May 9, 2005

Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation

PROPOSAL – Hayward Serve-n-Learn

PROPRIETARY MATERIALS

Executive Summary

Straight From The Heart (SFTH) is seeking $50,000 in support for our Serve-n-Learn sports and life achievement program model for 150 to 200 disadvantaged South Hayward young people beginning this summer (2005). But we are also seeking more than just money to assist these young people. We are seeking the financial resources needed to help us carry our model into a stable future so every community in the Bay Area has the potential to use sports as an adjunct to a life long passion for learning, living and succeeding. We would like Valley to consider providing us funding for three years to implement, formalize and document our growth and stabilization even though this proposal is for year one.

The program we are focusing on now is a unique combination of sports, arts, academic enrichment and youth development that introduces at-risk youth to opportunities they might not otherwise have as they learn and reinforce good sportsmanship, social competency, leadership, physical fitness, health and academic excellence. It is based on our Serve-n-Learn model originally implemented (beginning in 2001) in Richmond and will offer Hayward’s young people a combination of sports programming (tennis, basketball, flag football and Hip Hop Dance) and direct ties to social-skills building, anger management and violence prevention programs. Serve-n-Learn incorporates key elements of positive youth development, empowering young people with resiliency assets that allow young people to better succeed at school and beyond. We know from Richmond that our model also fosters relationships between youngsters and caring adults (coaches and volunteers) who mentor and guide our young people as they learn strategies for growth. Our adults model and reinforce healthy lifestyles and patterns of nonviolent social interaction, thus connecting physical fitness and sporting opportunities that provide the participants with a strong foundation for a healthy future. The Serve-n-Learn model (whether for tennis or other sports) is a peer group model that, as one researcher noted, “defines itself by athletic ability rather than popularity, drug or alcohol use, wealth or appearance”—a particularly important factor for the physical and emotional health of young girls and a strong supportive element for giving girls and boys safe alternatives to gang or other unhealthy associations.

But the funding will also do more than this. It will help us formalize our model and add to the resources we have already garnered as we build a network of foundations, corporations and individual donors. These young people deserve solid, strong programs even if the schools continue to struggle with fiscal challenges. SFTH wants to make sure that our model is here year-round for those whose passion for sports and competition adds to their rewards in life. The funding that we seek will be used for our core program costs as well as for fund development and business management strategizing to allow us to build a stronger fiscal and program future for minority young people who are otherwise at risk of missing the investment they deserve.

Organizational History and Capacity

Straight From The Heart, Inc., is a 501c3 non-profit, community-based organization founded in 2001. Our mission is to positively impact the lives of inner city youth and to empower them to become successful, healthy citizens through programs that combine sports, academics and social skills building (including mentoring and youth involvement opportunities). We have already successfully served over 450 young people, providing nontraditional sports and academic achievement mentoring and support to at-risk young people. The success of our model shows measurable improvements in the physical, social and academic health of many young people of color. Our coaches are dedicated athletes and former greats that provide a positive, non-competitive, nonviolent sports environment for students who want to expand their athletic potential. (We have grade point and good behavior stipulations for every participant.) Our leagues, clinics and summer camps include low- to high-impact programs for youth ages 6 to 16. The opportunities we provide also encourage the building of overall healthy and fit lifestyles that specifically combat childhood/adolescent obesity and related difficulties. (We are already working on adding a special needs component for young people in wheelchairs and persons with hearing impairments.) We have been recognized by local business and political leaders and encouraged by professional sports associations to expand our model (see www.SFTHeart.org). We are now proposing to develop our Serve-n-Learn model in South Hayward (very similar to Richmond with high gang, and violence teen crime) beginning this year as a step toward encouraging similar after-school sports empowerment activities in other Bay Area locations.

Program Description

The following are the measurable Serve-n-Learn Goals and Objectives we expect to achieve this year in Hayward, as the program unfolds:

Goal 1—Implement Serve-n-Learn Sports Fitness Model

Objective:

1. Implement the model in Hayward for 150-200 low-income and minority youth ages 7 to 12.

A) 45 to 50 students will receive 3 to 4 hours per week in each of four activities, tennis, basketball (girls and boys), flag football or Hip Hop Dance, for an average of 36 hours of coaching and assistance. A majority of the participants in each of these activities will also participate in one or two competitive events or community opportunities to represent their skills. (The actual number will depend on interest and facilities.)

B) 90% of participants will receive 2 hours of anti-violence/social skills building conducted by Unity Care (outside project facilitators) "Squashing It!” Violence Prevention, modeled on an NBA program.

Activities:

• Hire and train coaching and instructional assistances.
• Formalize agreements for regular use of public and school facilities.
• Develop mechanisms for reaching out to youth as participants.
• Conduct regular sports classes.
• Organize weekly workshop and healthy living activities.

 

GOAL 2—GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP AND PHYSICAL FITNESS.

Objective:

2. Demonstrate improve physical fitness conditioning and appreciation of connection between sports and personal and community empowerment.

A) 90% of regular participants (130 to 150 young people) will increase their overall physical fitness, agility, speed, and tennis (or dancing) abilities.

B) 100% of participants will develop summer mentoring relationships between the programs instructional staff and volunteers.

C) 90% will make connection between their involvement in these activities and healthy, nonviolent options for personal and community empowerment.

Activities:

• Coaches discuss and assess young participants with school officials, parents and other agency leaders.
• Coaches and young people discuss needs and interests.
• Adults (coaches and volunteers) become sporting and life mentors.

 

GOAL 3—ACADEMIC AND PRO-SOCIAL SKILLS IMPROVEMENT.

Objective:

Demonstrate direct academic and interpersonal social skills improvements.

A) 65% of regular participants will participate in weekly anti-violence and social skills-building activities.

B) 80% will demonstrate an overall improvement in knowledge about important of sports and exercise for remaining or becoming healthier.

C) At least 80% of participants will experience improved self-esteem.

D) 100% will demonstrate a greater sense of teamwork and fair play.

Activities:

• Participants will receive Unity Care programming.
• Students engage in regular weekly lessons working with coaches and volunteers.
• Coaches/volunteers receive regular updates of progress and accomplishments from other program staff and/or parents.

 

GOAL 4—FISCAL AND MANAGEMENT STABILITY

4. Formalize and secure a broad range of foundation, corporate and community resources to maintain the existing programs and allow for further replication of the Serve-n-Learn model.

A) Plan for and secure $550,000 in new and ongoing funding for the Richmond and Hayward projects, including an array of corporate and foundation supporters.

B) Develop ongoing program and fiscal management materials to document this growth and stability.

C) Prepare long-range financial and donor strategies.

D) Continue our negotiations with municipal and governmental funders for future contracts.

E) Develop professional marketing/outreach materials that reaffirm the role of community programs to augment school-based learning.

Activities:

• Complete the development of a fund development business plan.
• Design and use program and goal-oriented materials for outreach to funders.
• Create materials and network for effective individual and donor identification.
• Write and produce materials for marketing the Serve-n-Learn model for replication in 2 or more Bay Area communities.

PROGRAM DETAILS:

A critical element of the Serve-n-Learn model is that students enjoy the sheer pleasure of working their bodies hard and improving their physical fitness while deriving a sense of belonging and self-worth. All the children will be able to demonstrate their athletic ability by competing in tournaments and league play. The coaches also will become mentors and positive role models, helping the participants develop fair play, teamwork and leadership skills that can translate into successes in other aspects of their lives.

During the school year our activities occur after school for a period of one to two hours per day, with young people receiving 5 to 6 hours of activity per week. They also receive one or two hours of supplemental academic, violence prevention, health or related activities designed to provide social support skills and a sense that competition can be healthy and nonviolent. In the summer, activities are generally held during the daytime based upon availability of the gyms, courts or other areas and other practicalities. The following is the general timeline for the summer activities: Tennis (MWF 11am-1pm); Basketball (with girls and boys teams) T-TH 11am-1pm (excluding tournaments); Flag Football (T-TH 10am-12pm); Hip Hop Dance (W-TH). We plan on providing Hip Hop Dance following the schedule of dance and movement exercises and supportive skills training that is now in place. This involves 3 to 4 hours per week of movement with the summer schedule being negotiated. (Excluding dance competitions)

Statement of Need

SFTH serves low-income inner city youth ages 6–16, predominately African American, Latino, and Laotian youth who are identified as academically challenged or at risk of juvenile delinquency, or who live in foster or group homes or kinship care situations. Our target population meets the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s criteria for youth at risk of dropping out of school and turning to delinquency. Key risk factors include poverty, academic failure, availability of drugs, delinquency among peers, and a lack of healthy relationships. These risk factors are amplified by realities endemic in targeted communities, such as single-parent families, lack of positive adult role models or adult supervision after school, family drug and alcohol abuse, and availability of guns. These factors are obstacles to healthy development and success in school, and often contribute to absenteeism, tardiness, disrupting class, being suspended, poor academic skills, and poor pro-social skills in the areas of self-esteem, self-respect, and citizenship. We should also note that the “educational achievement gap” is not the only gap that exists between low-income minority children and youth and their middle class counterparts. There is an alarming “health gap” which has widened for the past 10 years. Today, while 15% of all U.S. youth ages 6–18 are considered overweight, the proportion is 25% (1 in 4) among minority youth and particularly African American and Latino youth.

Richmond, where we piloted our programs, is one of California’s most impacted cities, hurt by unemployment, poverty, recent immigration, crime, and juvenile delinquency. Academic performance in many public schools in Richmond ranks among the lowest in the state. At the elementary schools from which we recruited students (Coronado, King, Stege, Verde), students of color comprise 98–99% of enrollment; 84–100% of students qualify for free- or reduced-price lunch; over 90% of students are scoring below proficiency levels in Reading and Math; and the majority of 5th graders are physically unfit in terms of aerobic capacity. Poverty, racial tensions, language barriers, family strife, substance abuse among family members, and neighborhood violence are among the multiple pressures that threaten to overwhelm youngsters. Many parents are unavailable to supervise their children and unequipped to support their education, due to busy work schedules, low educational attainment of their own, and limited English skills, among other factors.

These same challenges exist in the Hayward area of Alameda, County (within the 94544 Zip Code). The schools and neighborhoods that we will primarily serve include Bowman, Glassbrook, Tyrell, and Chavez elementary schools (though others are welcome too). These schools fall far below the state API average in academic performance in Math, Language Arts, Reading, and Spelling. 90% of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch program. The young people have personal and family characteristics that closely reflect those of the young people in Richmond, except there are greater numbers of Latino/as and other Asian/Pacific Islander communities. The communities are characterized by similar, high incidents of truancy, crime and delinquency and significant gang prevalence.

The young people come from neighborhoods throughout the City as well as from SFTH’s existing ASEP program (formerly SHAP--South Hayward After-school Program) which we took over from a now defunct organization). We’ve run their existing programs for the past 4 months, and will end May 31st 2005. We are currently serving 100 plus student athletes through dance, Capoiera (martial arts), and Danza Azteca. In taking over existing programming for the SHAP project, we inherited their existing programs and agreed to run them for the remainder of the school year. Our Serve-n-Learn Hayward site will be ran in conjunction with the City of Hayward, Hayward Parks and Recreation Department, and the Boys & Girls Club. In addition, we have cemented outstanding partnerships with the USTA (United States Tennis Association), USA Tennis, the Hayward Unified School District, the National Junior Tennis League, the National AAU Amateur Athletics, the National Football League, the California State Game and the Junior Olympics.

PLANNING PROCESS AND BUSINESS PLAN:

The funding we are seeking will build on an incredible beginning to a powerful learning and living model. It will also allow us to make great steps toward our financial vision, which we hope will be supported for two to three years by a foundation such as the Valley Foundation. Goal number four details the core elements of this aspect.

SFTH has, in fact, been aware of the importance of finding regular funding since its inception. To begin addressing this issue, we planned for and recently hired a proposal writing professional to help us prepare solicitation requests and to generate an overall fundraising strategy. His goal is to help ensure that we have more than twice as many proposals pending consideration on an ongoing basis as is needed to meet each year’s operating needs. This will likely include funding requests with 5 to 10 foundations on an ongoing basis. In addition, our experience suggests that we will be able to engage the significant involvement of local and national businesses as corporate sponsors and in-kind contributors, once we gain some momentum with our program expansion. We also believe that the State of California will have significant financial options for after-school programs within 2 to 3 years as the requirements of Proposition 49 (passed about two years ago) come on line with the improvement of California’s budget picture. SFTH’s track record of success is keeping us in line to receive some of these funds in the future.

To document this progress, we are currently preparing materials that describe our services and/or otherwise conform to our mission. We have also started by working with policy and community leaders in both Richmond and Hayward. Over the past 4 years the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Governor Gray Davis, Mayor Irma Anderson-Richmond, Mayor Roberta Cooper-Hayward, the Chief of Police in Oakland, the Chief of Police-Richmond Gang Task Enforcement, and many local and civic leaders have recognized the impact we have made on impressionable young people. Our website shows their words of encouragement. Partnerships and collaborative agreements with local municipalities including the City of Hayward, the United States Tennis Association, the Hayward Police Department, Chabot College, and Hayward State Univ. will help insure a strong population from which to hire and train qualified staff. We also expect that some young people will continue to remain involved with the program over the course of a number of years and will help as peer mentors for future participants.

The attached budget indicates the breadth of successes to date (the funding secured for the 2004-2005 fiscal year) as well as an overview of the funding proposals active for the 2005-06 fiscal year. These are noted in the pending section of the budget.

Staff/Program Bios:

'Coach Clifford Chapman is a former professional tennis player with extensive experience in teaching young people and working collectively with other sporting professionals. His resume is available upon request, as is the program coordinator who works with our project coaching staff. In addition, the established contacts we have and our desire to connect the program to local and county volunteer services will play a significant role in making sure our mentoring and instructional staff is strong, committed and reflective of the demographics of the young people in the program. We also expect that some young people will continue to remain involved with the program over the course of a number of years and will help as peer mentors for future participants.

SFTH provides anger management and conflict resolution training for all staff, coaches and volunteers. All of our coaches attend yearly certification classes and workshops through our professional youth sports affiliates (United States Tennis Association) NJB (National Junior Basketball League) NJTL (National Junior Tennis League) NFL (National Football League) and AAU (Amateur Athletic Union-Junior Olympics. Each organization maintains strict code of ethics and mandatory national trainings and workshops for all affiliate partners and their staff/coaches. Instructors and volunteers meet weekly to discuss the needs of particular young people, parents, and the programs overall. Future goals will include strengthening this element as the program grows.

Evaluation

Studies show that in non-traditional inner-city sports like tennis and golf, minority kids need to have athletes with whom they can identify with or they will lose interest quickly. Thanks to the success of Venus and Serena Williams and Tiger Woods, the time is right for Serve-n-Learn programs. We plan to build on our success by expanding our program into Hayward and other cities where they can be especially beneficial for inner city children and youth.

Our coaches evaluate students’ fitness before they learn to play, using an exercise test based on President Bush’s “Healthy Child Program.” Students pre-program fitness score is then compared with a post score at the program’s end. We likewise track changes in academic skills via pre- and post- standards-based assessments utilized by the outside facilitators for the supportive programs we offer in violence prevention, healthy nutrition, steroids, etc. Student, parent, and staff surveys help us document improvements in self-esteem and pro-social skills as well. We plan to develop an annual report to document our activities and success and to market our program to the community and prospective funders.

The project is built on personal and community empowerment. As such it is important for the young people to know that they have a voice in their own successes and futures. They participate directly in assessing their own skills, selecting teams, and practicing together. This teamwork method allows the students to also form positive relationships with their coaches and the many wonderful volunteer professional athletes that have agreed to spend time with our children.

In 2004 the 146 Serve-n-Learn students improved their overall physical fitness by 100% and improved their healthy eating habits. Highlights included: Boys basketball teams (ages 9-11) participated in the Junior Olympics; Soccer team qualified for the national AAU Soccer championships in Dallas Texas; Held the 4th Annual Tournament of Champions Richmond Tennis Tournament Hosted by Mayor Irma Anderson; and appeared on KRON 4 News demonstrating their tennis skills. Our Serve-n-Learn students have traditionally done well in attitude adjustments, anger management, tennis skills, and academic improvement, that we have competed annually against 200 other students in a tennis skills competition at Stanford University, hosted by the USTA (United States Tennis Association). Serve-n-Learn students have done so well we were all (including parents) been invited to the Bank of The West Tennis Tournament for the third year in a row!