Scholars unlimited
Jeremys
ScholarsUnlimited.pptxWelcome to Scholars Unlimited & Next Generation City Builders!
‹#›
Introductions & Quick Icebreaker
Please tell us a little about yourself!
Your Name & Major
If you have not declared a major yet, please tell us one of your favorite academic concentrations.
What is the first thing you plan to do when things return back to normal?
Visit your favorite restaurant, museum, or sporting event?
An activity?
Volunteer?
Brief Biographies of Presenters
Diana Romero Campbell
President
Diana joined Scholars Unlimited as President in July 2017. She was already a fan of the organization: in her prior role as Director of Early Learning and Education at Mile High United Way, Diana monitored the work of 32 partner agencies -- including Scholars Unlimited -- and developed a keen appreciation of Scholars Unlimited's literacy intervention programs. Diana holds a bachelors degree in International Affairs from the University of Colorado at Denver; earned a Masters of Nonprofit Management from Regis University; and is a candidate for a doctoral degree in Education, Leadership and Policy Studies from the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver.
Brief Biographies of Presenters
Jennie Merrigan
Program Director
Jennie started as Program Director in January 2017 -- but this isn't her first stint with Scholars Unlimited. She joined our organization in 2007 as a Youth Development Instructor, then served as a Site Coordinator at several sites. In 2010, she was promoted to a Program Specialist position, where she worked until leaving us for a Senior Supervisor position with Denver Public Schools' Department of Extended Learning. Jennie is a return Peace Corps volunteer, having served in Vanuatu as a teacher trainer. Jennie holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, with an emphasis in elementary education. She recalls that as a child, her favorite book was The Giving Tree "because it was comforting to me."
Brief Biographies of Presenters
Ryan Schrier
Development Director
Ryan brings over twelve years of non-profit experience to Scholars Unlimited, as well as a decade in high tech. Prior to joining Scholars Unlimited, he served as Project Bread’s Director of the Walk for Hunger in Boston Massachusetts, and held other leadership and revenue generating positions at ACT on Drugs, Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute, Warren Village, and IBM.
Scholars Unlimited History
For over twenty-seven years, Scholars Unlimited (formerly Summer Scholars) has partnered with public schools located in Denver, Aurora, and Westminster, community organizations, and families to meet the needs of children in underserved communities throughout metro Denver. At our foundational core, we offer our comprehensive programs in an after-school setting as well as over the summer months.
‹#›
Scholars Unlimited Mission
Scholars Unlimited Mission is to foster academic, social, and emotional growth for children in low-income communities around metro Denver.
Our commitment is to:
Help students master critical academic skills.
Broaden students’ views of the world around them.
Spark imaginations and inspire a passion for learning.
Help students build an unlimited belief in themselves.
Partner to create brighter futures for kids in communities we serve.
Scholars Unlimited Believes:
Our Mission: We foster academic, social, and emotional growth for children in low-income communities around metro Denver.
Our Vision: An unwavering commitment to empower students to achieve academic and personal success.
Our Values: A belief in every child’s potential; A belief in cultivating lifelong learners; and, A belief in the power of every child, family, and community.
Scholars Unlimited Program Overview:
We provide our out-of-school-time programs to our families at no cost. Our programs support the development of the whole child, by providing intensive literacy intervention, engaging enrichment activities, recreation, and positive youth development practices that support social-emotional learning. This approach is considered a "best practice" for out-of-school-time learning programs.
We provide comprehensive summer and after-school learning programs:
Tutoring and academic learning supports.
Enrichment and recreation.
Positive youth development.
Helping Students Beat The Odds
Nearly all of our Scholars Unlimited students qualify for free school meals (over 90%).
Attend low-performing schools in underserved neighborhoods
Four out of 10 come from families in which English is a second language
Only one-third live in two-parent households … and 15 percent live with a custodial relative or in foster care.
Most are struggling readers, and many are at least one full grade below grade level in reading.
Questions Part 1
Let’s pause here for questions before we dive into the Challenge!
What can we revisit about Scholars Unlimited before we continue?
What can we expand on?
Welcome to Next Generation City Builders!
A Partnership Between:
Denver Public Schools
The City of Denver
Scholars Unlimited
And...
...And Our Industry Partners.
What is STEM?
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, including Computer Science
In an ever-changing, increasingly complex world, it's more important than ever that our nation's youth are prepared to bring knowledge and skills to solve problems, make sense of information, and know how to gather and evaluate evidence to make decisions. These are the kinds of skills that students develop in science, technology, engineering, and math—disciplines collectively known as STEM. If we want a nation where our future leaders, neighbors, and workers have the ability to understand and solve some of the complex challenges of today and tomorrow, and to meet the demands of the dynamic and evolving workforce, building students' skills, content knowledge, and fluency in STEM fields is essential.
https://www.ed.gov/stem
‹#›
What is the Next Generation City Builders Program?
A program to enable youth to engage deeply in STEM-based learning opportunities, as they explore city building activities which will include the following:
We ran this Enrichment offering at 3 previous school sites.
Six week summer program starting in June.
Each day, a 2.5 hour block will include a variety of activities designed to spark student interest in STEM-related activities and fields, and demonstrate to students how STEM permeates most things – including city design and building.
Engineering projects using evidence-based curriculum from SAE International.
Daily Makerspace on site to explore building and Legos to inspire architecture.
Community mapping.
‹#›
What is the Next Generation City Builders Program?
(Con’t) A program to enable youth to engage deeply in STEM-based learning opportunities as they explore city building activities, which will include the following:
Walking tours of city buildings and structures to see the “inner workings” of community facilities such as swimming pools, recreation centers, water treatment facilities, etc. which in part will be offered by industry partners
Speakers from a cross section of STEM fields. Previous speakers included traffic planners and traffic engineers, water engineers, and programmers from a variety of industries. Future possibilities include home designers and builders, solar engineers, and more. Scholars Unlimited will continue to actively seek female and minority speakers who can serve as inspirations and role models to students enrolled in the program.
Previous City Student Demographics:
Previous Summer Results
355 total students attended NGCB programs at 3 school locations.
108 total hours students spent in STEM instructions & related activities.
14 Industry sponsors.
7 customized volunteer events.
What the students said:
81% of students want to know more about a career in STEM.
85% of students would like to attend NGCB in the future.
90% of students would like to know more about STEM activities because of NGCB.
93% of students learned a new skill from NGCB.
What makes the summer experience unique?
Benefits of summer STEM learning:
Gives students the freedom to explore in a low-pressure environment- enabling them to deepen and broaden their knowledge.
Allows for applied, hands-on learning that connects to real-world interests and concerns, and exposes students to STEM careers.
Generates interest in STEM and gets all kids involved from traditionally underserved and underrepresented populations, and especially students who do not think of themselves as “math and science” kids.
Summer STEM learning is a vital complement to classroom learning, not a luxury or unnecessary supplement.
Summer STEM cultivates broadly applicable skills such as problem solving, expression of ideas, and collaborative learning.
Challenge: Strengthen Relationships (Part 1)
Connections: Making the right connections with our industry partners:
What advertising mediums (print/digital/other forms) do potential decision makers use today to find programs like Next Generation City Builders (NGCB)?
Leadership and other decision-making employees at (Industry Partners):
Construction Companies
Engineering Firms
What is it that makes industry partners tick?
How do we share previous successes with new decision makers?
How do we encourage more repeat business with Scholars Unlimited?
Challenge: Strengthen Relationships (Part 2)
Brand: What branding do we need for Next Generation City Builders?
Do we need a tagline? Logo? Other?
How would you suggest alignment with our current Logo?
Challenge: Strengthen Relationships (Part 3)
Message: Scholars Unlimited and NGCB - Messaging Matrix
Using the information collected from what makes industry partners tick, what messages/discussion points do we need to craft for key topics or issues important to the industry partners (construction companies and engineering firms)?
Challenge: Strengthen Relationships (Part 4)
Tools: Help Scholars Unlimited strengthen our reach with new marketing tools:
Help us create a 5 to 7 slide marketing pitch deck (no more than ten slides please) for interested decision makers, that captures our brand, message, and key points on NGCB in a succinct and clear manner.
AND, help us create a one-page document that functions in a similar manner to a pitch deck. Think of a one-page information document that speaks to NGCB.
Questions Part 2?
Let’s pause again for questions. This is a lot to process. :-)
Strengthen Relationships is the main Challenge:
Connections: Making the right connections with our industry partners.
Brand: Do we need a tagline? Logo? Other? How would you suggest alignment with our current Logo?
Message: Scholars Unlimited and NGCB - Messaging Matrix
Tools: Help Scholars Unlimited strengthen our reach with new marketing tools.
Helpful References:
https://www.facebook.com/DenverChildrensAffairs/videos/1726882630733839/
https://scholarsunlimited.org/
Ryan Schrier
Director of Development - Scholars Unlimited
Please look forward to
A shared folder with all Business Challenge materials!
A question portal for further helpful information!
THANK YOU!
