| Say Yes To Education E-Newsletter |
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Greetings!
As we prepare to begin the 2011-2012 school year, we say farewell to another exciting Say Yes summer. The summer began with SCSD graduations in June, followed by Summer Institute, summer camps, a new OCC program, the Say Yes Summer Festival, and much more.
We look forward to working collaboratively with the SCSD and our community partners to expand support programming into the Nottingham Quadrant this Fall, beginning with the availability of after school and other support services at H.W. Smith, Ed Smith and Percy Hughes Schools.
Feel free to forward this E-newsletter to colleagues, friends and family. If you have any suggestions, comments or questions, please contact us directly at info@sayyessyracuse.org. If you would like to unsubscribe to this newsletter please click on the link below.
Enjoy!
The Say Yes Staff |
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Syracuse Says YES to Summer
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Over 2500 SCSD K-5 children participated in Say Yes Summer Camp during the month of July at one of 17 school locations. The children spent 4 weeks engaged in academics in the mornings and enrichment activities in the afternoon. The summer camp program culminated with the Say Yes Summer Festival at Thornden Park. Students showcased their skills and talents to nearly 1000 family and community members throughout the day. Many thanks to the nearly 100 volunteers who helped to make the day run smoothly. |
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Nearly 300 local college students representing 46 colleges and universities were hired as Enrichment Specialists to lead a full range of enrichment activities this summer in the Say Yes summer camps. Enrichment activities included dance, music, art, drama, sports, leadership and community engagement. Fifty seven of this year's Enrichment Specialists were also Say Yes scholars, which means they attend college tuition free through the support of the Say Yes program. |
Enrichment Specialists were trained in the Say Yes Summer Institute in late June. Summer Institute is a week-long intensive program that incorporates project-based lesson planning, cultural relevance, engagement strategies, and leadership development. Syracuse University faculty, community artists, and SCSD teachers and administrators prepared the enrichment specialists to lead engaging programs with students.
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SAY YES STUDENTS & SCHOOLS RECEIVE MAYOR'S READING CHALLENGE AWARD Syracuse City Mayor Stephanie Miner awarded 6 Say Yes students and 3 schools with prizes for reading the most minutes during their Say Yes summer camp experience. The Mayor challenged students in all 17 Say Yes camps to see who could read the most during the month of July. Click here to find out the winners! |
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OCC & SAY YES LAUNCH SUMMER SUCCESS ACADEMY FOR INCOMING FRESHMEN
Thirty eight Syracuse City District School graduates who will be attending Onondaga Community College this fall recently completed the Say Yes Summer Success Academy (SYSSA) at OCC. SYSSA is a five-week residential program created to prepare students for the challenges of college life. The program ran from July 10 - August 12.
During the five weeks, students lived in OCC's residence and dining halls, took OCC courses, received academic support from tutors and mentors, enjoyed weekend field trips and got a jump-start on college life and academic studies. Click here to read more! |
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SAY YES STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN YOUTH IMPACT SUMMER PROGRAM
The second annual Youth Impact Program (YIP) held at Syracus e University throughout the month of July wrapped up another successful program. Nearly 100 sixth, seventh and eighth grade boys in Ed Smith School, Clary Middle School, H.W. Smith School, and Frazer Pre-K - 8, attended the camp held at the Lampe Athletics Complex. 
Syracuse University athletics academic coordinator Joe Fields directed the program, which included classroom work in mathematics, language and writing each morning followed by a life skills sessions led by 100 Black Men, a football chalk talk, and concluded with a full contact football practice session. Click here to learn more! |
| WCNY, SAY YES DEVELOP STAY IN SCHOOL CAMPAIGN
Using funds from an American Graduate Grant, WCNY and Say Yes to Education are teaming up to help middle-school students transition to high school without dropping out. The campaign, called "Say Yes to Success" will ask 8th graders from Huntington, Westside Academy at Blodgett, Hughes Middle School and Clary Magnet to sign a personal pledge to stay in school and will utilize multimedia peer-to-peer commercials, a 1/2 hour TV show, a website and social media outreach to reinforce the stay-in-school message. Enrichment programs focused on the need to stay in school to achieve career success will also be integrated into the campaign, as well as community awareness, education, and engagement, specifically as volunteer mentors in the SCSD.The grant period is from July 1 - December 31, 2011. |
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DEVELOPMENT
SAY YES SYRACUSE DRAWS LOCAL AND NATIONAL ATTENTION
The innovative and comprehensive nature of Syracuse Say Yes is attracting the attention of national funders and local community groups alike. In mid-July the Wallace and Annie E. Casey Foundations each came to visit Syracuse to see our program in action and visit the Near West Side - home to the Say Yes Syracuse headquarters.
Local organizations also see the natural relationship between Say Yes and neighborhood revitalization. The University Neighborhood Preservation Association (UNPA) recently contributed $1,100 to Say Yes to Education.
Click here to read more! |
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LEGAL CLINICS
2011-2012 SAY YES LEGAL CLINIC HOURS ANNOUNCED
The Say Yes Legal Clinics will re-open once the 2011-2012 school year begins.The free clinics are staffed by Syracuse attorneys and paralegals during the academic school year. Any parent or student in the District can attend a walk-in clinic regardless of whether their child is a student at another SCSD school. Click here for locations and hours. |
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FAMILY SUPPORT
CONTINUED SERVING FAMILIES THROUGH SUMMER
Family Support for Student Success continued to serve nearly 200 families throughout the summer, helping them to identify and remove barriers to student success in preparation for school year 2011/2012. As we head into the upcoming school year, Family Support will begin accepting referrals from the Eastside schools at which time we will be accepting referrals for families with students at all of the schools in the Syracuse City School District. |
PROMISE ZONE
SYRACUSE MODEL USED FOR STATE TRAINING VIDEO
The NYS Office of Mental Health has requested that the Syracuse Promise Zone initiative make a "how to" video to support other communities in putting together a similar model. The video will showcase the outstanding level of collaboration and partnership between the School District, Say Yes to Education, the Onondaga County Department of Mental Health and community based organizations in the creation of the Promise Zone. Such partnerships can often be very challenging but in Syracuse, we have broken down barriers and been able to move toward the same goal together-- to create an efficient and effective support system for children experiencing emotional and behavioral challenges. |
| HIGHER ED
Since 2009, Say Yes to Education has awarded over $2M in grants to students attending SUNY Colleges. Here's the breakdown:
2009 - 2010 $521,000
2010 - 2011 $809,000
2011 - to date $850,457 |
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
After school programming will once again be offered at all SCSD elementary schools, expanding into H.W. Smith, Ed Smith and Percy Hughes Schools as we move into the Nottingham Quadrant. After School programs include academic and enrichment activities presented in collaboration with SCSD and community based organizations. Applications for after school programs will be forthcoming once school begins. Contact your school for more information. |
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SAY YES STAFF
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Kristi Eck |
Congratulations to Kristi Eck, former Site Director at Frazer Pre K - 8 , for her recent promotion to Assistant to the Operating Director & Higher Education Program Specialist. In her new position, Kristi is responsible for developing retention programs with higher education institutions to assist our Say Yes Scholars. She also assists Pat Driscoll, Operating Director, in various capacities. To contact Kristi, click here.
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Stephanie Costner |
Stephanie Costner joined the Say Yes team to lead the Verizon SAT/College Prep Academy. Through a variety of structured programming, this newly created collegiate preparatory academy will prepare, engage and support Syracuse High School students as they transition from secondary to post-secondary education.
Click here to read more. |
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CONNECT WITH US!
 
Watch for our next E-Newsletter in late Fall! |
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CONGRATULATIONS 2011 GRADUATES |
Congratulations to the over 900 students who graduated from SCSD high schools in June. Say Yes is working diligently to ensure that college tuition is covered for all graduates who meet residency and college entry requirements into Say Yes partner institutions.
Click here to find out more |
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SAY YES SCHOLAR SPOTLIGHT
(click on their name to read their story)
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Meet Abby Harrington
Syracuse University
2009 Corcoran Graduate
Say Yes Scholar
Meet Trequaill Brunson
Onondaga Community College
2009 Nottingham Graduate
Say Yes Scholar | |
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Fifty seven Say Yes Scholars worked as Enrichment Specialists in the 2011 Say Yes Summer Camps! The Scholars were among 300 local college students representing 46 colleges and universities. The Scholars led a full range of enrichment activities, including dance, music, art, drama, sports, leadership and community engagement activities. This fall many will be serving as Say Yes Ambassadors at their respective colleges to recruit student volunteers, mentors, and tutors. They will also speak to SCSD high school students about the importance of staying focused on academics so that they can reach their dreams of going to college. |
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Contributions to the Say Yes to Education Fund, administered by our partner the Central New York Community Foundation are matched dollar-for-dollar by the Community Foundation, Say Yes to Education, Inc. and SRC, Inc, up to $7 M before the end of 2013.
The fund provides full tuition scholarships to Syracuse City School District graduates who attend SUNY/CUNY colleges and universities.
For more information
click here to contact Lisa Moore
Director of Development
Syracuse Say Yes to Education
There are several ways to
SAY YES
1. Mail your check to:
Central New York
Community Foundation
431 East Fayette Street, Ste 100
Syracuse, NY 13202
2. Donate Online by clicking here.
3. TEXT COLLEGE to 27722*
A $10 donation will be added to your mobile phone bill/ deducted from your prepaid account. Msg and Data Rate May Apply. Reply STOP to 27722 to stop. Full Terms: mGive.org/T. Privacy Policy |
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A SAY YES SALUTE TO
COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER
Stephanie Breed
Stephanie Breed, a 2011 graduate of Fayetteville-Manlius High School, distributed over 300 free books to Bellevue Summer Session students in July. Breed's program, Books Are Food For Thought, aims to increase literacy by bringing donated children's books to schools and community organizations in the city of Syracuse. All Bellevue students in grades K-4 selected three books of their choice to take home. Over the past two years, Ms. Breed has provided books to Bellevue in the Say Yes AfterSchool program. In the fall, Ms. Breed will enroll as a full time student at Syracuse University.
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CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
If you would like to join the hundreds of other college students and community members who are saying YES to making a difference in the lives of Syracuse children please click here to volunteer!
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