Volume 14, Issue 03

National Mission Institution 21st Century Community Education Center

East Laurinburg, N.C. – Partners In Ministry (PIM), a non-profit instilling and empower-ing change to the next generation of children and youth, has gained the support of the State Employees Credit Union (SECU) Foundation with a $1,000,000

grant to support the construction of a Community Education Center on the organization’s campus. PIM is dedicated to enhancing and expanding our programs and services to meet the ever-growing community needs, thus we are building a new Community Education Center that will sit on our existing 11-acre debt-free cam-pus. This Center symbolizes a deepened commitment to our community through the expansion of programs and social services, reaching over 8,000 youth and families. These programs and services will foster community transformation and provide opportunities for individuals and families to develop their physical, social, emotion-al, and reasoning abilities. The 20,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art Community Education Center will house the first and only Community Gymnatorium in the county. The gymnasium will serve as a multi-purpose gymnatorium allowing children and youth programming and production. The Center will house dedicated space for a Workforce Training/Career Lab, STEM/computer Lab, an industrial kitchen, a cafeteria, multiple classrooms for parenting classes, family meetings and senior citizen activities, a media center, counseling/office space, and storage space for housing and food ministry. This new facility will greatly expand PIM's programmatic opportunities beyond the 70-year old classroom buildings that currently serve in-school and out-of-school youth and children during the school-year and summer months, housing repair program, food ministry, and our One-stop Resource and Referral Center. This community hub will enable PIM to expand its youth and family services, provide gathering space for community events, and house work teams to increase critical home repair and disaster relief efforts. “Partners in Ministry is an incredible organization providing a one-stop center for comprehensive programs and resources to serve folks from Rich-mond, Robeson, and Scotland counties. The new SECU Community Edu-cation Center will assist the organization with the continued growth and delivery of its programs and services for youth and families. We are excited to support this project and help Partners In Ministry expand its impact for communities across the region.”

About SECU and the SECU Foundation A not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members, SECU has been providing employees of the state of North Carolina and their families with consumer financial services for over 83 years. SECU serves over 2.5 million members through 271 branch offices, 1,100 ATMs, 24/7 Member Ser-vices via phone, a website, www.ncsecu.org, and a Mobile App. The SECU Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization funded by the contributions of SECU members, promotes local community development in North Carolina primarily through high-impact projects in the areas of housing, education, healthcare, and human ser-vices. Since 2004, SECU Foundation has made a collective financial commitment of over $200 million for initia-tives to benefit North Carolinians statewide. In addition to the website, highlights are also available on the SECU Foundation Instagram page.

Inside this issue:

$1,000,000 Foundation Grant 1

SYSTEM After-school Program 2

NASA Projects 3

Letter from Board Member 3

Youth Spotlight: YES 4

Youth Spotlight: SYSTEM 4

Parent Connection 5

Teacher of The Year 6

Church Distribution Ministry 6

Fundraising 7

Bible Scripture of The Month 8

Partners In Ministry Receives $1,000,000 SECU Foundation Grant for Community Education Center

During the recent Coronavirus lockdown, Scotland County Schools (SCS) turned to virtual meeting soft-ware to help keep their schools running. Partners In Ministry (PIM) also started its academic school year with online lectures, rather than in-person classrooms.

On March 8, 2021, PIM’s SYSTEM After-school Program welcomed its students back to onsite learning. SYSTEM Director and staff members took the necessary precautions to ensure the health and safety of every person onsite. Students were welcomed inside the building one-by-one and greeted with a temperature check and a series of COVID-19 questions.

SYSTEM Welcomes Students Back!

Moreover, PIM is continuing to make substantial changes in the lives of our children, youth, and families as we endure this barrier together onsite and remotely.

We, here at PIM, believe it is important for the community to understand the steps we are implementing with the support and direction from our Board of Directors, staff members, and volunteers to instill hope and empower change one family at a time.

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Each classroom was well prepared for the arrival of SYSTEM students. Place markers were set in place as well as hand sanitizer, masks, face shields, and disin-fectant wipes. Students practiced social distance in the classrooms and in the hallways to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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SATURDAY ACADEMY: NASA PROJECTS

SYSTEM After-school was one in ten centers across North Carolina to participate in a NASA Design Challenge along with being an evaluation site to highlight the need for authentic, hands-on, real-world applications of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineer, and Math).

The design challenge is a partnership between NASA and the U.S. Department of Education’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers which allows sites to execute a series of engineering design challenges for third to eighth-grade students. The SYSTEM After-school Program is part of the ongoing effort to solve the shortage of students with mastery of science, technology, engineering, and math skills by the U.S. Department of Education.

The SYSTEM After-school students watched the landing of Perseverance virtually with their class, they have to use the Engineering Design Process, teamwork, and other program-solving strategies to complete this challenge.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our students,” said SYSTEM Program Director Dr. Carolyn Banks pictured left-centered. “We participated in this NASA Challenge two years ago and it was a wonderful learn-ing opportunity for students. We concluded the program with a trip to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. With the onset of COVID-19, progress has been slow but our students are eager to get started. “

SPOTLIGHT ON PIM BOARD MEMBER

Hazel Hall serves on the Partners In Ministry Board and is co-chair of the Partners In Ministry Capital Campaign Committee. She was introduced to Partners In Ministry in 2010 through United Methodist Women and serving with Dr. Melba McCallum on church boards and agencies.

Being involved in an organization whose purpose is founded in mission to children and youth, Partners In Ministry quickly became near and dear to her. She said, “It has been an exciting experience witnessing the hand of God at work in this mission center through its staff, leaders, volunteers, students, and everyone involved.”

She also voiced her concern that the community and the surrounding counties do not fully understand how unique Partners In Ministry is with the program and services offered to all age groups.

Mrs. Hall has served in leadership positions of United Methodist Women in her local church, the Gateway District, the North Carolina Conference, and currently serves on the Southern Jurisdiction.

She attended Fayetteville Community College and Methodist University, has a paralegal degree and worked in the law field for 15 years. In 1999, she, along with her husband of 51 years, started their own business in heating and air conditioning. Mrs. Hall’s interest are kayaking, paddle boarding, traveling, reading, but mostly spending time with her husband and grandchildren.

Hazel Hall

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North Carolina Centers for Afterschool Programs (NCCAP) Amahlyia Bowman Synergy Conference Nominee

Amahlyia Bowman has been selected as a youth panelist for the Synergy Conference 2021. Amahlyia is a student at Spring Hill Elementary School and a participant at SYSTEM After-school Program in Laurin-burg, NC. Amahlyia is a bright child. She’s both smart and artistic and enjoys playing the flute.

“I nominated Amahlyia because she is a very serious student,” expressed Dr. Banks SYSTEM After-school Program Director. “She participates 100% in all after-school projects and activities, especially with the NASA Design Challenge.” The Synergy Conference is a way to convene community, state, and na-tional stakeholders in the afterschool programs while expanding learn-ing environments. The conference's goal is to amplify the voices of youth to express their appreciation for their afterschool program. The Synergy Conference convenes hundreds of organizations, universities, child ad-vocacy groups, community entities, and other stakeholders to share in-sight on research-based practices, effective programs, and public poli-cies that impact students and their overall success in school and life.

Youth Program Spotlight

Jasmine Perry

Youth Empowered to Succeed participant,

Jasmine Perry, is a Bachelor of Science, third- year Pharmacy D. candidate.

She was featured in the podcast series called The Quality Corner Show discussing how stu-dent pharmacists and technicians contribute to the quality improvement with Pharmacy Quali-ty Solutions, Inc. If you’re interested in learning more about Jasmine Perry, you may visit her YouTube channel searching Jasmine Perry.

The Synergy Conference 2021 will convene virtually from April 27th, 2021 to April 30th, 2021. This year’s conference is themed: REVOLUTIONIZING AFTERSCHOOL: Renew – Reconnect – Rise.

Amber Rupinta from ABC11 Eyewitness News has returned as a panel facilitator. Elected offi-cials and policymakers are invited to attend to hear how grassroots efforts are making a differ-ence in the local community, families, and through student achievement. The Youth Voices Panel will serve as the closing of this year’s conference.

To find out more information about SYSTEM After-school Program and Amahlyia Bowman, please visit https://ncafterschool.org/

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Parent Connection

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SYSTEM Celebrates STEM Third Grade Teacher

Mrs. Lanese McBride

What makes a good teacher?

A teacher is warm, accessible, enthusiastic, and caring. This is the teacher to whom students know they can go with any prob-lems or concerns or even to share a funny story. Great teachers possess good listening skills and take time out of their way-too-busy schedules for anyone who needs them. Partners In Ministry found those qualities in Wagram Wildcat teacher, Mrs. Lanese McBride. Mrs. McBride teaches third-grade students at Wagram Elementary School located in Wagram, North Carolina. Mrs. McBride has been a teacher for four years but has been edu-cating children and youth for five years. She obtained her Bache-lor's Degree in Sociology, her Master's Degree in Elementary Edu-cation, and currently obtaining her School Administration License.

The goals of the North Carolina Teacher of the Year Program are:

To recognize and honor teachers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership; To recruit quality and diverse cadre of teachers; To model best practices in teaching; To communicate and impact educational issues and policies; To build effective partnerships; To advance a communication network among teachers “The Partners In Ministry staff and students are so very happy for Ms. McBride being named Teacher of the Year at Wagram Primary. We have watched her grow and develop into an awesome teacher who gives her all. Mrs. McBride is an excellent teacher and works very hard to make sure her students are learning. She is very professional in all that she does. We are proud to have her as part of our staff.”, SYSTEM After-school Director Dr. Carolyn Banks stated.

For more information about Mrs. Lanese McBride, SYSTEM After-school Program, and other program and services, please visit www.pim-nc.org.

Photo Credit: McClain Photography

“My best teaching method is to first build relationships with my students then provide instruction built upon best practice and strategies,” stated Mrs. McBride. "I believe in building strong relationships with community families so they too can help our students be successful. As they say, "it takes a village to raise kids”, continued Mrs. McBride.

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For More information about Partners In Ministry’s fundraisers or giving methods,

please visit www.pim-nc.org

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Volume 14, Issue 03

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