SANDY SPRINGS EDUCATION FORCE INC
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Mission Statement
The mission of Sandy Springs Education Force is to inspire and support all Sandy Springs public school students to graduate and pursue productive lives beyond high school by providing educational and enrichment programs through community collaboratives.
About This Cause
Sandy Springs Education Force understands that the heart of a city is its schools. Our future- residential, economic and quality of life - depends on our student's educational accomplishments. Based on this premise, SSEF collaborates with civic leaders, community businesses, and local citizen volunteers to design and deliver free supplemental programs and services in our eleven public schools in Sandy Springs. Our objective is to better prepare all Sandy Springs students for success during their school years and beyond by augmenting enriching, and expanding their positive academic and personal experiences. The city of Sandy Springs has been named one of the wealthiest cities of its size in the United States, yet almost 60% of our public school children are economically disadvantaged. Poverty is a key indicator or high drop-out rates, drug abuse and criminal activity. Sandy Springs Education Force provides supplemental in-school and after-school programs for economically disadvantaged students in the eleven Sandy Springs public schools, because we believe that all of or city's children have the potential to succeed in school, lead productive lives, and contribute to our community . Our programs have shown success in helping students to improve in academic achievement setting a path to graduation. With the assistance of community partners and financial supporters, SSEF creates and provides programs and services in three primary areas. Our Academic Support and Tutoring programs focus on decreasing the dropout rate and increasing the graduation rate, by targeting homework support and study skills training. Life Skills and Empowerment programs seek to strengthen students' self-perceptions and personal aspirations, by offering training that ranges from the development self-esteem to the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Our Cultural and Social Enrichment services center on presenting real world experiences that prepare our youth to meet the challenges of life, career an citizenship in the 21st Century. SSEF programs and services operate during the school day and after school, and are staffed by organizational professionals, community volunteers and teachers. SSEF offers programs in all of our eleven schools including seven elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools. The current SSEF programs are as follows: After School All Stars – 175 students participate in this comprehensive five day per week/ two hours per day after school program at Sandy Springs Charter Middle School incorporating academic remediation and enrichment. The program is implemented in collaboration with the Georgia State University Research Foundation and After-School All-Stars Atlanta. Transportation is provided by the school. Ninety seven percent of the students in the program have been considered economically disadvantaged and, thus, do not pay to attend the program. Students show an increase in their CRCT test scores, decrease in disciplinary infractions and an increase in attendance as a result of participation in this program. Junior Achievement (JA) – Program is delivered to students in the ninth and tenth grade at North Springs Charter High School in collaboration with JA and the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce. Over 400 ninth graders students participate in the program which provides valuable financial literacy education. Over 400 tenth graders participate in the Career Success program. The program has a structured curriculum designed to educate students about basic economic and career success topics in a grade level appropriate manner. Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) Program – SSEF partnered with Georgia Tech Research Institute to bring the Fifth Annual SSEF STEM event focusing on Communication Technology to the eleven Sandy Springs public schools in March 2015 impacting over 1500 students. The opening event took place at North Springs Charter High School in which over 900 students viewed over 20 STEM focused exhibits with student guides geared to the curriculum. In the evening, over 250 community, business and civic leaders participated in the event. This program was followed by outreach STEM events, field trips and programs in our feeder schools. SSEF then offered grant opportunities to our schools for ongoing afterschool STEM clubs and programs. This year SSEF awarded over $17,000 in legacy grant awards to nine of our schools. These schools implemented after school STEM clubs or programs with sponsorship funds raised through the event. SSEF was awarded the 2014 and 2015 Georgia STEM Award for Extracurricular Programs by the Technology Association of Georgia for this program. SSEF plans to hold its Sixth STEAM Showcase in February 2016. SAIL & CHOSEN – For the SAIL program in February 2015,twenty five Riverwood International Charter School seniors were identified by the counselors as being on target to graduate, but without post secondary plans. Trained volunteers presented options and assisted students with post secondary applications. SSEF provided funds for application fees as well as SAT/ACT fees for those students needing financial assistance. As part of the program, representatives from local post-secondary institutions also visited the school. As a result of the program, 84% of the students were accepted to post-secondary institutions. A similar program called CHOSEN was also implemented at North Springs Charter High School. Eighty percent of the twenty five students who participated in this program were accepted to a post secondary institutions. This program will begin again at both high schools in February 2016. Link with a Leader – SSEF recruits volunteers from various Latino professional organizations, including the Society of Hispanic Engineers, to mentor students monthly during their lunch hour at Ridgeview Charter Middle School and Sandy Springs Charter Middle School. We also partner with the 100 Black Men to conduct a similar program at North Springs Charter High School. The graduation coaches at all schools identify students who might be at risk of dropping out of school. Sixty students from Ridgeview, seventy five students from SSCMS and thirty students from North Springs participate in this program. The program is also conducted at Riverwood International Charter School with 30students in an ESOL class. Results show a positive impact on empowerment and self-esteem for participating students. Business Bridge – This program offers students the opportunity to experience a business environment while still in high school. SSEF works with the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development Committee to engage students in career focused opportunities. SSEF has assisted with internships, speakers and field trips to provide these opportunities. Also, in partnership with the Technology Association of Georgia – Education Collaborative, SSEF coordinates an internship workshop with various business professionals for Riverwood International Charter School and North Springs Charter High School students. These students were identified by the business department as students who would most benefit from this program. It is designed to prepare high school students to submit effective applications and differentiate themselves competitively in an interview situation. Reading/Literacy Programs – SSEF also partners with a number of community and civic organizations to provide reading and literacy initiatives in our schools. First grade students at Ison Springs Elementary School participate in the reading literacy program in partnership with Altrusa, a community service organization. SSEF partners with Art Sandy Springs to bring the Sandy Springs Reads program to first graders at all seven Sandy Springs elementary schools. Teacher Supply Closet – In partnership with the Community Assistance Center (CAC), SSEF coordinates school supply drives in the community. Supplies are stored at the CAC. The Sandy Springs public school teachers can request supplies for their needy students through the SSEF website. Last year, over 1900 students received needed school supplies through this program. Reading Buddies – This program is conducted with the second graders at Ison Springs Elementary School and the fourth graders at Lake Forest Elementary School. In each school, teachers identify students in need of assistance with reading. Once per week volunteers read to a chosen student for 30 minutes during their lunch period. Orientation, support and training are provided for volunteers. Books suitable for 2nd and 4th graders are purchased by SSEF and kept on a cart for SSEF volunteers to use with their students. The objective of the program is to foster positive feelings about reading, thereby improving motivation, self-confidence and reading skills, all centered on a meaningful relationship with a caring adult. Mini-Libraries – This program reaches out to at-risk elementary school students by providing them with immediate, home-based access to high quality books that they can read and keep. Portable, free-standing, newspaper types of dispensaries are placed in strategic location sites at Lake Forest Elementary and Ison Springs Elementary schools. Volunteers collect donated books and fill the dispensaries with books that are nationally recognized as “approved reading” to ensure that only appropriate books are dispensed Students are asked to take two books at a time to read at home and can either keep the or return them to the bin.. The program also includes an evening event with parents at both schools in which students are given books to take home with them.