Speaking at the Summit!

I’m proud to share that two of our students were chosen to speak at a recent summit organized by Mayor Bloomberg's inter-agency task force to combat chronic absenteeism! The students spoke honestly about the reasons behind their low attendance in the past – from lack of interest in school to personal issues in their homes. The reason they were chosen to speak however was to highlight the instrumental role their mentors are playing in raising their attendance and achievement.

One student, a high school freshman, shared that her mentor is someone who gives her hope by helping her manage the challenging social and academic transition from middle to high school, by developing an action plan to raise her grades, and by simply checking in on her each day. For the first time in this student’s life she feels confident in her ability to achieve!

The other student, a junior, spoke about his mentor as someone he can relate to and trust, who empowers him to succeed in school, and who is always there to speak to, in and outside of school. As the student said his relationship with his mentor makes him feel the confidence that “If he can do it, I can do it”.

While the two students represented different personal circumstances both compelled the audience with their vision and sense of hope for their future, which they attributed to the positive relationships they have with their mentors. It is so rewarding to know that our mentors are making a difference in students’ lives!

Holiday Cheer

What a fantastic holiday season at Partnership with Children!

Every December we collect gifts and warm clothing for our neediest families. This year we received an over abundance of gifts for every age group. Through the TODAY Show’s Charitable Gift Drive we received gifts from Hasbro and Gymboree among others, as well as from companies that ran their own drives including New York Life, Bloomberg and Prudential. We had little space left in our office with all the boxes and bags of toys and clothing stacked up everywhere, but we still managed to squeeze in teams of volunteers from Bloomberg, Starwood Hotels, High Water Women, and other individuals to wrap up the gifts before we delivered them to the families.

Despite all the lifting, lugging, and stacking involved in the gift drive, at the end of the days it's incredible to involve other New Yorkers in helping Partnership with Children's students.

Site Visit

Great news! We jumped from 40% attendance in September to 90% attendance in October. All of our efforts are paying off. We also had a fantastic visit from a potential board member. Following the protocol for our “site visits” he came with our Directors and met our staff and a group of our students. It was surprising and wonderful to witness the students opening up to someone they had never met before. During the conversation our Associate Executive Director asked the kids why they had previously skipped school. One student answered that he felt bad about his low grades in school and rather than confronting his negative feelings about his performance in class, he choose to skip school altogether. His answer was so self-reflective and honest for a young adolescent! The potential board member also spoke about his previous struggles in school, and the students really responded to his openness.

Most of all I think what allowed the students to share so freely during the site visit is the fact that they have such an honest and caring rapport with me and my team of social workers. The students know we care about their well-being and attendance and that we want to know about any issues that impact them emotionally. One student even said during the site visit “I have never had people care about me, about my life, and how I am doing in school before Partnership with Children.”