The winter weather months have officially hit the Midwest and thanks to the holiday spirit of some volunteer elves, many Partnership students will be able to brave the cold temperatures without fear of frost bite.
Volunteer goal buddies from OPPD gave out more than cheer this month, providing homemade fleece scarves and goodie bags for all the students in their Belvedere classrooms. “The students were thrilled,” said Program Coordinator, Kris Morgan. “One boy expressed how excited his mom would be to see his new scarf,” she added.
Partnership volunteers from FirstComp also contributed to the giving spirit by doing a corporate-wide drive for winter apparel. More than 430 hats, gloves and scarves were collected and distributed to the students of Kellom Elementary. Earlier this year, FirstComp volunteers also organized a school clean-up day, donating plants and mulch and volunteers to landscape and beautify Kellom’s grounds.
Friday December 17th, volunteers from First National Merchants Association will run “Operation Elf”, a drive to collect toys and gifts for the students and families of Saratoga Elementary. If you wish to contribute to the cause, you may drop off donations at the school this Friday. Thanks to all those who are dedicated to aiding the students and families of the Partnership that are in need this season!
If you wish to make a donation directly to The Partnership, you can do so through our website, www.thepartnershipforourkids.org or by calling 402-930-3000.
The Partnership For Our Kids welcomes Ramey McNamara and Cassie Scheidies as the newest program specialists for the Partnership’s mentoring program.
Ramey McNamara will be working with the 6th and 7th grade students at Belvedere Academy, Miller Park Elementary and McMillan Middle School. She says she is most excited to be a part of her students’ lives from elementary school through their high school graduation. Cassie agrees, and adds that she is eager to see her students setting goals and working toward success. Cassie will be working primarily with middle school students at McMillan, Beveridge and Monroe Middle School.
When the ladies are not working, they are both active volunteers in the community. Cassie spends time working with her church and Ramey volunteers with Douglas County as a court appointed special advocate. In addition to volunteering, Ramey likes attending sporting events, movies and playing bingo. Cassie enjoys playing poker, hiking and taking walks with her dogs. To find out more about Ramey and Cassie, visit the Partnership website's Team Members page
For the third year in a row, the Partnership’s vinNEBRASKA Wine Event was honored as Metro Magazine’s Best Food and Wine Event for 2010! The Partnership happily shares this award with Lutheran Family Services, whose special event, “Wicker and Wine, 2009”, tied for first place. The award announcements were made Tuesday night at Metro Magazine’s “Big Event”, held at Henry Doorly Zoo. This is the fourth annual presentation of “The Big Event Awards Celebration” and Metro Magazine’s twentieth year of existence.
In addition to receiving this award, All About Omaha was also nominated as a finalist in the category of Best Event Under 500 in Attendance for the 2010 Torchlight Ball, honoring the Partnership’s Winners Circle program. A special thanks to all who voted and to those who continue to support The Partnership For Our Kids in all of our ventures!
It is no secret that The Partnership For Our Kids has the best volunteers in Omaha, but it is always exciting to see when these amazing individuals are recognized for their many wonderful contributions to the community.
Last week, Bob Herrera, Winners Circle captain for Jackson Elementary, was honored as “Latino Partner of the Year” by the Heartland Latino Leadership Conference. Herrera has been assisting with organizing the conference since 2000. As an information services manager for Mutual of Omaha, his participation with the event has helped to track its evolution. Today the conference draws more than 500 participants, provides scholarships and offers an opportunity for Latino merchants to show their wares.
It’s not surprising that Herrera says his favorite part of being involved with the planning and implementation of the conference is witnessing the excitement of the students that attend. “The students come and get inspired; they leave more motivated,” he said.
The Partnership For Our Kids wishes to extend a special thanks to Captain Herrera for his commitment to the Winners Circle program and for his outstanding service to the entire Omaha community!
The Partnership For Our Kids is extremely thankful for our volunteers. Their commitment to the students enrolled in our programs is simply amazing. What is perhaps even more astounding is that these devoted volunteers take the time to express how much they love doing what they do. Below is one of the many notes of appreciation submitted by our volunteers:
I want to thank you for the opportunity of being a "Goal Buddy" at Belvedere! This is such a tremendous program and a priceless opportunity to be involved in the lives of the youth of Omaha.
When I left Belvedere yesterday, I spent a long time reflecting and being thankful. As a former teacher, especially as a former BELVEDERE teacher, my heart is touched by the commitment and hope that is exhibited by the Winners Circle program and the goal buddies. There is no greater gift than love and I saw this yesterday on the faces of the goal buddies, the staff, and especially on the sweet faces of the students.
I want to commend all of you on your work and dedication. Thank you, again, for allowing me to partner with you in making a difference in the lives of our Omaha youth!
Suzi Yokley-Busby-UNO, BBF Engagement and Attendance Initiative Belvedere Goal Buddy
Thanks to the Omaha Public Library’s Summer Reading Program, 337 Winners Circle students spent their summers getting lost in exciting adventures, solving mysteries and flying away to fantasy-lands; all without even leaving the city. In addition to providing students with a great way to stay entertained, reading programs like the one sponsored by the Omaha Public Library are also helping to battle summer learning-loss, often referred to as the “summer slide.”
It is estimated that school summer breaks will cause the average student to lose up to one month of instruction, with disadvantaged students being disproportionately affected (Cooper, 1996). Researchers also conclude that two-thirds of the 9th grade reading achievement gap can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities during the elementary school years, with nearly one-third of the gap present when children begin school (Alexander, Entwistle & Olsen, 2007).
Winners Circle students that participated in the Omaha Public Library reading program this summer, were rewarded for their efforts by having their name printed on the “Summer Reading Honor Roll” plaque and each student also received a brand new book to read. Summer readers were also recognized for their efforts at all first-quarter Winners Circle celebrations this month.
Thanks to a generous sponsorship from TD Ameritrade employees, a group of 17 sixth-grade students in The Partnership For Our Kids mentoring program were able enjoy a cornucopia of autumn activities at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, Monday, October 25th.
“My favorite part was the haunted house,” said Daniela, one of the students. “It was fun even though it wasn’t very haunted.” Along with spooky ruins, students explored a large corn maze, watched pumpkins being fired from a large cannon, jumped on inflatable ‘pillows’ and fed llamas, goats and camels. Four TD Ameritrade employees also joined the fall fun, assisting program staff members as additional chaperones for outing. “It was fun to hear the volunteers interact with the students,” Partnership Development Director Nicole Everingham said. “I also think we broke a few eardrums with the haunted house and the screaming,” she added. At the end of the evening, students roasted hot dogs over a campfire and ate s’mores, many of them for the first time.
More than 95% of the over 500 students in the Partnership’s mentoring program qualify for free and reduced lunch, an indicator that places these students near or below the federal poverty line. Students below the poverty line are six times more likely to drop out of school than their peers. The dropout rate in the Omaha Public School district is currently above 30%. By taking a targeted approach focusing on life skills, career exploration, graduation and college access, the mentoring program has worked with students for over 20 years, with more than 85% of students graduation and more than 90% of graduates going on to college or trade school.
The Partnership For Our kids is currently looking for 90 new mentors to work with teams of four students in a classroom setting twice a month between 3pm-5pm. Each meeting is facilitated by two staff members who plan lessons, provide student snacks and arrange student transportation. Other volunteers and their small groups are also present in the meetings. For more information on volunteering, visit www.thepartnershipforourkids.org.
Have you become a Facebook fan of The Partnership For Our Kids yet? We are so excited to have more than 200 Facebook fans and we want to keep the momentum going. To make things easier for our fans, beginning December 1, 2010, we will officially dissolve our individual program fan pages for All Our Kids and Winners Circle and will begin exclusively sharing all updates through our Partnership For Our Kids fan page.
If you haven’t taken a minute to ‘like’ us yet, now is your chance! Visit: www.facebook.com/PartnershipForOurKids and start receiving instant news and events updates. We are constantly posting student stories, pictures and videos posts so that you can be the first to know what we are up to. Fan page friends also receive notices of upcoming training opportunities, community events and much more. Join us today!
Congratulations to The Partnership For Our Kids Chairman of the Board, Dr. Ward Chambers for his recent induction into the Ak-Sar-Ben Court of Honor! Dr. Chambers was selected by the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation and the Women’s Ball Committee as one of three 2010 Ak-Sar-Ben Court of Honor Difference-Makers. Chambers was recognized for his lifetime achievements in the area of professions.
Known and respected for his exceptional work in cardiology, it might be surprising to learn that Chambers’ first career path was not medicine. His initial degree was in electrical engineering from the University of Missouri, Columbia and he worked for Collins Radio for a year before accepting a position as a physiology research assistant at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Chambers went on to earn his medical degree from UNMC , where he also did his internal residency. He then received his cardiology training at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and went on to practice cardiology at Bishop Clarkson Hospital and UNMC.
For the past eight years, Chambers has been spending much of his time in Afghanistan, where he is working to improve health care and medical training in the country’s two most premier medical schools; Kabul University Medical Center and Afghan National Army Medical Center.
In addition to his international work, Chambers also serves in a variety of local leadership positions including UNMC’s director of community outreach and multicultural affairs, active member of the Williams Prepared Place and Iowa Western Community College Foundation boards of directors and of course as the chairman of The Partnership For Our Kids board of directors.
Thank you Dr. Chambers for your service and dedication to your profession and for the difference you make in our community!
To read more about all of the 2010 Ak-Sar-Ben Court of Honor Difference-Makers, click here.
Looking for a great way to spend your lunch hour? Join The Partnership For Our Kids and Film Streams on Wednesday, November 17th, from 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Ruth Sokolof Theater, 1340 Mike Fahey Street (just around the corner from the new downtown ballpark).
Enjoy a free lunch and a short biographical film, featuring a day in the lives of two Partnership For Our Kids students. Guests will also have an opportunity to preview upcoming Film Streams trailers and learn more about volunteering with The Partnership For Our Kids.
All attendees must pre-register! Register online here email us at mentor@thepartnershipforourkids.org or call 402.930.3095.
Make it a group outing! Invite your friends to attend by sharing our event on Facebook.
With hundreds of non-profit organizations that are serving the local community and working to make the quality of life better for its citizens, it is no exaggeration to say that Omaha is a city that cares. It’s also no secret that it is the city’s volunteers that keep these compassionate service agencies up and running. What might be surprising to learn is that Omaha’s volunteers are as diverse in age, background and talents as the community in which they live.
This fall, Mutual of Omaha employees stepped outside their cubicles and teamed up with students of The Partnership For Our Kids as part of Mutual of Omaha’s Month of Caring initiative. "Corporate citizenship and volunteerism have great emphasis in Mutual's culture. We hope through this effort, employees will realize the win-win experience of volunteerism and remain an active volunteer in their communities," said Christine Johnson, president of the Mutual of Omaha Foundation.
Together, Partnership students and Mutual of Omaha volunteers worked to assemble care packages for local counseling and support agency, Heartland Family Service Children’s Emergency Shelter. This service project not only gave Mutual of Omaha volunteers an opportunity to help their community in a hands-on way, but it also gave them a chance to see that serving the community is something that is taken seriously by even Omaha’s youngest citizens.
For Mutual of Omaha volunteer, Aaron, participating in the service project with the Partnership students was an opportunity to gain a new perspective. “As adults we get caught up in our daily lives and tend to forget some of the things that are important,” he said. Currently, The Partnership For Our Kids is still in need of 130 volunteers to serve as mentors and Goal Buddies. If you would like to find out how you can help, visit http://www.thepartnershipforourkids.org/volunteer.shtml or call 402-930-3000.
*To see video footage of “Kids Serving Kids” visit The Partnership For Our Kids YouTube channel.
The Partnership For Our Kids is dedicated to inspiring kids to achieve their dreams. A big part of this inspiration comes in the form of Winners Circle captains.Captains not only get the whole school excitedabout achieving goals, but also share their personal journeys to overcome challenges and achieve success.
Terrance Mackey, a new captain at Mount View Elementary, couldn’t be more excited to start motivating students. “I am looking forward to helping them achieve their goals and become more productive youth,” says Mackey.Growing up, Mackey had many role models that encouraged him and he feels that it is important to pass on that encouragement to someone else. Mackey was born and raised in North Omaha and spent much of his time at the North Omaha Boys Club.These days, Mackey has dedicated his life to helping local youth.In addition to being a Winners Circle captain, Mackey works for the Douglas County Youth Center and volunteers as head of the North Omaha Boys and Girls Club Football program.
To learn more about Winners Circle Captains, visit, http://www.thepartnershipforourkids.org/wccaptains.shtml
Have you voted for The Big Event? The Partnership For Our Kids has been nominated for Metro Magazine’s “The Big Event” contest and we need your votes! The Partnership’s programs have been selected for nomination as “Best Wine Event”-All Our Kids vinNEBRASKA Wine Event and “Best Under 500 Attendance”-All About Omaha Torchlight Ball benefitting Winners Circle Educational Program. To cast your vote, simply click on the link: https://www.spiritofomaha.com/Metro-Magazine/The-Big-Event-2010-Ballot/ and fill out the ballot.
As a special bonus the first 1,000 online voters receive a free six-month subscription to Metro Magazine, and all voters are automatically registered to win two tickets to the exclusive 2011 “Charity of Choice” Event. Voting end September 30th, so don’t miss out on this great opportunity to help the Partnership and win great prizes!
Meet the new faces of The Partnership For Our Kids! These three multi-talented ladies are wonderful additions to the staff and we are so excited to have them joining us. Welcome aboard, ladies!
Yolanda Williams is the newest Program Coordinator for the Winners Circle team and she will be working with the staff and students of Howard Kennedy, Fontenelle and King Elementary Schools. Outside of work, she is extremely involved in the arts as a multi-media artist. Some of her favorite mediums are oil and acrylic paint, screen printing, ceramics and sculpture. She also enjoys performing arts and is a talented singer, dancer and rapper. In addition to her talents as an artist, Yolanda is a great mom to her three children, Keired, Rachaun and Brianni.
Oanh Heiser officially joined the Partneship’s recruitment team this week and will primarily be working to recruit Goal Buddy volunteers for the Winners Circle program. A self-proclaimed adventure seeker, and social butterfly, Oanh loves to travel, hang out with friends and learn new things. Her life’s aspiration is to be an old soul, and still be young at heart.
Also joining the Partnership’s ranks this week is Laura Cady. Laura will be working as a Bilingual Program Specialist for the All Our Kids South Omaha Pilot Project. Laura is excited to serve as a positive influence in the lives of her students and especially loves the many opportunities they are given as participants in the Partnership’s programs. “Being a part of an organization that gives at-risk kids the opportunity to attend and do well in college is amazing,” she says. Before joining the Partnership, Laura spent time studying, living and working abroad in both Spain and Costa Rica. In her spare time she loves to cook, travel, and spend time with family and friends.
*To learn more about Yolanda, Oanh,Laura, and the rest of the Partnership team, visit:
The official Partnership For Our Kids website received an extreme make-over this summer and we are thrilled to finally show it off! The site not only has a fresh new look, but also has many exciting new features.
Two of the most useful elements of the newly made-over site are the Frequently Asked Questions section, which contains the answers to dozens of the most commonly asked questions our staff receives, and the Partnership calendar, which showcases pertinent information for future volunteer/student event. The calendar events can also be filtered by agency program, depending an individual’s particular interest.
The new site also incorporates pages for each of the Partnership’s programs, Winners Circle and All Our Kids. Both program pages include information on historical background, opportunities available, and resources for teachers, parents and volunteers. In addition, potential volunteers and donors can apply or contribute securely online with just a few clicks of their mouse.
Some of the most fun aspects of the site can be found in the multi-media section, which allows visitors to view program video shorts, flip through a virtual photo scrapbook and link to the agency’s Facebook page, which contains even more updated news and pictures!
For even more Partnership information and updates, sign-up for our quarterly e-newsletter, http://www.partnershipforourkids.org/newsletter.shtml
Contact: Jessica Warren The Partnership for Our Kids 402-557-6392 jwarren@allourkids.org
September 2010, OMAHA, Neb. — The Partnership For Our Kids, a local organization serving more than 4,500 disadvantaged Omaha youth, is in need of 200 additional volunteers to serve as mentors and Goal Buddies during the 2010-2011 school year. “Our students are living in a poor economic climate that has been hit even harder in recent years, putting student’s futures at risk unless we get the volunteers needed to serve as positive role models,” said Partnership For Our Kids Recruitment Specialist, Phil Jarrett. “What makes The Partnership For Our Kids programs so special is the targeted focus on improving student performance through personal interaction with our volunteers.” Last year 93 percent of the organization’s elementary school participants met their academic goals and 83 percent of the Partnership’s graduating class is now enrolled in college or trade school, which Jarrett said is proof that the efforts made by Partnership volunteers are making a difference. The two major volunteer opportunities offered by the Partnership include becoming a Goal Buddy for the Partnership’s Winners Circle program or becoming a group mentor for the All Our Kids mentoring program. Goal Buddies, visit elementary classrooms twice a quarter, providing students with extra support and encouraging them to achieve academic and life skill goals. Volunteers choosing to become group mentors meet with sixth through twelfth grade students, after school in a classroom, which is facilitated by a trained program staff member. Volunteer time commitments range from 2-4 hours a month and all volunteers are asked to participate in the program for a minimum of one year. “Free time might be an expense many cannot afford these days, but what little we have should be invested wisely. We encourage any potential volunteer to come see what our program does and how bright our student’s futures can be with their help,” said Jarrett. Community members who would like to learn more about becoming a volunteer for The Partnership For Our Kids should call 402-557-3095 or visit, www.thepartnershipforourkids.org.
The Partnership For Our Kids was formed in 2007 when two established Omaha youth serving organizations, Winners Circle and All Our Kids joined forces to help more disadvantaged students have a brighter future. All Our Kids was created in 1989 as a pilot mentoring program consisting of 20 seventh graders at McMillan Middle School and mentors from the business community. Winners Circle began as an “Adopt-a-School” relationship between Tire’s Inc. and Belvedere Academy in 1993 and grew into a goal-setting program in 1996. Today, the Partnership serves over 4,500 students in 22 Omaha Public Schools.
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For more information on The Partnership For Our Kids or to schedule an interview, call 402-930-3002, or visit our new website at: www.thepartnershipforourkids.org
A study about high school graduation rates of black males has been getting a lot of attention lately. The report by Schott Foundation for Public Education states only 47% of all black male high school students are graduating on time. Reasons given for these low graduation rates are poor classroom experiences, lack of resources and lack of positive role models. Luckily, with the help of programs like those offered by The Partnership For Our Kids, students are being given more opportunities to prove these disappointing statistical statements false.
“What makes The Partnership For Our Kids programs so special is the targeted focus on improving student performance through personal interaction with our volunteers,” says Partnership Recruitment Specialist, Phil Jarrett. Partnership staff and volunteers provide student participants with academic support, goal setting skills, career exploration and college access. Currently, 85 percent of Partnership students are graduating from high school and of that percentage, 90 percent go on to pursue college or trade school. In a 2010 survey of The Partnership’s Winners Circle program students, 71 percent feel they are more successful because of the program.
Sadly, with a national economic downturn, being able to provide the volunteers needed to help Partnership programs run effectively has become more challenging. Currently the Partnership is looking to recruit 200 more volunteers to serve as Goal Buddies and mentors. “Free time might be an expense many cannot afford these days, but what little we have should be invested wisely. We encourage any potential volunteer to come see what our program does and how bright our student’s futures can be with their help,” says Jarrett.
Community members who would like to learn more about becoming a volunteer for The Partnership For Our Kids should call 402-557-3095 or visit, www.thepartnershipforourkids.org
The school year has officially started and The Partnership For Our Kids is pleased to announcethat we have four fabulous new Winners Circle Captains joining our amazing team of volunteers!
Mark Jimenez Mark Jimenez, a former Winners Circle Goal Buddy, has accepted the role of Co-Captain at Kellom Elementary. Jimenez truly enjoys volunteering for an organization dedicated to the success of children. “I like the fact that Winners Circle works to encourage and support younger children in setting and pursuing goals in and outside of the classroom.”
In his professional life, Jimenez has been in banking for the past 12 years and for the last five, he has served as a branch manager for Great Western Bank . As a child, Jimenez spent time on the island of St. Vincent and the Dominican Republic, where his parents were missionaries.“I've been blessed by more people than I could mention, who have encouraged or mentored me,” he says. “This is my opportunity to give back to our young people at an age when they need encouragement and support the most.”
Cameron Lind
Another former Goal Buddy, Cameron Lind, has taken the position of Captain at Field Club Elementary and has great respect for all of his fellow Winners Circle volunteers. “They volunteer because they sincerely want to make a difference in the lives of the kids,” he says.Of course, Lind’s favorite part of Winners Circle is the students and he takes particular pleasure in helping them celebrate their successes. “There are very few things in life more satisfying than the smile of a child, and we see those smiles when they share with us their success in reaching their goals.”
Professionally, Lind works as a Talent Management Specialist at Omaha Public Power District.A teacher to the core, Lind has held a variety of professional positions which have allowed him to utilize his unique skills, including director of youth programs at the American Lung Association, teaching positionsthrough Omaha Public Schools, Iowa Western and Metropolitan Community Colleges, and diversity/leadership training with First Data Corporation. Lind has a lot of talent as an actor and has appeared in numerous community theater productions and over 50 local and national commercialsand training films.
Maria Valentin
Maria Valentin is brand new to the Partnership and is serving as a Winners Circle Captain at Jackson Elementary. Valentin loves that Winners Circle allows her to be a positive influence in the lives of Omaha youth. “It creates an opportunity for me to motivate and empower students so they can see themselves living a successful life.
When Valentin isn’t volunteering with Winners Circle, she works in the ConAgra Foods Corporate Community Affairs Department. Valentin has more than 18 years of experience in community relations, management and volunteerism and is eager to share her professional experiences with Winners Circle students.
Ronald Jefferson Ronald Jefferson Jr. will be serving as a Winners Circle Captain at Field Club Elementary and is excited for his new role with the program.
Growing up, Jefferson attended school in the OPS district and obtained his Bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Jefferson currently works at Omaha Public Power District as a programmer, assisting in maintaining and creating enterprise systems.Jefferson is active in his church, serving as the band leader at Ambassador’s Worship Center and was recently married this past June. Jefferson says he is eager to be able to encourage, support, and reward the accomplishments of Omaha youth and is proud to be a part of the Winners Circle program.
The winter weather months have officially hit the Midwest and thanks to the holiday spirit of some volunteer elves, many Partnership students will be able to brave the cold temperatures without fear of frost bite. 
