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Bulletin #466

			Partnership in Middleburg, Va., Establishes Shelter of Promise When people think of the homeless, adults most often come to mind. However, research shows children account for the fastest-growing segment of the nation's homeless population. These children need and deserve the Five Promises as much as those who are less needy. Recognizing this need and the gap that existed in delivering the Five Promises to homeless children and young people, the Middleburg (Va.) Area Youth Center, which houses Middleburg's Promise, sought to collaborate with The Good Shepherd Alliance, based in Sterling, Va., to make the facility a Shelter of Promise-one of the first for America's Promise. "I have a long history with the Promises, but when it comes to homeless youth, most services haven't gone beyond making sure the kids are in school," says John Brothers, Good Shepherd Alliance executive director. "But youth development is needed, whether children are in crisis or not. No matter where you are in life, the Five Promises are things kids need to grow into successful adulthood. And in some ways, there's no better time than a crisis to instill that concept." With complete buy-in from Brothers and his staff, Middleburg's Promise connected The Good Shepherd Alliance with community partners, such as churches and local businesses, to ensure the facility had all the resources and partnerships needed to provide the Five Promises effectively. Brothers especially credits implementing the Five Promises Checklist as instrumental in applying the Promises to homeless youth. "We've modified it to use in our case management system, and it's really been beneficial to help us expand and provide structure and direction to our services," he says, adding that the Checklist also serves as a tool with parents. The Good Shepherd Alliance makes it part of the exit kit that families take with them when they leave the shelter. "We use the Checklist to show parents that there are little things they can do with their kids to make sure they get all Five Promises every day." Pioneering the first Shelter of Promise has been rewarding and effective, Brothers says. "I'm proud of the fact that we're hitting ground that hasn't been touched before with homeless children. We're building a bridge through youth development to ensure we don't have to see these kids again in the future." Which sheds light on the purpose of serving homeless children and youth, Brothers points out: "That's our goal-every day we're trying to work ourselves out of business." For more information about Middleburg's Promise or The Good Shepherd Alliance, contact Brothers at 540.687.6416 or middleburgyouth@cs.com. Tools & Resources Save the Date: America's Promise Regional Training Forum America's Promise will hold its next Effective Communities Regional Training Forum (June 4-6) and the National Conference on Community Volunteering and National Service (June 6-8) in Kansas City, Mo. These training opportunities, open to all Communities of Promise, prospective Communities of Promise, States of Promise and AmeriCorps Promise Fellows, will: Identify ways to better position Communities of Promise as leading change agents for children; Present success stories of Communities of Promise throughout the U.S.; and Inform participants about how the tools and resources America's Promise offers can be maximized. Online registration will be available beginning May 1 at http://www.americaspromise.org/community/regform.cfm. Communities of Promise can take advantage of a special $50 registration fee. For details, contact Taryn Roman at 703.535.3867 or tarynr@americaspromise.org. America's Promise, a partner of the National Conference on Community Volunteering and National Service (NCCVNS), will host an informational booth in the exhibit hall and facilitate workshops at the conference. For NCCVNS information and registration, visit www.pointsoflight.org. HHS Releases Latest Child Maltreatment Data The U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) recently released the latest statistics available from its National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), revealing that although child maltreatment has declined over the last decade, the numbers are still high. Among the findings, the rate of victimization per 1,000 children dropped from 13.4 in 1990 to 12.3 children in 2002. However, 896,000 children were victims of abuse or neglect in 2002, including 1,400 deaths. To download the report, go to http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/publications/cm02/index.htm. Older Volunteers Positively Influence Youth and Health Perhaps proving that volunteerism is beneficial to young and old alike, researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., have found that older adults who volunteer in troubled urban schools may not only improve the educational experience of children, but also realize meaningful improvements in their own mental and physical health. The findings, based on clinical trials that tested the health benefits of participants in a Baltimore-area volunteer program called Experience Corps, show potential for "a 'win-win' for everyone involved," says Linda P. Fried, M.D., director of the Center on Aging and Health at Johns Hopkins University. "Giving back to your community may slow the aging process in ways that lead to a higher quality of life in older adults, while simultaneously improving educational outcomes for children. It potentially could have great social impact if taken to a large scale." Youth participants in Experience Corps were less likely to be referred to the principal for misbehavior, and showed improved reading levels, academic achievement and classroom behavior. In adult volunteers, 44 percent of Experience Corps participants reported feeling stronger; the number of them using canes decreased by 50 percent. The findings are published in the Journal of Urban Health. For more information, visit http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/press_releases/2004/04_06_04.html. Grants of the Week Grants Available to Communities Helping Students 'GEAR UP' The National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP) and the SBC Foundation will award approximately $5 million to communities in select areas (Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin). The grants will support GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) projects in four program areas: instructional technology, academic enrichment, data-driven decision making and developing high-performance K-16 partnerships in non-GEAR UP communities. For more information, visit www.edpartnerships.org/events/sbc_rfp.cfm. Submissions are due May 14. Education Department Offers Grants to Improve Migrant Education The U.S. Department of Education will award an estimated $4.5 million as part of its Migrant Education Even Start (MEES) Family Literacy program. Grants will go to 12-15 educational, community or faith-based organizations that participate in early childhood education efforts that aim to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy among migrant families. For more information, visit www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2004-2/040604a.html. The application deadline is May 21. Contest Allows Youth to Brag, "My Teacher is the Best" Sponsored by GiveKidsGoodSchools.com, the "My Teacher is the Best" essay contest encourages public school students in grades 6-8 to submit essays no more than 250 words in length about their favorite teacher. Winning entries will win two laptop computers-one for the student and one for the teacher. For contest rules and to submit an essay online, visit www.givekidsgoodschools.com/goodteachers/essay.html. Submissions are due May 31. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The America's Promise Bulletin is distributed weekly via e-mail. To be removed from this list, reply to this e-mail and type "remove" in the subject line. To be added to the distribution list, contact Kelley Blassingame at 703.535.3856 or e-mail APBEditor@americaspromise.org. If your e-mail system has a filter function or if you would like to receive a text-only version of this bulletin, please call Kelley Blassingame at 703.535.3856. Thank you.














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