due to the

relationship with her

mentor.”

A mentor and mentee at Jamestown High School

88% felt more confident about themselves

100% had better attitudes toward school

88% exhibited better classroom behavior

75% had higher expectations of themselves

100% said their mentor encouraged them to do better & try new things

Mentee Survey Results:

MENTORS SAID:

"I feel great knowing my

mentee has someone to

give her extra attention

once a week. I can tell she

just loves our time

together."

P A G E 7

Project Based Mentoring at Love Elementary School

2018-19 brought a new partnership between the New York State Mentoring

Program and Chautauqua Striders. The NYS program provides funding so that

our mentors can be fingerprinted at no cost.

Chautauqua Striders continued to be an active member of the Western New York

Mentoring Collective, a cohort of nine mentoring programs throughout the region

with funding from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and the First Niagara

Foundation, in partnership with KeyBank. A generous stipend from these

foundations also allowed the 3 Striders mentoring staff members to attend the

National Mentoring Summit in Washington, DC. The WNY Mentoring Collective

puts forth an ambitious effort to expand and strengthen the field of mentorship

programs across the region, ultimately connecting more children with mentors.

MENTEES SAID:

“Mentoring has been so

good for me. I am so

much happier now…my

favorite part of mentoring

is walking down the

corridor and seeing my

mentor.”

"Having a mentor

changed my whole life

for the better. I'm so

glad."

A mentor and mentee at a Striders event

P A G E 8

ACADEMICS

At Main Site, 103 individual students

attended 2,205 tutoring sessions

during the 2018-2019 program year.

Additionally, 7 students attended

the SAT Prep workshop and 24

students attended STEM camp.

Main Site:

Chautauqua Striders offers tutoring services to youth in

grades K-12 at our Main Site in Jamestown. Students can

sign up to work 1-to-1 or in small groups with tutors

specializing in different subject areas. Tutors help

students build study skills, assist students who need help

completing homework, prepare students for upcoming

exams and model positive academic behaviors. Other

programs/sessions offered at Main Site included: an 8-

session SAT prep workshop which was held in the spring,

a 4-week summer STEM program and Regents

preparation sessions which were held prior to the

January and June NY State Regents exams.

White/Caucasian55%

Latino/Hispanic19%

Other12%

African American12%

Native American1%

Asian1%

Enrollment by Ethnicity

After School Sites:

In collaboration with Jamestown Public Schools, the

Jamestown Area YMCA, the YWCA of Jamestown, and the

Winifred Crawford Dibert Boys & Girls Club of Jamestown,

Chautauqua Striders offers tutoring and academic

enrichment activities to students at all Jamestown Elementary

and Middle Schools and at the Boys & Girls Club. Small

group interventions build upon the school day curriculum,

assist with comprehension of course material and help lead

to academic success.

SAFARI:

SAFARI (Students Attaining Future Aspirations, Respect, and

Inspiration) is a tutoring program at Jamestown High School.

The program works with students who are in need of additional

academic support services, are at risk of dropping out of

school, or are failing to meet graduation requirements. Tutors

assist students with developing academic goals and encourage

them to realize their potential to excel in school and prepare

for the future by offering: individualized academic support, 1 to

1 and small group tutoring, review of basic skills and enrichment

activities, and content specific test preparation, along with

social and emotional support.

Students receiving academic support at our SAFARI program

“Striders helped my daughter gain the self-

confidence that she needed to be able to

participate in class.”

“Striders has helped my child bloom. Since

attending tutoring, her grades have

improved from D’s to B’s. She looks forward

to meeting weekly with her tutor.”

“Striders offers a welcoming, safe and

nurturing environment with competent and

talented tutors.”

P A G E 9

Opportunities to join various clubs, sports and

committees

Structure of classes 

Lockers and combination locks:  Each student had a

hands on experience with how to use a combination lock

Homework and test taking tips

Handling stress

Handling bullying

Online safety

Middle School Transition Workshop:

This June, Striders implemented a middle school transition

workshop for JPS fourth graders!  This successful workshop

was taught by two of our Persell Middle School tutors. The

children were educated on what to expect in daily life as a

middle schooler and discussed challenges that may arise. 

Some of the topics covered included:

100% of students were satisfied with the help they

received at Striders

100% of students would recommend Striders to a friend

96% of students were more confident academically

after being tutoring at Striders

100% of students felt more confident in the subject

matter they received tutoring in

82% of students reported that their classroom

participation improved

75% of students reported that their social skills

improved from attending Striders

Student surveys were completed at Main

Site in June. Results show that: 96% of students maintained or improved their grade in

the subject area for which they were receiving tutoring

94% of students, for which initial and year-end rubrics

were completed, maintained or increased their scores

in the areas of self-management, self-initiative,

academic behavior and/or basic skills

82% of students who received tutoring at Main Site

earned passing grades on their Regents exams;

additionally all students who attended summer Regents

review sessions also passed their Regents exams

Main Site Outcomes:

A Striders Tutor with students in our afterschool

program at Ring Elementary School

P A G E 1 0

NORTH COUNTY

SUNY Fredonia

Jamestown Business College

Lake Shore Savings Bank

Life Skills Seminar/Strides 4 Success:

Along with the Strides for Success event, similar to that which

took place in Jamestown, Life Skills Seminars were offered by

Striders and several affiliates:

Presenters covered topics such as organization, time

management, career options, applying for college,

budgeting, resume writing, and interview practice.

After School Academic Support:

Chautauqua Striders provided academic support to

students from the Dunkirk City Elementary Schools,

Dunkirk Middle School, and The Boys & Girls Club of

Northern Chautauqua County. Tutors were available

Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays at the Dunkirk

Library to assist students with their academic needs.

Upon completion of homework, students were engaged

in either academic games to support grade level

educational standards or a STEM enrichment activity.

STEAM:

Chautauqua Striders collaborated with Chautauqua Lake Central School District and Dunkirk City School District to

provide eight weeks of STEAM programming for 51 students in grades 4-8. Students from Dunkirk Middle School had to

propose a facility they believed would enhance the quality of life in the city of Dunkirk. Students used survey equipment

to block out initial facility sketches to ensure accurate measurements, generated a 3D rendering of their proposed

facility using an iPad app, and created an iMovie trailer. Dunkirk students were able to take a field trip to Buffalo River

Works to learn about waterfront development and speak to engineers. Chautauqua Lake School District students

participated in STEAM programming that included LEGO Robotics, Rube Goldberg, and Engineering and Design. One

group of students used a 3D printer to engineer and design models for the set of the school play. Both schools

participated in the STEAM Showcase held May 16, 2019 at Chautauqua Lake Central School District. The STEAM

Showcase gave students and staff the opportunity for collaboration and exposure to real world applications of Science,

Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.

Strides 4 Success in Dunkirk

Students enjoying STEM activities

SAT Workshop:

Chautauqua Striders provided a SAT workshop for 9

Westfield Academy Central School District students.

Students met twice a week for two hour sessions

with tutors. Workshop participants were placed into

small groups to work with a tutor on Math or English.

Groups were rotated for the second part of each

session allowing students the opportunity to work on

both subject areas.

P A G E 1 1

Brocton:

In collaboration with Chautauqua Opportunities,

Chautauqua Striders offered tutoring in Brocton Central

School District serving over 40 students in the elementary

and middle school afterschool programs.

Boys & Girls Club Lego Robotics Mini

Camp:

During the month of April, a two-week Lego

Robotics mini-camp was held at the Boys & Girls

Club in Dunkirk. Two tutors from Chautauqua

Striders worked with a small group of students

daily for 1 hour sessions over the course of two

weeks. Students built race cars, windmills, lunar

rovers, and snails from the LEGO We Do kits.

Students then utilized iPads to code their creation

to make sounds, move forward and backward, and

complete a series of commands. Students were

given the opportunity to create their own coding

sequence and test on team LEGO creations.

Students work on a robotics project

Elementary school students at a tutoring session

A student at one of our SAT workshops

P A G E 1 2

ATHLETICS

Swabik’s Super Summer:

After a gold medal performance at the USATF

Youth Outdoor Championships in Durham,

NC, John Swabik capped off a great summer

with a silver medal at USATF Hersey’s National

Junior Olympic Championships in

Sacramento, CA. Competing in the 15-16 Boys

Age Group, Swabik scored 6,029 points in the

two day, ten event competition.

Future Stars in Track & Field Development

Program:

Track and field is a sport for everyone. Since 1979,

Chautauqua Striders has introduced the sport of track and

field to thousands of youth in Chautauqua County.

Opportunities for practice and or competition are

provided throughout the year, but the emphasis is on each

athlete's personal fitness and achieving personal goals.

The foundation of our Athletic programming is the

Development Program. This program is designed to be an

introduction to the sport of track and field for youth

between the ages of five and twelve years old. This six-

week program occurs annually in June and July.

This summer, Chautauqua Striders was able to expand

and enhance the Development Program with funding

provided by the Youth Sports Grant from the Ralph C.

Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds. By adding specialized camps and

additional staff, we were able to reach more youth and

provide them more individualized instruction.

7-8 year old Boys receive their awards

Along with introducing the Sport of Track and

Field to youth, Chautauqua Striders helps promote

life long fitness through running. The Winter 5K

Series during January and February provides an

“off season” challenge for over one-hundred

participants. The rest of the year Chautauqua

Striders provides race management, timing and

results for many area road races. Some of those

races are included in the UPMC Chautauqua

Runner of the Year Series. The Series tracks

participants in fifteen races and awards the top

area runners.

P A G E 1 3

Supporting the local running community.

A special thank you to our funders and sponsors:

Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Inc.

Blackstone Advanced Technologies, LLC

Carnahan-Jackson Foundation

Centra Credit Union

Chautauqua County Education Coalition/National Grid Grant

Chautauqua County Youth Bureau

Chautauqua Opportunities

Chautauqua Region Community Foundation

City of Dunkirk Department of Development Community Block Grant

Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo/The Garman Family Foundation

Cummins – Jamestown Engine Plant

Dunkirk City School District

First Niagara Foundation

Holmberg Foundation

Hultquist Foundation

Hope's Windows

Jamestown City School District

Jessie Smith Darrah Fund

Melvin Feather

N.L. Peck & B.B. Peck Family Foundation

Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation

Pepsi Bottling Group

Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund Grant

Shults Management Company

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church

Superior Lubricants

The Lenna Foundation

United Way of Northern Chautauqua County

United Way of Southern Chautauqua County

UPMC Chautauqua

Wegmans

Also, a special thank you to the schools districts we had the pleasure of serving this year:

Bemus Point Central School District

Brocton Central School District

Cassadaga Valley Central School District

Chautauqua Lake Central School District

Dunkirk City School District

Falconer Central School District

Frewsburg Central School District

Jamestown City School District

Southwestern Central School District

P A G E 1 4

SUPPORTERS AND PARTNERS

Board of Directors 2018/19

John Zabrodsky - President

Jay Yaggie - Vice President

Martin Idzik - Secretary

Michele Lunz - Treasurer

Jen Swan-Leuze - Executive Director

Judy Hurley - Office Manager

Dan Lausterer

Katie Geise

Max Martin

Ed Shults III

Daryl Wadsworth

Luke Fodor

Robb Jones

Karen Mason

Heather Turner

Karl Wiggins

Staff 2018/19

Erika Muecke - Director of Mentoring

and Advocacy

Stacey Tanner - Director of Academics

David Reinhardt - Director of Athletics

Lisa Perrone - Director of North County

Programming

Suzette Iacuzzo - Academic Coordinator

Zach Edwardes - SAFARI Coordinator

Michelle Wadsworth - Education Liaison

Amy Sands - Life Skills Education

Coordinator

Liz Cosme - Bilingual Life Skills Educator

Yanira Castellano - High School

Mentoring Coordinator

Richard Walter - Elementary/Middle

School Mentoring Coordinator

Karissa Zimmer - North County Office

Coordinator

Amanda Martz - High School Life Skills

Educator