Story The - Hewlett Foundation

Please set all cell phones to silent, pager,
vibrate, “stun” or whatever setting will
keep us from hearing your favorite snippet
of Bach, Beatles, Beastie Boys or whatever
music you happen to like.
Thank you.
We’ve got a problem…
The Role of Family and Community in
Mentoring Alienated Youth in the American
Midwest
™ At-risk youth from blended family in farm belt.
™ Suffers severe head trauma from extreme weather
event.
™ Undertakes high-risk journey to distant, mineralbased urban center.
™ Accompanied by three homeless adults.
™ Pursued by malevolent person of color (and airborne
primates.)
(At-risk youth)
(Person of color)
“The Wizard of Oz”
Friends of the Children (Friends) is an intervention program for
the most vulnerable children living in seriously high-risk
environments
Vision
•
Teachers, Firefighters, and Friends*—Friends will become part of the “social fabric”
of our communities; helping our nation’s most vulnerable children develop the
relationships, goals, and skills necessary to break the cycles of poverty, abuse, and
violence and become contributing members of their community
Service model
•
•
Most vulnerable children are selected based on research-based risk factors
Children receive early intervention starting in kindergarten or first grade and long-term
mentoring and support continuing through high school graduation
Children spend one-on-one quality time with a “Friend” who is a full-time, carefully
selected, and trained professional
Children are offered comprehensive services to meet their academic, social, emotional,
and physical needs
•
•
Outcomes for children
•
•
•
Avoid involvement in criminal justice system
Avoid early parenting
Graduate from high school with a plan for the future
Friends’ unique program is specifically designed to identify and support
our nation’s most vulnerable children
Identify the most
vulnerable children early…
• Proactive child selection
process
–Research shows that early
risk factors can identify young
children most likely to fall
victim to later serious negative
outcomes
–Friends works with schools in
high-poverty areas to select
children based on risk factors
and then conducts extensive
outreach to families to enroll
children
• Early intervention
–Children enter by the end of
first grade
…and provide them with a
supportive, qualified adult
… and holistic services
over a sustained period of
time
• Supportive, qualified adult
• Holistic approach
–Professional Friends
–Friends develop quality oneon-one relationship with child
• Full time, paid employees
• Meet with each child 8
• College educated
times for 16 hours/month
• Are experience and
• Develop and update
talented working with
individualized goal plan for
high-risk youth
child
–Selected through rigorous
• Engage in community
hiring process
service and other activities
–Receive extensive initial and
–Friends and program staff
ongoing training
work to support each child’s
–Are highly supported and
academic, physical,
supervised by program staff
emotional, social, and mental
health needs
To start the business planning process, Friends developed a comprehensive
Theory of Change for the network
Helping our most vulnerable children living in seriously high-risk environments develop the relationships, goals, skills, and resources necessary to thrive.
1. National Friends needs these
resources
Æ
Qualified and Effective Personnel
with Expertise in:
ƒ Management
ƒ Business/strategy planning
Program Development and Quality
Assurance
ƒ Management of quality, including
database and reporting system
ƒ Curriculum development for child
and adolescent programming
ƒ Training of supervisors and child
serving staff
ƒ Evaluation management
ƒ Developing and maintaining
collaborative partnerships
Infrastructure/Operations
ƒ Financial and HR systems, including
hiring practices
ƒ IT
Financial Sustainability/
Development
ƒ Fundraising with national and local
major donors
ƒ Developing/testing fundraising
strategies including new products
ƒ Marketing and Public Relations
ƒ Grant writing (government and
foundations)
ƒ Government Relations (lobbying)
ƒ Developing and maintaining
corporate Partnerships
Board Members with
ƒ Commitment to Friends of the
Children
ƒ National connections (corporate,
foundations, individuals)
ƒ Expertise in a substantive area
(finance, law, public relations,
national organizations)
ƒ Willingness to help with fundraising
Budget to support personnel
2…..to provide these activities
and services Æ
3….so that chapters have these elements
Æ
4.…needed to successfully
implement these strategies
Program Development
ƒ Lead efforts to refine the program
ƒ Provide assistance in addressing ad
hoc program questions
High Quality Friends
• High quality Friends who remain in relationship for a
minimum of four years with a monthly minimum of 6-8
contacts of 16 hours with each child
• Friends with an associates degree or more
(preferred); a minimum of two years direct experience
with children living in seriously high-risk environments;
safe driving record
• Friends who work with no more than 8 children
An enduring high-quality
relationship
for each child with a professional
paid) mentor (the Friend)
• One-on-one long-term positive
relationship
• Individualized plans for success
for each child
• Review progress semi- annually
Quality Assurance
ƒ Establish standards and best
practices for chapters;
ƒ Review outcome data for children
and assist chapters in using data to
improve program
ƒ Assist chapters in selecting and
retaining both children and Friends
ƒ Provide curriculum and training for
Friends, supervisors, Executive
Directors
ƒ Conduct site visits, provide coaching
ƒ Assist chapters in identifying gaps;
suggest strategies for addressing
gaps
Infrastructure/Operations
ƒ Provide support for hiring qualified
and effective Executive Directors
ƒ Establish standards for accounting,
HR, and insurance; provide
templates and free/fee-based
support for implementation
ƒ Assist in Board development (clarify
roles, orientation, training, support)
ƒ Implement regular processes to
share information/lessons learned
through intranet, conference calls,
meetings
ƒ Establish database system including
forms, software, hardware;
Financial Sustainability/Development
ƒ Coordinate donor prospects
ƒ Provide marketing/PR strategy and
selected products, materials (like
sponsorship); train chapters
ƒ Provide case statement, framework
and assist chapters in developing
strategic plans including growth and
development plans; Board, ED
training
National Evaluation
ƒ Provide leadership in seeking funds
for and in managing program
research, longitudinal evaluation
study
ƒ Dissemination of evaluation results
Selection of Vulnerable Children Living in High Risk
Environments
• Children served by each chapter meet specified
screening criteria (see risk and protective factors
chart)
• Children identified by the end of the first grade
• Children selected in collaboration with credible and
supportive community organizations
• A working relationship with child’s parents or
guardians
High Quality Program Resources and Support,
Directly
or through Partnerships
• A safe space for Friends and children
• Educational support services
• Physical, emotional and social services
• Caregiver support for basic needs and appropriate
interventions when necessary for child’s progress
• A strong working partnership with schools
• A commitment to program children through high
school and as they move within the service area
Financial Sustainability/Development
• Personnel with development expertise
• Engaged and effective board
• Sound and active development plan, including local
major donors
• Sound and active marketing and PR plan
• Adherence to national branding standards
• Diversified funding base
• In-kind and volunteer resources
Æ
5.…to produce these outcomes among
children and youth
Intermediate
Social and Emotional
Development
•
•
Making Good Choices
•
Friends who have the knowledge,
experience, and ability to provide
skill
building and/or resources for:
• Social development
• Emotional development, including
anger management
• Academic development
• Problem solving/making positive
choices
• Appreciation of own culture and
cultures of others
• Skills that build towards
independent living (i.e. hygiene,
nutrition, time management, social
courtesies, budgeting)
• Development of individual talents
and interests
• Participation in meaningful and
quality extracurricular activities and
community service.
Program resources and support,
directly or through partnerships, in
the following areas of need:
• Services for children, including
physical, emotional and educational
support, community service
activities, special talent
opportunities
• Services for caregivers, including
referral to social services
• A safe space for Friends and
children to gather
Strong relationships with adults,
peers, and community
Improved mental and emotional
health
•
Reduced aggression and problem
behaviors
Avoidance of substance abuse
School Success
•
Academic performance and progress
(attendance, appropriate classroom
behavior, progression in
reading/math/ computer literacy and
promotion)
Other
•
•
Improved health care (both physical
and mental including reproductive
when appropriate)
Plan and skills for the future (post
high school)
È
Long-term
•
•
•
Avoid Involvement in the
Criminal Justice System
Avoid Early Parenting
Succeed in School with a
minimum of a high school
diploma (1st choice) or GED
“I was bad…”
T.R. and Zach
T.R. (#2) Fall
2003
Storytelling as
Best Practice
How stories strengthen your
organization, engage your audience,
and advance your mission.
Why is narrative so powerful?
What makes a good story?
How do you build a lasting
storytelling culture?
Why is narrative so powerful?
Storytelling is an
integral part of our
history, identities,
culture, and even
how we remember.
Why is narrative so powerful?
HISTORY
GOULD
“…the primate who
tells stories…”
Why is narrative so powerful?
“I don’t know any stories.”
Why is narrative so powerful?
The “How We
Met” Story
The “Where I Was
on 9/11” Story
The “Why I Prefer Dogs
over Cats” Story
The “My Annoying
Teenager” Story
IDENTITY
The “Why I Do
What I Do” Story
The “I Should Be on
American Idol” Story
STORIES YOU WANT TO TELL
- STORIES NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR
STORIES YOU TELL (YOU)
Why is narrative so powerful?
The Mob at the Gates
The Triumphant
Individual
CULTURE
The Benevolent
Community
Rot at the Top
Why is narrative so powerful?
+
MEMORY
soap and shoe
1 out of 21
Why is narrative so powerful?
“...”
soap and shoe in a sentence
8 out of 21
Why is narrative so powerful?
“?”
soap and shoe in a question
16 out of 21
Why is narrative so powerful?
+
1 out of 21
“...”
8 out of 21
“?”
16 out of 21
What makes a good story?
Good stories have a
time-tested structure
that engages our
emotions and delivers
what we all seek:
meaning.
What makes a good story?
“It’s going to be
okay, Jennifer.”
What makes a good story?
“It’s going to be
okay, Jennifer.”
What makes a good story?
RESOLUTION
PROTAGONIST
INCITING
INCIDENT
ACT I
B
A
R
R
I
E
R
ACT II
B
A
R
R
I
E
R
B
A
R
R
I
E
R
GOAL
ACT III
What makes a good story?
What if a nonprofit had created Nike’s slogan?
While an occasional disinclination to exercise is
exhibited by all age cohorts, the likelihood of
positive health outcomes makes even mildly
strenuous physical activity all the more
imperative.
What makes a good story?
QuickTime™ and a
MPEG-4 Video decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
What makes a good story?
PROTAGONIST
Izzy Paskowitz
GOAL
Share the joy of
surfing
BARRIER
Kids don’t want to go
OVERCOMES BARRIER
Takes them anyway
MEANING
More to sports than
who won or lost
How do you build a lasting storytelling culture?
Identify your organization’s “core stories”
and make sure every board and staff member
knows them by heart.
How do you build a lasting storytelling culture?
The “How We
Met” Story
The “Where I Was
on 9/11” Story
The “Why I Prefer Dogs
over Cats” Story
The “My Annoying
Teenager” Story
The “Why I Do
What I Do” Story
The “I Should Be on
American Idol” Story
IDENTITY
How do you build a lasting storytelling culture?
The “Mob at the
Gates” Story
The “Triumphant
Individual” Story
The “Rot at the
Top” Story
The “Benevolent
Community” Story
CULTURE
How do you build a lasting storytelling culture?
The “Nature of our
Challenge” Story
The “How We
Started” Story
The “Striving-toImprove” Story
ORG
The “Emblematic
Success” Stories
The “Performance”
Stories
The “Where We
Are Going” Story
ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY
AND CULTURE
How do you build a lasting storytelling culture?
How do you build a lasting storytelling culture?
How do you build a lasting storytelling culture?
STORIES
How do you build a lasting storytelling culture?
How do you build a lasting storytelling culture?
How do you build a lasting storytelling culture?
S
T
O
R
I
E
S
How do you build a lasting storytelling culture?
How do you build a lasting storytelling culture?
How do you build a lasting storytelling culture?
Questions & Comments
How do you build a lasting storytelling culture?
The Sacred Bundle
Lakota Indians
Jane Goodall’s
Sacred Bundle
of Hope
Not The End
[email protected]
(hopefully)
• Elmira, NY (1977)
400 white rural
families
• Memphis, TN (1987)
1,138 AfricanAmerican urban
families
• Denver, CO (1993)
735 Latino urban
families
“Suddenly I’m
talking from my
heart, and not
just from the
mind.”
David Olds • Baltimore 1970