Supporters of Building Bright Futures were wowed by college student Amber Franklin Monday night.
Franklin said she was blessed to be part of the Avenue Scholars program, which has helped her get voice lessons, provided her with transportation after knee surgery and taught her to keep believing in herself. The program matches high school students with advisers.
“They've always reminded me that I've come so far. The bigger my dreams are, the bigger the obstacles will be,” said Franklin, a Metropolitan Community College student and Omaha Benson High graduate. “My background has influenced who I am, but ultimately, I am responsible for who I become.”
Her words were music to the ears of the 300 supporters of Building Bright Futures, a local education-focused philanthropy effort, who gathered Monday night at the Qwest Center Omaha. They were told that years of past planning have paved the way for action and some notable successes.
Action in the form of six community health centers that opened this fall, as well as additional training and support for child care providers. And success proven through increases in school attendance and improving grades for students served by Building Bright Futures programs.
The most obvious fruits of the Bright Futures effort are the health centers and the high school and college students involved in the Avenue Scholars program.
The health centers, set up in collaboration with a variety of community groups, seek to eliminate health problems that hamper education efforts.
Sen. Ben Nelson told the group Monday night that its work is on the radar of the U.S. Department of Education.
“Kids can't learn if they're hungry, scared or sick,” he said. “As a society, we must ensure children are both healthy and educated.”
The health centers at Belvedere, Indian Hill, Kellom and Liberty Elementary Schools, Spring Lake Magnet Center and King Science and Technology Magnet Center provide health screenings and on-site care for acute and chronic health conditions that affect attendance and performance.
“What we've done is expand access to health care to about 35,000 kids in the community,” said John Cavanaugh, executive director of Building Bright Futures.
For example, in the past, children who needed immunization shots had to stay home until they received those shots, delaying the start of their school year. Now children can get their shots at school and start the year on time.
Avenue Scholars, a project of the Avenue Scholars Foundation, helps students make the transition to college.
Last year, the program served 175 students in four pilot programs, at Ralston High School, Omaha's Northwest and Benson High Schools and Metropolitan Community College.
Avenue Scholars achieved a 96 percent high school graduation rate for the 2009-10 year, says Bright Futures' annual report, released Monday. The program is expanding this year to serve 486 students as centers open at Omaha's North, South and Bryan High Schools and at Millard South High School.
Building Bright Futures also partners with a host of groups that provide early childhood services.
The organization's efforts include a focus on the 3,500 Omaha-area babies born into poverty each year, targeting them for intensive services in the first three years, Cavanaugh said. ---- The group also has a school attendance program that operates in 24 schools to reduce truancy and chronic absenteeism, as well as a program designed to engage kids in the community and encourage civic involvement.
Building Bright Futures budgeted $4.5 million last year for programs aimed at erasing obstacles to the academic achievement of low-income students in Douglas and Sarpy Counties. ---- In January, the City of Omaha will give Building Bright Futures a $365,000 boost that is earmarked for truancy prevention programs.
Contact the writer:
444-1077, joe.dejka@owh.com
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