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Home My WebLink AboutCRA-R-22-0001 BACKUPExhibit "A" December 16, 2021 James McQueen, Executive Director South East Overtown Park West Community Redevelopment Agency (SEOPW/CRA) 825 NW 2nd Avenue Miami, FL 33136 Dear Mr. McQueen, It is with great anticipation that we submit this proposal on behalf of the Overtown Optimist Club, Inc., also known/referred to as The Optimist Club. The Overtown Optimist Club has a mission and vision of increasing student and family access to affordable, high quality youth development programming, utilizing a strength -based case management model. Our mission aligns with the SEPOW CRA mission to enhance the quality of life of its youth and young adult residents promoting economic growth and fostering safe neighborhoods. The Optimist Club has successfully pivoted its hallmark, sports enthusiast programming to include academic advisement, ensuring students are on track for on -time grade promotion, high school graduation, with an eye towards the successful navigation of their post -secondary life journey. The Optimist Club provides a year-round program which aligns with the Miami -Dade County Public School (MDCPS) calendar, beginning in August on the first day of school, and ending the last day of school. During the school season, the Optimist Club runs a 5-day spring break camp, 10- hours per day. Following the school season, the Optimist Club runs a 9-week summer camp, for 10-hours per day. These critical out of school supports seek to provide students with exposure to entrepreneurial and employment skills. The Optimist Club provides all participants of its afterschool, spring and summer camps with breakfast, lunch or dinner and snack daily, respectively. We sincerely hope that the attached proposal will support our financial request to the SEOPW CRA which will allow us to staff our agency with the requisite staff to support the children and families within our program. If you have any additional concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to let me know. Sincerely and Respectfully, Ieshia Haynie Executive Director OVERTOWN OPTIMIST CLUB, INC. 350 NW 12th Street Miami, FL 33136 P.O. Box 12895 Miami, FL 33101 www.overtownoptimist.org 305.680.0430 info@theoptimistclub.org MEMORANDUM TO: Mr. James McQueen, Executive Director, SEOPW CRA FROM: Ieshia Haynie, Executive Director, Overtown Optimist Club, Inc. RE: Playing to Our Strengths DATE: December 16, 2021 ORGANIZATION HISTORY Established in 1993, as a volunteer -based community safe haven for children during the critical out of school hours. The Overtown Optimist Club has had a long-term collaborative partnership with the City of Miami, as its exclusive community provider at the Theodore Gibson Park (located within the heart of Overtown, Miami). In its 28-year history, The Optimist Club has successfully pivoted its hallmark, sports enthusiast programming, to include academic advisement, ensuring students are on track for on -time grade promotion, high school graduation, while preparing them to successfully navigate their post- secondary life experiences. Utilizing our strength -based case management model to heal and empower youth to becoming leaders through academics and athletics and their unique gifts and talents. Students join the Overtown Optimist Club, as early as four years of age, and continue through high school graduation and beyond. MISSION The Optimist Club of Overtown has a vision of increasing student and family access to affordable, high quality youth development programming, utilizing a strength -based case management model to build character, social emotional development, self-determination, and leadership abilities. The Optimist Club of Overtown cultivates student leaders by empowering them in the areas of art, academics and athletics. OVERTOWN OPTIMIST CLUB, INC. 350 NW 12th Street Miami, FL 33136 P.O. Box 12895 Miami, FL 33101 www.overtownoptimist.org 305.680.0430 info@theoptimistclub.org STATEMENT OF INCLUSION We embrace and encourage inclusion in all things — access, quality and opportunity. Our philosophy believes that children of all abilities have a right to equal access to and meaningful participation in education, enrichment, character education, and social emotional development. IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH Our approach to implementing this differentiated model, includes four distinct learning styles, which include auditory, kinesthetic, reading (writing) and visual. Similar to student athlete training, kinesthetic learners perform greatest when participating and solving problems in a hands-on manner. The use of play is a great motivator for students to participate and to remain engaged with an assignment. The Journal of Science andMedicine in Sport found that first grade students experiencing sedentary time and no running around also had a negative impact on their reading skills and their ability to do math. HOURS OF SERVICE: Season Hours of Operation School Year (August — June) 2:00 — 7:00 pm Spring Break (March) 8:00 — 6:00 pm Summer (June — August) 8:00 — 6:00 pm TIME School Year Schedule 1:50 K & 1 grade pickup from neighboring schools 2:00 Homework assistance & Academic Review 3:00 K & 1 Dinner Service; 2-5 grade pickup from neighboring schools 4:00 STEAM Enrichment (Arts, Culinary, Science) 5:00 Physical Activity (Zumba, kickball, etc) 6:00 Gym Talk & Character Education 7:00 Dismissal TIME Spring/Summer Schedule (education/exposure trips twice weekly) 8:00 Arrival & Breakfast -to -go 9:00 Student Ice Breaker 10:00 Critical Analysis & Chess OVERTOWN OPTIMIST CLUB, INC. 350 NW 12th Street Miami, FL 33136 P.O. Box 12895 Miami, FL 33101 www.overtownoptimist.org 305.680.0430 info@theoptimistclub.org 11:00 Meditation & Yoga 1 Water Safety (cohort 1)) 12:00 First Lunch (cohort 1) 1:00 2' Lunch (cohort 2) 2:00 Play Pods 3:00 Meditation & Yoga 1 Water Safety Cohort 2 4:00 Reflections 5:00 Culinary cohort 1 & 2 (separate classes) 6:00 Dismissal TRANSPORTATION The Optimist Club employs 2 transporters to delivery its daily transportation from our local elementary and middle schools. Pickups are made from Downtown Miami Charter School, Dunbar K-8, Phillis Wheatley, Frederick Douglass, SLAM, and Jose de Diego. DAILY DINNER SERVICE 100% of our students are eligible and receive Title I, free and reduced lunch. Their daily school lunch hours are between 10:30 am — 12:00 noon. To ensure students receive the appropriate nourishment, The Optimist Club provides a hot dinner and snack service between 3:30 — 4:30 pm, on a daily basis. The Optimist Club will utilize its capacity of Certified Miami -Dade County Public School (MDCPS) Teachers to deliver the learning and literacy model, and our Health and Wellness Coaches and Student Mentors to recruit, retain and monitor ongoing student performance in the areas of Health and Wellness. AREA OF NEED & SUPPORT A priority need for the Optimist Club program, which operates a year-round after school program, in addition to spring and summer breaks. The Optimist Club services a little more than 400 kids between its afterschool and athletic programming throughout the year. The average cost per child is $525 per year. The Overtown Optimist Club respectfully requests $200,000 from our local Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) to support this program which makes a meaningful difference in the lives of our community and youth. A financial commitment from the Community Redevelopment Agency will serve as a major catalyst to support the long-term success of the youth of Overtown, while also keeping our neighborhoods safe. OVERTOWN OPTIMIST CLUB, INC. 350 NW 12th Street Miami, FL 33136 P.O. Box 12895 Miami, FL 33101 www.overtownoptimist.org 305.680.0430 info@theoptimistclub.org We believe that the mission of the Overtown Optimist Club is consistent with the larger vision of the CRA, and merits support for this longstanding program. SERVICE POPULATION DATA Our target population for this project is 4 — 18 years of age, or Kindergarten through twelfth grade. The Optimist Club pulls students from the Overtown community, attending our local MDCPS and local charter schools. Ninety percent of our students receive free and reduced lunch, and are grappling with the complexities of living in a community with concentrated areas of poverty. STUDENT LEVEL DATA COLLECTION The Optimist Club will capture student level data, which includes: 1. Demography 2. Geography 3. Attendance 4. Academic performance via Report cards 5. Conduct grades within and outside of school OVERSIGHT AND SUPERVISION Program delivery is conducted by MDCPS Certified Teachers, and the Site/Program Manager is charged with daily monitoring. The Program Manager position is on the Optimist Club Management team, under the leadership of the Executive Director. OVERTOWN OPTIMIST CLUB, INC. 350 NW 12th Street Miami, FL 33136 P.O. Box 12895 Miami, FL 33101 www.overtownoptimist.org 305.680.0430 info@theoptimistclub.org Using Movement, Play Sports and Nutrition to Educate and Heal 2022 Overtown Optimist Club Year-round Program Budget Organization Name: Overtown Optimist Club, Inc. Date: December 2021 Grant Program: Health & Wellness Planning Using Academics & Athletics to Educate & Heal Program Expenses: The following expenses support and sustain the Overtown Optimist Club afterschool, spring break and summer programming. Expenses - Line Item Grant Funding TOTAL EXPENSES Briefly explain line items. Health & Wellness Instruction $24,400.00 $24,400.00 Optimist Health & Wellness activities includes curriuclum delivery, Academic Enrichment & Instruction $46,000.00 $46,000.00 which includes prevention, intervention and remeditation. 9-weeks of summer school academic enrichment and exposure. Technology & Innovation $19,000.00 $19,000.00 Upgrade laptops and desktops which break down the digital divides which exist for students in our area. Enrichment & Exposure Activities $38,000.00 $38,000.00 prevention and intervention sessions, with corresponding internal and external field trips. Transportation $21,600.00 $21,600.00 Dunbar K-8 Center, Phillis Wheatley Elem, Downtown Miami Charter School, Frederick Douglass Elem, and SLAM Curriculum & Training $11,000.00 $11,000.00 suicide prevention, Adverse Childhood Experiences, behavioral and mental health principles, and child abuse Food & Nutrition (Daily Dinner/Lunch Svc) $40,000.00 $40,000.00 Daily lunch/dinner, snack and hydration budget for students. Does not include fieldtrips. $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 TOTAL EXPENSES $200,000.00 $200,000.00 Health Wellnesss Initiative 1 2021-2022