MDHE Awards College Access Challenge Grants

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Kiana Fleming

The Missouri Department of Higher Education recently awarded Wyman with a nearly $100,000 College Access Challenge Grant to support the “Wyman Prep” program - which includes both our Teen Leadership Program (TLP) and Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®).

Through “Wyman Prep,” a system of postsecondary access and support, teens receive increased college access and persistence programming, yearly financial aid and access workshops, college tours and immersion experiences beginning as high school freshman and personalized postsecondary coaching and support.

Created in 2007 by Congress, College Access Challenge Grants honor organizations dedicated to preparing low-income students to enter and succeed in post-secondary education. This year the Missouri Department of Higher Education awarded more than $1.6 million in federal funds to 21 groups to reach under-served students.

Other grant recipients include a number of great youth serving organizations that we are proud to partner with on the St. Louis Graduates initiative. We send our congratulations to the following organizations, for their funded projects:

College Bound St. Louis provides weekly classes on “college knowledge” ranging from admission requirements, types of post-secondary schools, developing study skills, college application completion, scholarship research, essay writing, career exploration, financial literacy and standardized test preparation.
College Summit provides a comprehensive college access and preparation program to 15 partner schools in the St. Louis area as they continue building a systemic college-going culture.
The Missouri College Advising Corps (MCAC) program provides college access support and activities to 26 partner high schools in the state.
The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis will use College Access Challenge Grant funds for the foundation’s “Student Advocate and Advising Program.”

Free Help for St. Louis Seniors Entering College

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Kiana Fleming

The transition from high school to college can be daunting! That’s why, this summer, St. Louis Graduates is opening the St. Louis Graduates High School to College Center where students can get free counseling in the Delmar Loop. Students will be encouraged to come into the Center, but assistance will also be available via phone and e-mail.

National research shows that 10% of students who graduate high school with an acceptance to college will not actually enroll, a phenomenon referred to as “summer melt.” A survey of St. Louis area counselors found that one-third of their students are at risk. The goal for the High School to College Center is to prevent summer melt and help more students enroll in college and ultimately persist to a degree.

“Having an acceptance letter or financial aid award letter can give the mistaken impression that all a student needs to do is show up on campus in the fall,” notes Faith Sandler, Executive Director of The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis and Co-chair of St. Louis Graduates. “[The Center] will help students through the steps they need to take to ensure their financial aid is in place, they are enrolled in classes, and they are ready to go in August.”

WHERE: 618 N. Skinker Blvd. in the Delmar Loop
WHEN: Open daily 12 Noon to 5 p.m., June 1st through August 18th

St. Louis area students can visit the free St. Louis Graduates High School to College Center if they are recent high school graduates and:

Need assistance with financial aid, where to live and how to get to college,
Are having trouble accessing the college online enrollment and course registration system, or
Need help completing necessary paperwork.

The Center will tailor its counseling to students who recently graduated from high school, have plans in place to continue their education, and have questions over the summer and aren’t quite sure where to turn. The Center is designed to work primarily with low-income and/or first-generation college-going students. All services are offered free of charge.

“We want to make sure that all students who are enrolled in college for the fall have the information, encouragement and guidance they need to make it to campus. We launched the Center because we believe there are potentially thousands of students who don’t make it to campus, despite their best intentions,” said Jane Donahue, Vice President of the Deaconess Foundation and Co-chair of St. Louis Graduates.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Phone: (314) 932-6956
E-mail: info@stlouisgraduates.org
Website: www.StLouisGraduates.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HStoCollegeCenter
Twitter: @STLGraduates

Participating counselors include representatives of Wyman Center, College Summit, Missouri College Advising Corps, St. Louis Community College and The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis as well as individual counselors from several area high schools, nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions.

Wyman Receives Innovative Practices Award

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Kiana Fleming

The Council on Accreditation (COA) recently awarded the 2013 Innovative Practices Award to Wyman for efforts to bring the Teen Outreach Program® and other evidence-based programs to scale through the development of the National Network.

COA honors programs that implement new and forward thinking practices that enhance the quality of service provided to vulnerable children and families. Winners are evaluated and rated highly for their planning and presentation, performance, quality improvement and innovation, and recognized for their creative work and innovative use of resources.

Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®) is an evidence-based best practice youth development program that provides critical supports and opportunities to young people during adolescence. Wyman recognized the potential for replicating TOP® on a national scale and committed to building a National Network of partners and providers who can deliver TOP® and other evidence-based practices.

The Council on Accreditation (COA) is an international, independent, not-for-profit, child- and family-service and behavioral healthcare accrediting organization. Wyman Center is currently accredited by the COA, an objective and reliable verification that organizations and programs qualify for the confidence and support of their stakeholders.

TOP® Teens Volunteer on Global Farm

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Kiana Fleming

A group of teens in Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program® from Brittany Woods Middle School recently volunteered at the International Institute’s* global farm in south St. Louis, weeding, digging holes for planting, and cleaning up stray branches. The Global Farm Initiative provides refugees who desire a career in agriculture a place to work, as well as a way to plant and grow their own food and native foods from their home country.

It was a beautiful, sunny day as the TOP® club worked together over laughter and music at the farm in the Botanical Heights Neighborhood. “It’s been a long time since I’ve gardened and I actually like [being here] a lot. I find it kind of fun, to do something different for a change,” Zhong-mei W. said. This service project is one of their last before they move on to 8th grade in the fall.

As the school year dwindles, so is the teens’ time with TOP®. While working, they reflected on the new experiences they’ve had this past year, including how their new skills will help them engage with their communities in the future. “TOP taught us how to organize [service] events so maybe next year I can organize my own,” seventh grader Kelcie B. said.

Community service learning projects, like this one, are a cornerstone of Wyman programs. The purpose of this commitment is to assist and support those in need in many different ways while exposing teens to environments different than their own. At the end of the day, both those helped and those who volunteered benefit.

*The International Institute of St. Louis offers relocation services for refugees and immigrants. In return, the Institute hopes the richness of the city will grow with the expanding diversity.

See more photos from their project on our Facebook page!

TOP® Teens Host College Fair for Peers

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Kiana Fleming

On Monday, the freshman class in Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®) at Lift for Life Academy hosted their annual college fair. Each teen researched a post-secondary education institution of their choice and created a tri-fold presentation. Then, the students acted as “recruiters” for the school and presented their findings to the middle school students at Lift for Life.

This particular project pairs service to others with valuable personal research. The students identified institutions they are personally interested in attending and conducted their own in-depth research, even contacting the schools, which ranged from local to international universities! The teens now know the specific SAT, GPA and tuition requirements for their ideal school as well as the majors and professions that interest them. This enables them to set attainable goals, and make the right decisions to get to where they want to be.

The college fair is one of the teens’ final community service learning projects for the year, in TOP®. By participating in community service learning, teens learn to plan and implement a service project while taking the time to reflect on and celebrate the process, afterwards.

A Simple Action with a Big Impact!

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Kiana Fleming

We all want to improve our community’s future, but so often we don’t know how to create an impact while keeping up with our work, social, and family commitments. Wyman’s new Monthly Giving Program allows you to change the odds for a local teen by setting up an affordable monthly gift on your credit card, debit card, or through a direct withdrawal from your bank account.

Here’s how you can easily, affordably, and safely help:

For just $10 a month, the price of a not-very-fancy lunch out, twelve teens can be outfitted for a wilderness trek, where they learn to overcome obstacles while working together in their “challenge zone.”
For $21 a month, about the cost of a delivered pizza, you can provide the lodging for one teen on a 10-day regional college tour – an opportunity for teens to see themselves in various college environments, and make informed, positive decisions about their future.
For $84 a month, you can support two young people in Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program^® for a year – providing a safe environment to discuss life topics with peers, a positive adult role-model to support and encourage, and the opportunity to learn the value of service.

How does it help you? Signing up for monthly gift to Wyman means:

No need to remember to send in a check, or give online each year;
Fewer phone calls and mail reminders about your gift;
A record of each gift on your bank or credit card statement and an annual tax receipt in January;
The program may allow you to increase your yearly contribution as your gift will be divided into manageable monthly increments;
You will be counted among our most loyal and valued donors!

To enroll in the Monthly Giving Program, click donate, designate your monthly amount, and click “Recurring Gift” under Type of Gift.

Thank you for considering a recurring gift to support Wyman teens.

Questions? Contact: David Lauber at david.lauber@wymancenter.org or (636) 549-1247
Recurring gifts are ongoing, however you may stop payments at anytime by contacting us.

Marian Middle School is a State School of Character

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Kiana Fleming

As a provider of Wyman’s TOP® in the St. Louis area, Marian Middle School knows all about building a strong character and what it takes to provide a holistic approach to student development, an approach that emphasizes the importance of learning academics and building social and emotional skills in youth.

Marian Middle School, the only all-girl middle school serving adolescent youth in the St. Louis community, is one of fifteen schools honored as a Missouri School of Character by CHARACTERplus. Schools are recognized for offering a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that respects all learners, develops their character, and helps them to succeed for the future. Only 45 schools and 5 districts in the country were chosen to be 2013 State Schools of Character winners. This year, Missouri had the largest number with fifteen new schools being recognized!

So what does character mean to Marian? “A Marian middle school girl is tolerant, spirited and caring. She is empowering and creative, talented, smart and an encouraging girl. She is kind, sweet and sensitive but yet strong on the inside. She is a brilliant young girl with confidence. She is hope for the future.” Congratulations Marian Middle School!

Wyman’s Joe Miller Selected as Casey Fellow

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Kiana Fleming

Joe Miller, Senior Vice President of Wyman’s National Network

Wyman would like to extend its congratulations to Joe Miller, Senior Vice President of Wyman’s National Network, for being one of 16 leaders from across the country selected by The Annie E. Casey Foundation as a 2013-2014 Children and Family Fellow.

The Foundation is a national organization that develops solutions to build a brighter future for children while awarding accomplished public systems administrators, nonprofit leaders and community development professionals who are committed to helping low-income families succeed.

“By giving these talented leaders guidance, tools and learning opportunities tailored specifically to the results they hope to achieve, the Fellowship is a powerful catalyst for measurable improvements in child and family well-being,” said Patrick McCarthy, president and CEO of the Casey Foundation. “Over the past 20 years, the Fellowship program has created a dynamic community of leaders who continue to collaborate and challenge themselves to give all children a chance to reach their full potential.”

Fellows will use the 20-month fellowship to work toward specific, measurable improvements for children and families. This includes participating in a series of intensive leadership opportunities, including group seminars and individual coaching that build competencies, site visits to learn about innovative service delivery models and application of learning within their home organizations.

Joe has been exposed to social justice since childhood, his parents a high school teacher and social worker – instilled in him an ethic to honor his privileges and commit to help others in need. His role at Wyman is to lead national efforts to replicate Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®) and to bring TOP® into the lives of teens at such a scale that the nation’s youth and their communities are positively impacted by the program’s proven outcomes. In order to achieve replication at scale, Joe has led the efforts to create a network of certified replication partners, who will serve more than 50,000 teens nationwide in 2013. His vision for children and families from disadvantaged circumstances is to empower them to break the cycle of poverty while breaking down barriers to life success and addressing societal inequities.

Congratulations Joe!

Vote NOW to Help Teens Explore Their Future!

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Emily Black

If making a difference was as easy as a click, you’d do it, right? I thought so. Lucky for you, Wyman is participating in Monsanto’s Grow St. Louis Contest, now until Sunday May 19th. Won’t you help us?

Your participation is KEY in helping us secure $20,000 to support 68 rising high school juniors in Wyman’s Teen Leadership Program, as they embark on a 10-day college tour to explore admissions, financial aid, academic expectations and residential life at a number of regional institutions.

Voting takes place at www.facebook.com/growstlouis from May 6 through May 19. Simply “Like” Grow St. Louis on Facebook, click “Vote Here” and search and vote for Wyman’s “Exploring Our Future” project, daily. It’s that easy!

Rising juniors in Wyman’s Teen Leadership Program embarked on a 10-day college tour to explore their future, last summer.

The tour will enable teens to explore such schools as Southeast Missouri State, Missouri State University, Fisk University, Ranken Technical College, University of Central Missouri, among others. It is a crucial experience for TLP teens, giving them the opportunity to see themselves in various college environments, and make informed, positive decisions about their future.

This is an opportunity to have a voice in choosing projects you think will most help Grow St. Louis. We hope you’ll support us by voting for our entry – and spread the word to all your friends and family members to vote for us, too!

Hey Cardinals Fans…Enter to Win a Private Suite at Busch Stadium!

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Emily Black

ENTER TO WIN A PIECE OF BASEBALL HEAVEN!

Don’t miss your chance at twenty (20) tickets to watch the St. Louis Cardinals take on the Washington Nationals from a private suite at Busch Stadium stocked with $1,000 in food and beverages on September 23rd at 7:15 p.m! (Donated by: GKN Aerospace)

Raffle tickets are just $50 each…Get yours now!

All proceeds will benefit Wyman teens – empowering them to become healthy, productive and engaged adults.

Drawing will take place at Wyman’s 33rd Annual Golf Tournament on August 19, 2013. Need not be present to win. Winner will be notified by phone or e-mail and sent the tickets. For more information, contact David Lauber at david.lauber@wymancenter.org; (636)549-1247.