STRONG CITY BALTIMORE INC

STRONG CITY FISCAL SPONSORHIP SERVICES:IN FY19, NON-PROFIT BUSINESS SERVICES (NPBS) MANAGED APPROXIMATELY $8.692 MILLION IN NEW ASSETS ON BEHALF OF 127 FISCALLY SPONSORED PROJECTS AND FISCALLY MANAGED CLIENTS. STRONG CITY HAS CONTINUED TO SPEND SIGNIFICANT TIME AND ENERGY EDUCATING BANKS, FOUNDATIONS, AND PRIVATE LENDERS ABOUT THE PRACTICE OF FISCAL SPONSORSHIP, AND THE VALUE THAT IT BRINGS TO THE NONPROFIT SECTOR. THE WORK OF MANAGING BACK-OFFICE TASKS FOR PROJECTS IS CHALLENGING AND COMPLICATED, BUT IS A CRITICAL PART OF HELPING GOOD WORK HAPPEN, AND STRONG CITY IS PROUD OF ITS CONTINUING ROLE PROVIDING THIS KIND OF SUPPORT TO COMMUNITY-LED INITIATIVES.THE OVER 130 PROJECTS THAT ARE FISCALLY SPONSORED BY STRONG CITY, WHOSE BUDGETS RANGE FROM $5,000 TO $3,000,000, OPERATE ACROSS AN INCREDIBLY DIVERSE SPECTRUM OF ISSUE AREASADULT LITERACY PROGRAM:THE MISSION OF THE ADULT LEARNING CENTER (ALC) IS TO PROVIDE HIGH-QUALITY, LEARNER-CENTERED INSTRUCTION TO HELP BALTIMORE RESIDENTS INCREASE THEIR ACADEMIC SKILLS, EMPLOYABILITY, AND OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE. IMPROVING ADULT BASIC SKILLS IS A KEY COMPONENY OF ENSURING THAT ADULT LEARNERS ARE PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. THE ALC PROVIDES A NECESSARY, DIRECT SERVICE TO INDIVIDUALS LIVING AND WORKING IN BALTIMORE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING LOW EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTS, LOW-SKILL EMPLOYMENT, LOW LITERACY, AND LOW ENGLISH PROFICIENY. THE ALC SERVCES ADULTS WHO DESIRE TO MOVE THEIR OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE, REGARDLESS OF THEIR AGE OR EDUCATIONAL SKILL LEVEL. THE AVERAGE ADULT BASIC EDUCATION (ABE) LEARNER ENTERS OUR PROGRAM WITH 4TH-GRADE MATH SKILLS AND 5TH-GRADE READING SKILLS. A KEY STEP IN STRONG CITY'S MISSION TO BUILD AND STRENGTHEN BALTIMORE'S NEIGHBORHOODS AND PEOPLE IS CONNECTING RESIDENTS TO EDUCATION AND CAREER PATHWAYS THAT OFFER A WAY OUT OF POVERTY THORUGH THE PROGRAMMING OFFERED AT THE ALC.AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR 14 LEARNERS EARNED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA BY PASSING ALL FOUR SECTIONS OF THE GED, 13 ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS GRADUATED OUT OF THE PROGRAM, AND 32 LEARNERS HAVE PASSED ONE OR MORE SECTIONS OF THE GED SETTING THE ALC FOR SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES IN FY 19. OF OUR LEARNERS WHO WERE POST-TESTED, 50 PERCENT ACHIEVED AT LEAST ONE EDUCATIONAL FUNCTIONING LEVEL GAIN, WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO TWO GRADE-LEVELS.NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAMS:IN THE LAST YEAR, WE HAVE CONTINUED OPERATING OUR TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, SUCH AS OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZING EFFORTS, VACANT AND BLIGHTED HOUSING REDUCTION, AND HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS MARKETING EFFORTS. FROM JULY 2019 TO JUNE 2019, STRONG CITY HAS COORDINATED THE ABATEMENT OF 55 PROBLEM PROPERTIES AND THE RE-OCCUPATION OF 48 PREVIOUSLY PROPERTIES. THE ABATEMENT OF THESE PROPERTIES HAS HELPED BRING OVER $5.593 MILLION IN INVESTMENT IN BALTIMORE REAL ESTATE. STRONG CITY ALSO PROVIDES TARGETED ON-THE-GROUND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING SUPPORT ALONG THE GREENMOUNT/YORK ROAD CORRIDOR IN: GREENMOUNT WEST, BARCLAY, GREATER GREENMOUTH, HARWOOD, JOHNSTON SQUARE, WAVERLY, BETTER WAVERLY, AND YORK ROAD. ON THE GROUND ORGANIZING IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE SUCCESS OF OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WORK THE GOAL IS TO CONTINUE STRENGTHENING THE CAPACITY OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS FOR RESIDENT-DRIVEN REVITALIZATION.STRONG CITY PARTNERS WITH THREE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, MARGARET BRENT ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE, GOVANS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND GUILFORD ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE, EMPLOYING THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS MODEL TO INTEGRATE ACADEMICS, HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES, YOUTH EXTRACURRICULAR ENRICHMENT, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOWARD IMPROVED STUDENT LEARNING, STRONGER FAMILIERS, AND HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES. OUR ON-SITE, FULL-TIME COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATORS ENABLE US TO WORK EFFECTIVELY WITH A HOST OF PARTNERS. 29TH STREET COMMUNITY CENTER:IN FY19 , THE 29TH STREETH COMMUNITY CENTER WAS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL WITH A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES HELD. WE HAD THE MOST IMPACTFUL EXPERIENCE WITH OUR YOUTHWORKERS TO DATE. OUR STUDENTS ORGANIZED A YOUTH-LED COMMUNITY WALK AGAINST VIOLENCE ATTENDED BY 40 COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. WE RECRUITED AN AMERICORPS VISTA EMBER TO SERVE AS A COMMUNITY MOBILIZER RESPONSIBLE FOR CONDUCTING A COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND PROVIDING EVENTS AND RESOURCES BASED ON EXPRESSED NEEDS.THE CLUB AT COLLINGTON SQUARE:THE CLUB'S DEDICATED STAFF PROVIDE A HIGHLY STRUCTURE PROGRAM BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 3:15 PM AND 6:30 PM WITH ACADEMICS, ENRICHMENT, PLAY, AND HOMEWORK HELP. THROUGH HOMEWORK SUPPORT AND PROJECT-BASED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, THE CLUB STAFF REINFORCES DAY-SCHOOL LEARNING THROUGH INTERACTIVE HANDS-ON LEARNING. CLUB STAFF WORKS WITH DAY-SCHOOL TEACHERS TO KEEP TRACK OF EACH STUDENT'S ACADEMIC PROGRESS AND NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. THIS ALLOWS CLUB TEACHER TO UNDERSTAND THE GAPS IN STUDENT LEARNING AND CREATE LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES THAT ADDRESS THOSE CONCEPTS. THIS PARTNERSHIP IS CRITICAL TO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND INCREASED KNOWLEDGE BASE OF CONCEPTS. IN THE LAST YEAR, THE CLUB HAS BEEN ABLE TO CONTINUE THEIR PROGRAMMING INCLUDING SUMMER PROGRAMMING FOR 140 YOUTH.