As part of a fairly new statewide initiative, Fresno Unified School District is in their second year of piloting community schools- a new, holistic approach to education.
In a recent Fresno Bee article, Leqi Zong expands upon why California recognized the needs for community schools and how quickly Fresno Unified plans to expand the initiative:
A child’s reading skills are directly tied to their ability to thrive as an adult. Completing job applications, applying for scholarships, registering to vote, and getting a car loan all involve reading! Students with strong literacy skills are more likely to have higher self-esteem, graduate high school, and earn a living wage.
Because of this, Every Neighborhood Partnership (ENP) believes a city that works for everyone is a city where all children are given the support they need to become strong readers. However, in Fresno Unified School District (FUSD), only 22% of our 70,000 students are reading at their grade level.
“[Because] of a lack of awareness, many times we limit ourselves [or don’t know how] to make changes for our communities. For many years I was advocating with a group of residents for a pedestrian crosswalk in our area- the area around Susan B Anthony [Elementary School].
Now that I am in this program, I know exactly what the process is that I have to follow to guide other leaders so they can advocate for the development of our communities.”
Juana Iris Meza
Nonprofits like Every Neighborhood Partnership (ENP) cannot do what we do without volunteers.
In 2023, volunteers invested 28,938 hours in Fresno schools and neighborhoods through ENP’s School Support and Neighborhood Development programs. These hours are equal to $903,060.53 in value. That’s almost $1,000,000 of volunteer hours poured into the city of Fresno!
“If you look around your city and see things you want to change, but you don’t know how, start by volunteering with a nonprofit,” says Andrew Feil, ENP’s Executive Director. “Your time is worth more than you can imagine.”
1,017 volunteers
28,938 hours given
$903,060.53 in value
2023 Every Neighborhood Partnership Volunteer Data
Continue reading to learn what impact volunteers have on Fresno schools, neighborhoods, and future generations. ↓
Before working with Every Neighborhood Partnership (ENP), Sheng Xiong says she felt she was at her lowest point in life. Her job at a fast food restaurant made it difficult for her to balance her college and work responsibilities.
When Sheng received a message to her Fresno State email about an opportunity to work with elementary-aged kids through ENP, “it felt like fate.”
In third grade, Sam reads stories about farm animals, giant peaches, and magical dragons. About 75% of his peers struggle to read at third grade level.
In sixth grade, Sam is a little taller and strong enough to lug around a backpack full of books he will pour over for his history project on Ancient Civilizations. This year, several of his former classmates don’t pass the history class because they’re unable to comprehend the assigned reading making up 85% of their curriculum.
In twelfth grade, Sam tours colleges, sifts through complex financial aid documents, and writes application essays. About 1 in 6 of his friends who weren’t reading at grade level in third grade have dropped out of high school.
Children’s ability to read has profound implications for their lives and their engagement with their community.
Fresno community members were ranked the 3rd most food insecure in the United States according to a 2018 report from the Food Research & Action Center. Many families in Southwest Fresno live in “food deserts,” meaning there is no ready access to affordable, healthy food. A lack of access to and education about healthy, readily-available food contributes to significant and detrimental health effects such as obesity, diabetes, asthma, and autoimmune disorders.
Children are among the most vulnerable community members, and limited access to nutritious foods and education about healthy living make them more susceptible to poor health conditions.
A more hopeful reality is playing out on a sunny afternoon at Kepler Neighborhood School, where nine first-graders sit on the edge of their very own school garden boxes, giggling as they chomp on home-grown celery.
To address food disparity and support children in our city’s areas of highest need, Every Neighborhood Partnership is partnering with King Elementary and Kepler Neighborhood School to design and implement a pilot Edible School Garden project. ENP is working to expand the program to include a garden at every one of our after-school program sites by next school year!
Since she was a little girl, Debra Brensinger has loved reading. Under the protection of her covers, she would squint her eyes as she read late into the night.
Several decades later, Debra was looking for ways to be more involved in her local community. When Debra heard about Every Neighborhood Partnership’s Literacy Mentoring program, she knew she wanted to serve as a mentor. Sharing her passion for reading by teaching elementary students literacy skills seemed like the perfect way to invest in her neighborhood.
But Debra didn’t stop there.
It’s a season of thankfulness and giving – a great time to bless the staff at your partnership school!
Several of our partnership churches find ways to regularly bless the teachers and staff. This blessing can be as simple as coffee, tea, donuts and fruit. Gestures like this can brighten a teacher’s busy morning in amazing ways.
On the morning of Saturday, May 30th, Olmos Elementary will be filled with kids trying to reach a goal as they compete with other kids their age in ENP’s Hoop it Up Basketball Competition.
THEIR GOAL: To make baskets from various spots on the key and get points for each basket!
ENP has several goals for the day as well!
The purpose of this event is to promote the importance of physical activity, bring awareness of the value and need for mentoring kids in our Fresno neighborhoods, and raise funds for Saturday Sports.
ANYONE CAN COMPETE!
YOU CAN REGISTER HERE
. . . . . . . . .
REGISTRATION FEE is $20
– Participants will receive an event t-shirt
– 1st, 2nd, 3rd place Medals will be given
in each of the following categories:
1st grade and under
2nd-4th grade
5th-6th grade}
7th-8th grade
High School
Adult
We are also looking for folks who would like to sponsor a child from one of our partnership neighborhoods to participate in the event.
