Tower of Babble

New Year's Resolutions

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Happy New Year to you and your families! Here at Discovering Options we hope to accomplish a great deal in the New Year, and to get the year started on a positive note, we have some resolutions:

To increase our number of friends on our Facebook page

To encourage and support parents whose children do not have IEP's but need them, to write the letters to the school to start the process.

To get more testimonials from the parents and children we have served

To move fearlessly into the realm of the capital campaign to identify the support that exists and to determine the resources needed to secure a building in which we can deliver PREP

To eliiminate our waiting list of children who want mentors.

From all of us to all of you: Have a happy and healthy new year!

A Little Time Goes a Long Way

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Sometimes when I tell people about what I do, they seem shocked that I often visit families in their homes in poverty stricken neighborhoods or impressed that we are able to get so many families involved in our programs. They ask if I’m scared to go to people’s homes in “bad neighborhoods� or if the families we serve are abusive or neglectful of their children. Since I know that what we do may be outside of many people’s experience, I take this opportunity to educate them and give the families we serve credit for all their strengths.

In my experience with Discovering Options families over the last three years, overwhelmingly our families care deeply for their children and want them to do something positive, to have new opportunities, and to do something more for themselves. When I go on home visits, parents are welcoming and excited about their child participating in a new activity. They encourage their children and are proud when they come home with a new skill or a project that they did that day. They may not always know how to solve the problems that they are presented, but they are extremely resourceful and often come to our staff with questions about how to help their kids do better academically, socially, or behaviorally. Every day, our families continue to navigate a system that is often filled with obstacles and challenges in order to provide for their needs. Our kids and families are extraordinarily resilient, and giving them the opportunities that we do at PREP builds on their individual strengths and introduces them to a world outside of their neighborhood. I am glad when people are impressed at what we do; we work hard to improve the lives of the children and families we serve. But at the core of it is that we simply care, which is an easy thing to do. Every child wants to be important to someone. Become a mentor. Become a volunteer. A little time goes a long way in making a difference.

Why do we sponsor families during the holidays?

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

This is the second year I have organized holiday sponsorships for the families of Discovering Options. Although sponsoring families is not written into our mission statement it has become an annual tradition we look forward to every year.

The Discovering Options staff looks into the eyes of poverty every day. Every day we see holes in the lives of our families and children that we do not always have the means to fix. We work hard on fixing the holes in their hearts that stem from lack of education and poverty, but the holes in the walls, the holes in the teeth, the holes in the socks, the holes in the pantry are not services we can deliver on a day to day basis.

The holidays are particularly hard for our families, especially this year. Sponsoring families gives the staff a chance to survey and assess our neediest families and provide the bridge between members of our community who wish to share their giving spirit with those less fortunate.

Jackie Willard

It Doesn't Take Much

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Last week, Miss Deborah, our volunteer who regularly staffs the "PREP Store" was absent, so Miss Kel and I worked the store together. The "store" is part of our behavior managment system for the children who attend PREP. Children earn tickets by demonstrating good citizenship, good choices, good coping skills and at the end of each week the child can use tickets to purchase something at the store, or they can bank their tickets and save for a big item. Our inventory includes: toothpaste, toothbrushes, chapstick, lip gloss, art supplies, pencils, hot wheels, hats, gloves, socks, t-shirts, uniform shirts, deodorant, stickers, tatoos, erasers, games, puzzles, books, balls, notebooks, playdough and lots of cool kid-friendly things we pick up at the dollar store. Apparently, I am a soft touch, because I ran a few specials (like if you bought toothpaste, I threw in a free toothbrush) and by 5:00 the store was depleted and the fourth and fifth graders hadn't been there yet!! If you have shampoo samples or any of the items listed above, or care to donate any of the items listed above we will put them in the store. The children LOVE the store and it is fun to teach them about saving, delaying gratification and smart shopping!

An Apology

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

We released our November newsletter late yesterday and made a huge oversight. We neglected to include the logo of one of our largest and longest funding agencies the Mental Health Board. Ironically, this particular issue of PREP TALK is all about gratitude. We have always been and remain grateful for the support of the Mental Health Board. We would not be able to bring meaningful, innovative afterschool programming to impoverished children in the City of St. Louis without the support of the Mental Health Board. I hope all of the staff and board members of the Mental Health Board will accept our apologies and know that we remain grateful for their suport, guidance and investment in our work. www.stlmhb.com/

Playing a Part- Changing Lives

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Mentoring is fun stuff. I know mentors enjoy spending time alone with their kids and giving them the individual attention they all seem to want. And that is where the deeper relationships develop. But there is a lot to be said for the monthly group activities as well. Doing things with the kids that they have never before experienced is especially fun. One weekend they went to a lake in the country. Some had never been fishing before. Some had never been on a lake. Or even seen a lake. Or even been out of the city.

Mentoring makes you reflective. You start realizing how privileged and blessed some people’s childhoods are. You see how some kids don’t have the luxury of safe neighborhoods or have adults in their lives who take them to experience new places and things. Resources are scarce so kids cannot take advantage of the plethora of cultural experiences our city offers. Horizons are narrowed. Opportunities are missed. Less hope is felt about the future.

Mentoring changes lives. Kids get to sample what’s out there. They become more discerning consumers. They discover hidden talents and latent interests. The world expands before their eyes. Their futures brighten. And you know you played a part.

PREP's Got Talent!

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Walk into Elementary PREP on a Thursday afternoon, and you might see some interesting activity – kids singing, dancing, or creating their own special scenes on huge paper. For the past several weeks, the kids have been working on a talent show to present to their families in the last week of PREP. But it’s not any ordinary talent show – the kids have each chosen a performance that reflects their unique heritage. We’ll have salsa dancing, an African song and dance, and the tango, just to name a few! The PREP talent show has given the kids an opportunity to learn more about their own cultures as well as to appreciate others’ differences.

They have practiced not only their songs and dances, but also patience, perseverance, teamwork, and problem solving. Shy kids have overcome some of their fears to get up in front of the group. Kids who might sometimes make fun of others have supported their peers in their efforts. To watch them work on preparing this show has reminded me how amazing our kids are and how important PREP is to help them realize their full potential and keep showcasing their own special talents, whatever they may be.

The Difference

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

One of the questions I am frequently asked is: “What sets Discovering Options apart from other after school programs?� It is a fair question. There are several strategies Discovering Options employs that makes its approach unique and holistic. The first is that we enroll all of the children in our programs through a home enrollment visit. We meet families where they are. Going to the family solves a number of logistical challenges, like transportation, but mainly we create a personal connection with the families and start establishing trust and rapport in their living rooms.

We rely on research based curriculum and practices to strengthen our programs and to increase our efficacy with the children we serve. I also think that the team works diligently to deliver curriculum that is action oriented, interesting and stays away from the didactic. Because we know each child that we serve we can match them with resources and services when and if the need arises. We also have a visiting therapist that sees about 15-20 of our students a week. Every day we acknowledge that coming into your own is a process and it is our charge to honor that process, guide children and arm them with the tools they need to stay healthy, safe and in school.

Events! Events! Events!

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Discovering Options held its Second Annual Golf Tournament at Norwood Hills this past September. Thank you to all of our sponsors, committee members, volunteers and golfers who made this event a huge success! You raised over $18,000.00 to fund quality programming for impoverished children living in the City of Saint Louis!

The events of 2008 have proved that our small organization is growing, and growing fast! With more attendants than ever before, we have outgrown previous event venues. Planning is already in the works for Trivia Night 2009. We are moving this year’s event to the Carpenters Hall on Hampton and we expect to fill all 300 seats. Please save the date for Trivia Night, February 29^th2009, online registration will be available as early as November!

Many of us can still recall the charm and elegance of the evening spent at the Four Seasons for our annual Gala, Cirque de la Vie. Your positive feedback has determined that we will use the Four Seasons, once again, for our gala in 2009. Please save the date for Cirque de la Vie, June 27^th 2009, and look forward to more details to follow!

YOU would make a GREAT mentor!

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

When you hear the word mentor, what comes to mind? Teacher? Advisor? Guidance counselor? Seasoned friend? Discovering Options has approximately 80 mentors and each would probably describe their roles a little differently. The common denominators and perhaps most important traits are “consistent" and “caring". Those are the mentor characteristics that impact our kids the most.

Many of our protégés have had more than their share of inconsistencies in their lives: frequent moves, new neighborhoods, change of schools, disrupted telephone and other utilities services. Often people in their lives show an inconsistent presence: parents sometimes drift in and out of their lives due to financial or emotional instabilities or incarceration. Children can interpret all of these events as people and the world in general just not caring about them. Some may take it further and believe “I’m not worth caring about".

Mentors, in offering nothing more than simple consistency and demonstrating a caring attitude, can help reverse that thinking and reestablish healthy self esteem. Positive self esteem increases the chances of the child making good choices for him/herself. Weaving additional things into the mentoring equation like exposure to new experiences, enjoying recreational outings together, pursuing proficiency in an academic or musical or physical activity further enhances a kid’s belief in himself and trust in adults.

PREP Reads

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Many of us remember our favorite books as kids, hearing that bedtime story, or staying up late to finish just one more chapter. Many bedrooms have bookshelves stuffed with books starting from early childhood, from fairy tales to more modern stories. Yet when I ask PREP kids what they like to do, very few of them mention reading, and many even turn up their nose at the idea of sitting down with a good book. A large percentage of children in the St. Louis Public Schools read well below grade level, so it’s no wonder that reading is seen more as a chore than a hobby.
Enter the literacy curriculum at Elementary PREP…each week, our classroom of 4^th and 5^th graders participate in activities designed to make reading fun. We might do Mad Libs to learn the parts of speech while laughing at the goofy stories that result, make up our own endings or illustrations for books, or host a talk show interviewing the characters of a book. Right now, we are reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing together at the end of each day, which is about a 4^th grade boy named Peter and his wild brother Fudge, who is always managing to do crazy things like cutting his own hair off or ruining Peter’s homework. The kids are fascinated by the story, giggle at Fudge’s goofy antics, and many can relate to having a younger sibling overshadowing and bothering them all the time. Read aloud time is relaxing and entertaining for the kids, but most importantly, it introduces them to reading as an enjoyable activity, which is crucial for improving their reading skills. The literacy curriculum at Elementary PREP is just one way that we help kids discover a world of options. -Amy Bahn

The View From up Here

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

I did mention a challenge didn't I? The one that looms largest is that our grant cycle for Middle School PREP is coming to an end in January 2009. The award was for $369,075.00 made in January 2006 for 36 months. 32 months into adjusting and correcting the curriculum, forms, procedures and most importantly the way we respond to the myriad of daily dramas and dilemnas presented by at-risk middle schoolers; we have developed the capacity and the desire to continue delivering Middle School PREP.

The obvious hurdle we have to clear is: where do we find the capital to continue delivering the program? I have been around long enough to remember that in the old days plenty of grants got year after year of funding and the product they delivered was just marginal. I want to keep Middle School PREP funded because it works and the kids love it, not because I want to keep funding. Middle Shcool PREP has been evaluated and we can validate the quality and efficacy of the program. But unless you are getting federal funding or BIG foundation dollars, grant awards don't seem to come in six figures. It is expensive to operate quality programs. Our biggest expense for Middle School PREP is salaries and benefits. Other significant expenses are contractual (For Middle School PREP our contractors are visting teachers like Playback Workshop Theater, Tai Chi and Yoga teachers and practicum students), actual program expenses and rent. So Most grant applicants are asked what their plan for sustainability of the project is once the grant period has concluded. Our plan is to evaluate the whole program, the program delivery process, to adjust the program accordingly, re-evaluate, assess the impact of the findings and report what we have learned.

Art With Us

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

One-by-one, bright eyed smiling faces trickled into the First Unitarian Church uncertain to the next step they would take. As the Mason Elementary sixth graders scattered and chattered to find their seats they were warmly welcomed to the next ten weeks of their lives: PREP.
This session of Middle School PREP promises to excite the most challenging of children. From Project Alert to cultural cooking, from a RAVEN Peace workshop to Circus Arts hosted by Abra-Kid-Abra, the children will be engaged in a variety of activities relevant to the challenges of adolescents.
After months of preparation, a particularly exciting partnership has been developed between the Saint Louis Art Museum and Middle School PREP. We are working with professional photographer, Ms. Lois Ingrum, to bring Art With Us to this culturally diverse group of sixth graders.
Children will learn through hands on experimentation how to look for a subject, how to relate to the subject being photographed and how to tell a story through the “eyes of the camera". The children will have one visit to the Saint Louis Art Museum to visit the Print Room and study the surrounding architecture in relation to the principles and elements of art.
Art With Us goes beyond arts and crafts and will give an in depth exploration of the world and art of photography, leaving our children with an enhanced life skill and fonder appreciation for the arts. As the children develop their photography skills you can look forward to the Middle School PREP Photography Exhibit to be held November 10^th, 2008! More details to follow. Say Cheese!!!

Jackie Willard
Communications Coordinator/ Middle School PREP

Here we go!

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

I am Charmaine and I am the Founder and Executive Director of Discovering Options. I got all excited when the team here at Discovering Options agreed to blog. Each of the four senior team members will post an entry once a month. So you will get four distinct views of our world from the trenches. September is my month. I hope that as the year rolls by, you will gain a clear understanding of who we are, our challenges and opportunities and how we are impacting the community!

Like many young non-profit organizations, Discovering Options has several immediate opportunities to explore and twice that many challenges to address. Our current opportunity is moving us closer to placement on a National Registry of Effective or Model Program, Practices and Policies. It is a rigorous process, but one that we started two years ago and have just recently met our second milestone. For the details, click here. Gaining entry onto a national registry like NREPP or OJJDP gives PREP credibility as the programs admitted to the registry have been throughly vetted and the outcomes are published. The next steps are for us to have multiple published journal articles and a control group study. It is truly a process, but we are on our way! Stay tuned.