admin, Author at Mission Promise Neighborhood

25

LinkedInDay Scavenger Hunt for LinkedIn Employees Means Backpacks for Mission Promise Neighborhood

Pokémon Go has taken off, with its popularity reaching a fevered pitch when it debuted in Japan on Wednesday. The growth of this location-based, augmented-reality mobile game shows no sign of letting up.

With Friday being InDay for LinkedIn employees, they chose to forego this trend and do it old style via a scavenger hunt, also a race.

InDay (short for Investment Day) is time LinkedIn gives its staff to invest in themselves and their communities — a time for connection, collaboration and co-creation. The focus of July’s InDay is culture, deemed an integral part of the company; the goal is for employees to teach each other about their communities, thereby encouraging an inclusive environment.

With culture as the centerpiece of today’s event, it made sense for the company’s Hispanics Of LinkedIn Alliance (HOLA) to participate. The mission of HOLA is “to build and empower the Latino community, by fostering and maintaining an inclusive, supportive and culturally competent environment, while upholding the mission and values of LinkedIn and increasing brand equity.”

Coming by the Mission Promise Neighborhood offices served a twofold purpose for these teams that totaled 60 LinkedIn staff.

First was to learn about the impactful work of this education initiative, and how LinkedIn employees could help by becoming volunteers.

The second reason for coming by was to drop off 25 supply-filled backpacks that will be given to habitually underresourced families at the Mission Promise Neighborhood Education Forum 2016, slated for Saturday, July 30 at City College San Francisco – Mission Campus. LinkedIn is a sponsor of this community event.

At this important back-to-school day, families will be taught immigrant, worker and housing rights, plus be given early learning and special-needs student resources. There will also be instruction on how to create a college-going culture at home.

States Volunteer Services Manager Lucia Obregon of the importance of Mission Promise Neighborhood being part of today’s event, “LinkedIn has become one of our closest partners, and they are always looking for creative ways to keep their staff engaged in the community. I am glad that, once again, they thought to include us in their InDay activity. This scavenger hunt is another opportunity for us to expose LinkedIn staff/tech workers not only to the Mission neighborhood, but the various ways they can get involved with the Mission Promise Neighborhood.”

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About Mission Promise Neighborhood

The Mission Promise Neighborhood is a citywide community partnership that was created to support kids and families living, working and attending school in the Mission District. It brings together schools, colleges, community organizations and community leaders to help kids graduate and families achieve financial stability.

21

July

Mayor’s Office “I Am the Future” Scholarships Given to Five Deserving Mission Promise Neighborhood Students

July 21, 2016 Scholarships i am the future mayor college scholarships mission san francisco , mission promise neighborhood scholarships , promise neighborhoods college

Mind the gap may mean watching the space between the train and the platform at tube stations in London, but it definitely means something else for college students in the States. With the exorbitant cost of a postsecondary education in this country, the “gap” refers to the difference between how much money you have on hand to pay for college and the amount still needed to make your education dreams a reality.

Knowing of the need in the habitually underresourced Mission, the Mission Promise Neighborhood Scholarship was created this year, with $10,000 raised from a concerted community effort. At May’s graduation ceremony, four John O’Connell High School seniors were elated when Mission Promise Neighborhood Family Success Coach Manager Amelia M. Martínez C. called out their names as recipients of these funds.

The City also knows of the need. That’s why in 2011 Mayor Ed Lee started the “I am the Future” Scholarships for graduating seniors and currently enrolled college students who pursue higher education. The award is primarily designed to support students who are first in their family to attend college. The Mayor’s Office has teamed up with the San Francisco Education Fund to identify scholarship applicants through partner organizations, one being the Mission Promise Neighborhood.

Administration and Special Projects Coordinator, Education and Family Services Florence Corteza from the Mayor’s Office graciously acted as liaison to Mission Promise Neighborhood’s Martínez to ensure that all required paperwork was submitted correctly and on time. Applications comprised a personal statement, details of the funding gap, demographic information, and a list of extracurricular activities and internships.

There were 47 awards of $1,000 each doled out this year. Monies were donated by Brown and Caldwell, CH3M, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and anonymous donors. The City is looking to expand this impactful program next year.

At a ceremony last Monday, excited recipients were handed a certificate and a City pin as they smiled from ear to ear for their picture with the Mayor and other City officials. The checks are being directly mailed to each freshman’s college of choice.

The great news is that of the seven students nominated by Mission Promise Neighborhood’s Martínez, five received an award. Funds were granted to: Ivonne Villanueva, who was also a Mission Promise Neighborhood Scholarship recipient; Joelene Pangilinan; Yvonne Ngo; Henzon Zambrano; and Jamie Palencia Batres. The latter will be attending UC Irvine in the fall, with all others staying local and heading to San Francisco State University.

Stated award recipient Henzon Zambrano (photo), “I am very grateful to be one of the recipients of an ‘I Am the Future’ Scholarship. I will use this scholarship as motivation and to fund my college expenses. This puts me one step closer to achieving my dream. Thank you for the opportunity!”

On hand for this ceremony were other integral players from the Mayor’s Office, including Director of Neighborhood Services Derick Brown and Education Advisor Hydra Mendoza. Also in attendance was Commissioner at San Francisco Board of Education Shamann Walton, plus Mission Promise Neighborhood Director Raquel Donoso.

At the end of the event, Mayor Lee invited all students to apply to work for the City once they had their hard-won degrees.

Explained Mission Promise Neighborhood’s Martínez of the event: “It’s wonderful for our underresourced students to have opportunities such as the ‘I Am the Future’ Scholarship to help them go to college and have fewer of the stressors associated with funding gaps for higher education. It was impressive to see all of community support here tonight, from the families and students coming together to the many mentors from community-based organizations in the Mission. What a wonderful night for our students!”

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Donate today to next year’s Mission Promise Neighborhood Scholarship Fund to support the college dreams of another deserving student from our community. Any amount helps!

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About Mission Promise Neighborhood

15

July

Mission Promise Neighborhood Scholarship Profile: Elwood Mac Murray

July 15, 2016 MPN Scholarship college going culture mission san francisco , mission promise neighborhood scholarship , mission san francisco scholarship

“Seeing my parents struggle with providing our family’s basic necessities has fueled my effort to break the cycle of poverty. I know that education is the only way to achieve this goal,” states recent John O’Connell High School graduate Elwood Mac Murray.

The struggles have been many. A father who dropped out in middle school and is now on disability. An immigrant mother from El Salvador taking care of her seven children, plus her extended family members who need assistance. A lack of permanent housing creating stress and instability.

Growing up with limited economic opportunity translated to Elwood having to navigate the educational system without family support.

That’s where the Mission Promise Neighborhood comes in. One of the goals of this federal initiative is to create a college-going culture at home, as a way to fill the gaps between parents wanting their child to continue on to postsecondary education, yet failing to have such conversations with students.

“We find that parents who have not gone to college themselves have neither the language to talk about this topic nor the knowledge of how to maneuver through the system. How can you explain things like choosing the best college or how to apply for financial aid if you have not done so yourself?” explains Mission Promise Neighborhood Family Success Coach Manager Amelia M. Martínez C.

Then there is the issue of paying for college, which can be daunting for anyone, let alone someone like Elwood coming from a habitually underresourced community. This need was the genesis of the Mission Promise Neighborhood Scholarship, which aims to create a level playing field so that all students have a chance for post-secondary education. There was $10,000 collected via generous donations from the community, leading to four O’Connell graduates receiving money to start college this fall.

Elwood received $1,500 so that he can attend UC Merced. His Mission Promise Neighborhood Scholarship will ensure that there is no financial issue with making his career a reality. Elwood’s studies will be focused on engineering, for he dreams of developing affordable housing as a means to creating economic opportunity for other low-income families.

On his application for the scholarship, Elwood eloquently wrote:
I knew I had two choices: to become a product of my environment or to make a difference in my community.

Elwood is a determined young man, so he has chosen the latter.

A tragic incident last year tested Elwood’s self-professed perseverance. His 14-year-old cousin – who he called his primo-hermano, or cousin-brother – was murdered. This led to anger and sadness permeating Elwood’s life, and a lack of motivation at school. Then one night Elwood had a profound dream, where he saw his cousin as an adult attending Harvard, which was his dream school. That vision compelled Elwood to become successful – for both of them, and to set an example in the community.

“I want to serve as a positive role model for my younger siblings and motivate them to also follow their dreams,” explains Elwood. ”I will never give up.”

Congratulations, Elwood!

Donate today to support the college dreams of another Mission Promise Neighborhood student. Any amount helps!

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About Mission Promise Neighborhood

30

June

Mission Promise Neighborhood “An American Dream?” Photo Voice Exhibit to Showcase Health Issues of Housing Crisis

June 30, 2016 Affordable Housing, Community Planning & Policy mission promise neighborhood community engagement , mission promise neighborhood policy and advocacy , photo voice exhibit mission san francisco

June is HUD’s first-ever “National Healthy Homes Month,” but a dearth of affordable housing is translating to stress-related health issues being the norm for the historically underserved families of the Mission Promise Neighborhood. It’s definitely anxiety creating when you spend over 50 percent of your household income on an apartment in San Francisco, as is the case for the majority of these families.

Such health issues also adversely affect the well-being of these households’ children, putting them at risk of difficulty bonding, lower vocabulary skills, increased behavioral problems, and delays in school readiness and overall academic achievement.

The numbers tell the story
A recent Smart Asset analysis of the most-expensive rental markets in the nation showcased that a San Francisco household needs to make over $216K to not be deemed rent burdened.

This translates to the impossible task of a single mother needing to work eight-and-a-half full-time, minimum wage jobs just to pay such astronomical rent. This is an untenable — and unhealthy — situation for low-income Mission families seeking economic opportunity, as they live in perpetual fear of displacement from their neighborhood of choice if they lose their rent-controlled apartment through no-fault eviction.

If current trends continue, the number of Latinos living in the Mission will decline from the 60 percent of the Mission population they were in 2000 to just 31 percent in 2025, according to a San Francisco Budget and Legislative Analyst’s Office October 2015 report.

Advocacy is needed. The community’s voice must be heard.

Genesis of Photo Voice project
To portray the health issues of the Mission housing crisis using an innovative form of advocacy, a Community Assessment for Affordable & Safe Housing (CASAH-SF) Photo Voice exhibit is in the works. CASAH-SF is preparing Mission Promise Neighborhood mothers with young children to record, via photography, their community’s concerns about the lack of affordable housing. The goal is to abet a City policy of housing first, thereby strengthening families. CASAH-SF team includes Shivaun Nestor, Dairo Romero, Ada Alvarado and Karen Cohn.

The goals are:

Assess and diagnose families’ health and cognitive impacts with regard to the housing crisis.
Identify community strengths in addressing the housing crisis.
Recommend culturally relevant solutions for the housing crisis.

Leading the work
Spearheading this advocacy is Mission Promise Neighborhood Leadership Program Manager Laura Olivas (photo, center).

“The Photo Voice project is allowing pregnant women and mothers of young children to share how San Francisco’s housing crisis is affecting their health, plus the health and well-being of their children,” expounds Olivas. “The goal is to have six Photo Voice exhibits and then take these stories to San Francisco City Hall. Mission families need affordable and dignified housing in which to raise healthy children who can go to college and thrive.” The first such exhibit is slated for July 13.

As an education initiative, it is imperative that Mission Promise Neighborhood partner with families and create family-led spaces and platforms so that they can address the issues affecting the academic success of their children, like this housing crisis, and offer solutions.

Families must take charge of designing, researching, analyzing and evaluating the work. Disaggregating data, complemented by providing tools in Spanish, allows the very families being affected to engage in the conversation of the issues with negative implications for them and their community. These families can then propose solutions to the problems they face and, ultimately, mobilize around those solutions. This is vital, for when solutions are created by the community for the community, a sense of ownership is created — the core meaning of community engagement.

Explains Olivas of her role: “As a facilitator and curriculum developer, my job is to bring the tools and information families need to activate their inherent talents and advocacy skills. I do so in their native language, with respect and admiration. My background affords me the opportunity to connect with, understand, influence and authentically engage the families with whom the Mission Promise Neighborhood works.”

Such empathy for Mission families is what drives Olivas’ work. Born and raised in East Los Angeles, a Latino community that mirrors San Francisco’s Mission, Olivas was raised by a single mother who emigrated from Sinaloa, Mexico. The devoted parent worked tirelessly and selflessly to provide for her children and offer them a better life. The family was met with the challenge of maintaining affordable, stable housing, plus Olivas’ mother endeavored to create a college-going culture in the home.

Olivas now hears these same stories every day as she works to strengthen Mission Promise Neighborhood families. Photo Voice is a step in the right direction.

Zealously stated one Photo Voice project participant, “The power is in our hands.”

Words to live by.

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About Mission Promise Neighborhood

17

June

Mission Promise Neighborhood Scholarship Profile: Anahi Velazquez

June 17, 2016 MPN Scholarship college mission sf , mission promise neighborhood scholarship , mission san francisco graduation

Mission Promise Neighborhood student Anahi Velazquez had the usual stresses of being a senior at John O’Connell High School. There’s peer pressure. Studying to get good grades. Thinking about college.

But Anahi’s stress was all the greater: she was undocumented, having emigrated from Mexico in 2007 in search of a better life.

“I was always thinking, ‘What if ICE comes and takes me? What will happen to my family,’” explains the now 19-year-old.

Pushing forward, the industrious student learned English, hit the books, organized a Latino Club and took after-school jobs. Anahi was consistently on the honor roll for grades and attendance, later garnering good scores on her ACT and SAT exams. This translated to acceptance to San Francisco State University, where Anahi starts as a freshman this fall.

Anahi always had her future in mind; she wanted to help her community, especially around health issues. She whet her appetite for this subject while part of John O’Connell High School’s Health and Behavioral Science Integrated Lab, an innovative curriculum where students solve real-world problems.

Anahi knows all too well that many Latino immigrants do not seek health care because of their being undocumented. That is why she volunteered with a trio of organizations that serve the health needs of communities of color, where she saw firsthand the stressors that caused medical issues.

Working to eradicate other obstacles to Latino economic success, Anahi joined the Good Samaritan Latino Leadership, walking alongside members during the “March of Gentrification.” She also took to the streets of the Mission to protest evictions, plus took part in the “May Day/El Da Del Trabajo” march to support workers’ rights.

Diving deeper into the health field, Anahi volunteered with the Summer Urban Health Leadership Academy, where she watched and learned from the medical team. One lesson was around the ubiquitous health issues of San Francisco’s homeless population. Anahi even shadowed a midwife and a registered nurse – both coming to light as possible career paths. Anahi’s ultimate career goal is to help parents raise healthy children.

The genesis of the Mission Promise Neighborhood Scholarship was to create a level playing field so that all students have a chance for post-secondary education. When Anahi wrote an essay for her scholarship application, she explained how she had experienced bullying, racism … and a dearth of opportunities. “Receiving a degree will open doors for me and my family,” she wrote.

Anahi’s award from the Mission Promise Neighborhood Scholarship will ensure there is no financial issue with making her career a reality – a career driven by empathy for patients as they receive the health care they deserve.

¡Felicidades, Anahi!

Donate today to support the college dreams of another Mission Promise Neighborhood student. Any amount helps!

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About Mission Promise Neighborhood

26

May

Mission Promise Neighborhood Awards $10,000 in Scholarships to Four Deserving John O’Connell Seniors

May 26, 2016 Graduation, John O'Connell High School, Scholarships mission promise neighborhood college , mission promise neighborhood partners , mission promise neighborhood scholarship

by Family Success Coach Manager Amelia M. Martinez C. (photo, center)

As time-honored “Pomp and Circumstance” played, the gym at John O’Connell High School yesterday teemed with school staff, administrators, community partners … and visibly proud families. In walked 70 seniors — with four unaware they were about to have their lives bettered via the Mission Promise Neighborhood Scholarship.

The excitement was palpable as I had the honor to read their names.

“Karen Guzman.” Karen is heading to Holy Names University in Oakland.

“Anahi Velazquez.” Anahi will be attending San Francisco State University.

“Ivonne Villanueva.” She will be joining Anahi at San Francisco State.

“Elwood Mac Murray.” Elwood is heading to UC Merced.

These appreciative students were selected for their exemplary academic achievement and community service, plus for representing the vision of the Mission Promise Neighborhood. The award given to each student will help them close any gaps they had left from their financial aid award and will ensure they attend their freshman year of college without any financial burden.

Getting students prepared for college
The aim of the Mission Promise Neighborhood is college readiness for all students in the Mission. While a big piece of this work is having the educational foundation and grades needed to get into a good college, the final part of the challenge is being able to pay for such higher learning.

According to the College Board, the average cost of such schooling is daunting for most families, with tuition and fees for the 2015–2016 school year being $32,405 at private colleges, $9,410 for state residents at public colleges and $23,893 for out-of-state residents attending public universities. Meeting such costs is especially difficult for low- and middle-income Mission families, already on a tight budget as they attempt to just pay the monthly bills.

This need was the genesis of the Mission Promise Neighborhood Scholarship.

Show me the money
For the last couple of months, the Mission Promise Neighborhood set a goal to raise $5,000 for two scholarships — and ended up raising double that at $10,000 for four awards.

The Mission Promise Neighborhood scholarship was a true community effort and showcased the fact that everyone knows they have a stake in this education initiative.

How was this money raised? First, there was a crowdfunding site where community members came together for the cause, giving whatever they could. Also, Mission Promise Neighborhood held two fundraising events at local businesses, with venues generously offered by Cease & Desist and Cha Cha Cha. Guest bartenders included Mission Promise Neighborhood staff and partners from Jamestown Community Center, MEDA, Mission Graduates and SFUSD. All tips from food and drink orders were donated to the scholarship fund.

At these fundraisers, there was also a successful raffle for prizes. Donors included Body Alignment SF, FAZE, Fitness SF, the Exploratorium, Little Baobob, Tartine Bakery & Cafe and ¡VIVA MEDA!, plus individual donors Cindy Clements and Zoe Farmer.

Special recognition goes out to First Republic Bank for its generous grant that helped us complete our fundraising goal. You have made college dreams come true.

Thanks to all of the residents, partners, community members and businesses who made four Mission Promise Neighborhood students — and their parents — very happy yesterday!

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About Mission Promise Neighborhood

19

May

Tech for All: “Get Connected!” Event in the Mission Promise Neighborhood

May 19, 2016 Community Event, Technology & Internet digital literacy mission san francisco , free computer class mission promise neighborhood , low-cost internet mission san francisco

Monica stopped by so that her youngster could take a digital storytelling workshop. Jorge wanted to learn how to look for work online. Middle-schooler Jasmine wanted to create her first mobile app.

These were just three of the many Mission Promise Neighborhood families that came to Everett Middle School last night for the seventh “Get Connected!” event. This jam-packed evening brought in volunteers from the tech world to teach digital literacy to the underserved Mission community.

Essential sponsorship came in many levels. The event’s Platinum Sponsor was Google, Gold Sponsor was Facebook and Silver Sponsor was Everett Middle School, the latter providing funding and the venue. Community Sponsor Univision was on hand with a deejay to get the crowd going, while Hospitality Sponsor Pollo Campero stepped up to the plate and provided much-appreciated dinner for all attendees.

The evening started with a resource fair, so that families could learn of all the free services in the Mission. Support for Families, La Raza Centro Legal and SF-Marin Food Bank all tabled.

Comcast staff was on hand, signing up residents with packages as low as $9.95/month. That broadband company’s Internet Essentials program is available to students with free or reduced-cost lunch — or at a school where a high percentage of students are — with the 400+ students at Everett Middle School all deemed eligible.

Such a connection is vital. Despite the Mission being the center of all things tech, too many Mission families are using just a smartphone for their internet connection at home. That is not enough. Families and students need a computing device with a keyboard so that a parent can look for a job online or a student can write an essay.

A recent School Climate Survey done at Everett revealed that just 59 percent of these middle-schoolers have access to a desktop or laptop computer at home, while 51 percent have a tablet and 74 percent have a smartphone. One of the aims of the Mission Promise Neighborhood, the federal initiative of which Everett Middle School is a part, is to provide education on the need for high-speed internet and a computing device in the home for all Mission students.

The workshops at the event helped with this education. Volunteers taught everything from basic digital literacy to internet safety to creating apps. These one-hour classes ran from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

After the workshops, a career panel was on hand to share their stories of getting into tech. Panelists included: Roberto Mejia from Jones.IT, based in the Mission; Claudia Hernandez from YouTube; Abraham Velazquez from DropBox; Veronica Murillo from LinkedIn; and Jim Van Tassel from Univision. Their inspiring stories showcased that there is a place at the table for everyone in the tech sector.

After enjoying their chicken dinners generously donated by Pollo Campero, it was time for a raffle. Anyone who had garnered three signatures from the resource fair or workshops was eligible.

There were gift cards. Tablets. Even a Chromebook. All winners grinned from ear to ear when their names were announced.

The seventh “Get Connected!” event was a definite success, with the community brought together and lives bettered.

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About Mission Promise Neighborhood

18

May

Mission Promise Neighborhood 2016 Survey Underway

May 18, 2016 Survey Department of Education survey , free services mission san francisco , mission promise neighborhood survey

“How often do you worry about being forced out of your home due to increased rent or cost of living?”

“Do you feel safe walking in your neighborhood during the day?”

“What services have you or anyone in your family accessed in the last 12 months?”

Theses are just three of the many questions being asked of parents this month, as the second Mission Promise Neighborhood survey is well underway. This survey, conducted every other year, is mandated by the U.S. Department of Education, the main funder of the initiative; however, these are questions already being asked daily by Mission Promise Neighborhood partners and staff, always looking for ways to better families’ lives.

Explains Director of Evaluation Monica Lopez, “Data is vital to this education initiative. Information gives us the ability to act according to what we see is important to our community. We want to make data actionable.”

These comments are echoed by Evaluation Analyst Morgan Buras-Finlay, spearheading the survey with Lopez to ensure the most accurate information is garnered: “I am excited to dig into data to better the initiative’s providing of services. Data is where it all begins so that families can succeed and students can achieve.”

What was learned from the 2014 survey
When the initial Mission Promise Neighborhood survey was conducted in 2014, guidance was put forth from the Urban Institute, an organization with a mission to “conduct sophisticated research to understand and solve real-world challenges in a rapidly urbanizing environment.” In their guidance document, the Urban Institute recommended a survey approach as the gold standard for Promise Neighborhoods. In their efforts to meet the rigor of a census, three-person teams of interviewers hit the streets with maps denoting addresses for their visits, these volunteers painstakingly knocking on doors of designated buildings in the initiative’s footprint. This proved challenging, for the majority of housing in the Mission comprises multi-unit buildings, meaning randomization was difficult.

The main obstacle was that surveyors had a difficult time finding people at home during canvassing. At times, residents felt uncomfortable opening the door to strangers. Additionally, those who did answer the door did not always fit the needed demographic: Latinos with children. This translated to just 65 surveys being completed after three weeks of canvassing six days a week, with morning and afternoon shifts.

Given the poor return on investment, the evaluation team changed course: strategic locations were chosen to find respondents that fit the demographic and had time to take the survey, with a $10 gift card as an incentive for anyone who answered all of the questions.

The new strategy increased the number of surveys to 350, with data then analyzed to better understand the needs of Mission Promise Neighborhood families.

The new model for 2016
To streamline the survey process this year, Director Lopez drafted a more-targeted proposal – a strategy that made better sense for optimizing the gathering of information on Latinos with very young and/or school-age children. It was also decided that a $50 gift card would be a good incentive for parents completing a longer survey. The incentive has definitely encouraged more families to take the survey.

In terms of outreach, postcards alerting families of a possible call were distributed throughout the Mission, plus some were mailed to families with children, as determined by the Mission Promise Neighborhood partner shared Salesforce database. The idea was to take away any fear of taking such a call and answering personal questions. An ad also ran in a local Spanish-language newspaper.

Data is currently being collected via phone calls to a random sample of households with children attending schools in the Mission Promise Neighborhood footprint. Survey interviews are being administered by seven trained bilingual, bicultural research assistants. Some of these research assistants have ties to the Mission; two of them have even been part of Mission Promise Neighborhood programs, as one has provided free tax preparation program and another has participated in the Mission Techies young adult program at MEDA, the initiative’s lead agency.

Mission Promise Neighborhood’s goal is to accommodate interviewees via appointments at convenient times, conduct surveys in-person and provide options for those who wish to participate. For example, if the prospective interviewees cannot speak at the time called, they can set up an appointment for later. This can even be at nighttime, with research assistants willing to take that extra step for the sake of data collection.

The protection of anonymity is paramount, with answers never tied to survey respondents’ names or other personal information.

The neighborhood survey is child-focused, so information about all of the children in the household is collected. Collecting data for all children is something new this year, as in the previous administration only data for one child in designated age brackets was collected. Age brackets are: infants and toddlers ages 0-5; kindergartners to 8th-graders (elementary and middle school); 9th- to 12th-graders (high school); and those out of high school, but under 24 years of age and still living at home.

Lopez and her team also included questions that were not asked two years ago – questions for which they know answers would be impactful. For instance, marital status is now being asked so as to determine the percentage of single-family households headed by mothers. Questions are also being asked about how often people return to the Mission for services. This is to show if displaced residents — often compelled to leave due to a no-fault the high cost of housing — keep an emotional attachment to the Mission. There is even a question around “formal” versus “informal” housing to determine less-than-ideal living situations, which are detrimental to student achievement.

The goal is to survey 600 households this spring, with one-third of that number already being achieved.

Connection to services
An interesting benefit of doing the Mission Promise Neighborhood survey is that it is branding the educational initiative, plus it ensures that residents know the free services available to help their families.

How does this work? After the completion of the survey, the interviewer asks if the family would like a connection to free services. If the answer is yes, the research assistant passes the family’s information to an evaluation team member, who then coordinates a referral or a call back. This has happened scores of times already.

Stay tuned for data dissemination from the completed surveys, as an insightful story of the Mission’s Latino community will surely be revealed … even better than before.

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About Mission Promise Neighborhood

4

May

“Preschool for All Excellence in Teaching Award” for Magali Valdez-Robles of Felton’s Family Developmental Center

May 4, 2016 Awards, Partners felton and first 5sf , mission promise neighborhood awards , mission promise neighborhood partners

Emigrating from Mexico at the young age of 15 gives Magali Valdez-Robles empathy for her 24 students at Felton’s Family Developmental Center (FDC), a Mission Promise Neighborhood partner. Valdez-Robles came to the U.S. to study English – a need for most of the 4- and 5-year-olds in her dual-language preschool classroom primarily serving Latino children.

This is a job at which the social advocate thrives, and why she was honored last night with a “Preschool for All Excellence in Teaching Award” from First 5 SF. This well-deserved accolade arose from a nomination by the Leadership team at Felton. (Watch video.)

Speaking of her “Preschool for All Excellence in Teaching Award,” Valdez-Robles (photo, right) humbly exclaims, ”I wasn’t expecting this award. I always tell my supervisor that I may not be the best teacher, but I really care if my students and families succeed. There are many great teachers out there, so this is an honor.”

Felton Preschool Program Supervisor Phyllis Hogan knows of the caliber of Valdez-Robles’ work, stating “Magali Valdez Robles is committed to providing a classroom environment that views all children through the lens as learners who are competent, skillful and intelligent. Magali values and respects all childrens’ home language and culture. The Bumble Bee classroom is one of our dual-language classrooms at the Family Developmental Center, where you will see and hear this in action. Magali is committed to support kindergarten readiness for our preschoolers. As a ‘Teacher of Excellence,’ Magali aims to ensure children have the skills and social emotional readiness for kindergarten.”

Valdez-Robles is a model teacher with one goal: to make sure every child under her auspices is kindergarten ready. Located in the Mission District and serving over 85 percent of the Latino community, Felton’s FDC is one of San Francisco’s largest inclusive early care and education program serving children age birth to 6 years old. For the past 45 years, FDC has been serving children with physical and developmental disabilities, offering a broad range of on-site specialized services in the child’s natural environment, with typically developing peers. Felton serves approximately 230 families, of which 30 percent of the children being served have identified special needs, ranging from speech and language or developmental delays including autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome, just to name a few.

All of FDC’s work is rooted in the belief of inclusion. FDC believes that an inclusive classroom offers high-quality early childhood experiences and instruction is meaningful and builds upon the interests of the children, plus is developmentally appropriate, responsive and inquiry based. Providing an inclusive environment means addressing children’s needs through an individualized approach, while focusing on social, emotional, physical and cognitive aspects of learning.

That means tackling the challenge of focusing on social, emotional, physical and cognitive aspects of learning. A big piece of the puzzle is Valdez-Robles connecting with parents to make sure that they are on the same page as far as the child’s development.

It is Valdez-Robles’ job to meet these challenges and help students succeed.

A model creating impact
During her time at FDC over the last two years, Valdez-Robles has helped many families via the teacher-based model for dual-language students. This means that throughout the day one teacher speaks only Spanish, while another one speaks only English. This method is used to help strengthen children’s skills in both languages, while still allowing all students to be exposed to both. While many families want their child to learn English only, Valdez-Robles counsels parents about the value of students being bilingual.

Consistency in a dual-language learner program is important. The center has worked to create a flow for children who participate in the DLL classrooms. After leaving the Rainbow Room, children who enter the Butterflies classroom are part of the DLL cohort and will follow the flow until they are ready to leave FDC and start kindergarten. This consistency ensured that each child has the opportunity to strengthen their home language and a second language before leaving the program. (See model).

Valdez-Robles works daily to create a classroom environment where all students can thrive, despite their challenges. Impact has been powerful and swift. Valdez-Robles recently had a child experiencing great difficulty maintaining focus in class, with this student exhibiting disruptive behaviors. The educator noticed that their was a high need, especially since this child had only a few months left to graduate. That’s when she turned to a social-emotional component to combat the challenging behaviors the student exhibited; she worked with the classroom team and internal support systems to develop an individualized Positive Behavior Support plan.

For preschoolers who exhibit challenging behavior, the teaching staff conduct Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and how to approach challenging behavior using Positive Behavior Support. By collecting Behavior Observation Reports, for example, teachers are able to identify the function of the child’s behavior and how to create plans that can effectively prevent, address and change negative behavior to become more socially appropriate and more effective when communicating.

Valdez-Robles explains, “I was very concerned about this child. I wanted to ensure this student will go to the right school to get the services they needed and the supports for the family. It took a couple of months to have everyone on the same page as to how to best support the child. Part of the challenge was working with the family to agree to partner with us and be on the same page. As many of the families deal with multiple risks factors, this particular family was going through a hard time. I worked with many people at various agencies to remedy this situation. There were many obstacles to success, but a community effort changed this child’s life for the better.”

The good news is that Valdez-Robles formidable effort translated to the student becoming part of a bilingual kindergarten class, with the services offered that were needed by the youngster and the family.

When the student’s mother recently saw Valdez-Robles on the street, she gave the educator a big hug, smiled from ear to ear and stated, “Gracias, maestra. Mi hijo es muy inteligente.” (Thank you, teacher. My child is very intelligent.”)

Valdez-Robles could see how proud the mother was of her child, so she also smiled.

One other success story was around test scores. SFUSD mandates that all students take a kinder-ready test to determine if they recognize shapes, letters and numbers. Valdez-Robles was so proud when one child obtained a 100 percent score. This child’s English was very limited at first, but she aced the test … with her teacher’s invaluable support and dedication.

Another impactful item is that lately Valdez-Robles’ students have been getting their first choice of schools in San Francisco — no easy task. The top five elementary schools into which FDC is feeding are Buena Vista, Leonard R. Flynn, Alvarado, Bryant and Cesar Chavez (Cesar Chavez and Bryant are the two elementary schools that are part of the Mission Promise Neighborhood.)

The future
Valdez-Robles loves her job. As she cherishes the happiness of others, she remains honored to help families succeed by connecting with each other. That’s because Valdez-Robles strongly believes that family is the foundation for any type of success in life.

As a model for the community, Valdez-Robles is gearing up to further her own education. The goal now is to obtain a Master’s degree in counseling and psychology, with a concentration in community mental health. This is a three-year program and will take determination for someone with a full-time job teaching at FDC.

There is no doubt Valdez-Robles will succeed, just like the students she inspires every day.

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About Mission Promise Neighborhood
The Mission Promise Neighborhood is a citywide community partnership that was created to support kids and families living, working and attending school in the Mission District. It brings together schools, colleges, community organizations and community leaders to help kids graduate and families achieve financial stability.

29

April

Mission Promise Neighborhood Salesforce Referral Network Showing Results

April 29, 2016 Partner Referral Tool, Partners mission promise neighborhood partners , mission promise neighborhood salesforce referral tool , mission san francisco free services

“Child Development.” That was the agreed-upon referral goal at the April 13 meeting of Mission Promise Neighborhood partners. That means these partners actively sought such referrals this month.

There were 30 staff from 10 partners who met at Good Samaritan Family Resource Center that day. The aim is to foster a referral network – using Salesforce technology – with the ultimate goal of bettering families’ lives.

This work is being spearheaded by Mission Promise Neighborhood Program Coordinator Leticia Contreras (photo). She acts as a connector to bring together all service partners, reserves the venue, outlines the agenda based on her team’s input and facilitates the meeting, including the data exercise.

Contreras explains her role as follows: “I see my purpose as that of making sure that all partners are on the same page. It’s a streamlining process, with the ultimate goal of bettering Mission Promise Neighborhood families’ lives through collaboration.”

With regard to referrals, Contreras pulls data on a weekly basis to ascertain whether the goals set are being met. Since the meeting, the group has already referred 18 Mission Promise Neighborhood families to early childhood programs provided by organizations in the partnership. True impact.

One family’s impact
To educate community partners on the importance of the Salesforce referral network, Family Success Coach Celina Ramos-Castro, who is based at Cesar Chavez Elementary School, told the story of the bundled services accessed by one Mission Promise Neighborhood family (whose confidentiality will be protected by not giving their name).

Ramos-Castro presented the group data on referrals made by her and other service providers for this family, linking all of the programs successfully accessed across Mission organizations.

Mission Promise Neighborhood partners started working with this family in 2014. The family includes parents and two children, one a 7th-grader and one a 5th-grader.

One of the initial items to be addressed from switching the parents from Individual Taxpayer identification Numbers (ITINs) — used for undocumented workers to file taxes — to their new Social Security Number. The mother’s credit also needed to be rebuilt, which was done via one-on-one financial coaching.

Other services were soon accessed, ranging from mentoring to create a college-going culture in the home, job training, free tax preparation and learning tenants’ rights because of a pending no-fault eviction.

To better language skills, ESL classes were also taken by the parents, who were immigrants.

These comprehensive services, offered by various community nonprofits, have led to family economic success and student achievement. This two-generation approach is followed closely by the Mission Promise Neighborhood initiative as a way to build long-term community capital.

The future
Also at April’s meeting, “Housing” was determined as the word of the month for May. The good news is that partner Causa Justa :: Just Cause, which specializes in tenants’ rights, has agreed for the month of May to accept more Mission Promise Neighborhood families having housing issues, with five referrals already having occurred.

Concludes Contreras, “It’s exciting to see the power of the Salesforce referral tool go from concept to action, leading to impact for our Mission Promise Neighborhood families. This is just the start!”

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About Mission Promise Neighborhood

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