I wanted to pass along some great press that our friends at The Family Learning Center here in Boulder recently received. Daily Camera staff writer, Sarah Kuta did an excellent piece on May 14, highlighting some stellar FLC graduation rates and their 30 year anniversary.  For those of you not familiar with The Family Learning Center, the center conducts programs for preschool, kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school students, and their families. Each student is case-managed to assure that their goals and specific needs are met. Last year, the center distributed 240,000 pounds of food and $60,000 worth of clothing and household items to families. More than 500 students started the year with school supplies donated to the organization. Congratulations to my friend Brenda Lyle, and to all the amazing people over at FLC.  Your effort to IMPROVE the lives – and future – for so many young people is to be commended.

GB

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_18064675?IADID=Search-www.dailycamera.com-www.dailycamera.com

In terms of IMPACT, one local organization really stands out in my mind, and I’m proud to say that they are a current Boedecker Foundation Grantee. There can be no greater effort than the efforts undertaken on behalf of children, and Blue Sky Bridge goes above and beyond with their work toward eliminating child abuse. Since the beginning of time, no group of people has been subjected to greater abuse and neglect than children. Children are our community’s most valuable population and the least able to assert their rights. At Blue Sky Bridge, they facilitate a collaborative approach to child abuse investigations while providing child victims and their families with support in a safe and child-focused environment. I’m extremely proud to support such an amazing and vital organization, and I encourage you all to support Blue Sky Bridge.  Their commitment to serve the most vulnerable members of our society stands as an inspiration to us all.

GB

Looking forward to a great annual event in August. One of my favorite local charities, The Fairview Friends Foundation, hosts their annual Cager Classic – bringing back former Fairview High School Basketball Players (of which I happen to be one) from as far back as 1977 to play alongside some of the young bucks from more recent FHS graduating classes. In the past I’ve been able to play with my Son, Barron, and it’s quite inspirational to watch the young and old get together and sweat it out on the hardwood.  Sure, the smack talk starts and we keep score, but at the heart of the event is a true commitment to maintain and re-kindle long-term friendships, all in the name of charity and community goodwill. It really is a great night of camaraderie and fundraising to benefit an amazing local nonprofit. I encourage you all to support the Fairview Friends Foundation whenever possible – and please stop by on August 4th for the big game.

George B. Boedecker Jr.

(From our Friends at HAA – 7-6-2011)

Dear Histio Community Friends,

I’m thrilled to announce that the Histiocytosis Association’s new website is up and running and ready for you to explore. I hope that you’ll find the new Histio.org to be user-friendly and informative. It includes new features like a live News Reader, expanded educational information and a helpful resource directory.

I encourage you to register to become a member of our Online Histio Community. Once you register and create a Member Profile you’ll be granted access to members-only areas of the site such as the Histio Physician Directory and Member Survey.

https://www.histio.org/sslpage.aspx

I could go on and on about the benefits of registering for the incredible site that we’ve created, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise – take just a few minutes and get started with our Online Histio Community today

Sincerely,

Jeffrey M Tough ill

The journey through our Online Community will start with you setting up a Member Account.  Usernames and passwords from the Association’s former website will not work on the new Histio.org; though we tried, it wasn’t possible, technologically speaking, to transfer this information from our old system to the new one.

We welcome your feedback and comments about our new site. Please send your thoughts to info@histio.org.

With Kind Thoughts We Wish You All a Very Happy Mother’s Day

Great News from Chimoza – Our first Graduate

We have some thrilling news from Chimoza Community School!  Our first graduate from the 12th grade – Derrick Lumumbe. He has applied to  the University of Zambia and is interested in computer science -  congratulations Derrick !

In his own words, he says this to all of you:

“Lastly,  May I take this opportunity to thank you for every one’s efforts and  participation, in my highway to success. It has not been an easy road,  but with every one of you around me, my dreams of successfully  completing my O ‘level course have been achieved. May the Good lord  continue protecting and supplying your needs. Thank You” A Foundation Laid in Love While in my hometown of Pinehurst, NC on a recent speaking tour, the local newspaper was kind enough to interview me  about   the goals and beginnings of the Q Fund – they titled their  article “A   Foundation Laid in Love” which I think is a sweet message for   mother’s day!

Two New Projects We have taken two new projects under the Q Fund’s umbrella, and look forward to watching them blossom:

The Lost Children’s Fund – The goal of the Kenya Lost Children Fund is to help children from Nairobi Children’s Home in Kenya attend boarding  school.  These children have nothing: no belongings, no one to support  them, and no education.  In spite of this, they have all shown a desire  to learn.  Together we can give them this chance.  Ngererit School Kenya – The Ngererit School was founded in 1961 by Amos Kitur, a village elder. Today it houses around 600 students. However the facilities are greatly in need of refurbishment and expansion to support the local community. With the help of your donations given to the Q Fund, work has begun on bringing this wonderful community school back to light.

Happy Mother’s Day Please enjoy this coming Mother’s day and please do not forget us. As many of the African children call me Momma Chellie, it feels like a good time to be a good mother and make sure all my babies are able to graduate and carry on to university.  As always, every donation you give allows each child to achieve their dream. 100% of your donation goes directly to the children and families we support.

With love and gratitude, from all of us at the Q Fund

Chellie Kew

Founder & CEO

Family Learning Center

celebrates 30 years in Boulder

At 3:30 on a rainy Wednesday afternoon, three boys in assorted hats, sweatshirts, skater shoes and jeans walked laughing through the Family Learning Center in Boulder. Other middle school students ran through the halls, chatting and joking before they started the evening’s homework.

The center looks like a large house, with huge, open rooms, comfy couches and colorful paintings on the walls. Outside, the siding is painted bright green next to fire engine-red doors. It sits nestled atop a hill on 34th Street near a collection of apartment complexes.

Learn moreFor more information on Boulder’s Family Learning Center, visit flcboulder.org .

Inside, the light purple walls are covered with neon letters and numbers, and shelves stuffed with books line each room. The smell of cheese wafted through the air.

“What are you boys doing?” asked Brenda Lyle.

Standing at 5-foot-2, Lyle wore orange slacks and a brown sweater with orange stripes to match, which are offset by her dark brown skin and hair. She repeated the question.

“We’re just waiting for nachos,” one of the boys said, smiling and looking to his friends for back-up. Lyle asked them if they have homework, to which they nodded “yes” and scampered away.

Lyle is founder and director of the Family Learning Center, which has been providing culturally diverse, low-income families with educational opportunities and tools

Mentor Zack Rayford, left, works with Angel Enriquez on some math lessons at the Family Learning Center in Boulder last week. ( PAUL AIKEN )

for self-sufficiency since 1981. This year, Lyle celebrates 30 years since she started the organization herself with a goal of helping 10 kids, three times a week.

The center conducts programs for preschool, kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school students, and their families. Each student is case-managed to assure that their goals and specific needs are met. Last year, the center distributed 240,000 pounds of food and $60,000 worth of clothing and household items to families. More than 500 students started the year with school supplies donated to the organization.

The center is run mostly by volunteers, who now number close to 200 throughout the year. The nonprofit organization is funded by local, state and federal government dollars, private donations, special events and small program fees.

Teaching 10 kids

Lyle was a stay-at-home mother when she first noticed that immigrant children were being turned away from public schools in the early 1980s because they had no documentation. She decided she would teach 10 children preschool readiness skills a few times a week in a maintenance room of the San Juan del Centro apartments so that they would be able to attend school the following year.

When she arrived the first day, she found not 10, but 43 students and their eager parents waiting outside. Word had gotten around, and mothers lined the block to get their kids into Lyle’s free, unofficial preschool program.

Lyle saw a need in her community, and decided to do her small part with a few hours a week.

Since then, the organization has grown to help nearly 2,000 students and families each year. Last year, all 37 of the center’s high school seniors graduated, and this year, 73 are on track to graduate high school. Many were accepted to universities, community colleges and trade schools; some are the first in their immediate families to continue their education after high school.

Correcting thinking

Lyle said she often hears about racism or classism from students at the center, who use it as an excuse not to turn in homework. Their teacher doesn’t expect them to, Lyle recounted, because he or she is prejudiced and doesn’t think minority students can learn anything.

The director quickly corrects the students’ thinking. She has little tolerance for students who conform to the negative stereotypes of their ethnic group.

“Here’s the problem with that,” she said. “One, racism has existed since the beginning of time, and it’s probably not going to end tomorrow. Two, that teacher you didn’t turn the homework in to? She has a job. She has a college degree. It really isn’t hurting her that you didn’t turn your homework in. Let’s look at how you can still be empowered, and get your homework done.”

The center takes a calculated approach to help students and parents succeed. Instead of simply saying they’re working to close the achievement gap and improve lives, Lyle said they look at the literal tools students need.

“What does it really mean to be economically self-sufficient in Boulder?” she said. “It means that if you’ve got a family of four, you better be making close to $26 an hour. What kind of jobs will pay you that much? What kind of skills do you need to get that job? We backtrack.”

If students want to go to a four-year college, they have to earn a high enough combined GPA and ACT score to get in. The Family Learning Center looks at the minimum scores colleges accept, and then helps students achieve those scores from the time they start school until graduation.

Key partnership

The center formed a partnership with the Boulder Valley School District in 1985. Some of the district’s summer school classes are hosted at the Family Learning Center, said summer school principal Scott Winston.

Winston said he is grateful for the center because it helps many high school students stay on track to graduate through summer school and tutoring during the school year. Teachers tell Winston they appreciate the extra help outside the classroom and notice positive changes in students who work with the center.

“Kids are in a variety of different situations at home,” Winston said. “It’s a place right in their neighborhood they can go to get support. It’s a place they can go to feel accepted and build relationships with people who really care about them.”

Friendships

Pati Hernandez, 18, will graduate from Boulder High School later this month, and then she’ll attend the University of Colorado. She wants to be an elementary art teacher, but having a 13-month-old-daughter made applying to college stressful. One of her tutors at the Family Learning Center pushed her to get it done, even if she wasn’t sure she’d get in.

When she found out she was accepted, she was ecstatic.

Hernandez has been coming to the Family Learning Center since she was in preschool. Her tutors really make her think about the problems she’s completing instead of teaching her to memorize the steps, she said.

“It’s sort of like a study group,” Hernandez said as a group of high school students sat with her at a large table, flipping through notebooks. “We brainstorm together. A lot of us are in the same classes and it helps.”

Brianna Hall, 17, also will graduate this spring from Boulder High. She’ll be attending Adams State College in Alamosa to play basketball. When she arrived in the basement area reserved for high school students, Hall sat down between Hernandez and Veronica Gebremariam, 19, who graduated last year and was back visiting friends at the center.

Hall immediately squeezed Hernandez and Gebremariam in a hug with both arms.

“These are my family,” Hall said, looking at her two friends.

Q Fund – Zambia – Chimoza – Letter to Myself

(From Chellie Kew)

Securing the Future for the Children

After much work on the ground in Ndola and Lusaka for Kevin,  who has waded through a ton of red-tape and rubber stamps, we are proud to have  been approved to upgrade our status (once again) in 2011 to an ‘Upper Basic School serving grades nursery/kindergarten through 9. (I should explain that Kevin is now the Executive Director for the Q Fund, hip, hip hurray!!  To say that I am proud of all the hard, successful and lasting work achieved by Kevin in only two short years, would be an understatement. He has brought years of business savvy, and, joined hands with Emmanuel, our head teacher and Gideon our builder to form a unbreakable union)

Upgrading the school’s status is a huge victory for our kids as it assures them a continued education into 9th grade. It also establishes that Chimoza Community School as one of only a handful of registered community schools in Zambia.  Chimoza is a strong in academics, is nurturing and open to the thoughts and feeling of our students.  We do not encourage the “chalk to talk” so eloquently put by a UK visitor to Chimoza last month.

In related progress we have secured more land for expansion of Chimoza and have nearly completed work on the much-needed restrooms and sanitation house. This will be ready when the doors open in January to the 2011 school year.