Opportunities Beyond Obstacles
“The community is ultimately responsible for the fate of economically disadvantaged youth…”
1st Annual Conference 2014 October 7 – 8
Pyle Center University of Wisconsin-Madison 702 Langdon St Madison, Wisconsin 53706 Sponsored by…
Our start to a solution begins with… The Problem
There is “no state worse than Wisconsin for black children” according to a 2014 national report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation titled “Race for Results: Building a Path to Opportunity for All Children.”
MADISON “A LABORATORY OF CHANGE” Institutional Stakeholders
The report shows that children of color face enormous barriers to educational and financial achievement, with Wisconsin ranking last in the disparity between white children and their non‐white peers.
Government
Businesses
Charitable Concerns
Education
Our Story Opportunities Beyond Obstacles
Audience
We Believe The current academic trend of low achievement among the vast majority of economically disadvantaged youth is not an indication of their true abilities to learn.
An education environment free of prejudice, racism, inequities, bigotry and stereotypes should exist for economically disadvantaged youth, parents/guardians, and staff to achieve success.
Physical Attendees
Government Officials
Business Owners
Virtual Attendees
Educators
Municipal Governments
Charitable Concerns
Businesses
Educators
Charitable Concerns
Develop a Common Understanding Given the population gains during the last decade and the demographic projections going forward, it has become apparent that addressing the educational needs of economically disadvantaged children is no longer a matter of periodic consideration but one requiring immediate action. While students anchored by economic stability have achieved unprecedented educational success, educational outcomes for the economically disadvantaged student have been appalling and abysmal. Those unsuccessful outcomes can often be traced to the dearth of understanding of the multiple factors that compose the environment of the economically disadvantaged learner. This conference will endeavor to develop a common understanding of the complexities of the world experienced by students who live in poverty.
Focus on the Causations Rather Than the Symptoms The conference will approach the challenges of the economically disadvantaged student, from both practical and scientific platforms. The conference will endeavor to initiate activities that will direct attention toward the root causes of the challenges faced by economically disadvantaged students via the following activities:
Present relative observations. Establish tentative descriptions (hypotheses) to make predictions. Test those predictions by further observations, and modify the descriptions (hypotheses) in the light of the results. Revise description and test those predictions until there are not discrepancies between theory and observation.
Explore Opportunities to Change the Paradigm Opportunities Beyond Obstacles will endeavor to transform the experience, wisdom and insight of our panelists, practitioners and participants into the meaningful development of a “transportable” strategy that can be utilized throughout our city, state and country. In addition to the expert analyses and case studies, the conference will include an examination and audience discussion of how best to translate what has been learned into a series of “next steps to be conducted.
Schedule of Events Tuesday, October 7, 2014 On-Site Registration 7:00am – 2:35pm Main Lobby, Pyle Center
Opening Plenary Session 8:30am – 9:30am Alumni Lounge, Pyle Center
"City of Madison Budget Initiatives to Close the Equity Gap" Honorable Paul Soglin Mayor, City of Madison, Wisconsin
Paul Soglin is the 51st, 54th and 57th Mayor of Madison. Mayor Soglin's terms are noted for the balanced investment in human capital and appropriate municipal infrastructure. Whether it was the bicycle path around Lake Monona, or the Monona Terrace and Community Convention Center, or thousands of units of low income and senior housing, or neighborhood centers and community gardens, the focus has been on equity and developing a tax base that can support human services.
“Creating a Culture of Excellence and Equity: Eradicating the Deficit View in Our Schools” Dr. Jennifer Cheatham Superintendent of Schools, Madison Metropolitan School District | Madison, Wisconsin
Madison schools are continually striving for a culture of excellence and equity for all students and educators. Superintendent Cheatham will talk about the district's work to challenge every child through great teaching that is culturally and linguistically responsive. When schools and the community focus on the strengths of each of our students and educators and uniquely support them, they will meet the challenge. Dr. Jennifer Cheatham is the Superintendent of the Madison Metropolitan School District. Dr. Cheatham’s focus is on systemic improvement in urban school districts. Her expertise lies in developing instructional alignment and coherence at every level of a school system aimed at achieving breakthrough results in student learning. Most recently, Dr. Cheatham was the Chief of Instruction for Chicago Public Schools. She also worked as Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction for San Diego City Schools.
Break 9:30am – 9:40am
Morning Breakout Sessions 9:40am – 10:25am | Morning Breakout Session 1.0 | Room 112, Pyle Center 10:25am – 10:35am Break 10:35am – 11:20am | Morning Breakout Session 1.1 | Room 112, Pyle Center
"Out of the Pit: Ending the Learning Disabilities-Driven Poverty Cycle" Ervin Carpenter & Kim Carpenter
Directors, Wisconsin Institute for Learning Disabilities/Dyslexia, Inc. (WILDD) | Madison, Wisconsin This presentation highlights a scientific, evidence-based solution to the learning disabilities (LD)-driven poverty cycle. Focusing on the one out of five children with the most prevalent LD, we will illustrate the benefits of appropriate balance between accommodation and remediation, showing its positive impact on K-12 education, racial opportunity gaps, graduation rates, college enrollment and retention, corrections, un/under-employment, multi-generational poverty and social services. Kim Carpenter and Erv Carpenter are Co-Founders of (WILDD); Kim is the Director of Diagnostics and Research and Erv is the Executive Director. Kim has an M.S.E. in Adult Education with an emphasis on adults with learning disabilities and dyslexia and a B.S. in Special Education and Elementary Education. Erv has a B.S. in Special Education. Between them, they have certifications in Cognitive Disabilities, Emotional Behavioral Disabilities Pre-K through 12, Learning Disabilities K-12, Regular Education 1-6. They also have a combined 60 years of experience in assessing, diagnosing and teaching children and adults with learning disabilities, emotional behavioral disabilities, cognitive disabilities and/or autism. They are trained and proficient in numerous reading readiness and remedial reading strategies. Erv is certified by the International Multisensory Structured Language Educational Council (IMSLEC) and has served on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Branch of the International Dyslexia Association and the Wisconsin Literacy Inc. Both Kim and Erv have conducted numerous workshops for language deficient students, their teachers, and parents on the social and emotional aspects of learning disabilities.
9:40am – 10:25am | Morning Breakout Session 2.0 | Auditorium, Pyle Center 10:25am – 10:35am Break 10:35am – 11:20am | Morning Breakout Session 2.1 | Auditorium, Pyle Center
“You Are What You Experienced, When: The First 1,000 Days of Life” Dr. Janean Dilworth-Bart Associate Professor & Chair, Graduate Program Committee, UW-Madison School of Human Ecology | Madison, Wisconsin
Children living in lower income homes have an increased likelihood of negative physical, psychological, educational and economic outcomes across the lifespan. Clearly, the risks associated with low income status are to be avoided. However, what are we driving toward? The purpose of this presentation is to distinguish between risk and resilience in the early life experiences of children and to identify individual, family, and community processes in infancy and early childhood that promote life success. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of potential strategies for positively influence lifecourse trajectories beginning in the first 1000+ days. Dr. Janean Dilworth-Bart work focuses on how early developmental contexts help (or hinder) children’s development into competent individuals according to metrics that are valued by the wider society such as academic achievement. Dr. DilworthBart analyses parent characteristic, parenting behavior, and home environment predictors of children's self-regulation and school readiness using multiple methodological approaches. Her work contributes to literature about impact of immediate and distal contexts on self-regulation and school readiness.
“Mental Health and the Low-income Parent” William Greer President & CEO, Journey Mental Health Center | Madison, Wisconsin
Mental illness and substance abuse in parents and children are exacerbated by poverty, particularly in circumstances where single mothers care for one or more disabled children (Lloyd and Rosman, 2005). Living in poverty creates a stressful environment where the basic family needs of food, clothing and shelter are not guaranteed. Attending to these needs often exhausts a parent’s internal and external resources. Consequently, low-income families are disproportionately represented among the ranks of those suffering from depression, anxiety, substance abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The children of these families tend to do poorly in school and are often isolated from their peers due to their “special needs.” William Greer, M.S., L.C.S.W., LP.C. is President and C.E.O. of Journey Mental Health Center. He has 38 years’ experience as a clinician, administrator, instructor and clinical supervisor. He has supervised the development of many model programs that serve individuals across the life span with an emphasis upon best practice, cultural competence, and consumer involvement. He has worked closely with private and public providers of mental health and substance abuse services, consumers, policy makers, and advocates with an eye toward increased consumer participation and access in the face of shrinking government funding and burgeoning consumer demand.
Break 11:20am – 11:30am
Luncheon 11:30am – 12:45pm | Alumni Lounge, Pyle Center
"Restorative Justice for the Economically Disadvantaged Students and Their Families” Noble Wray Chief of Police (Retired) | Madison, Wisconsin
This presentation will address the utilization of this strategy and its meaningful outcomes for students who experience trouble in school or who are involved in the criminal justice system. The discussion will employ the use of real life community and school environment examples. Additionally, Chief Wray will examine Professor Tom Tyler’s work regarding the incorporation of procedural justice which enables restorative justice to achieve the results of trust, respect and dignity between students, teachers, police and parents. Noble Wray, Interim President of the Urban League of Greater Madison, is the retired Chief of the Madison Police Department, where he served for almost 30 years. Mr. Wray also served 7 years on staff at the Police Leadership Institute at the University of Lowell Massachusetts for a course he developed for police managers called “Problem Solving Lessons Learned.” Additionally, Mr. Wray, at the request of then Wisconsin Governor, James Doyle, co-chaired the State Commission on Reducing Racial Disparity in the Criminal Justice System.
Break 12:45pm – 12:55pm
Afternoon Breakout Sessions 12:55pm – 1:40pm | Afternoon Breakout Session 3.0 | Room 112, Pyle Center 1:40pm – 1:50pm Break 1:50pm – 2:35pm | Afternoon Breakout Session 3.1 | Room 112, Pyle Center
“From Poverty to Wealth: A Pedagogical Pathway for Low-income Students” Attorney Robert Wynn President, Akamai, LLC | Madison, Wisconsin
Numerous studies have shown that one’s wealth status is a primary driver of a person’s quality of life. Wealth correlates with an individual’s health, educational attainment, exposure to crime, and even mortality. In spite of the crucial role that economic standing plays in one’s life, schools do a poor job of teaching students “the economic way of thinking”. Our “Good Life Curriculum™” is designed to fill the void in traditional curriculums by defining wealth and explaining the basic elements of the wealth creation process. Robert is president of Akamai, L.L.C., which is a business strategy consulting firm. Previous to opening his own business, he was the financial education officer for the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions for five years. In that capacity, he created a number of innovative financial education programs and techniques, including the statewide network of Money Conferences, the Millionaires Club after-school program, and the Intelligent Arts Project. Prior to that role, Wynn was the director of minority business development in the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. There, he established the Early Planning Grant Program, which has provided business planning funding for over 100 businesses, and he created the Minority Business Development Fund, which has provided over $5 million in financing to minority-owned firms. Wynn is a lawyer and registered investment advisor. He earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan and his baccalaureate from the University of North Carolina, where he was a Morehead Scholar.
12:55pm – 1:40pm | Afternoon Breakout Session 4.0 | Auditorium, Pyle Center 1:40pm – 1:50pm Break 1:50pm – 2:35pm | Afternoon Breakout Session 4.1 | Auditorium, Pyle Center
“Effective Communication with Those in Need” (Panel Presentation) Ágnes Rédei, 2-1-1 Coordinator, United Way; Jennifer Fischer, Manager, ADRC; Kristine Omen, Health Outreach and Enrollment Specialist, Access Community Health Centers; Libby Tucci, Housing First Case Manager, YWCA; Molly Leimontas, Youth Services of Southern Wisconsin (Madison, Wisconsin) During this presentation, the panel will discuss how to best assist customers in need over the phone and communication techniques that must be applied during needs assessments. Stages of information dissemination during the referral process and how to communicate effectively with special populations will be highlighted. The barriers and challenges of communicating and working with older adults and young people will be addressed as well. From intake to closure, communication techniques focusing on the dynamics of needs, housing and health issues will be reviewed.
Ágnes Rédei's passion for connecting people to community resources drives the work she does every day. As Coordinator for United Way 2-1-1, a free, confidential phone line that connects people to essential resources, Ági oversees the 2-1-1 volunteer program, manages the training of staff and volunteers and ensures 2-1-1 excellence through statistical assessment. A social worker in Hungary, Ági moved to Madison 11 years ago and searched for the right position to connect with her new community in a heartfelt way. Starting off as a volunteer, she quickly became an indispensable part of the team and she has been working there ever since. Jennifer Fischer is the Manager of the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Dane County which is part of Dane County Human Services. Jennifer has been employed as a Social Worker with Dane County Human Services since 1999. Jennifer obtained her Bachelor Degree from Carroll University in Waukesha WI and her Master’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Jennifer is inspired to be part of a “one stop shop” that people can call for resources and information regarding aging or living with a disability. It is exciting to be part of an organization that always answers the phone, connects people with resources, and is here to help. Kristine Omen’s drive is to support others in raising their quality of health and standard of living. As a Health Outreach and Enrollment Specialist at Access Community Health centers, a clinic that addresses the various barriers that prevent access to health care, Kristine connects patients to health resources and signs them up for health insurance programs. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Gender Women’s Studies and Communication Arts, with a certificate in LGBT Studies. Kristine enjoys spending time in the outdoors, she likes strolling through Tenney Park, rock climbing and practicing acroyoga. Libby Tucci has the good fortune that what she is passionate about happens to also provide a career path in which she gets to do what she loves, and get paid for doing it. The main focus of her work for the past 7 years has been supporting survivors of domestic violence in varying moments in their journeys. She worked at the domestic abuse shelters in La Crosse and Madison before moving to the YWCA-Madison to coordinate and case manage the newly developed transitional housing program specifically for survivors of domestic abuse. She also does in-home case management with Spanish-speaking families in Housing First programming. Libby has a strong focus on Trauma Informed and Harm Reduction practices in service delivery as well as a dedication to Racial Justice.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014 On-Site Registration 7:00am – 2:35pm Main Lobby, Pyle Center
Opening Plenary Session 8:30am – 9:30am Alumni Lounge, Pyle Center
“The First Five Years Changes Everything: How early education can be a game-changer in Dane County” Leslie Ann Howard Executive Director, United Way of Dane County | Madison, Wisconsin
Leslie will discuss how lifelong success starts from birth, with a solid early childhood education. With most brain development happening within the first 1,000 days of life, this presentation will show how connecting families, community partners and schools together can create transformative results for many generations to come. In addition, Leslie will discuss research-backed strategies taking place in Dane County and how parents, businesses and community partners can get involved. Leslie Ann Howard is President and CEO of United Way of Dane County, a position she has held since 1989. An advocate for collaboration and change in the health and human service delivery system, Ms. Howard has spent a lifetime working and volunteering in the nonprofit sector. Her focus has included children, education, health, people with developmental disabilities, housing, neighborhood development and racial justice issue.
“Empowering Those Who Teach” John Matthews Executive Director, Madison Teachers, Inc. (MTI) | Madison, Wisconsin
MTI's John Matthews will discuss the need of empowering those who teach; beginning with what it takes to attract and retain the best and the brightest teachers; as well as his concern with the factors which cause the achievement gap and make closing the gap so difficult. He will speak to problems beginning before birth, which are caused by poverty, as well as the negative impact on public school education, by those who wish to privatize - to operate schools for a profit. John Matthews has been the Executive Director of Madison Teachers, Inc. (MTI) since 1968. Mr. Matthews holds a Bachelor's degree in history and education from Carroll College of Montana, and a Master's degree in social science from Eastern Montana College. Mr. Matthews’ educational philosophy is, "You've got to have the best possible working conditions and provide the greatest respect and latitude for the teaching staff. When you do that you can hire the absolute best and brightest and let them do their job."
Break 9:30am – 9:40am
Morning Breakout Sessions 9:40am – 10:25am | Morning Breakout Session 5.0 | Auditorium, Pyle Center 10:25am-10:35am Break 10:35am-11:20am | Morning Breakout Session 5.1 | Auditorium, Pyle Center
“Effectively Leveraging Community Resources for Those in Need” Joe Parisi County Executive, Dane County | Madison, Wisconsin
The presentation will cover how Dane County has used partnerships such as Big Step, Youth Conservation Corps and Early Childhood Zones to work towards goals we could not have done without the collaborative approach. These programs show how Dane County can do more by leveraging limited resources in a time of tight levy caps that helps our community, particularly those with the greatest needs. Joe Parisi, Dane County Executive, has called Dane County home his entire life. Elected in 2011, County Executive Parisi sought out public service as a way to give back to a community that has given so much to him. Joe believes in standing up for people who don’t have vocal advocates, bringing people together to find creative solutions to the challenges in our community, and, he believes it is his turn to give back to ensure that our children’s generation has access to the same opportunities that were available to him.
9:40am-10:25am | Morning Breakout Session 6.0 | Room 112, Pyle Center 10:25am-10:35am Break 10:35am – 11:20am | Morning Breakout Session 6.1 | Room 112, Pyle Center
“Housing of Families in Crisis” (Panel Presentation) Martha Cranley, Director, Community Impact – Basic Needs, United Way of Dane County; Torrie Kopp Mueller, Housing Director, YWCA; Kristina Dux, Manager of Family Development, Community Action Coalition; Leigha Weber, Director of Social Services, Salvation Army (Madison, Wisconsin) This workshop will provide an overview of the critical components of an effective, solution oriented family homelessness sys1tem with an emphasis on building on the successful programs and services that exist in Dane County. Martha Cranley is United Way of Dane County's Director of Community Impact and Strategic Communications. Ms. Cranley is the former Director of the nationally recognized Kids Count project with the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families as well as the former Executive Director of the Wisconsin Coalition of Independent Living Centers. Ms. Cranley has been a Legislative Policy Advisor in both the State Senate and Assembly and has written and presented on the state budget process, public policy advocacy and issues affecting low income children and families. She is a former president of the YWCA of Madison and spends her volunteer time supporting the fine arts and grade school athletics.
Torrie Kopp Mueller, Housing Director at the YWCA Madison, has worked with families and women experiencing homelessness for 14 years. For the past 6 years Torrie has coordinated housing programs through collaborations with other social service agencies. She serves as a liaison between program participants, case managers and landlords. She works to meet the needs of tenants and landlords in order for people to have success in housing. Torrie has experience with over 100 landlords in the Dane County area. Kristina Dux has been working in the housing industry for over 20 years that started as a case worker then worked as property manager in distressed neighborhoods. While continuing on as a Tax Credit and Section 8 Compliance Manager, Kristina served on Apartment Association Boards, City CDBG (Community Development Block Grant), and conducted trainings on Tenant/Landlord Law and Fair Housing. Kristina has since been the Manager of Family Development at the Community Action Coalition for South Central WI, Inc. (CAC) for the last four years. As manager, she monitors federal, state, and local grants for various CAC programs that provide financial assistance, case management, permanent supportive housing, and the newly added program for coordinated intake. During 2013, Kristina was the Chair of Homeless Services Consortium (HSC) and is currently serving a two-year term on the Dane County CoC Board of Directors. Leigha Weber, Director of Social Services for The Salvation Army of Dane County, is responsible for all major functions, including staffing, service delivery, facilities and funding, of the social services department, which provides shelter, case management and emergency assistance to homeless (or at-risk of) community members. She received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from University of San Diego. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Wisconsin and California. Prior to her current role, she served as Community Health Program Manager for the Transitional Case Management Program; a joint effort between UC-San Diego and California Department of Corrections to streamline the release of inmates with co-occurring disorders. Leigha has also provided individual and family therapy for juvenile diversion programs and San Diego Hospice and Palliative Care.
Break 11:20am – 11:30am
Luncheon 11:30pm – 12:45pm | Alumni Lounge, Pyle Center
"Educating the Impoverished: The Role of the Faith-based Community” Rev. Dr. Alexander Gee, Jr. President, Nehemiah Foundation and Pastor Fountain of Life Baptist Church | Madison, Wisconsin Dr. Alex Gee will address the historic and current importance of the role of the faith-based community concerning issues such as education, housing, employment, reentry services, mentoring, daycare, counseling and mental health. This support system can be traced back to a time in our history when African Americans lacked access to the established mainstream social services and had only the local Church to turn to. Gee’s address will highlight the importance of engaging the African American faith community, if one desires to foster a healthy sense of identity, purpose, empowerment and hope. Our modern and advanced communities have seemingly strayed much too far from the strength, energy and faith of the only institution in which African Americans have ever exercised unbridled autonomous leadership. History has proven that our nation’s most prolific African American leaders were identified, groomed, empowered and released, by the Black Church. For more than two decades Dr. Gee has served as an advisor to leaders from around the world. His work as a pastor and nonprofit entrepreneur has allowed him to empower countless fatherless children, ex-offenders, drug addicts, teen parents and racially divided communities. He is passionate about promoting hope, transformation and justice for disenfranchised people. Alex is a social entrepreneur who has worn several professional hats: Family Counselor, Adjunct Professor, Spiritual Life Coach, Diversity Consultant, Community Activist, Columnist and Radio Host. Alex is the lead pastor of Fountain of Life Covenant Church in Madison, WI. In 1992 he also pioneered The Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development, a nonprofit organization that inspires, develops and releases emerging African American leaders to become partners in revitalizing and transforming our community. He has studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Bakke Graduate University.
Break 12:45pm – 12:55pm
Afternoon Breakout Sessions 12:55pm – 1:40pm | Afternoon Breakout Session 7.0 | Auditorium, Pyle Center 1:40pm – 1:50pm Break 1:50pm – 2:35pm | Afternoon Breakout Session 7.1 | Auditorium, Pyle Center
“Fines, Fees, and Debt: Challenges to the Accumulation of Wealth in Low-Income Communities” Jacquelyn Boggess & David Pate Co-directors, Center for Family Policy and Practice | Madison, Wisconsin
Our nation's families are undergoing a sea change. Over the last 30 years, as wages have stagnated and declined, more unmarried couples are living together and having children. Fewer than half of adults with lower incomes and less education are now married, and marriage has increasingly become the norm only among couples with higher incomes and college educations. The economic challenges facing low-income families are especially acute for black parents and their children: 73% are born to unmarried parents. The risk of economic hardship for children is even greater in motherheaded households. Jacquelyn L. Boggess, J.D., has worked with the Center since its inception in 1995. Her work as a policy analyst involves the investigation of the welfare system, the family law courts, and the child support system. Her particular interest lies in the interrelations among these systems, and how the social welfare policy and practice that result from this relationship affect lowincome fathers, mothers, and children. Additionally, Ms. Boggess has concentrated on the question of the impact of government initiated “family formation” and father involvement policy on the safety and well-being of women and children. Ms. Boggess has a particular interest in the impact of non-resident father involvement on mothers and children. Her work in this regard has resulted in connections and collaborations with domestic violence organizations and progressive advocacy groups working on poverty reduction, violence prevention, and economic justice for parents and children. Ms. Boggess is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School. David Pate founded the Center in 1995 and currently serves as the agency’s Co-Director. Dr. Pate has worked in the field of social work for over twenty-five years. He has experience as a practitioner, administrator, and public policy advocate in the areas of low-income adolescents and adult males, fathers, and families. He has made numerous presentations and written articles on the issues that relate to the provision of service to minority males and the effects of social welfare policy on their day-to-day existence. He is an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Helen Bader School of Social Welfare. He holds a doctorate in Social Welfare from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was a W.K. Kellogg fellow in the Kellogg National Leadership Fellowship program.
12:55pm – 1:40pm | Afternoon Breakout Session 8.0 | Room 112, Pyle Center 1:40pm – 1:50pm Break 1:50pm – 2:35pm | Afternoon Breakout Session 8.1 | Room 112, Pyle Center
“The Effective Evaluation of Programs Designed to Serve Impoverished Families” Elisabeth Marx Senior Director of Strategic Collaborations, United Way of Dane County | Madison, Wisconsin The reason we create programs for low-income families is to help them achieve their goals for success with their education, employment, parenting, and more. We want to do our best to support them in that quest. Evaluation, done well, should help strengthen programs to do their best work. It should also help you communicate your program’s accomplishments to the community and funders. This session will cover what to evaluate, how to approach evaluation and how to use the results. Elisabeth Marx has been an innovative leader in philanthropy for over 25 years. It started while getting her Masters' Degree in Nonprofit Management and Policy Analysis and she interned with the Ford Foundation's Children and Families Program. After a stint as an analyst in a university setting, she became a program officer at the Smith Richardson Foundation working on a national portfolio of initiatives related to children and families. Eager to translate that national level work to deep impact at the community level, Elisabeth accepted the offer to become the founding Executive Director of the Rauch Foundation, where she helped develop strong outcomes-focused portfolio of initiatives focused on children and youth, the environment, community development and the arts. She has earned a reputation for building strong publicprivate partnerships that create high-quality, cost-effective programs and systems.
“Evaluating, Improving and Sustaining Effective Programs Serving Impoverished Students” Dean Loumos Clerk, Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Directors | Madison, Wisconsin
For 10 years, Dean Loumos taught Alternative Programs for students who were in residential drug treatment. Mr. Loumos worked with their local schools to maintain their current classes and assisted them in earning credit towards graduation. Mr. Loumos also taught Basic Educational skills and GED test prep at the Dane County Jail for one year, and assisted 35 inmates in attaining their GED while incarcerated. As well, Dean taught for 3 years in the Madison Metropolitan School District "School Within A School" program at Lafollette High. For the last 17 years, Dean Loumos has worked as the Executive Director of Housing Initiatives, Inc., an award winning nonprofit housing agency that provides permanent housing to people who suffer from mental illnesses. Dean has two great kids who have graduated from Madison Metropolitan School District schools.
Consortium for the Educational Development of Economically Disadvantaged Students (CEDEDS) MEMBERS
Dion’s family got the stability needed to start him off right.
Photo by David Nevala
LEARNING STARTS AT HOME WITH LAUGHTER AND SMILES DEVELOPMENTAL GAPS CAN BE SEEN WITHIN THE FIRST 1,000 DAYS OF LIFE United Way’s Born Learning intiative is working to change that. Through educational play sites, home visitation programs, and supports for families and child care professionals, United Way is focused on ensuring every child in our community enters school with the skills necessary to learn and succeed. United Way is doing what works to change lives and strengthen our community in the areas of Education, Safety, and Health. Visit unitedwaydanecounty.org to learn how you can help. GIVE.ADVOCATE.VOLUNTEER.
KEEP ON As long as Badgers keep on doing what we do—so uniquely, so passionately, so astoundingly and so joyfully—we will continue to change the world.
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