Program areas at YELLS
The Yells mentoring program matches high school "bigs" with elementary school "littles- and provides a service-learning curriculum that prepares them to design youth-led service initiatives together. In this fiscal year, 22 high school bigs and 7 elementary school littles forged powerful mentoring relationships that helped them grow as leaders while giving back to their community. Yells bigs put their leadership skills to work by planning and successfully Leading a franklin fair block party for their neighborhood, bringing the whole community together for fun, relationship building, and resources. As part of this event, they wrote proposal letters, organized partners to come together to offer resources, promoted literacy Through free books, and nurtured community pride Through shared fun experiences for 247 attendees in our franklin gateway neighborhood. They also led a movie night and community art project. These service- Learning experiences allowed our Yells bigs and littles to develop skills and build their character and self-esteem. Eighty-two percent of Youth reported making better choices because of the Yells mentoring program, 100% said others see them as a leader, 96% stated that they believed they had made a positive impact on their community, and 100% said they have an adult who cares about them at Yells. Parents also see the impact. 100% of mentoring program parents reported that Yells is helping their child show more care and kindness toward others, 86% indicated that their child's behavior has improved due to the program, and 92% rated their child's performance in school as "excellent- or "very good" after participating in the Yells program.
In 2023-2024, the Yells community action caf equipped 25 teens with real- world business and leadership skills as they managed their caf as a hub for community-wide education, engagement, and Empowerment. Yells teens have become career-ready, developing resumes and applying business and life skills as they engaged neighbors in youth-led events and community- building. In 2023-2024 Yells teens networked with local elected officials and community partners about the priorities for their community during a "community caravan" event, hosted and asked thoughtful questions during a police town hall, led a trunk or treat family event, planned a march madness Youth activity day for elementary Youth, and led outreach to uplift and serve their community. The Youth's projects strengthen community bonds, foster a sense of neighborhood pride, and lead to long-term change as Youth and their families believe in their ability to overcome challenges, develop support networks, achieve success in school, graduate ready for college and career, open the door to economic mobility, and continue to reinvest in their community. Through a partnership with cobbworks, we provided 16 teens with authentic job training Through a paid work experience at Yells. Teens excelled academically as well. Ninety-four percent (16/17) of teens enrolled during the school year were promoted on grade level, and 100% of Yells seniors graduated and started college in the fall. All this resulted in 100% of teens reporting feeling better about themselves because of the Yells program and 89% reporting making better choices because of Yells. Additionally, 100% of parents reported that Yells helps them feel more connected to their community.
The Yells afterschool program provided positive Youth development, including leadership, art, recreation, character building, service Learning, and academic support for 41 elementary Youth daily. The Yells model engages the entire family Through parent volunteering and participation in educational and community-building workshops. Our work is at the front-lines of pandemic recovery, addressing gaps in Learning and social-emotional development, as well as the mental health toll of the pandemic on Youth and families. Eighty-seven percent (34/39) of Yells afterschool program Youth with data improved by one letter grade or more or maintained an a or b in math or language arts in 2023-2024. Additionally, 97% (38/39) were promoted on grade level. Parents noticed improvements in their children's academic success as well, with eighty percent rating their child's performance in school as "excellent- or "very good" after participating in Yells. Youth also demonstrated growth in self-esteem and confidence, with 100% of Yells afterschool program Youth reporting that they feel good about themselves after participating in Yells. Furthermore, Youth developed a growth mindset, with 92% saying that Yells has helped them to do hard things and 95% believing that, with practice, they can make their brain grow stronger. Yells also made a difference for parents, with 92% reporting that their family's involvement in Yells has increased their success as a parent. Yells marked its first program expansion, bringing its proven place-based and asset-driven model to a new community Through the launch of the fair oaks Yells Youth program. This allowed Yells to customize its successful afterschool program to serve kindergarten to fifth grade Youth daily within fair oaks elementary school beginning in march 2024, offering the first- ever afterschool program at the school. Yells built a strong partnership with the school and teachers, allowing us to provide targeted academic interventions that resulted in 100% of our students being promoted on grade level. Additionally, all fair oaks Yells Youth taking the reading inventory assessment improved their scores, with Youth growing an average of 225 points. Within the short launch period, we saw incredible gains as Youth were able to discover their skills and grow their leadership as they learned and applied skills to uplift their neighborhood. Youth developed project management skills, practiced projection and positive body language, wrote proposal letters, learned to network, and more as they led community outreach projects including spreading joy Through giving tissue paper flowers out in their neighborhood and Leading a free lemonade stand to unite neighbors. Once shy students blossomed into confident community leaders. Youth surveys revealed that 100% of fair oaks Yells Youth reported feeling better about themselves because of the Yells program and 100% said they made better choices because of Yells. The program had incredible impact with parents as well, with 100% reporting that their family's involvement in Yells has increased their success as a parent and 89% Learning a new strategy to support their child at home.
Yells offered a 45 hour/week, fully-day Yells summer camp for elementary school Youth. Youth enjoyed an engaging and educational summer with daily affirmations, steam activities, book clubs, sports, team challenges, and choice clubs. We kept Youth moving and Learning Through fieldtrips to the historic old fourth ward park, barnes & noble, a skating rink, a neighborhood pool, and white water. Yells parents learned strategies for promoting literacy at home Through our "books and breakfast" workshops for Youth and parents hosted each morning before summer camp. Teens also enjoyed an action-packed summer with multiple college tours, leadership workshops, and paid work experience as junior staff in the Youth program. As a community hub that engages the whole family with resources and support, Yells also partnered to provide 34,511 pounds of food for franklin gateway families, offer a "Learning spaces" program for parents and their birth to five-year-old children, provide clothing to 370 families Through a "Yells community closet," prevent eviction and promote family stability Through 9,550 in rental assistance, and make books available 24/7 Through a "little free library" outside of Yells. Expenses noted in this category included in-kind contributions used to support all Yells programs and impact.