Report to the School Board - Hopkins High School · instructors, and high customer satisfaction,...

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Report to the School Board Community Education Enrichment Update – Youth and Adult M a rc h 1 7 , 2 0 1 1 R e p o r t P re p a re d b y K a t i e W i l l i a m s , C o m m u n i t y E d u c a t i o n

d i r e c to r , D e b U k u ra , Y o u th P ro g ra m s c o o rd i n a to r , a n d B e t s y H e d d in g , A d u l t P ro g ra m s c o o rd i n a to r Overview This report provides an update on the progress of Community Education youth and adult enrichment programs. Targeted marketing and program opportunities are designed to meet the needs of changing demographics in the community. Programs and services have increased access and opportunities for more District children, families, and adults. Primary Issues to Consider Youth participation in fee-based out-of-school programs have declined slightly over the past year while the programs offered for free are growing beyond capacity. The challenge continues to find additional funding to support afterschool and summer opportunities for an increasing number of children from low-income families. New marketing strategies continue to draw more residents to Hopkins Community Education. New efforts involve the use of social media, specifically Facebook, to attract new customers to our website and programs. Supporting Documents Figure I – Youth Enrichment Revenue Figure II – Youth Enrichment Participants Figure III – Adult Enrichment Revenue by Calendar Year Figure IV – Comparison of Winter/Spring Start Revenue Figure V – Comparison of Winter/Spring Start Participants

2 Report to the School Board

Community Education Enrichment Update – Youth and Adult March 17, 2011


Introduction Annually, each young person in Minnesota has about 2,000 hours of discretionary, out-of-school time, which is roughly equivalent to a full-time job. How that time is used can shape who they are and who they become. If this time is used intentionally to help them explore their passions and interests, it can lead to great things. We know that learning doesn’t end when the bell rings, but continues with the experiences young people have outside of school. Young people who participate in expanded learning opportunities through afterschool, summer or community programs have better school attendance, better grades, more positive attitudes towards school, and higher aspirations for postsecondary education. According to study results of 21st Century Community Learning grantees in Minnesota, students who participated regularly (30+ days) in quality afterschool learning opportunities, 75% saw an increase in academic performance. There were also improvements in behavior, attendance, and class participation (66% were eligible for free or reduced price lunch, 70% were students of color and 27% were English language learners). Hopkins Community Education provides a variety of out-of-school time opportunities for school-age children and youth. Some of the programs are fee based and others are offered at no cost to participants. The following report outlines the highlights of the past year. Adult enrichment participation continues to grow and expand through Hopkins Community Education. As a result of targeted marketing, a new registration system, continually adding new classes and instructors, and high customer satisfaction, the growth of community involvement and engagement continues to grow during this depressed economic time. Adult enrichment continues to engage adult residents in Hopkins Public School programs and “build a great place to live.”

3 Report to the School Board Community Education Enrichment Update – Youth and Adult March 17, 2011

Excellence. Every School. Every Student. Every Day

Community Education Enrichment Update – Youth and Adult YOUTH ENRICHMENT Introduction Youth enrichment opportunities play an important role in promoting healthy, engaged families, and cultivating the value students and families place on learning. Competent adults create a setting that encourages youth to explore interests and participate in activities that are meaningful and relevant. Enrollment and revenue has fluctuated over the last few years (refer to Figures I and II). Enrichment activities for youth are designed to provide affordable course offerings that are accessible to any learner. Scheduling classes on Saturdays, before and after school, at multiple locations, assessing current classes, continuing to introduce new offerings, and providing scholarships are a few of the strategies that involved and engaged more young people. Preschool and Elementary Enrichment Overview Preschool enrollments have increased as a result of moving the Curious Minds exploratory preschool science class to the early childhood classrooms at Harley Hopkins Family Center and Meadowbrook Elementary School. Elementary level classes take place primarily in the elementary schools before and after school, providing convenience for families. Drawing, chess, and Spanish continue to be popular offerings as well as elementary athletics, and Red Cross Babysitting. This year a XinXing enrichment track has seen great success at Eisenhower that includes Chinese public speaking, Chinese dance, math, and Chinese art. Zhining Chin and Molly Wieland have been important partners in this endeavor. Family Swim takes place on Saturday afternoons where, for a nominal fee, families can swim in the Eisenhower pool.




Elementary Enrichment Program Offerings

Afternoon REPLAY takes place at Eisenhower Elementary 3 days per week, after school, and is geared toward youth who live in the Brentwood, Minnetonka Mills, and Blake Road neighborhoods. Kids & Company is a vital collaborative partner, sharing space and providing additional staff supervision so that youth from both programs can participate in a wider range of enrichment activities. Sixty 4th-6th graders choose from a variety of enrichment offerings including swimming, outside activities, gym, computer lab, rec-room, and youth sports. (This year, 23 students are on a waiting list as a result of limited funds.) Clubs such as knitting, cooking, and cross-country skiing provide a well-rounded enrichment experience. Through a partnership with Kids & Company, 48 youth were offered the opportunity to participate in three weeks of leadership programming last summer, after the completion of three weeks of basic skills summer school. New this year to Afternoon REPLAY is a mandatory homework component, S.M.A.R.T.S. (Students Making Academic Results Toard Success). Each day, 20 students are scheduled with a licensed teacher and high school volunteer students, Mitzpah Church members, and district staff. The goal is to make sure students understand that academics come first. Just ASK is an afterschool homework help program for 1st -3rd grade students. Thirty-five students attend the program after school, and are transported home on the same bus afterwards. This program is coordinated by district staff and teachers, and supported through high school students, Shepard of the Hills congregation members, and district staff volunteer tutors. Young Scientist Club continues to meet once a month at Eisenhower Elementary School. Through experiential science activities, 38 students are learning observation techniques, as well as how to formulate a hypothesis, draw conclusions, and summarize



their thoughts in scientific discussions with one another. A unit on Astronomy, including a trip to the Eisenhower Observatory is a club favorite. Classroom teachers Angie Leitch and Emily York coordinate this program. Elementary Enrichment Summary Students participating in Afternoon REPLAY, Just ASK, and Young Scientists Club pay no fees to participate. These programs are made possible through funding from Park Nicollet Foundation; School and Community In Partnership (SCIP); and the Kiwanis Club of Edina. In addition, Park Nicollet Foundation provided Replay with free tickets (from the Nick Punto Foundation) to a Twins game last spring. ICA Food Shelf supplements afternoon snacks. With gratitude we acknowledge these important and generous partners.

Secondary Enrichment Program Offerings Secondary Enrichment Overview Students at both North and West Junior High enjoy chess club/strategic games, badminton, Dungeons and Dragons, open swim, ski and snow board club, step dancing, and open gym. Junior High Volunteer Clubs Be the Change at North Junior High School, and Helping Hands at West Junior High School celebrated Peace Day, prepared sandwiches for shelter guests, raised money for ICA Food Shelf, knit and crotched caps for babies to donate to Bundles of Love and volunteered at North Point Health and Wellness Center. S.P.P.A. (Students Promoting Positive Actions) This group convinced the city of Hopkins and the city of Minnetonka to adopt policies that prohibit the use of tobacco near recreational fields, facilities, and playgrounds. These students collaborated with Tobacco Free Youth Recreation to guide their work on this issue. Recently KSTP interviewed S.P.P.A. members and aired the interview on their newscast. S.P.P.A. plans to participate in alcohol awareness activities in collaboration with the One Voice and the Better Ways student group at the high school. The two groups will engage local liquor stores in an activity that will promote awareness of underage drinking.




Anime’ Club brings students together to learn about Japanese culture through this specialized drawing style. Altered Book Club helps students transform ordinary books into works of art. This club was inspired and led by one of the junior high students. Step Club, a student dance group, participates in the Black History Programs, the Step-It-Up program at the High School, Variety Shows, and the District 270 Dance show. The group also visits the Just ASK program at Gethsemane and teaches step dance to the children. Dance Crew, is a dance team that was formed at West Junior High and meets weekly. Several of the students are former members of the Alice Smith Step Team and wanted to continue dancing beyond elementary school. The team will perform in the Step-It-Up program at the High School, Variety Shows and the District 270 Dance show. L.E.A.D. (Leadership, Enrichment and Dreams) was formed to capture students interested in afterschool enrichment programming. This program targets 7th and 8th graders at North Junior High and is modeled after the Afternoon REPLAY program. L.E.A.D. is being piloted this school year and meets one day a week. Students can look forward to youth development activities, service learning projects, guest speakers, and other activities. Americorps Promise Fellow Program Again this year, Hopkins Schools was awarded an Americorps Promise Fellow. Jack Stroessner is a graduate of North Junior High School, Hopkins High School and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He assists in the AVID classrooms, provides a physical fitness component geared toward 7th and 8th graders in Achieve!, the after school tutoring program. Jack is also an active member of the Home Base Advisory Team, working closely with a group of 16 students serving as their academic and social advisor and family point of contact throughout the school year.



Rally for Youth Outing On Thursday, March 3, a group of 11 students attended the Rally for Youth Day at the Capitol, sponsored by the Youth Policy Alliance. The students joined their peers from all over the state to celebrate the successes of young people who have benefited from youth programming. Students toured the Capitol building, participated in a service project, attended a senate floor hearing, and met with our local legislators, Senator Terri Bonoff and Representative John Benson.

Secondary Enrichment Community Partnerships Face2Face, is a collaboration between Youthrive, Hopkins and Minnetonka Police Departments, Hopkins Schools, and the Hopkins Joint Community Police Partnership. This collaborative provided an opportunity for youth and police to discuss ordinances and cultural awareness issues. A planning team was comprised of Hopkins youth who attend North and West junior high schools, Hopkins High School, and the Mainstreet School of the Performing Arts, as well as adult team members, including police officers. The team met to carry on a dialogue around community issues, build authentic partnerships and develop plans for a community event. Students were responsible for planning the menu, venue, media, and entertainment. During the event, a team of youth and police acted out role-play scenarios that addressed community concerns. In one scenario youth and police acted out a traffic stop. After the scenarios the youth, police, and community participants took part in round table discussions. Community Garden, North Junior High students met several times to discuss a plan to create a community garden with partners from the community. With the construction plans at North over the summer students will plant the seeds in the greenhouse with several teachers and Youth Development staff. Other Partnerships Strong partnerships have developed as a result of ongoing participation with the Blake Road Corridor Collaborative, including the Hopkins Police, Hopkins youth-serving agencies, and District




initiatives, as well as Park Nicollet Foundation. There is an abundance of existing human resources and facilities in the district and community. Secondary Enrichment Summary As we look toward the future, we will continue to look at new and different ways to grow our program. The role of youth enrichment is evolving. With diminishing financial resources, it is imperative that programming is in tune to youth interests to get them to participate, and that continued attention is given to issues around availability and affordability. Ensuring access for all of our learners is worthy of the time and effort needed to continue providing quality programming for all interested students.



Figure I – Youth Enrichment Revenue




Figure II – Youth Enrichment Participants

Please note: Numbers reflect students participating in fee based enrichment programming



ADULT ENRICHMENT The mission of Hopkins Community Education is “to instill in each learner a passion for learning and a commitment to reach one’s potential throughout life.” Introduction Adult enrichment provides challenging, relevant, and dynamic experiences for adults of all ages through formal and informal learning opportunities. The Adult Enrichment program offers a wide variety of classes, one-to-one computer instruction, travel opportunities, online instruction, business training events, and collaborative classes with organizations like Park Nicollet Foundation. Impact of Adult Enrichment on Community Residents Decision Resources, Ltd., And LERN (Learning Resources Network) have conducted many surveys of community education users and non-users. The findings from their studies conclude that Community Education program users:

• rate the quality of education provided by their school district higher than non-program users.

• are stronger supporters of referendum proposals. • have more favorable impressions of both the administration and

school board. • are more positive about the district’s financial management. • are better informed about their school district. • are more or as supportive of school referenda as parents.

The importance of Community Education customers was taken into consideration as Hopkins Publics Schools prepared to pass a referendum in November 2010. Community Education provided the Referendum committee with lists of customers that were sent information regarding the benefits of the referendum for all residents. Community Event - “Celebrate Ike” In September 2010, prior to the referendum vote, Community Education staff planned a community event, “Celebrate IKE,” to engage residents in understanding how Community Education is




“Building a Great Place to Live.” Specific activities were planned to attract residents of all ages and showcase the newly remodeled Eisenhower Community Center. Activities included a bluegrass concert in the cafeteria, Observatory tours, open swim in the pool, cooking and pottery demonstrations, drumming, African Dancing and Steppers expos, and activities for children in the gym. Because the referendum included a capital projects levy for technology, participants were invited to see a “Smart Board” demonstration in the new main floor conference room. The entire event was designed to show residents the multitude of ways that Community Education provides opportunities for all residents to learn and grow.

Streamlined Registration - New Database Launched After four years of using the Max Solutions database, Community Education elected to switch to a new database, Arux, in July 2010. This conversion involved a major staff effort during July and August in order to have the new database up and running by the fall class session. The new software offers many advantages to customers, instructors, and staff. The new database has allowed the adult enrichment program to pilot offering special promotional discounts as a way to increase class enrollments for classes that have excess enrollment capacity. Community Education Electronic Newsletter - “In the Know” The first email newsletter was sent out in September 2008 to almost 300 subscribers. Over the last year, the subscription list has grown to over 700 members. When students finish a class, they fill out an evaluation and are given an opportunity to join the cE-Club. The new Arux database has allowed us to develop special discount promotional codes that can be sent out to best customers through the “In the Know” electronic newsletter. Facebook Exposure Other area Community Education programs are just beginning to utilize Facebook and other social media to promote programs. Hopkins Community Education has just received permission to begin



piloting the use of Facebook and will work on developing a comprehensive plan. Analysis of Revenue and Participant Trends While other area Community Education departments experienced a downturn in revenue/participation numbers in 2009 due to the economic downturn, Hopkins Community Education 2009 numbers remained strong. Starting in 2010, however, the longevity of the economy downturn began to impact Hopkins Community Education revenue during the Winter/Spring session. Winter/Spring 2010 revenue was 8.2% lower than Winter/Spring 2009 revenue. The Fall 2010 session showed a strong comeback (the highest Fall session revenue in 5 years). Preliminary analysis of the start of the Winter/Spring 2011 session shows continued improvement in both revenue and participant numbers from the Winter/Spring 2010 start. Issues to Consider The economy continues to put pressure on many people’s discretionary spending. Adult Enrichment must strive to be an outstanding program that sets itself apart from surrounding programs. Excellent customer service, customer loyalty offers, and a continuing array of new classes contributed to a strong finish of 2010. Targeted marketing proves to be an effective way to increase class registrations. Staff will work with Hopkins Public Schools marketing staff to strategize the most effective ways to utilize new social marketing techniques like Facebook. Summary Because the research shows that people who participate in Community Education classes are more likely to support the school district, Community Education is an important marketing tool for Hopkins Public Schools. The Adult Program coordinator will continue to work closely with the district’s marketing staff to help support and communicate Hopkins Public Schools learning opportunities across the entire lifelong age spectrum.




FIGURE III - Adult Enrichment Revenue by Calendar Year



$75,751

$88,547

$65,000

$70,000

$75,000

$80,000

$85,000

$90,000

2010 2011

Comparison of Winter/Spring Start - Revenue (12/15-2/28)

Revenue

FIGURE IV - Comparison of Winter/Spring Start Revenue (12/15/10 - 2/28/11)




FIGURE V - Comparison of Winter/spring Start Participants (12/15/10-2/28/11)

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