DCPNI Town Hall Newsletter

JANUARY 2013

DCPNI Wins $25M Grant from Dept. of Education MOMENTUM IS GROWING FOR DCPNI

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he year ahead looks bright for the DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative! I am happy to report that on December 22, 2012, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced that the DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative would be one of seven awardees around the country to receive the coveted Promise Neighborhood implementation grant. We were awarded an historic $25 million investment over the next five years to increase educational outcomes for our students through the provision of wraparound services and support to families in our community.

This validation and investment, from the U.S. Department of Education, alongside the support from our generous donors, sets the cadence of determination as we move forward in 2013. I am excited about our immediate ability to further strengthen our partnerships, increase our community outreach, expand our service delivery and ramp up our data and evaluation methods to ensure that we are delivering comprehensive cradle-to-college support. We will launch our new flagship program - the Mother’s Cohort to provide individualized direct services and mentoring for mothers and their young children and genuinely activate our Five Promises for Two Generations Theory of Change.

The DCPNI team worked tirelessly last spring and summer to ensure that we put forward the strongest application possible, that reflected

DCPNI -- Irasema Salcido, Ayris Scales, Alma Powell, Wendy Goldberg

the goals, aspirations and needs of our community. I am truly thrilled that the hard work, thoughtful planning, and community support has paid off.

I will continue to focus on improving coordination among our partners, formalizing our organizational structure, recruiting more talented staff, supporting and developing our Board of Directors, and increasing our budget. With your ongoing support and our continued work, 2013 will indeed be bright and filled with promise.

Warm Regards,

Ms. Ayris T. Scales

“I congratulate DCPNI and its partners for not only uniting the Kenilworth Parkside community around a common vision, but for doing so with a rigorous, research-based approach to bettering the lives of all young people in the community,” he said. "This is not a gift, it is an investment."

– Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education

Executive Director, DCPNI

www.dcpni.org

@dcpni

A TOWN HALL January 23rd, 2013

SUCCESS! “This grant will allow us to provide the community with more services, and better equip DCPNI to put into place services needed by Kenilworth residents." –Aryis Scales, Executive Director

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ore than 200+ residents joined DCPNI at Neval Thomas Elementary to learn more about the Promise Neighborhood Fund grant from the US Department of Education. This grant will provide education, healthcare, and other services to children and their parents living in Kenilworth-Parkside neighborhood.

Residents were excited to learn about future projects and service programs the grant will bring into the community over the next 5 years. “This grant will allow us to provide the community with more services, and better equip DCPNI to put into place services needed by Kenilworth residents," said DCPNI Executive Director Ayris

Scales. "The positive feedback received by residents and community partners alike will allow our organization to continue to build community trust and partnerships.”

Ms. Scales delivered an overview of the grant's budget, history of DCPNI, the education service locations and the 5 year objectives which outlined the grant's goals and service deliverables coming to the Kenilworth community.

health programs as well as commending DCPNI on success thus far. DCPNI staff discussed the future of Kenilworth Elementary school and the collaborative efforts that DCPNI and DCPS were taking together to create a plan of action for the community and parents should the school be closed. DCPNI was happy to be joined by partner Georgetown University and DC Reads who served as volunteers at the event.

Areas of questions and comments ranged from the state of the schools in Kenilworth, creating programs focused on the rehabilitation of returning juvenile offenders, the need for more community gardens, focus on fathers,

DCPNI

year in review Secured the FY13 Promise Neighborhood implementation grant from the Department of Education receiving $25M million over the next five years.

Last year was pivotal for DCPNI. In addition to serving more families within the Kenilworth-Parkside community, we also witnessed the unprecedented growth of our budget, programming, leadership and organizational capacity.

From key staff appointments, to a multi-million dollar grant acquisition - here are a few of our brightest highlights from 2012 as we move forward into 2013!

Secured nearly $1M for FY13 from corporations, individuals and foundations

Witnessed record setting DC-CAS improvements at Neval Thomas Elementary School, deeming it as “reward school” by DCPS and OSSE

Welcomed Ms. Ayris T. Scales as our inaugural Executive Director, sparking a new vision and plan for DCPNI. Brought Lauren Dunn on board to serve as our Director of Policy and Program Management to refine, define and support our amazing partnerships Launched our Early Learning Network and hired Sadie Ellener as our Early Learning Coordinator through our partnership with Fight for Children

Emerged with a our new DCPNI logo and launched our new website! Check us out at www.dcpni.org

Partnered with over 25 organizations to hold our first annual DCPNI Community Festival in which nearly 400 residents attended

Served on several national conferences to share our model and experience planning and launching a Promise Neighborhood

Kicked off the second year of our Principal’s Council

Conducted a nationwide search for talent to support our growing organization. As a result of our search efforts, we were able to identify highly qualified candidates and build out the DCPNI teaM

Adopted a Two Generation strategy

Broke ground on the Unity Medical Center and opened the doors to a new Educare early learning center

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Forward.

Motivation.

Determination.

Growth.

Resilience.

Excellence.

Success.

Aspiration.

Pride.

Promising.

Advancement.

DC PROMISE NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE

Programs and Partnerships at Work!

We utilize a holistic approach to accomplish the work we that we do for the community, our residents and our students. To help us achieve this goal, we build and foster strong partnerships.

Here is a snippet of our partners at work in the community over the past three months.

DCPNI Holiday Celebration Highlights A Time to Be Thankful In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, DCPNI teamed up with local KenilworthParkside leaders to support a number of holiday festivities throughout the community.

We are so appreciative of our community leaders for coordinating and working with DCPNI to support the following Thanksgiving events:

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CPNI hosted over 300 community members and partners as we celebrated the holiday season on Wednesday, December 19th at Cesar Chavez Public Charter School - Parkside Campus.

Thanks to a generous donation from Walmart and Pollin Memorial, our families were treated to an amazing evening, all focused on our promise, “the Opportunity to Give Back.” DCPNI was able to provide all residents with a healthy dinner and each child with toys and educational games. We also recognized 36 students from Neval Thomas and Kenilworth Elementary Schools with perfect attendance thus far in the school to reinforce the importance of children being in school everyday, on time and ready to learn. These students were given perfect attendance certificates and gift cards.

• Friday, November 16 DCPNI Board Member and Commissioner Willie H. Woods, ANC 7D07 hosted the Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway event at Educare serving over 200 families.

We also had a very special guest from the North Pole who made a stop at Walmart and brought gifts for every child!

• Saturday, November 17 Kenilworth-Parkside Resident Management Corporation (KPRMC) hosted the Thanksgiving celebration for all Kenilworth- Parkside residents at Kenilworth Elementary school.

• Denise Stanley, President of Kenilworth Courts Resident Management Council and former DCPNI Board Member provided food baskets that were sponsored by DCPNI.

We’d like to thank our sponsors Walmart, Children’s National Medical Center, Pollin Memorial, Sheila Miller, and Ms. Irasema Salcido.

• DCPNI contributed to the After School Program Holiday Celebration hosted by Paradise Community Center and Board Member Marcus Clark who is the Director of Resident Services and Director of the Chauncey Spruell Community Center.

• DCPNI also contributed funds to the Mayfair Mansions Tenant Association for families in need.

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The Mission Continues with DCPNI

Fall Family Literacy Night Thanks in large part to our partners and supporters, DCPNI's Fall Family Literacy Night was held with great success on Wednesday, October 24th, 2012 at Kenilworth Elementary School.

This fall we kicked off a new format for our long

Innovation and Data Working Groups

Inn

ov atio n G rou

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standing community dinners in order to introduce a more interactive, focused event centered around our Five Promises and the results indicators we track. With the help of 15 partners, the Family Literacy Night was able to touch over 100 children. The Ward 7 Arts Collaborative were on hand for an energetic performance that started the night off right with Melvin Deal, the African Drummers, and Baba C's performance of traditional story telling.

Our partners engaged parents and children created interactive partner stations, which were very

popular. Parents were greatly appreciative of the books, information, and resources that will help families reinforce their children's literacy learning. We know that planning and executing these activities took valuable staff time, volunteers, and resources, so we thank all of our partners and supporters.

Special thanks to Board Members Mr. Willie Woods, Ms. Donnita Bennett, Mrs. Irasema Salicdo and Ms. Danilelle Outz for their participation and attendance of the event.

Partnerships are at the core of DCPNI’s program design and delivery. In November DCPNI kicked off our new Result Area Innovation Groups which are made up of collaborating partners who provide direct services to the Kenilworth-Parkside neighborhood.

The goal of the Innovation Groups is to coordinate, integrate, and ultimately improve community services for children and families living in Kenilworth - Parkside. There are currently four Innovation Groups representing DCPNI's major focus areas along our education pipeline: Early Learning, K-12, College & Career, and Family & Community Supports. Our Innovation Groups strategically collaborate across all four groups.

The Innovation Groups will implement data-driven decision-making to generate improved outcomes for the children and families in the community. We thank our many committed partners who are participating in our Innovation Groups and are lending their valuable time and expertise to help us reach our goals for the children of Kenilworth-Parkside.

On October 13th for the second year in a row, over 60 student veterans, military family members, ROTC and civilian supporters from The George Washington University’s Service Saturday program volunteered their time to improve the DC Promise Neighborhood Community. The volunteers painted classrooms in Kenilworth Elementary school, removed debris from a burnt playground at Kenilworth Courts and cleaned 2 miles of land that feeds into the Anacostia River.

Volunteers were provided by the Veteran Service Initiative - a program hosted by The George Washington University that helps provide student veterans with an opportunity to continue their service while in school.

Working with DCPNI allows VSI an opportunity to bridge the militarycivilian divide, allowing veterans to feel more connected to their communities and helping civilians gain a better understanding of and appreciation for our men and women in uniform. We were proud to work with Geoff Ball the Director of the Veteran Service Initiative and John Kamin and Anthony DeMarino, both are Mission Continues Fellows as well as Iraq War Veterans.

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The Early Learning Network (ELN) Launches!!

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CPNI officially launched its Early Learning Network (ELN) within the Kenilworth-Parkside community in June 2012. The ELN coordinates services for pregnant mothers, infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary school children through third grade. To accomplish this work, the ELN works with both the early childhood education teachers/providers and the community organizations that provide support services to the children and their families. Working together with education providers and community partners, the ELN is ensuring that all of our youngest residents will have access to a high quality early learning experience.

To date, the ELN had assisted local family childcare providers and teachers with

technical assistance on increasing the number of slots available for childcare, supplying resources for parent information, and leading the improvement process for overall increases in the quality of care, education and services provided. The ELN has also raised the level visibility of the early learning community in Kenilworth-Parkside by hosting tours and submitting grants that will directly benefit the providers. Most recently, the ELN brokered a relationship between Tracey Woodridge, owner of Smile Child Care Center and the Community Preservation and Development Corporation (CPDC) at Mayfair Mansions to provide academically based childcare services during the winter break from school.

MLK Day of Service at Georgetown University!

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n the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, on January 19 Georgetown University students partnered with DCPNI for a Day of Service. The Georgetown students were broken into several different site teams, including Neval Thomas Elementary School, Educare, Carver 2000, Smothers Elementary School, and Cesar Chavez Public Charter School for Public Policy.

At these sites, the Georgetown students took part in service projects that won’t go unrecognized– upon returning from the holiday, students at Thomas will be shocked to find the “Rainbow Fish” from Marcus Pfister’s book painted in the hallway; letters written at Cesar Chavez to veterans will thank them for their service; and senior citizens at Carver 2000 will have enjoyed a day connecting with the Georgetown students.

September 2012, Educare DC held its ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the addition of the new early childhood school in the Parkside community.

At the end of the day, all volunteers met back up at Cesar Chavez to hear a word from a representative of Georgetown’s Center for Social Justice and also from Ayris Scales. It was truly a great afternoon of bringing the DC community together for remembrance and service.

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DCPNI +

community service!

October 2012, Jumpstart volunteers play alphabet bingo and practice writing and drawing with preschool children at the DCPNI Fall Family Literacy Festival.

January 2013, Cheery volunteers from Georgetown University in the Obama Presidential Inaugural Committee.

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announcements Join Our Team!

DCPNI Health & Wellness Fair Wednesday, February 27 6:30PM DCPNI and Kenilworth-Parkside residents will kick off a healthy and nutritious new year with a Healthy Lifestyle Fair. This will be an interactive event for students and families to learn about the health and wellness resources in the local community and participate in fitness and nutrition activities throughout the evening. More details to come.

For questions, please contact: Khia Burke: DCPNI Community HealthCorps Navigator khia.burke@dcpni.org

DCPNI

Like the work we’re doing?

Then join our team! DCPNI is currently seeking highly qualified candidates for four mission critical positions Director of Development, Director of Data Management, Director of Outreach and Communications and an Academic Services Program Manager, K-12 Reform.

If you possess an entrepreneurial spirit, are results oriented and highly driven with a commitment to education and community development, then visit us at www.dcpni.org for detailed job descriptions and the requirements for each role.

New Staff On Board We're also excited to announce that we've filled a key position with such a dedicated individual, meet Khia!

Khia Burke

Ms. Burke joins DCPNI through our partnership with the DC Primary Care Association, and will serve for the next year as a Community HealthCorps Navigator. In her role with DCPNI, she will be working with our health and wellness partners to strengthen and support their service delivery in the Kenilworth-Parkside community. She will also assist DCPNI with outreach, research and assessments of the existing health needs of the footprint. Ms. Burke is a recent graduate of Virginia State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration and is currently working on her Masters in Public Administration with a focus on public policy at Bowie State University.

Prior to joining DCPNI, she served at the DC Department of the Environment as a team leader and site manager with the GreenZone Environment program.

Welcome New Board Members Please join us in welcoming two new board members to the DCPNI family. They bring substantial knowledge, commitment and resources to help support the implementation of DCPNI’s mission.

Ed Fisher, esq.

sharon a. baskerville

Chief of Staff for Councilwoman Yvette Alexander, Ward 7

Health Care Leader/Visionary

Ed Fisher is an emerging leader in politics, business, and community development in Washington, D.C. Recognized as one of the most knowledgeable and effective persons of influence under the age of 40 in Ward 7, Mr. Fisher has been revered by the District government and various civic associations for his dedication and tireless efforts to improve the economic and social standing of the community.

He is the owner of a business consulting and property services firm that promotes entrepreneurship and facilitates economic growth in under served communities. Additionally, Mr. Fisher currently serves as Chief of Staff for Councilwoman Yvette Alexander. He is a native Washingtonian who grew up in the Deanwood neighborhood and now resides in Eastland Gardens. Mr. Fisher delivers his PROMISE by dedicating much of his time mentoring at-risk youth and providing them with life skills and career development training. He is a graduate of Hampton University's business school and The Catholic University of America law school.

Sharon A. Baskerville delivers her PROMISE through her highly regarded work in advocacy, health care reform, and coalition building within under served communities. Ms. Baskerville was the founding executive director of the DC Primary Care Association, created in 1998 to advocate for expanded health care options for low-income residents. During her 14-year tenure, Ms. Baskerville worked closely with city officials and health care providers to help the city achieve near universal access to health insurance, boost the quality and number of community health clinics, and enhance medical record keeping. She has received numerous awards and mayoral appointments, including the Mayor’s Commission on HIV/AIDS, Health Policy Council, the Health Services Reform Commission, the Task Force on HIV and AIDS, the Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Program Advisory Committee, and the Health Care Task Force. Ms. Baskerville has four sons and has been a DC resident for over three decades. She lives in Ward 7.

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Announcements National Children's dental health month February 1st–28th

The month of February is nationally observed as National Children’s Dental Health Month.

Educare is seeking donations to be distributed to the families and children of Educare in the DCPNI footprint.

DONATE toothbrushes/ toothpaste

dental floss

Please contact Ms. Crystal Powell, Family Engagement Supervisor at (202) 741-8669.

save the children recruiting opportunities Save the Children is currently recruiting families with children age 0-3 for participation in its home visiting program. Participants are being recruited from the Mayfair Mansions and Paradise communities.

Please contact Marketta Wiley at MWiley@savechildren.org for more information.

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EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING • University of the District of Columbia Community College • DC Public Schools • Educare • Fight for Children • Georgetown University Center for Child & Human Development • Healthy Babies Project • Jumpstart • Office of the State Superintendent for Education • Save the Children • Raise DC – DC Deputy Mayor for Education K-12 SCHOOL REFORM • America’s Promise Alliance • AARP Experience Corps • Cesar Chavez PCS • DC Public Schools • DC Scores • DLA Piper • Georgetown University DC Reads • Live It Learn It • Mentor Foundation USA • Save the Children • Tiger Woods Learning Center • Turnaround for Children FAMILY/COMMUNITY • Bank on DC • University of the District of Columbia Community College • Children’s National Medical Center • City Interest • DC Appleseed • DC Housing Authority Choice Neighborhood • DC Primary Care Association • East River Family Strengthening Collaborative • Unity Health Care • DLA Piper/Equal Justice Works/ Bread for the City

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PARTNERS • America’s Promise Alliance • Annie E. Casey Foundation • Aspen Institute Ascend Program • DC Appleseed, DC LISC • DLA Piper • Fight for Children • Flamboyan Foundation • Tufts University Center for Promise • Urban Institute COLLEGE/CAREER • University of the District of Columbia Community College • Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy • College Success Foundation • America’s Promise Alliance Simon Scholars Program • Georgetown University Meyers Institute for College Prep • United Way of the National Capital Area DC GOVERNMENT PARTNERS • DC Office of the Mayor • Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services • DC Housing Authority/Choice Neighborhood • District of Columbia Public Schools • DC Public Library • Metropolitan Police Department • Office of the State Superintendent for Education • Raise DC FRIENDS OF THE FOOTPRINT • Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library • Dress for Success DC • Junior Achievement • Local Community Centers – Mayfair, Paradise, Kenilworth Courts, KPRMC • Through the Kitchen Door

Thank you to Our Recent Funders!

DCPNI is grateful for the ongoing and generous support of the local philanthropic community. We absolutely could not accomplish all that we do, without your support. This past quarter we were awarded the following additional FY13 funding:

$25,000 investment from The Meyer Foundation for general operating support and K-12 reform programming.

$10,000 investment from The Morning Star for parent engagement strategies to support the Early Learning Network.

$5,000 investment from Diana and Steven Goldberg for general operating support and organizational development.

$20,000

investment from The Consumer Health Foundation to support DCPNI’s health and wellness strategies for our students and their families.

$5,000 investment from Corina Higginson Trust c/o Accokeek Foundation to support DCPNI’s mission.

Deadline to apply: FRIDAY, February 22, 2013

Call for New Partners!

We’re piloting a new partner application process to help us select new partners, so please visit our “Become a Partner” page on our website, CLICK HERE, for more details on our current partners, partnership requirements, and the pilot partner application process.

We look forward to hearing from you!

For questions, please contact Lauren Dunn at lauren.dunn@dcpni.org.

Partners.

DCPNI is proud to have over 40 committed partners who provide services to the Kenilworth-Parkside community, serve in our schools and community

centers, provide technical support to our organization, and share outreach and engagement opportunities with DCPNI. We are actively recruiting new partners.

We'd Love to Hear From You! AYRIS SCALES ayris.scales@dcpni.org Executive Director (202) 553-4959 LAUREN DUNN lauren.dunn@dcpni.org Director of Policy and Program Management (202) 553-4970

Stay involved and stay connected. If you have events, announcements or opportunities or want to join our distribution list, then send your name to:

Evert Orinion at evert.orinion@dcpni.org.

ERIC SCOTT eric.scott@dcpni.org Chief Operating Officer (202) 704-8337 LISA GANS lisa.gans@dcpni.org Director of Strategic Planning (646) 645-3243

SADIE ELLNER sadie.ellner@dcpni.org Early Learning Network Coordinator (202) 607-9044

SHARITA SLAYTON sharita.slayton@dcpni.org Director of Resident Engagement (202) 267-2627

EVERT ORINION evert.orinion@dcpni.org Program Assistant (202) 567-8594

KHIA BURKE-COURSEY khia.burke@dcpni.org Community HealthCorps Navigator 202-271-7913

Our mission is to increase the number of children who complete their education from cradle to college and enter adulthood as productive participants in the 21st – century economy and in the civic life of their communities.

www.dcpni.org

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