the bistro off broadway

text


Empowering Darke County Youth
provides After School and Summer Tutoring programs
to assist students in the areas of language arts and math
with the goal of
Strong Students for a Strong Community.


Empowering Darke County Youth
We need YOU!
Fundraising • Volunteering • Donations • Snacks & Supplies
Find out how you can help:
empoweringyouth101@gmail.com
Facebook: Empowering Darke County Youth
P.O. Box 1113, Greenville, Ohio 45331
c/o Tribute Funeral Homes, 1000 N. Broadway, Greenville, Ohio 45331

text
Empowering Darke County Youth is a United Way Partner Agency
  

Please thank the United Way, our Sponsors and our Donors for their support

Diamond Sponsors
Darke County United Way • Greenville Eagles 2177

Platinum Sponsors
Harry D. Stephens Memorial
• Bistro Off Broadway
Lydia Schaurer Memorial Trust  •  Ketrow Foundation
Tribute Funeral Homes

Service & Support
Rapid Printing • Edison State Community College
Greenville City School District • Ed Ault, CPA

Gold Sponsors
Dave Knapp Ford Lincoln
Zechar Bailey Funeral Home

Silver Sponsors
Greenville National Bank
  •  Second National Bank
Ramco Electric Motors  •  Rotary Club of Greenville
Lambda Chi Omega Society •
First Presbyterian Church

Bronze Sponsors
  Kiwanis of Greenville • Littman Thomas Agency
MJS Plastics  •  Mark & Cindy Libert  •  Scott Zumbrink
Rolling 50s Car Club •
Al & Lyn Bliss
  
Empowering Display Sponsors
Bistro Off Broadway  •  Greenville Eagles 2177  •  Leis Realty
Medicine & More  •  Second National Bank  •  Tribute Funeral Homes
Dave Knapp Ford Lincoln  • 
Littman Thomas Agency
Hothead Burritos  •  Furniture Express  • 
Flaig Lumber
Zechar Bailey Funeral Home  •  Rapid Printing

Empowering Donors
Whirlpool Corporation • Al & Barbara Greiner • Aktion Club
Greenville Federal Bank • Eileen Litchfield
 Families of Students being Tutored

Empowering Darke County Youth Board of Directors
Eric Fee, President
Susi Halley, Vice President
Rhonda Williams, Secretary
Lyn Bliss, Treasurer
Kay Sloat, Assistant Program Coordinator
Chelsea Jones, Volunteer Coordinator
Board Members
Doreen Larson, Jody Harter, Amanda Olson
Jerrod Newland, Melissa Eve,
Brittany Ullman
Executive Director
Bob Robinson

text
Empowering Darke County Youth... About Us
Dedicated to empowering the kids in our community
By Bob Robinson, Program Coordinator
Updated March 17, 2018

A multitude of sources, including Education Week, Reading Horizons, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) and more, indicate students who are unable to read at grade level by the end of third grade are more likely to become high school drop-outs. Factors such as poverty – as found in many areas of Darke County – increase this likelihood.

According to ODE, students who read at their grade level by the third grade are five times as likely to be college-bound or ready for their career employment choices. Put another way, that means those who can’t read at their grade level are five times LESS likely to reach their goals. Assuming they have any at that point. ODE further notes a full one-third of all students entering college require remedial courses in order to meet the demands of college work. This lack of basics for college-bound students does not translate well for those just trying to get through high school.

For eight years I was privileged to be a founding director of the Senior Scribes Scholarship Fund. This organization, among others, provided scholarships to talented, high-achieving young people, many of whom have been students of mine. I am proud of them and their accomplishments. These young people have mostly been high-achievers throughout their primary and secondary educational careers.  At the same time, I tutor many college students who need remedial support to meet their educational goals.

In Darke County, as many as one out of 10 students either don’t graduate on time, or end up dropping out of school. Considerable focus is now being placed on these at-risk high school students. These programs are immensely important. There also needs to be a focus, however, for intervention BEFORE a student reaches that point. A significant area of a child’s learning, self-worth and development is gained in the primary grades of kindergarten through four. This is also a time when a child who, for a variety of reasons, may not get the mentoring and support needed outside of school.

As one teacher recently put it… “If a child is having difficulty in kindergarten and isn’t helped at that point, the lack of success will build each year as the child struggles through his or her grade levels. Eventually it will become engrained. It is easier to address those needs in a child’s early years.” This teacher – and her fellow teachers – are talented and dedicated. I have substituted in the classrooms of most of them. It is literally impossible to give the one-on-one dedication some children might require in a class of 25 or more students. Schools do the best they can with limited resources. An additional support system of some kind is needed for these “at-risk” children.

I’ve been a substitute teacher working with these kids for six years. I’ve been tutoring at the primary and secondary level for the last four years. I quickly discovered the needs went beyond my ability to meet them. All of this came to light in March of 2016, to some extent due to a mother whose children I had worked with. She insisted other children receive the same help her children had received.

As a result, Empowering Darke County Youth was formed. At that time II was working with eight elementary students, two more than I’d originally intended. Volunteers began working with another two. The following summer, seven tutors worked with 43 students at the Greenville Library. I can’t begin to thank Director John Vehre and his staff enough for making their facility available to us.

As fall approached we knew many of these students would continue to need help. Fewer hours were available for one-on-one tutoring, and many more students would need an extra boost, help with homework or both.

Frankly, how to handle the needs of a potentially large number of students was overwhelming. As generous as the library has been, there was a concern that too many students would interfere with its operations. Fortunately, thanks to Dean Chad Beanblossom, Edison State Community College, Darke County Campus, and Greenville City Schools, there is a solution… Edison State students provide a volunteer base for the program, the needed space is available at the Edison State DCC and the transportation there was provided by GCSD.

An After School Program was established to provide a place where kids could come for tutoring, mentoring, shared reading and writing, indoor games and activities and more. By November 2016, 59 students were enrolled. Some were tutored in the basics they need to succeed at their grade level. Many simply used the place – with help available – for their homework. Our student to adult ratio ranged from 3 to 1 to 5 to 1. Our goal is 2 to 1; volunteers are needed.

The 2017-18 program moved to the new Greenville K-8 campus, and is currently available to students from K-8. Edison State continues to offer its students, many of whom are going to school for elementary education. It is a win-win situation. Due to the success of the previous year's programs, demand for Empowering services nearly doubled, overwhelming our ability to meet all the needs. There were 79 requests for the After School Program the first week alone, and a waiting list had to be established. Similar requests exceeded our resources for our countywide Summer Tutoring Program. We need additional help.

It is a tremendous undertaking and will require significant resources for state-approved paid adults, volunteers, supplies, reading and writing materials and more. Empowering Darke County Youth is a United Way community service organization. We have seated a Board of Directors to help guide the implementation of this program. Empowering Darke County Youth was designated a 501c3 non-profit organization by the Internal Revenue Service in September, 2016.

Our Board currently includes President Eric Fee, owner of Tribute Funeral Homes, Vice President Kendra Chalmers, concerned parent, Treasurer Susie Miller, Edison State DCC Resource Specialist, Secretary Rhonda Williams, OSU Extension, Doreen Larson, president Edison State Community College, Jody Harter, principal Woodland Heights Primary, Bob Robinson, Edison State instructor and substitute teacher, Melissa Eve, Edison State Instructor and Resources Specialist, and Michael Chalmers, concerned parent. We are proud of the group of adults that has come together for these kids.

For a variety of reasons the needs of Darke County’s young people are tremendous. This undertaking will only be scratching the surface, but it is a start. We want – and need – your help.

The Empowering Mission: Empowering Darke County Youth is a United Way Partner Agency providing After School and Summer Tutoring programs to assist students in the areas of language arts and math with the goal of Strong Students for a Strong Community.

For more information or to ask how you can help, contact us at empoweringdarkecountyyouth@gmail.com or message us on our Facebook page, Empowering Darke County Youth.

Editor’s Note: This is the summary – updated – that I wrote in March 2016 to explain the concept when the Empowering Darke County Youth organization was established.

  Return to Empowering Darke County Youth News & Information... Click Here
  

See what Edison Student Volunteers have to say about the After School Program
... Click Here


 
senior scribes

County News Online

is a Fundraiser for the Senior Scribes Scholarship Committee. All netprofits go into a fund for Darke County Senior Scholarships
contact
Copyright © 2011 and design by cigs.kometweb.com