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SUMMER 2015
IN THIS ISSUE
FAMILY & FRIENDS of Elev8
BALTIMORE
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Intro
Harambee! Freedom Schools at Elev8 Baltimore
When I was a kid, people would often refer to this time of year as “the lazy days of
summer.”
My how things change.
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Spotlight on Saturdays
Reflections from Elev8
Baltimore Graduates from Commodore John Rogers
In addition to hosting a successful Children’s Defense Fund’s Freedom Schools®
summer program – which 220 students attended for six weeks from June to July -we also have been busy growing and improving.
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Parents are Crucial to Elev8
Baltimore and Family Success
Elev8 Baltimore started in 2009 in four schools within a mile of each other in East
Baltimore. But when school starts again in the fall, we now will be working with six
elementary/middle schools, located all across the city.
Farewell Dr. Rayner Browne
Far from sun-soaked and sleepy, this has been the summer of activity for Elev8
Baltimore, and the students and families with whom we work.
Our three newest sites are Harford Heights Elementary School in East Baltimore’s
Clifton-Berea neighborhood, William Pinderhughes Elementary/Middle School in
Sandtown and Arundel Elementary/Middle School in Cherry Hill.
ABOUT
Both Sandtown and Cherry Hill are communities that have much in common with
the East Baltimore neighborhoods with which we’ve worked most closely. Parents
and caregivers are hardworking and care deeply about their children. Young people
Elev8 Baltimore partners
value their educations and want to achieve. And in each area, there’s a strong
with schools, families, and the com- sense of community pride.
munity to make sure that every stu- But like in East Baltimore, these communities also face challenges. In each, there’s
dent is ready to succeed in school
been a long-term lack of investment. Families, children – and even the schools
themselves – could all use greater supports. But too few strategic partners are
and life. Learn more about us.
equipped to help.
elev8baltimore.org
That’s why we’ve expanded our reach into Sandtown and Cherry Hill.
At William Pinderhughes, Elev8 Baltimore started this summer by providing
students with access to Freedom Schools®, our signature summer experience
focused on literacy, civic engagement, social action,
intergenerational leadership development, nutrition, and
health.
In the fall, there will be a full-time community
school coordinator at the school, helping to leverage
partnerships and opportunities to improve learning
conditions. And we’re preparing for at least 50 students
to participate in Elev8 Baltimore’s high-quality afterschool
programming.
Our expansion is somewhat bittersweet, because as we
develop new relationships with under-resourced schools
and committed principals, we also had to say ‘goodbye’ this year to Dr. Rayner Browne Elementary/Middle
School, a beloved school partner that was one of Elev8
Baltimore’s original sites. The Baltimore City Public School
System opted to close Rayner’s doors this summer, but
we’re excited to continue our work with Principal Tetra
Jackson – a valuable partner over the years -- at Harford
Heights.
At Arundel, we’ll be phasing in our services, beginning
with installing a full-time community school coordinator.
As our relationship grows, we will expand to include
family stability services, learning opportunities and
integrated health services.
And because we know that we will continue to serve
many of Rayner’s students in some of our other school
sites, we’re excited to find ways to support them as well
as the hundreds of other students we’ll get to know in our
new schools.
At Harford Heights, we will be leading the schools’ efforts
on partnership and family engagement while educating
the school community on our approach to full service
community schools. In the coming months and years we
hope to expand our learning strategy and connect the
school with integrated health services.
Ultimately, we want to develop strategic partnerships
all across the city so that we can help kids throughout
Baltimore have access to
opportunity and adults who
care about them.
We hope our successful
programming with students,
families and communities will
be a catalyst, showing others
how to make a real difference
for the people in Baltimore
who need it most.
The approaches look slightly different in the early stages
of our relationships with these new schools, but the
goals remain the same. We want to make sure that kids
have all the things they need and deserve. And we want
to minimize the burdens on schools, so that ultimately
teachers are focused on teaching and kids are focused on
learning.
Alexandria Warrick Adams
Director
Harambee! Freedom Schools Return to Elev8 Baltimore
Freedom Schools® aren’t anything like the regular school
year.
Sure, the curriculum is aligned to the national Common
Core standards, as it would be during the regular school
year. And the day lasts from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., similar to
the way it would during the regular school year.
But that’s where the similarities end.
The Children’s Defense Fund’s Freedom Schools®
summer program is a model program focused on literacy,
civic engagement, social action, intergenerational
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leadership development, nutrition, and health.
For one week this past spring, Kellie Brown and Shantel
Wilson of Elev8 Baltimore joined hundreds of people
from 26 states and 190 different Freedom Schools® sites
to dive into the deep end of the CDF’s summer schooling
philosophy.
From the arrangement of the desks to the curriculum
design, Brown and Wilson -- both of whom work with
Elev8 Baltimore’s after school programming during the
regular school year – say Freedom Schools® bear little
resemblance to the traditional classroom setting.
And then, following a moment of silent meditation,
students jump head first into the day.
Following a reading-intensive morning, scholars
can focus on a number of skill-building tracks in the
afternoon, including music and video production and
other opportunities.
Social action is another key feature of Freedom Schools®.
Already, the nearly 220 scholars from Elev8 Baltimore
have participated in a march in Washington to end child
poverty, but not before examining the issue in their own
community.
“It’s a total climate change for the kids,” Brown says. “All
the scholars play a role in informing what their summer
will look like from the first day. Our scholars have a lot
of autonomy in Freedom Schools®, and they feel that
positivity from day one.”
Following breakfast, the day starts with an affirming halfhour of Harambee!, a Kiswahili term meaning “all pull
together.”
During Harambee!, staff or scholars lead the group in
cheers and chants. “The leader may call out, ‘Freedom
schools, how y’all feeling?’ and the scholars respond,
‘Fantastic! Terrific! Grrrreat! All day long!’” Wilson says.
There’s a morning song—sung in every Freedom School
across the country—which raises some of the social
injustices that students may be facing at home or in the
community.
“They made signs around the rally to raise awareness,”
Brown says. “But they’ve also gone into neighborhoods
to scout out what poverty looks like and what child
poverty means.”
The students also run food drives that are operated by
and for the scholars.
The national Freedom Schools® theme this summer
is “Ending Child Poverty.” The summer motto is “I Can
Make A Difference,” and each of the six weeks builds on
that statement, starting with “I Can Make A Difference
in Myself” during the first week to “I Can Make A
Difference in My World” during the final week of the
summer.
The summer 2015 session ended July 30th.
And each day a special guest or parent reads aloud from
a book.
Students and staff alike enjoy “Recognition” time,
when students identify another student in the group
to highlight for something positive, or share something
good that happened that morning.
“It’s beautiful to see the scholars affirm one another,”
Brown says.
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Spotlight On Saturday
This summer, Elev8 Baltimore is making play a priority.
way up to Coppin State,” Franklin says.
Every Saturday through the first full week of August
(August 8th), William Pinderhughes and Collington
Square Elementary/Middle schools were open to children
of all ages for nonstop recreation.
Cole says parents are happy to learn there is a place
where their children can go on weekends.
With funding assistance from the Annie E. Casey
Foundation, Elev8 Super Saturdays offers children and
youth a chance to play Xbox, learn a new card game,
participate in team sports, dance, exercise, and create
their own art.
“During the first week of arts and crafts, the children
made bow ties and charm bracelets,” says Derrek Cole,
Saturday Site Supervisor. “During the 4th of July holiday
weekend, they made flags. In dance, they’ve been doing
Zumba and hip hop dance, so far,” he says. “They have
the chance to home in on those skills that they wouldn’t
have any other opportunity to cultivate.”
Devonne Franklin, who serves as Manager of Extended
Learning, said that Elev8 Baltimore offers students
an opportunity to learn and play during the summer,
through the Children’s Defense Fund’s Freedom Schools
program.
“But our young people need a safe space to express
themselves on the weekends, too,” she said. “We’re
providing an opportunity to get the students off the
street.”
Elev8 Baltimore also provides breakfast and lunch
on Super Saturdays, “which is a huge deal,” Franklin
says. “We have some students who may go a full
weekend without eating. So at lunch, we try to serve a
heavier meal closer to the end of the day, so they have
something on their stomachs when they go home.”
Collington Square and William Pinderhughes are
equipped to serve up to 50 students each.
Cole and Franklin have made a personal investment in
getting the word out about Super Saturdays to parents.
“In my neighborhood in West Baltimore, I’ve been
handing out flyers to parents, from Penn North all the
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“Parents are also coming to help us and just chill out
with the kids,” Cole says.
The city’s dearth of recreational opportunities came
into sharp focus following the police-involved death of
Freddie Gray.
Elev8 Baltimore takes advantage of Baltimore City
Department of Recreation and Parks’ community pools,
but beyond those offerings, Franklin says, recreational
programming is sparse.
“Saturday is a time to wind down,” Cole says. “With
minimal resources, we can give kids who are a part of
Elev8 programming, and kids who are just from the
community, the opportunity to do just that.”
“Elev8 Baltimore serves many students
who live in impoverished households or
communities, classifying them as at-risk when
it comes to completing school, as well as
many other markers of success. According to
the National Institute on Out-of-School time,
student participation in various structured
out-of-school time activities – such as afterschool, summer camp and programs such
as “Super Saturdays” – has been shown to
have the greatest impact and most positive
effect on those who are most at-risk. Their
research indicates that out-of-school time
programs can benefit young people socially,
emotionally and academically, and that
those who participate more frequently and
for longer periods of time are most likely to
benefit from out-of-school time opportunities.
Farewell Dr. Rayner Browne
On a sunny but bittersweet day in May, Elev8 Baltimore and
community partners said goodbye to the students, parents, faculty and
other champions of Dr. Rayner Browne Elementary/Middle School.
The day was filled with remembrances from senior
Baltimore City Public School System officials, legislators,
community activists, parents, teachers and students
about the many important illustrious contributions the
school has made to the Milton Montford community of
East Baltimore.
Last November, school system officials decided not to
renovate the school, as originally planned, and instead
serve the building’s 195-250 students at nearby schools.
Elev8 Baltimore has been diligently working with parents
to find appropriate alternatives school sites for many
students, including Fort Worthington Elementary School,
Henderson-Hopkins School and others in the Elev8
Baltimore network.
Dr. Rayner Browne Elementary/Middle School was one of
the original schools with which Elev8 Baltimore partnered
in 2009. The staff and students at the school were
considered family to many of us at Elev8 Baltimore.
Community school coordinator Alicia Thomas and Parent
Outreach Worker Eva Harris worked tirelessly over the
last year to maintain positive relationships with partners
and to continue to provide crucial services for
parents and families, despite the turmoil of pending
closure.
Elev8 Baltimore provided medical and behavioral
health services to students and families, and continued
to conduct home visits to make sure parents were
connected with all the same social services they’d
received over the years without interruption.
“In the middle of all the confusion and sadness about
closing, it was great to be able to call on the Elev8
Baltimore staff to provide guidance and recommendation
about how best to help parents through the transition,”
said Principal Tetra Jackson. “I depended on the Elev8
Baltimore staff all the way up to the final day of the
school’s operation.”
Thomas and Harris even planned and organized the
closing ceremonies.
To close out the year – and Rayner’s long history -- the
entire school was open for parents and students to
reminisce about the learning, growth and fun that
took place in classrooms, in the cafeteria and the gym
throughout the years. Outside the school building there
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were activities and games, sponsored by Baltimore City’s health department, Baltimore Medical System and other
partners.
School alumni came back to visit their beloved elementary/middle school, as did former Elev8 Baltimore director
Nicole A. Johnson.
“The news that Rayner was closing was sobering, and frankly, shocking, to the Rayner community, and to us,” said
Mark Carter, Elev8 Baltimore Program Director. “But it was heartwarming and affirming to witness firsthand the love
that students, parents and the community felt for this school. And we’re so grateful to have been a part of Rayner’s
illustrious history.”
Reflections From CJR Grads
Commodore John Rodgers: Reflections of
Graduating 8th-Graders
Shania Daniels, 15, will be a freshman at
Coppin Academy in the fall. She was an Elev8
Baltimore participant for three years.
“Dance is everything to me. In Elev8 Baltimore, I got
to take a hip-hop dance class after school. From 6thgrade to 8th-grade, my dance teachers helped me get
better and better. Now I consider myself an expert.
I’m really proud of myself for how much I improved. I
am also grateful for my Elev8 Baltimore teachers. They
encouraged me a lot by telling me I could be a good
dancer and that I could learn any type of dance I wanted.
In high school, I plan to take cheerleading – because I see it as another form of dance. I learned in Elev8 Baltimore
that being involved in something you love is important
for keeping you motivated in school. Having dance
class to go to after school, that was really good to have
something fun to look forward to every day.”
In the fall, Jazmine Servance, 14, will be a
freshman at the Institute of Notre Dame.
She participated in Elev8 Baltimore for three
years.
“Elev8 Baltimore is great because you get your
homework done, you get to go on fun trips like laser
tag and skating, and the teachers and coaches are
really nice. But the best part for me was learning about
responsibility. In enrichment after-school, we got to run
a store. I liked it because I got to deal with the money.
And by doing that, I became more responsible and more reliable. When I helped to run the store, I learned that
responsibility is important because other people count on you. I liked knowing people could count on me. I also liked
knowing that I could count on my teachers at Elev8 Baltimore. They helped me when I needed help in the store and
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they helped me with my homework during study hall. I feel good about going to high school, participating in sports and
taking classes like biology. I know I’ll do well.”
Parents Are Crucial to Elev8 Baltimore and Family Structure
Elev8 Baltimore’s Family Advocate team brought a busy
school year to a close with Mardi Gras in May this spring.
During a night of trivia, games and giveaways, the team
showed their appreciation for parents who go above and
beyond the call of duty.
“Our parents do so much,” Stephanie Mack says, “So we
like to take time out to recognize them.”
Mack served as the Family Advocate to Tench Tilghman
Elementary/Middle School during the 2014-2015 school
year. Their team hosted 31 parent events—a difficult
commitment for any parent or guardian to make at any
time of year—but one that Elev8 Baltimore parents have
overwhelmingly supported.
“Parents assist with student sign-ins during our after
school programming. They may help in the cafeteria
at meal times, or sit in for a teacher during an IEP
[individualized education program] meeting,” Mack says.
Parents also help with the food pantry and community
pantry, Mack says.
“Elev8 Baltimore is about making sure kids have what
they need,” Mack says. “The Family Advocate bridges
community schools and outside partners. We connect all
of the players together. We tell parents, ‘We have a lot of
valuable resources to help you and your child. That same
enrichment we want for your children is what we want
for you.’”
At Tench Tilghman, Mack has coordinated family
leadership classes, financial literacy and stability
sessions, credit reviews, math literacy and resumebuilding workshops. Mack encourages parents to use
their volunteering work as a resume builder, and takes
advantage of every opportunity to gauge what parents
need.
“Parents won’t always come to you,” she says. “So, the
key is making sure that whatever we do to help the family
be successful translates to success for the child. If you
strengthen the family, you also strengthen the child. If
you strengthen the parent, you strengthen the child.”
Elev8 Baltimore parents have even formed a leadership
committee called PAP—Parents as Partners. Through
the phone banking efforts of PAP’s officers, the group
raised $350 toward Tench Tilghman’s efforts to build a
playground on site.
Those are just some of the reasons why the Family
Advocates try to recognize parents all year long – not
just at the end of the school year. Mack said the Family
Advocates had raffles at the end of each month, giving
away laundry supplies, or health and wellness kits. And
leading up to May’s year-end celebration, the Family
Advocate team treated parents to lunch during National
Volunteer Appreciation week.
This kind of engagement is no accident. Mack says the
Family Advocate team represents the best of community
schooling.
Elev8 Baltimore / 1701 N. Gay Street / Baltimore, MD 21213 / (410) 381-7171 / [email protected]