Spark Plug

My husband loves old cars and figuring out how things work. Typically he will start explaining a function of some machine and I am lost a few seconds into the conversation. This last time, though, I found something much more meaningful than I intended to find.

Volunteers play a huge role in the services we provide to children every day. Whether it's helping at program to get students transitioned from center to center, working one on one with a student who needs a little extra help on their homework, or organizing materials for the Apples for Students program, volunteers are the support that keep us going every day. What I realized is that in a lot of ways, volunteers are spark plugs.

Granted, I don't know a lot about cars, but here is my thought pattern. Spark plugs are necessary to make many vehicles work that run on fuel. They are what make electricity arc across a gap to create a spark. When most people think of what is needed to make a car run, they would think of the engine, transmission, and fuel. Many people know about spark plugs but forget about how vital they are.

So, to all of our volunteers, thank you for everything that you do! You truly are what keeps us running and give us that extra "jolt" of energy that we and the community need to impact so many lives.

If you want to learn how you can be a catalyst for a spark in your community, give us a call!

Inspiration in All Forms

I am a firm believer that forms of inspiration happen around us every single day. These days I am always working to be aware of these miracles whether it's watching those dandelions (which I think are pretty and my husband despises) pop up where just a few months ago there was a few feet of snow, or if I make it down Dodge and through the road construction in less than 20 minutes.

These forms of inspiration come in all shapes and sizes. Last week, I had the privilege to meet with Clare of Clare Cares to talk about how she is working to transform her school and community to help build friendships. The amazing thing about her and her mission is that she is not focusing on bullying. She is emphasizing the positive. We already have great things going on in our community-she is enhancing it and shining a light on how giving people are. On the 24th, Clare Cares will be hosting one of her monthly Clare Cares Buddy Play Dates at Chocolaterie Stam. Even this great excuse to get together and hang out with friends has become a way to give back. On 5/24, any Buddy who shows up will be asked to bring school supplies to go towards kids who need them and are impacted by our Apples for Students initiative. We are so excited!! If you are interested in joining or bringing your child, you can get more information on her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/261354397378208/

Two nights after my meeting with Clare, we had our first Gallery of Growing, a community donated art auction to benefit our programs and the Dubuque Rescue Mission. We had pieces of artwork on display from beginner artists, professional artists, and from our students. The best part of the night for me was when one of the attendees asked if they could purchase a piece of artwork that was not for sale--a piece done by one of the students in the after school program. The picture was a rainbow that listed what the student would do if they met a leprechaun. It included asking for $1,000,000 to give to the homeless as well as the White House to live in and to share with the homeless as well. The great news is that after we talked to the student, he was more than happy to sell it to her, completely making her night and showcasing the spirit and intention of the event.
This is what St. Mark Youth Enrichment is all about and we truly have a reason to be inspired every single day.

April showers bring...

April showers bring May flowers and this year it seems like a lot of other exciting opportunities as well! We have so much to be thankful for here at St. Mark Youth Enrichment and much of it is because of you and our community!

Earlier this month we received notification that we received a 21st Century Community Learning Centers continuation grant. This grant is a 5 year grant that will help fund the before and after school programs that we provide to at-risk youth in Dubuque. This is a pretty hefty grant so we are extremely grateful to all of our partners throughout the community and tri-state area in this endeavor!

We were also contacted by Dyersville Elementary, a school in the Western Dubuque Community School District, about a summer learning program. With changes in state legislation and working to be proactive, they wanted to partner with us to get their community even more engaged. We are thrilled to be working with them this year to do a pilot summer learning program with Dyersville Elementary and St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Dyersville.

Hiring is well underway for our Summer Program here at St. Mark Youth Enrichment and we already have 50 children registered to attend this 6 week program that begins mid-March.

Gallery of Growing, a fundraiser we are doing with the Dubuque Rescue Mission, is also set to go and we have over 100 pieces of artwork donated by community members that will be auctioned off May 1st at 6:30 here at St. Mark. There will be an open house on April 29th if you want to take a sneak peek!

We are also gearing up for Great Give Day on May 6th, a national day of online giving, with local and national matches!

Amid all of these exciting developments and programs we have going on, one of the most exciting things is seeing how the students develop in our program. One of our site staff shared this: "I have tons of big reading books and when they rotate to this station they can choose what ever they want to read. Well, today they broke out in song! This is just one reason I love my job!"

Thank you for continuing to support us! Watch us grow!

Stories Make the Difference

My four year old loves it when we read to him before bed. Usually we read the regular books like "Meet Heatwave the Rescuebot" or "Are You Grumpy, Santa?" (yes even though it's now spring.) His favorite though is when I tell him the story of the Three Little Pigs. Stories allow us to have fun, use emotion, and put emphasis on certain aspects. The amazing thing is that it rubs off on the listener!

At St. Mark Youth Enrichment, we always have stories to share. Sweet moments when a staff member and student really connect and laugh together, inspiring moments when a student accomplishes something they were struggling with, and moments that surprise all of us. Earlier this week I had the chance to speak at the Resources Unite and Chamber's Community Connection meeting about donor devotion (aka donor retention). One part of my presentation was about the importance of telling and sharing stories and I shared a few of my favorites. One of them was about a student who had to write why he would like a new bike from one of our donors. He wrote just a few sentences but it said, "My daddy would buy me a bike but he is in heaven and mommy works hard so she can pay the bills." He is definitely getting a bike.

After my presentation, I had one of the attendees approach me. She shared that she was so thankful for what we did at St. Mark Youth Enrichment and said that it made a huge difference in her nephew's life and means so much to their mother. Overall, it wasn't my story that made the impact, it was hers.

We always try to tell our stories so we can share what it means to us to have community support to continue to grow and strengthen our programs. This is one reason behind our newest awareness campaign. Check out our Twitter page and Facebook page and see what St. Mark Youth Enrichment means to so many people. These stories would not be possible without your support and help. Stories truly do make a real life difference.

Throw Back Thursdays

I think all of us would like to be known as innovators. We all want to create that little piece of history in the world where someday people will look back and think, "Wow, whoever thought of that was really smart!" How great would it be to leave behind a legacy? The legacy I am referring to in this post is the person who came up with #tbt (known outside of the web world as Throw Back Thursdays-old photos that people post on Thursday).

I will admit that at first when I saw people posting pictures of their big hair in the 80's or the braces they had when they were in 3rd grade, I wondered why anyone would want to broadcasts the pictures that they would rather keep hidden or forgotten. Then I started to read the comments that people were posting about the pictures. It is amazing to see the story that one person can tell about a single picture and so much more captivating to see when multiple people begin to build stories off those stories.

Three weeks ago I started to post pictures to our Twitter and Facebook account with the link #tbt of our programs when they first began.  These programs or sessions took place in the same facility we are in now. They would begin with a song that they all sang together to build their own safe community. From there they would have a snack and work with a volunteer who helped mentor them and work on their homework.

One of the first donor visits I went on when I started here at St. Mark just a little over 5 months ago was with two women who were a part of the St. Mark story from the very beginning. Even after 25 years, the stories were fresh in their minds and of course they pulled out their photo albums to share their pictures of everyone else who was involved and played a role in getting the program started.

If you haven't already, please check us out on Facebook and Twitter and look at the Throw Back Thursday photos from the past. Feel free of course to comment on the fashion, haircuts and technology that at the time were trendy, but more importantly, learn our story and watch us grow.

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A Novel Idea

At St. Mark Youth Enrichment, we aim to do more than just help enrich the academics of children in the Dubuque area; our goal is to impact lives. Connections are key.

I think most people would agree that technology today has made the world much more open and enables us to communicate with fewer barriers. Most people always know where their smartphone or tablet is. We can text, chat, Skype, Tweet, Facebook and even write blogs! Now obviously, I am a big believer in technology and truly feel that it does bring many people closer in numerous ways. However...I have been noticing a trend in responses in the way we communicate.

A friend of mine recently attended a training in Los Angeles. He shared with me that while he was talking to individuals from across the nation about community engagement, people were in awe at how easily he was able to make connections in Dubuque.  To me, it's simple-I pick up the phone and call them or send them a simple email request to meet for coffee or lunch. You would be amazed at how many people really view this as a novel idea.

Connecting to people is the golden ticket. Whether it's at one of our monthly lunch and learns, a Chamber event, Community Connections meeting, or meeting someone face to face, these are the times when connections are made. By connecting, I don't mean just exchanging business cards and giving the elevator speech, I mean showing your true, real self at face value.

While this is a key step in doing business, it's also important to our mission. When we have staff and volunteers who truly connect with a student, there is a lifelong impact that is made. Maybe connecting by meeting someone where they're at or calling them on the phone isn't such a novel idea-maybe it's the way we should be communicating and want to be communicated with.

If you are reading this, fantastic!! But please know that if you would like to learn more about what we do at St. Mark Youth Enrichment or would just like to get to know us a little better personally, we are very open to meeting with you and would love the chance to get to know you more as well! When connections are made and collaborations are formed, we can not only make an impact on an individual's life, but also on the community. We look forward to forging ahead in this technological world alongside you!

Get Engaged!

Thousands of students have participated in our program. We have impacted countless families during the Christmas season and at the start of the school year. We believe in the value of a safe and supportive community. We foster hopes and dreams of the future leaders of our community. Our vision is for every child to have the opportunity to succeed. We are St. Mark Youth Enrichment.

Although we have been in the Dubuque community for over 25 years, there are still many people who do not fully understand what we do. Our mission is simple. We provide academic and social support to school aged youth and their families. As an agency we are growing, and unfortunately, so are the needs of many of the families we serve.  Children from low-income families have more hurdles ahead of them in life. Just to give one example, statistically, they have less books than their more advantaged classmates which correlates to lower reading and math scores as well as graduation rates. Proven fact.

Whether you are already a strong supporter of the work we do at St. Mark Youth Enrichment with before, after and summer learning or if you are new and would like to know more, you have come to the right place. Now is the time to get engaged in the lives of youth who truly need your support.  This blog will serve as a story board to help you see how we engage in the community and give ideas on how we can stay connected even more!

Thank you for joining us!

www.stmarkyouthenrichment.org
@SMYEnrichment