 |
|
PINC
NEWS
Protect. Inspire. Nurture. Challenge.
|
|
A MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
|
|
|
|
Jim Weisbarth
ODA Chief Financial Officer
|
|
Dear
As we continue through the 2017-2018 school year, you will hear a lot about exciting things that ODA is accomplishing with its scholars; however, I would like to share some of the important things that you would normally not hear or think about.
All organizations - big and small, public and private, government entities and non-profits like ODA - have them. These are the "back office" operations in every organization: Accounting, finance, human resources, payroll, Information Technology, and general office operations just to name a few.
We develop relationships with outside vendors so that they can understand our business and can provide the best service at the best value. And we never stop reviewing procedures and costs. We do this to run an efficient and effective organization.
At ODA we pride ourselves on having the lowest administrative costs possible so that your donations, gifts, and grants go toward programming that protects, inspires, nurtures and challenges scholars to reach their full potential.
ODA scholars are our future, and there is nothing more important than that. Your support makes their future possible. At ODA, our commitment to you is to make that future an efficient and effective reality.
Sincerely,
Jim Weisbarth
Chief Financial Officer
|
|
BEHIND THE SCENES:
ODA's ADOPT-A-FAMILY HOLIDAY PROGRAMS
Every year ODA, our generous donors, and our mission-driven staff go the extra mile for ODA families that struggle during the holidays.
We believe that every child deserves a gift that brings the warmth of the holidays home during those cold, wintry days.
After 11 years of running and growing the ODA Adopt A Family Program, we are excited to make some changes based on your feedback.
This year there are four different ways to get involved and brighten the holiday season for ODA families. This year, you can support ODA's Adopt A Family program in the following ways:
- Adopt a Family of your own - Ask friends, family, and colleagues to help you provide a family with their needs and wants.
- Fill a Food Basket - It can get expensive to provide a holiday dinner for small and large family gatherings. Help a family have a warm meal together by filling food baskets.
- Dress a Scholar - ODA families and scholars have to get dressed up to attending the annual ODA Holiday Dinner, but not all of them can afford to. Help make the holiday dinner happen for an ODA scholar by purchasing clothes for them to wear.
- Provide an ODA sweatshirt for scholars - Every year, we make sure that each ODA scholar gets a warm sweatshirt. Many of our scholars need this gift because they don't get new, warm clothes often. Each sweatshirt costs $9, and your gift can go a long way in keeping a child warm.
Please consider getting involved in one of the options above. And, if one isn't enough, we're happy to help you coordinate two or more!
|
|
ENROLLMENT DATA
Open Doors Academy started off the 2017-2018 school year serving 342 scholars. 63 scholars are enrolled in the High School Alumni program and the other 279 scholars are enrolled the Middle School program.
ODA has reached 77% of the enrollment goal. Scholar recruitment for the current school year will end on November 3rd, 2017.
|
|
YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR INSTITUTE
With support from the Young Entrepreneur Institute (YEI), ODA staff has been working with scholars to learn about how they can be young entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurship affords scholars the opportunity to see how the real world works. It teaches them to think outside the box, solve problems, and nurture unconventional talents and skills. It also creates opportunity, ensures social justice, instills confidence, and stimulates the economy. Our scholars walk away from these lessons and experiences empowered to look at the world and think about how they can have an impact on it.
YEI works to share best practices in entrepreneurial education and equips others, like ODA's staff, with expert knowledge to guide their scholars through curricular and experiential programs.
|
|
THE MARTHA HOLDEN JENNINGS FOUNDATION:
CONNECTED THROUGH DEEP LEARNING
The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation's has been a long-time partner of ODA. Since 2005, The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation has partnered with us to support programming that engages scholars in real-world, topical issues.
We are appreciative that the Foundation has funded ODA's Global Social Education enrichment area, which aims to make learning relevant for scholars and engage them in the critical thinking process.
Specifically, their support has allowed scholars to perform mock trials to increase their understanding of the justice system, create informative public service announcements on global food security, and much more.
|
|
|
THE ODA SPEAKER SERIES WITH JUAN WILLIAMS
The 4th Annual ODA Speaker Series featuring keynote speaker Juan Williams took place on October 5, 2017, and was a wonderful event.
Everyone loved what Williams had to share about the need for intergenerational support in America today, but the real star of the event was ODA's scholar speaker, Yidiayah, a senior at Cleveland Heights High School. Yidiayah captured the crowd with her epic life story and the impact ODA has made on her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAMILY FUN FITNESS DAY
& ART SHOWCASE
ODA hosted its annual Family Fun Fitness Day & Arts Showcase on Friday, October 13th! We had games, relays, Zumba, healthy food, Cleveland Clinic health screening, and a community resource fair, and an art showcase from all of the summer camps during the summer.
The event was a blast, and more than 350 scholars and their family members attended!
|
|
|
ODA CAMPUS SPOTLIGHT: FULLERTON
As a part of global social education, ODA scholars at Fullerton Elementary School are working on service learning projects including: helping an elderly person on Fullerton Street, donating books to the Little Free Library outside the school, and creating posters to encourage other kids to "Stop the Bullying." The scholars even suggested rebuilding the Little Free Library outside their school to make it bigger!
Last spring, ODA scholars did a great job representing Fullerton at the Annual ODA International Festival. ODA scholars performed a cultural dance from Australia and gained a lot of support from the school. The Fullerton Campus even increased their family engagement, with 80% of our families coming to the spring potluck and 64% attending the Family Fun Fitness Day! Fullerton scholars are extremely invested in ODA and they are continuing to thrive and rise above the challenges.
|
|
|
|
ODA OUR WAY: CENTRAL MIDDLE SCHOOL
|
ODA IS ON YOUTUBE!
Check out ODA's YouTube Channel to watch videos featuring our scholars and staff. You can watch scholars perform a Bollywood style dance at The Frolic and Campus introduction videos created by ODA staff.
|
|
|
STAFF MEMBER OF THE MONTH: MAGGIE WINGENFELD
ODA staff wrote Haikus to nominate Maggie Wingenfeld for Staff Member of the Month:
Zumba and Salad,
Staff members know where to go,
Parents and kids win.
Volunteers enjoy,
Making an impact for kids.
Their Sherpa, she is.
Congratulations!
The Staff Member of the Month,
Maggie Wingenfeld.
|
|
|
11/15
|
Campus Tour
To learn more about Open Doors Academy, join us for a campus tour at Monticello Middle School at 4:00 PM. To RSVP, c
ontact Ed Stockhausen at (216) 229-1900 ext. 119 or [email protected].
|
|
11/15
|
Parent Advisory Council Meeting
A parent representative at each ODA campus meets every month to discuss important issues and upcoming events.
|
|
11/22 - 11/24
|
Thanksgiving Break
ODA is closed for a holiday break
|
|
12/6
|
Campus Tour
To learn more about Open Doors Academy, join us for a campus tour at Monticello Middle School at 4:00 PM. To RSVP, c
ontact Ed Stockhausen at (216) 229-1900 ext. 119 or [email protected].
|
|
12/14
|
Holiday Dinner and Dance
ODA will be celebrating the holidays in style at our annual family event.
|
|
12/22
|
Adopt-a-Family
ODA staff will spend the day distributing gifts for our annual Adopt-a-Family program.
|
|
12/25 - 1/7
|
Winter Break
ODA is closed for a holiday break
|
|
|
|
|
Major gifts and grants to Open Doors Academy come from:
The Abington Foundation, The Ames Family Foundation, Barbara McWilliams and Tom Paraino, Bruening Foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, CDBG, Cleveland Clinic, Deaconess Foundation, Dr. Malcolm Kenney, John Morley,
Higley Fund, The Kelvin & Eleanor Smith Foundation, Key Bank Foundation, Lubrizol Foundation, The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Ohio Department of Education, The Reinberger Foundation,
Robert Immerman, Saint Luke's Foundation, Starting Point, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, The Thomas H. White Foundation, Third Federal Foundation, The Treu-Mart Fund, United Way of Greater Cleveland.
For more information about gifts and giving, please visit
|
|
|
|
|
