 Another
year is coming to a close, and that traditionally is a good time
for taking stock. Thus, we wanted to report back to you about the
success of a number of key initiatives we have supported. In this
issue of our newsletter, you will read about how this foundation’s
and this community’s support of Connected by 25
has dramatically improved outcomes for young adults aging out of
foster care in just two short years. We are particularly proud that
more of these vulnerable young adults are engaged in school and
work. You also will learn more about how a year-old project in the
Unified Family Court is working to improve outcomes
for the same group of teenagers. Our scholarship program
too is thriving – offering more young people opportunities
that made an enormous difference in their lives.
We
always like to showcase the innovative work of our grantees, and
this time we are going “out of town” to feature the
Brevard Zoo on Florida’s east coast and an
unusual program called SquashSmarts that builds
academic skills and confidence in at-risk youth in Philadelphia.
I believe
2008 will be a critical year for children in Florida. I am looking
forward to the Blueprint Commission’s recommendations
for our state’s juvenile justice system. The Commission, which
we are supporting, has been holding meetings across Florida this
fall and is expected to release its recommendations early in 2008
to reflect the guiding principles of the department’s new
mission statement. I am also quite hopeful that the new Children’s
Cabinet will be a powerful voice for children in the upcoming
legislative session in Tallahassee.
On behalf of our directors and all of us at the
foundation, I extend our sincere best wishes for the holidays and
may all experience the peace and joy of the Christmas season.
Joe Clark
At
the Two-Year Mark
Connected by 25 Improves Lives of Youth Aging Out of Foster Care,
Leads to Policy Reforms and Attracts Substantial Community Involvement
and Support
 In
2005, the Eckerd Family Foundation launched an innovative program
to help youth in Hillsborough County make successful transitions
from foster care to adulthood. Connected by 25 tries to connect
these vulnerable young people to education, employment, housing,
banks and support systems by age 25. Connected by 25 focuses on
economic success for youth “aging out” of foster care
because the ability to support oneself and accumulate assets often
predicts future success in life.
Two
years later, we have begun to see significant progress. Over the
next six months, we will provide hard data – in addition to
the wonderful anecdotal stories – demonstrating the improved
outcomes for young people in foster care in Hillsborough County.
The
success of Connected by 25 has been the result of the many generous
and committed donors and contributors. The Eckerd Family Foundation’s
initial investment has leveraged more than $1 million in additional
support from private funders and public agencies.
We
want to report to you how the Cby25 model has dramatically changed
outcomes in education and financial literacy:
[read
the rest of the spotlight story]
[back
to topics]
New
Approach in Unified Family Court Keeps Foster Youth Out of Jail,
Cuts Costs
A year ago,
the Eckerd Family Foundation decided to support an innovative approach
to make the court system more responsive to young adults from foster
care because they are involved in the juvenile justice system and
are placed on probation and in commitment programs at higher rates
than their peers.
Last year, the
foundation supported a case manager for Judge Herbert Baumann so
he could bring all teenagers in licensed foster care to his courtroom
to better coordinate services and support for them. Baumann already
handled foster teens charged with delinquency, which comprise a
quarter of all teens in foster care. But under the new program,
Baumann last year began seeing all foster teens to better determine
their needs.
Under
this new program, 272 foster youth ages 13 to 17 appeared before
Judge Baumann in the past year. Of them, 60 had been charged as
juveniles, and 32 of those charged as juveniles received lesser
sanctions than the Department of Juvenile Justice’s recommendation
of probation or commitment. The cost savings for placing 32 youth
in a diversion or intervention program instead of a commitment program
is roughly $25,000 per youth annually or a total of $800,000 a year.
Another new, extremely important development is that all of the
youth had legal representation – a protection not all of them
previously had.
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The
Eckerd Family Foundation Awards New Scholarships
Through
the years, the Eckerd Family Foundation Scholarships have changed
the lives of the most vulnerable youths – young people in
foster care, juvenile justice, homeless youths or teen mothers.
This unconventional program offers second chances to the most disadvantaged
youths by filling needs not covered by traditional scholarships.
This year, the foundation gave 24 nonprofits a total of $380,000
for scholarships that they could award to needy young people. The
organizations included Cornerstone Kids, the Homeless Emergency
Project, the Asheville-Buncombe Education Coalition and the PACE
Centers of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. In addition, Eckerd
also offered a total of $95,000 in challenge grants to some of the
organizations, raising an additional $85,000 for scholarships. In
turn, the nonprofits awarded the scholarships to their youth participants
in smaller amounts – 53 percent of the scholarships were for
$500 or less and 46 percent were for $1,000 or less. The awards
provided all kinds of opportunities including computer training,
English lessons, childcare, eyeglasses, tutoring, cheerleading class
and football camp. In sum, $565,085 was awarded to 515 deserving
youth – little more than half of whom were girls, and 48 percent
were boys. Of the award winners, 45 percent were African American,
and 36 percent were white. Nearly a quarter of the recipients were
ages six to 15; three quarters were ages 16 to 23.
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Project
SUCCESS Lives Up to its Name
Can
a bus pass really help a student graduate from high school? At Bowers-Whitley
Career Center, 83 percent of the students who received a free bus
pass improved their attendance.
The
bus passes are part of Hillsborough Education Foundation’s
Project SUCCESS, a scholarship funded by the Eckerd Family Foundation
that provides career development opportunities for students at risk
of failing or dropping out of their regular high schools and who
aren’t considering post-secondary education. Bowers-Whitley
isn’t a traditional school but instead provides unique, alternative
approaches to education. Learning is tailored to students’
needs, and Project SUCCESS is an important stepping stone to help
students achieve their career goals.
[read
the rest of the story]
[back
to topics]
New
Eckerd Grantee Studies How Squash Improves the Lives of At-Risk
Youth
 Squash
is a sport often associated with British school boys and affluent
children in New England’s elite prep schools. But in Philadelphia,
the sport has been embraced by inner-city kids as part of an academic
and athletic after-school mentoring program. Based at Drexel University,
SquashSmarts engages low-income middle school students through sports,
education and community service.
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SquashSmarts
10th graders Junaid Bin Mukhtar (foreground) and Kalik Stanley
(background) square off during squash practice.
|
“Squash
is a terrific sport, but it’s also fairly obscure,”
says Kirk Heilbrun, a member of the
SquashSmarts board of directors. “It’s not like there
are a lot of people lining up to start programs
using squash.” But every afternoon and on Saturday mornings,
a group of 25 kids regularly meets
with their individual academic tutors and squash coaches at two
facilities in Philadelphia. SquashSmarts seeks to instill self-esteem,
discipline and leadership in each of its students, 93 percent of
whom are African American and nearly 60 percent are girls.
Started
in 2001, the program is a variation of Boston’s highly successful
SquashBusters and New York’s StreetSquash. SquashSmarts recruits
sixth graders from surrounding middle schools to participate for
three years, although some stay through high school. “Some
kids
really get attached to the program,” Heilbrun says.
[read
the rest of the story]
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to topics]
A
New “Paws-On” Approach to Learning
 Whether
it’s building forts and tree houses, watching sharks swim
in a 45-foot marine tank, or petting turtles and goats, children
and parents will have lots of opportunities for hands-on learning
experiences – and fun together – through the new exhibits
in Brevard County’s Paws On children’s zoo.
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The
newly opened indoor exhibits |
“Our
main mission is to serve kids and parents by providing an environment
aimed at positive family time,” says Keith Winsten, executive
director of the Brevard Zoo on Florida’s Space Coast near
Melbourne.
Supported
by the Eckerd Family Foundation, the Brevard Zoo is replacing its
original Paws On children’s zoo with new exhibits intended
to foster learning and provide positive youth development experiences.
The new exhibits also offer a safe, engaging space for families
to interact while learning about Florida’s natural habitats
and connecting with nature.
[read
the rest of the story]
[back
to topics]
The
Eckerd Family Foundation is committed to promoting meaningful and
lasting change to transform the lives of vulnerable youth and their
families. The foundation's mission provides leadership and support
for innovative educational, preventative, therapeutic and rehabilitative
programs for children, youth and their families. The foundation
awarded these new grants in November:
EARLY CHILD
CARE:
 Wesley
House Family Services
$200,000
Tampa, Fla.
A capital challenge grant for the renovation of the Inez Martin
Child Care Center serving children from low-income, working families.
Providing child care and early education services, the planned renovations
will allow the agency to increase the number served by the facility
from 60 to approximately 100 children.
EDUCATION:
 Florida
School Choice Fund/Step Up For Students
$35,300
Tampa, Fla.
Funding Florida PRIDE, the state approved scholarship funding organization
and distributing K-12 scholarships within Hillsborough and Pinellas
counties. The program enables lower income parents who are actively
involved with their child’s education to move the child to
another school, public or private, when their current school assignment
is not affording the best learning environment. The grant matches
an award by the Walton Family Foundation to support the efficient
administration of scholarship dollars. Scholarships are funded by
corporate tax credits.
Hillsborough
Education Foundation
$240,000
Tampa, Fla.
Awarding additional funding over three years for Project SUCCESS
at the Bowers-Whitley Career Center. The school offers vocational
and career education options to students not attending other public
high schools. The scholarship funds provide students the financial
ability to complete their high school diploma, including the purchase
of bus passes, special materials, tools, testing and certification
costs, and support to pursue post-secondary education opportunities.
The first year of this pilot program was highly successful and surpassed
goals with substantial increases in attendance, graduation, pursuit
of post-secondary education and employment.
 Neighborhood
Family Centers Coalition
$490,510
Clearwater, Fla.
Funding a three-year commitment to expand the existing Technology
Education Program into Childs Park, a predominately low-income community
in St. Petersburg. The South County Council and Juvenile Welfare
Board are collaborating with eight local faith-based organizations
to develop community learning environments as a means toward lasting,
positive change in this neighborhood. The Technology Education Program
provides youth with progressive education in computer skills from
basic computer operation to advanced computer programs and includes
an IC3 Certification for those who complete all phases of the program.
The grant will complete the foundation’s goal replicating
the successful model throughout Pinellas County by bringing the
program to scale in 16 locations.
FOSTER
CARE:
Cby25
Initiative – Florida
$569,050
Tampa, Fla.
This grant establishes the Cby25 Initiative office which will provide
technical assistance, training and support to existing and future
Cby25 sites. Specifically, the grant will be allocated to existing
Cby25 sites in Hillsborough and Brevard counties and development
of programming in Pinellas County. The Cby25 Initiative office will
also coordinate all activities necessary to respond to requests
for technical assistance and training from all other locations in
Florida interested in utilizing the Cby25 model to develop or strengthen
their programs serving youth transitioning from foster care. The
foundation’s goal is to directly impact 60% of all youth in
foster care and 40% of all cross-system youth in Florida and ultimately,
to secure permanent systemic change for these populations.
 Youth
Law Center
$50,000
San Francisco, Calif.
Assisting the Florida Department of Children and Families to improve
its quality assurance program to address critical issues for children
in care, ensure they are moving toward permanency and develop a
model for foster parent recruitment, retention and support that
can be used by local community based care agencies to increase the
number of foster homes that support permanency outcomes for children.
JUVENILE
JUSTICE:
 Delaware
Center for Justice
$84,450
Wilmington, Del.
Funding the coordinator position for the Delaware Girls Initiative
(DGI). The sole mission of DGI is to advocate for a continuum of
services that ensures gender-specific resources and programs for
all girls at risk in Delaware. The program is committed to increasing
public awareness and support for the need for gender-responsive
programs and the recognition of issues faced by at-risk girls and
girls now within the juvenile justice system. It is estimated that
the program will impact 1,000 girls ranging in age from birth to
18 years.
[back
to topics]
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