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Annual Report 2012

O U R P I E C E O F T H E P I E 2 0 1 2 A N N U A L R E P O R T

uniquely adjusts the three fields of the Pathways program to provide tailored support for each youth.

This year, there were three new initiatives launched, one in each of our Pathways settings.

To expand Pathways in High Schools, we opened The Learning Academy in Bloomfield, an alternative high school that gives young people who’ve struggled in a traditional academic setting a chance to learn at their own pace and succeed on their own terms. Our schools look to re-engage over-age, under-credited students by integrating

the Pathways program into an academically rigorous culture. By providing individualized attention, intensive support services, and college/career preparation, students stay on the path to graduate and move onto postsecondary opportunities. The Learning Academy benefits greatly from the lessons we learned at Opportunity High School, our highly-successful partnership with Hartford Public Schools in operation since 2009.

While OPP has served the region since 1975, the agency began implementing the Pathways in the Community model for Hartford youth in 2000. In June 2012, with funding from the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, we replicated our Pathways in the Community program by opening Pathways in Eastern Connecticut. Through this program we have brought our programs to youth in Norwich and surrounding communities, who have long been underserved.

With proper supplemental support and guidance, low student retention and graduation rates at community colleges can significantly improve. That is why OPP has developed Pathways in Community Colleges with a relationship-centered approach to help young people access and attain a mix of educational, employment and personal skills that contribute to their postsecondary success. OPP’s Pathways program has been woven into Capital Community College for two years, placing a Youth Development Specialist on campus to help students with everything from admissions and financial aid all the

way through to graduation. Expanding Pathways in Community Colleges, in 2012, we formed a partnership with Asnuntuck Community College, giving our youth new opportunities to train for the high technology jobs that are so critical to our nation’s future while providing that on-campus support.

We’re proud of our progress, but there’s much more work yet to be done. Each year, 9,000 students in Connecticut drop out of high school. Each student costs the state more than half-a-million dollars in lost wages and increased support services over their lifetime. We’re actively working with legislators and thought leaders at all levels to give every student a fair chance to succeed.

We’re also developing a long-term vision that will help to secure our future. The Champions Council—an elite group of senior executives who have led, or are still leading, major companies towards enduring success—guides and supports us, so we can continue to be as effective in 2020 and beyond as we are today.

We’d like thank you again for your support and encouragement. And we’d like to invite you to join us on our exciting journey into the future.

Bob Rath, President and CEO

John Little, Chair of the Board

OPP had a very successful year in 2012 as we strengthened and focused our organization; improved our financial performance; and continued to transform the lives of the young people we serve.

We’d like to thank you for your kind and gracious support for the important work we’re doing.

Building from this strong foundation, we also took significant steps last year to grow our organization

in locations across the state; become more powerful advocates for change at the local and national level; and to secure our future for the long term. We’d like to share the highlights with you here, and we’ll give you more detail in the pages that follow.

Pathways to Success is OPP's main program. It combines best practices in three fields, Youth Development, Education and Workforce Development, to provide comprehensive, personalized services to ensure that youth achieve overall goals of a postsecondary degree and/or a meaningful career. OPP is committed to the success of these young people and has adapted the Pathways program to fit the needs of the youth being served in three key settings: Pathways in High Schools, Pathways in the Community and Pathways in Community Colleges. Each setting

DEAR FRIENDS,

O U R P I E C E O F T H E P I E 2 0 1 2 A N N U A L R E P O R T

Pathways in Eastern Connecticut

OPP moved into a new neighborhood this summer, when Pathways in Eastern Connecticut opened in downtown Norwich. “As a result of a successful partnership and program delivery in the Hartford community, the Department of Children and Families selected OPP to expand into

Eastern Connecticut, to help youth succeed in the classroom and in their work lives,” explains Jinelle Hooker, Supervisor of Pathways in Eastern Connecticut.

Pathways in Eastern Connecticut provides a full range of OPP services, from positive youth development, academic tutoring and college preparation, to job training, internships and job placement with local businesses.

“We have a beautiful facility and a vibrant art program, and the youth really appreciate all of the opportunities we’re giving them,” Hooker says. “We’ve also seen tremendous support from the business community and local volunteers who share our commitment to helping young people.”

“Even though we’re just getting started, it’s clear that Pathways in Eastern Connecticut is a great model for OPP’s future growth in other locations across the state.”

Michael Logan Learning Academy of Bloomfield

“I didn’t make the best choices when I was younger,” admits Michael Logan, who’s slated to graduate from high school in June. “I fell pretty far behind in my schoolwork at Bloomfield High, but the Learning Academy helped me get back on track and I feel very good about my future.”

OPP partnered with the Bloomfield school system to open the Learning Academy in the fall of 2012. “We have a combination of online courses and regular teachers so we can learn at our own pace,” Logan explains. “We also have OPP staff members at the Academy who help us with our studies when we need it and prepare us to succeed after we graduate.”

“OPP has taught me a lot about myself and helped me understand what’s important in life,” Logan acknowledges. “Those lessons will stay with me forever.”

Quinton Bagby Asnuntuck Community College

OPP is now giving youth a chance to succeed in the growing field of high-tech manufacturing, thanks to a new partnership with Asnuntuck Community College in Enfield. “We just started our classes in January and I love it already,” says Quinton Bagby, one of nine OPP youth already taking part in OPP’s Pathways in Community Colleges program at Asnuntuck.

“I really enjoy working with my hands, and I’m very good with computers, so this is the perfect program for me,” Bagby explains. “I’ve been with OPP since I was 15, so I know they’ll make sure I stay focused on my studies.”

“I also know that Asnuntuck will help me find an internship as soon as I finish my classes, so I can get the work experience I need,” says Bagby.

“I have no doubt that I’ll find a good job when I’m done and enjoy a very successful career.”

Aida Ruiz Capital Community College

“I don’t know where I’d be right now if it weren’t for OPP,” says Aida Ruiz, a sophomore at Capital Community College. “They helped me get financial aid so I could enroll at Capital last year, and they’ve been by my side ever since.”

With funding from the National Youth Employment Coalition, OPP has a full-time Youth Development Specialist (YDS) working out of Capital, as well as a part time Workforce Development Specialist.

“My YDS helps me with every part of college life, from choosing courses to making sure I stay focused on my studies,” Ruiz explains. “And my Workforce Development Specialist is helping me get an internship at a TV station this summer. With all the help I get from OPP, there’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll be successful at school and in life.”

GROWING FROM STRENGTH

Coraima Rivera An Alternate Path

“I had my son when I was a freshman at Weaver High School in Hartford,” says Coraima Rivera. “It was a wonderful experience, but it really set me back in getting the credits I needed to graduate. I realized I had to do something different, so I enrolled at Opportunity High School after my junior year. I graduated last January, and it was the second proudest moment of my life.”

OPP helped Rivera in other ways as well. “I got a summer internship at an auto dealer in Hartford through OPP and I’m still working there today,” she says. Rivera is also back in school, pursuing a certificate in cosmetology.

Rivera’s ultimate goal is to open her own salon. “I love doing hair and nails, and I’d really like to be my own boss someday,” she says. “I’m doing this for myself, but also to make sure my son has a good life and a chance to make his dreams come true.”

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Katie Rock works at OPP headquarters in Hartford, but her focus extends far beyond the four walls of the building.

“There are 40,000 young people in Connecticut high schools who don’t have enough credits for their age and grade, known as over-age, under-credited students,” she explains. “Last year, nearly 9,000 students in Connecticut failed to graduate with their class. That’s not only a tremendous loss for the economy, but it also places a significant burden on the state’s social services, which help support and sustain these young people.”

“OPP’s programs, like Opportunity High School and The Learning Academy give over-age, under-credited youth an education that’s tailored specifically to their needs,” says Rock, an External Affairs Specialist at OPP, who holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Connecticut.

“We truly believe that every student deserves a fair opportunity to succeed and we will continue to work at the local, state and even the national level to transform the education system to meet their needs.”

ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE

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finishing school, preparing for college or learning a work skill. Each one has goals and timetables and they keep track of progress. The success rate is impressive. OPP and their youth have already proven to be a significant force for positive change in the Hartford area and their influence is spreading across the state.”

“OPP is a gem, but not enough folks have seen its sparkle,” Budd feels. “Our Champions Council works to spread the good news about OPP to our contacts in the community, encouraging their interest and support, and finding ways to leverage the effort through partnerships.”

“It is a privilege to serve on the Champions Council, helping OPP chart its course for the future,” says Budd.

“We’ve all seen dramatic changes in our businesses and in the skills young people will need to succeed. The youth that OPP will serve five or ten years from now will face completely new challenges. The members of the Champions Council hope we can help OPP adapt to whatever changes the future brings. We’re confident they will.”

“OPP is truly doing important and meaningful work for our communities,”

says Ed Budd, former Chairman and CEO of Travelers Corporation and a charter member of the Champions Council, a group of eight senior executives who support and guide OPP.

“The organization reaches young people at a critical time in their lives, when it would be easy for them to lose their way, and helps them succeed academically, socially and financially,” Budd says. “OPP’s youth move from being potentially dependent on the community to leading productive roles and meaningful lives. This transition has substantial financial benefits as well as a positive impact on the quality of life in our communities.”

“I’ve been particularly impressed with OPP’s emphasis on delivering measurable results,” says Budd.

“Each staff person has specific goals and target dates. Each youth is on a track designed for their own needs—getting back to school,

Xavier Montanez In it for the Long Run

Xavier Montanez is 15 years old and a sophomore at Sports Medical Academy in Hartford. He’s already a veteran at OPP, having taken part in a number of programs since he was 14, the first year he was eligible.

“I live in a tough neighborhood,” Montanez admits, “and I’ve seen a lot of people my age get in trouble in school and on the streets. I want to go to college and get a good job when I graduate. I know I can count on OPP to help me every step of the way.”

Montanez is already receiving academic support from OPP. “I struggle with math and science, but the tutors here at OPP really help me to understand the material and to stay focused on my school work,” he says. “My plan is to make Honors in all my classes this year.”

Montanez has already gained valuable work and life experience through OPP’s Junior Art Makers program. “We painted a beautiful mural on an empty building near Pope Park in Hartford this summer,” he explains. “Thirteen of us worked on the project, but I made the speech when we were done,

thanking the business owner who commissioned the work. I really felt proud of myself that day.”

OPP will continue to play a role in Montanez’s life for years to come.

“My goal is to become a forensic scientist, which is a really exciting profession,” he says. “I know that I have a long road in front of me, but I also know that the folks at OPP will help me stay focused on my studies in high school and college, and help me get a good job when I graduate. The world will be different then, but I’m confident I’ll be able to handle any challenges that come my way.”

A VISION FOR THE FUTURE