•Little to no funding and support received from Clint ISD;

•Reduced funding from Texas Literacy Initiative (TLI) anticipated;

•Reduced funding and uncertainty from Texas Workforce Commission for Adult Education;

•Increased competition for grant funding from local, state and national foundations; and

•Little support from AVANCE National.

•Increased reporting requirements from funders;

•Increased demand for AVANCE programming;

•Financial insecurity within ISDs;

•Transition of funding source from TEA to TWC for Adult Education funding; and

•An oversaturated fundraising landscape.

Transition from Expansion to Enhancement

•Not increasing number of AVANCE Learning Centers;

•Offer a deeper level of engagement with current sites;

•Deeper knowledge of key vulnerabilities and key assets within each neighborhood;

•Involve the immediate surrounding community;

•A multi-pronged approach with three strategic focus areas:

•Educational attainment for both parents and children•Healthy neighborhoods•Economic and workforce Development

•Conversations with key community stakeholders;

•Strategic plan from 2011;

•Convened staff to assess challenges and vulnerabilities for AVANCE participants;

•Brainstormed additional services with staff;

•Internal planning and meeting with key staff; and

•Development of key community partnerships.

Phase 1:Stakeholder Input:•Board•Staff•Participant •Community Partners

Phase 2:•Develop detailed community profiles of AVANCE Learning Centers(Quantitative)• Detailed analysis of community data•Developmental Framework

Phase 3:•Detailed Asset Scat and Analysis of AVANCE Communities(Qualitative) •Begin to form key partnerships with community partners•Begin alignment of funding with strategic goals

Phase 4:•Community engagement strategies•Participant driven strategies•Strategic alignment with key community partners

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

Phase 4

Currently:

•School-based programming•PCEP •Early Childhood Development•Adult Literacy (ESL, GED)

In Development:

•Non School-based programming

•Churches•Community Centers•Housing Authority•Etc.

•Additional ESL w/ new community partners•College Prep for participants and AmeriCorps•Case management for AVANCE participants•Incredible Years programming

In Development:

•Non school-based programming;

•Fatherhood programming – Child Crisis Center;

•Benefits screenings – Texas Hunger Initiative;

•Food distribution – El Pasoans Fighting Hunger;

•Developmental screenings (advanced) – Project Launch;

•Asset Based Community Development.

In Development:

•Non school-based programming;

•Enhanced financial literacy component;

•Increased computer literacy activities;

•Workforce Development•Interview skills•Resume development•Job search and placement assistance•Career Exploration

•EL Civics – Advanced citizenship courses.

Learning through Art

Collaborative pilot program designed to increase arts awareness and visual literacy.

•Aims to make art museum more relevant to the city’s most under-served population

•Integrates a bilingual curriculum of visual arts, art making, storytelling, books and gallery tours to enhance an existing AVANCE family literacy curricula

•Impact = increase participants’ interest in art, their visits to the Museum, engagement in other art museum educational activities, and enhances children’s reading readiness

•Active proposal seeking funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)

ESL to Living Wage Program

Partnering with AVANCE AmeriCorps program to provide a pipeline to post secondary education and into the workforce. Program provides:

•Advanced ESL•Individualized case management for participants•College / career readiness•Workforce development in high demand fields•Job placement

EL Civics Collaborative

Re-alignment of Adult Education funding at the state level from TEA to TWC has opened up a new model for AE funding.

•New collaborative model;

•Opportunity to better leveraging collaborative resources to serve more ESL students;

Fatherhood AFFECT Program

Partnering with the Child Crisis Center to provide Fatherhood programming to address the critical missing link in many AVANCE participant ‘s families.

•Classes held in evenings and weekends.•Emphasis on strong male leadership within families.•Prepare men for the legal, financial, and emotional responsibilities of fatherhood.•Develop a male peer system within vulnerable neighborhoods.•Actively support fathers in the variety of their roles and in their connection with their children, regardless of their legal and financial status.

Project HOPES Collaborative

Collaborative grant to develop a proposal for DFPS, Prevention and Early Intervention Division’s (PEI) new child abuse prevention initiative to be called Project HOPES (Healthy Outcomes through Prevention and Early Support).

•AVANCE to provide participants and venues for community providers.

•Partner with other community partners to deliver additional programming.

The Incredible Years Program

Designed to advance the social and emotional behavior of children.

•Available for school aged children – beyond AVANCE programming;•Delivered by AVANCE staff;•Support provided by El Paso Launch Council;•Possible funding to deliver and sustain programming through Project HOPES.

AVANCE AmeriCorps Program

Working with the OneStar Foundation, AmeriCorps, and AVANCE National to expand the AVANCE AmeriCorps program throughout the state.

•Re-compete grant in spring 2014

•Will incorporate new developmental framework into new grant.

•Still include Austin, Dallas, and Waco, but are working to add Rio Grande Valley.

Neighborhood Profiles provide staff and community partners with detailed information regarding the neighborhood immediately surrounding AVANCE Learning Centers.

•Specific down to the street level (school boundaries);

•Tied with school, census, public health, and economic data;

•Provides both qualitative and quantitative data;

•Details on both vulnerabilities as well as community assets (strengths and weaknesses);

•Helps staff better understand the experiences within each individual school;

•Allows staff to make data driven decisions.

Neighborhood Profiles provide staff and community partners with detailed information regarding the neighborhood immediately surrounding AVANCE Learning Centers.

Capistrano Elementary School

Neighborhood Demographic

Census Tract: 39.03Area Population: 7,059Households: 1,903

Children (0-4): 818Youth (5-17): 1,874Adults (18+): 4,367

Median Income: $19,318

Educational Attainment

Adults w/o HS Diploma: 543 (12%)Adults w/ limited English: 1,777 (41%)Children w/ limited English: 546 (20%)Children reading at grade level: 57.6%Children in special education: 64 (7%)

Economic & Workforce Data

Local Unemployment: 6.8%Single Parent Households: 865 (47%)Families below poverty level: 59.6%Households on SSI/TANF/SNAP: 1,066 (56%)

Capistrano Elementary School

The new strategic focus will allow AVANCE to:

•Ensure program sustainability in the absence of dwindling school funding;

•Seek new sources of funding, once not applicable to AVANCE;

•Provide a deeper level of service and engagement with AVANCE participants;

•Make data-driven decisions for program improvement,

•Provide ongoing volunteer opportunities for deeper engagement with general public and corporate partners;