ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17 CREATING CONNECTIONS BUILDING RESILIENCE We have a vision of a community where every young person views themselves - and others view them - as whole and worthy community members. More than 10 years ago, we met with a group of community leaders to provide a space for the youth of Orange County to share their stories, build positive life skills, recognize their strengths, and stay connected to school. As a result, Boomerang was born! Today, more than 2,827 youth have crossed our threshold, filling out-of-school time with positive experiences and relationships that have helped to change the trajectory of their lives. With hands-on, participatory experiences including self-expression, art, social justice, and conflict resolution, students have learned to begin to advocate for themselves and become positive change agents in their own lives and in the community. This past year, Boomerang embarked on a new chapter, realizing many of the aspirations that group of us held more than 10 years ago. We are our very own independent non-profit organization; we inhabit a warm and wonderful house of our own that is, indeed, our “home;” and we have been privileged to continue our journey to flip the consequences of suspension or court involvement into opportunities to restore, reconnect and learn. It has taken our entire community to do this work: our schools, our juvenile justice system, our funders, our community partners, our families, and, most of all, our youth. Thank you for the role you have played in getting us to this moment; and join us in celebrating a remarkable year of growth and success! Isabel Geffner Tami Pfeifer Board Chair Executive Director NURTURE CURIOSITY ACHIEVE EQUITY THINK BIG! STRIVE FOR JUSTICE CARING COMPASSION
Transcript
ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17
CREATING CONNECTIONS
BUILDING RESILIENCE
We have a vision of a community where every young person views themselves - and others view them - as whole and worthy community members.
More than 10 years ago, we met with a group of community leaders to provide a space for the youth of Orange County to share their stories, build positive life skills, recognize their strengths, and stay connected to school. As a result, Boomerang was born!
Today, more than 2,827 youth have crossed our threshold, filling out-of-school time with positive experiences and relationships that have helped to change the trajectory of their lives. With hands-on, participatory experiences including self-expression, art, social justice, and conflict resolution, students have learned to begin to advocate for themselves and become positive change agents in their own lives and in the community.
This past year, Boomerang embarked on a new chapter, realizing many of the aspirations that group of us held more than 10 years ago. We are our very own independent non-profit organization; we inhabit a warm and wonderful house of our own that is, indeed, our “home;” and we have been privileged to continue our journey to flip the consequences of suspension or court involvement into opportunities to restore, reconnect and learn.
It has taken our entire community to do this work: our schools, our juvenile justice system, our funders, our community partners, our families, and, most of all, our youth.
Thank you for the role you have played in getting us to this moment; and join us in celebrating a remarkable year of growth and success!
Isabel Geffner Tami Pfeifer Board Chair Executive Director
NURTURE CURIOSITY
ACHIEVE EQUITY
THINK BIG!
STRIVE FOR JUSTICE
CARING COMPASSION
Inspiring youth to bounce back from challenges and move towards positive change Our programs support youth in navigating school, transitioning into adulthood and becoming change agents in the community
1,176 HOURS OF SCHOOLWORK COMPLETED
CONNECT
Our Bonner intern, Joyce Malanda, tutoring a student 1:1
445 HOURS OF 1:1 SUPPORT
“Boomerang is impor.ant to
me because they’ve always
been there for me ever since
I was 14! They helped me
through my toughest
times.” - E., stEdent
Alternative to Suspension Program is a structured day program for middle and high school students on short-term suspension from school. The program supports students in being accountable, identifying their strengths, and setting short- and long-term goals, as well as working with schools and families on collaborative solutions to ensure each student is successful upon returning to school.
• Serving all 14 Middle & High Schools in Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Orange County
• 23 School visits by program staff to support students
• 181 Students served
• 786 Days they would otherwise have been out of school & unsupervised
• 97% of students completed the program successfully
• 87% of parent and school participation in post-suspension planning
• 1,176 Hours of schoolwork completed
“Boomerang is a first-rate progGam that I
always have fEll confidence when sending
stEdents! To be honest, there were at least 3
stEdents at my school that could have dropped
out if Boomerang were not there for them.”
- a school administGator
BUILD
172 LIFE SKILLS WORKSHOPS
Conflict & Communication | Healthy Relationships | Stress Management & Substance Use | Self-
Expression & Personal Growth | Social Justice | Entrepreneurship Development
80 STUDENTS & 752 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE
Therapy puppy socialization
“Boomerang is impor.ant because it
teaches stEdents to not only be
respectfEl to others and themselves,
but to give back to the communitJ to
endorse your fEtEre, to make a
difference and stand for what you
believe in.” - S., stEdent
96% of youth built resilience through skills development and adopting positive behaviors
Continuing Connections After School provides opportunities for young people to build skills that support academic achievement, gain confidence and cultivate leadership skills through civic engagement projects, and learn independent living skills.
•6 Middle School Transitions workshops for 6th grade boys at A.L. Stanback
•110 sessions for students seeking crisis support
•9 students participated in 2 writing workshops for Floraffiti
•14 Workforce & Entrepreneurship Development workshops •752 Hours of community service & service learning supporting students in meeting graduation
requirements and complying with court mandates
•96% of students learned or improved life and leadership skills
INSPIRE
What’s Next? - Summer 2016 Career Explorers with our judges: Dina Rousset, Chela Tu, Taylor Meyer, Deborah
Stroman, Laura Fieselman, Margot Carmichael Lester, and Lisa Long Jackson
16 Career Explorer summer interns
8 half-day What’s Next? workshops
8 weeks in the summer on workforce readiness and entrepreneurship development Coached by Geraud Staton, Helius Foundation
“Boomerang means something to me
because gGowing up they helped me become
a beMer person, gave me the motivation I
needed but never found anyNhere else.”
- A., stEdent
Florafitti - Spring 2017 Boomerang youth with Carter Hubbard, Floraffiti, and
Josephus Thompson III, The Poetry Project creating visual art and performing it for the community at the 2nd
Friday ArtWalk
95% of students set short-term goals for academic success and personal growth
“BYI provides a lot of support to kids at a time when lots of things are up in the air and gives them a place to land”. What is rewarding is bringing them from reluctance to accomplishment. I’m planning on continuing my studies to be a family & child social worker.
Over my 4 years at Boomerang, I would like to feel I’ve made a difference in these young people’s lives”. - Rachel
“I believe that the fate and future of our society depends on our ability to successfully educate our children – each and every one. Boomerang meets the needs of young people with special concerns and helps them build successful lives – and feel good about themselves. Invest in Boomerang and you invest in kids and all of our futures.”
- Perry
C. Perry Colwell is a philanthropic luminary in the Triangle. His vision, passion, and unswerving commitment to issues regarding youth, women’s health, the arts, and to the dedicated leaders of non-profit organizations whose life’s work is devoted to enhancing the lives of everyone in our community, have been recognized by leaders throughout the state. We are privileged to have Perry as one of our ardent advocates and generous supporters.
If we have inadvertently left you off this list, please accept our apologies and let us know at 919.968.2146 so we can correct the error.
Board of Directors
Isabel Geffner, Chair Gretchen Aylsworth Kellie Mannette Jennifer Boger, Vice Chair Tina Clossick Maggie Mraz Dana Brinson, Secretary Valerie Hausman Michael Slipsky Mark Brown, Treasurer Quincy McDuffie Kendra Suggs-Shealey
Staff
Abbie Beasley-Crombie Sonia Frischemeier Sara Hirsch Tami Pfeifer Office Manager Director of Operations Program Manager Executive Director
825A N. Estes Drive � Chapel Hill NC 27514 � 919.968.2146 � boomerangyouth.org
Boomerang believes that:
• Every young person has contributions and strengths that are valuable to our community.
• Every young person deserves respect and a safe, supportive and nurturing environment to build life skills and seek support when they need it.
• Positive change is a process that takes time, and young people need to have a place they can come back to if they “fall” in order to bounce back (and this may need to happen many times).
• We should never give up on any young person; every young person’s strengths are bigger than any mistake.
Isabel & Tami
Changing the course of a young person’s life can transform an entire community
