Current Programs
EDCI
3. Motheread – Y. E Smith
Motheread is an evidence–based 10-week family literacy program. Parents improve their literacy skills and practice reading a variety of children’s books. Parents also learn how to engage their children in the stories. Through discussion of the stories, parents explore issues such as separation anxiety, values, sharing, etc. The program is specifically designed for parents with low literacy. This was started at the request of parents at Y.E. Smith.
Support from: Durham Partnership for Children
4. Backpack Buddies Program – Y.E. Smith
The Backpack Buddies Program provides children from food-insecure homes with weekend meals during the school year. Local corporations, civic groups, and individuals help collect and pack bags with kid-friendly non-perishable food. The children receive a backpack, containing six nutritious and balanced meals, at the end of every week.
Support from: Interfaith Food Shuttle
5. Achieving Healthy Bodies for a Lifetime – Y.E. Smith
The Achieving Health for a Lifetime (AHL) program is an innovative lifestyle modification partnership between the Duke Health System and Durham County that is being piloted at Y.E. Smith Elementary School. Its goal is to improve health and decrease health care costs by reversing the obesity epidemic through both prevention and intervention. The AHL program proposes to 1) coordinate the delivery of a consistent health message about obesity and inactivity, 2) tailor culturally appropriate services by neighborhood, and 3) use the school as the focal point of the program, surrounding the children with ever-widening circles of healthy influences—parents, teachers, extended family, community, and county. Implementation of the AHL program will occur by coordination and enhancement of existing programs and development of needed programs that can be accessed with minimal time and financial burden. Health indicators to be tracked include: 1) body mass index (BMI) percentile in children, K–5; 2) BMI in adults and children diagnosed with pre-diabetes and diabetes; and 3) city and county-wide statistics on the incidence of obesity-related chronic illnesses. An ongoing evaluation process will ensure successful intermediate and long-term implementation.
Contact Jennifer McDuffie, PhD for more information at mcduf011@mc.duke.edu
Support from: Durham Health Innovations and Duke Health System
6. Neal Reads Project – One Book, One School, One Community
Downtown Durham Rotary, in conjunction with Neal Middle School, will promote literacy, discussion, and youth-adult partnerships by bringing students, parents, school staff, and community members together to read the same book. Teachers of all subjects will incorporate reading strategies and lesson plans pertaining to the book into their curriculum and hold discussion days throughout the year. The project will culminate in the Spring, 2010 with a “Neal Literacy Day.” On this day, teachers and volunteer panelists will lead the student body in small group discussions about issues addressed in the book.
Support from: Downtown Durham Rotary
1. Parent U
Incredible Years Baby for parents of newborns up to 12 months
These classes help parents build skills in critical areas of infant care, including parent-infant attachment, health and safety, and the role of play and stimulation in brain development. Series are 8 weeks long. (4 series in Spanish)
Incredible Years Toddler for parents of 2 and 3 year olds
The Toddler program supports parents and builds their parenting skills by learning how play promotes positive relationships and how use of praise and encouragement builds children’s self-esteem. Parents will be able to set up routines for dressing, compliance, sharing, eating, going to bed, and toilet training. Parents will also learn strategies for self-control. Series are 14 weeks long. (2 series are offered in Spanish)
Incredible Years for parents of 3 to 5 year olds
These series help parents create consistent household routines, respectful and trusting communication, and strengthen the parent-child bond. Practical help with tantrums, transitions and understanding child development will be covered. Transportation assistance and childcare is available. Series are 14 weeks long.
(2 series are offered in Spanish)
Meals, childcare and transportation assistance is available.
Contact Patience Mukelabai at 919-560-7392
For Spanish classes, contact Evelyn Rojas at 919-560-7338
Support from: NC Department of Social Services, Glaxo SmithKline Foundation and Durham’s Partnership for Children-A Smart Start Initiative
2. Y.E. Smith Museum Club Tutoring Program
The Durham At-Risk Youth Collaborative (DARYC) has funded an innovative tutoring program for 50 children in grades K-5 at Y. E. Smith Elementary School. The program will run 12 weeks in the fall and 12 weeks in the spring. Using Governor’s Crime Commission funds and partnering with The Durham Public Schools and Measurement, Inc., children identified as needing extra support to reach grade level are provided tutoring, homework help and recreation opportunities between 4:30 and 6:00 pm Tuesdays through Thursdays. All children are bused home at the end of the day.
Support from: the Governor’s Crime Commission
7. Living in Future Tense (LIFT)
At Southern High School, Living in Future Tense (LIFT) peer to peer group sessions (Reconnecting Youth, Search Institute Developmental Assets) are offered during school hours. Participant youth and their parents have access to additional support after school and on weekends. These resilience-focused sessions are gender specific and cover topics such as: Media Literacy, Self-Esteem Enhancement, Decision Making, Personal Control, and Interpersonal Communication. Incentives in the form of summer internships are offered for students that remain in program and remain in school. Students are referred by Assistant Principal Marla Bullock or the Child Family Teams on the school staff
Contact Wanda Boone at 919-491-7811
Support from: Kate B Reynolds Charitable Trust
8. College Counseling – Southern High School
Nancy Gallman, a former AVID teacher at Hillside High School, is leading a group of Durham for Obama volunteers assisting seniors at Southern High School with college applications. They are targeting young people who would be the first member of their family to go to college and many have parents who have not finished high school.
9. KidZNotes – Y.E. Smith
KidZNotes provides free, classical, orchestral music training (including instruments) to enhance children’s intellectual, social, and emotional development and success in school. Extensive research documents the positive impact of classical music on brain development, and participation in ensemble- and orchestral-based activities has been shown to foster qualities such as discipline, patience, accountability, mutual respect, self-esteem, and a sense of community. Inspired by El Sistema, the world-acclaimed program that has transformed the lives of over 800,000 of Venezuela’s poorest children and their families, KidZNotes will launch a pilot project at Y.E. Smith and two other sites in East Durham in September 2010. The program also provides social and cultural activities to engage parents and families and contribute to the larger community.
Support from: Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, Sparkplug Foundation, Altrusa International, and El Sistema USA
10. Durham READS
Durham READS is a summer reading program offered for students at YE Smith Elementary School. The program is designed to continue reading growth over the summer. Students receive books in the mail that are matched to their individual reading level and interests. This program is a replication of a program developed by researchers at Harvard University.
For more information contact Cassandra Richards at 403-1936
Service provided by Communities In Schools of Durham.
Support from: Durham Public Schools, Verizon, Merck, the United Way of the Greater Triangle, GlaxoSmithKline, Carolina Hurricanes Kids ‘N Community Foundation, Bank of America, and the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation
11. The Incredible Years Parenting Program (elementary school age)
The Incredible Years parenting program is a series of programs focused on strengthening parenting skills (monitoring, positive discipline, confidence) and fostering parents' involvement in children's school experiences in order to promote children's academic, social and emotional competencies and reduce behavioral problems. Classes are held at YE Smith Elementary School.
For more information contact Elizabeth Levene at 403-1936.
Service provided by Communities in Schools of Durham.
Support from: North Carolina Division of Social Services and the United Way of the Greater Triangle
12. Strengthening Families (middle school age)
The Strengthening Families Program For Parents and Youth 10-14 (SFP) is a family-based program which enhances parents’ child management skills, parent-child affective relationships, and family communication. The program is designed for parents with middle school age youth, with a special interest in serving families with youth at Neal Middle School.
For more information, contact Natasha McCurley at 403-1936
Provided by Communities In Schools of Durham and Durham Cooperative Extension Service
Support from: North Carolina Division of Public Health and Juvenile Crime Prevention Council
