ATS+Partners’ Post

Have you ever wondered what makes a community thrive? 🌟 Had the privilege of hearing from Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn with Broward County Schools today at Rotary Club of Weston where he amplified firsthand the power of collaboration and community engagement with our scholarships and assistance to the students and schools in our community. Our collective efforts are not just about education or service; they’re about building a stronger, more connected community. Our Rotary initiatives focus on holistic development, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to excel academically and personally. The support from local organizations like ours has been phenomenal, and it’s this unity that drives our success. The Weston Rotary plays a crucial role in this ecosystem. Through various service projects and community events, we’re able to address local needs and foster a spirit of giving back. Whether it’s organizing fundraisers, supporting local businesses, or mentoring young professionals, the impact of our collective efforts is profound. #Interact plays a crucial role for us connecting to the needs of the schools. This is the Rotary High School version! Community updates are essential to keep everyone informed and engaged. Regular communication ensures transparency and allows us to celebrate our achievements together. It also provides a platform to address challenges and brainstorm solutions collaboratively. I believe that the strength of our community lies in our connections. By working together, sharing ideas, and supporting one another, we can create an environment where everyone thrives. Let’s continue to build these connections and make a positive impact. #CommunityEngagement #Education #ServiceAboveSelf #Rotary #janitorial #CommericialCleaning #givingback #redcoats

Founded in 2004, Higher Heights Youth Empowerment Programs, Inc. is a state-wide college access organization that promotes equal access and opportunities for under-represented college bound student to obtain a post-secondary education in Connecticut.  Our goal is to increase college readiness, participation and completion in Connecticut among low-income students, first-generation college-going students and students of color.Each year HHYEP has had 100% high school graduation rate, 100% college acceptance rate, and 80% parent involvement rate. Higher Heights has personally employed over 95 youth, 100% have graduated from high school, 95% have enrolled into college receiving over $10 million in scholarships and grants.  The mission of HHYEP is to change the lives of under-represented college bound students to EMPOWER, ENCOURAGE, and EQUIP them to obtain a post-secondary education. We’ve raised $3,000 so far and I am asking for you for support in Day 2 of The Great Give: https://lnkd.in/epBRpZ-t

Today is Giving Tuesday, a day for radical generosity! Every $20 donation helps to provide life-changing information to one more young adult. Megan’s Foundation is a very young tax-exempt 501c(3) non-profit & catalyst for real change & are laser focused on this one thing. Those closest to this issue (Title IX, Counselors, Student Wellness staff) know how desperately this is needed. Having distributed more than $107,000 to colleges and non-profits for programs to prevent relationship violence BEFORE it starts. A few results: at one school, 93% of participants said they now can recognize an unhealthy relationship & would stop it before it escalates. At another school, 87% of young men said they would intervene in a disrespectful situation to prevent it from escalating. Our website has more results: Megansfoundation.org. YOUR gift can empower young adults to hold each other accountable & stop it before it starts!

Effective, confident grantmaking can be complicated work. I’ve seen it. One example I love to point to when working with clients facing this challenge is the work I did with The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. A lot can be learned from this case study. To read more about how I brought focus and simplicity to their large-scale project, click here: https://ow.ly/pk2950Rsyo1 #Philanthropist #Philanthropy #Grantmaking

Are we helping or hurting? That is a question many residents of San Francisco ask ourselves in the midst of a stark and increasing equity gap. As a parent, community member, and incoming board member of the Horizons at San Francisco Friends School, I’m keenly aware of the potential learning loss our public school students in the Mission District experience in the summer months without our support. Our city is undergoing another crisis - looming budget cuts threaten vital programs like Horizons at SFFS that provide equitable learning for Mission youth. We urgently need your support to secure bridge funding and ensure our summer enrichment continues. Our scholars and families are relying on Horizons' high-quality academics and social-emotional growth.  Horizons has been successfully leveraging the months when students are out of school to stem summer learning loss for children in San Francisco for ~10 years. The program has also intentionally increased impact by supporting their scholars through their educational journey during the school year and into High School. Last year, Horizons impacted 150+ scholars with targeted small classroom instruction, confidence-building, and joyful community enrichment experiences- thanks to our dedicated summer education workforce. But we can't continue without you. Please join me in supporting Horizons at SFFS today to expand partnerships, engage more crisis-impacted families, and grow our supportive community stronger. In past years, the SF Department of Children, Youth and Families has been a partner to increase access to education for our students. This summer, as we face a potential 40% loss to our summer program due to DCYF funding cuts that have impacted so many vital programs in our city, we’ve decided to celebrate Horizons Giving Day, the whole month of May. Please join me in our movement - your gift saves the summer for San Francisco scholars and helps bridge the educational equity gap in our city. Let’s help together. In gratitude, friendship and community, Aneesha #GiveTheGiftofSummer #SparkPassions #HorizonsGivingDay https://lnkd.in/gJAYnibC Links for reference: Horizons at SFFS: https://lnkd.in/gfsdugDX Impact Report: https://lnkd.in/gZc2jn85 Press Release on DCYF Loss of Funding: https://lnkd.in/gNprpSyB

 Accounting 4 Our Future is an initiative non-profit addressing the evolving landscape of STEM including accounting/finance. As we move into the future, several key trends are shaping the profession: Digitization and Cloud Technology: Adopting cloud-based accounting platforms has become essential for accountants. Running firms on cloud platforms streamlines processes, reduces administrative tasks, and allows real-time interesting connections to train a new generation.

A holiday update, for any connections that may be interested: Having grown from 20 newly minted high school grads and four communities just two years ago to 300 and 60 communities this past summer, the American Exchange Project is rather convincingly demonstrating that there's hope for depolarizing America, one high school at a time. In any case, it's great for the kids who participate in our exchanges, from Little Rock to Anchorage, Montana to Maine, the Bronx to Kilgore, Texas, as our website (https://lnkd.in/dUVpqcK) and the media coverage there attests, particularly the CBS Sunday Morning segment link and this shorter -- please forgive the industry lingo -- "sizzle reel": https://lnkd.in/e7DsqvVv But to scale AEP, we need to fund vastly more exchanges. Yes, we're in 50+ locations, but as I learned when researching the total to be reached, there are 19,500 incorporated communities in America.   We've gotten help from foundations like the Rockefeller Brothers fund and MacArthur, philanthropists like Mike Milken and Steven Spielberg, but we need way more support. And we need a whole lot more people to know about how we're helping communities send and host. So here's the pitch: that you share this and help us get your community involved. host a luncheon, dinner, cocktail party or other event to which you and we can invite people who might be interested. And/or donate, either by check to AEP, 38 Balcom Road, Sudbury MA 01776, or via our website. Remember, we’re a registered non-profit, so folks can contribute directly from their Required Minimum Distributions, reducing the taxable amount. That's what Jan and I do. For those of you wanting more detail on what we need to sign on a new community:  1. An Exchange Manager--a local educator who can run the program 2. The blessing of the principal to work in the high school 3. A community leader--a connected adult who can help us put together a great itinerary and connect to folks in the community 4. A host family coordinator--a local adult, usually a parent, who can recruit and assist with host families 5. A plan to raise funds in the community to help support the program, if possible The relevant contact: Jessica Golden (jgolden@americanexchangeproject.org) Thank you. Paul

HOW IS CAMDEN’S INNOVATIVE SCHOOL SYSTEM MOVING THE NEEDLE FOR NEW JERSEY STUDENTS? “Amid all the bad news in the post-pandemic public education sphere, there is a bright spot in a surprising city, Camden, New Jersey. There, students, while suffering steep learning losses so common in low-income districts, are finding their way forward through the collaboration of three different public school sectors: district, charter, and an unusual hybrid called “renaissance schools.” These renaissance schools, authorized by a law that let Camden approve partnerships with high-performing, nonprofit charter school networks willing to take on the lowest-performing schools, are driving the city’s learning gains. As such, the story of Camden’s “comeback,” described in a new report by Camden Education Fund, provides a blueprint for an innovative model of public education, not just in New Jersey but throughout the country.” Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gNxe-PTB #schooldistricts #education #renaissanceschools

Empowering young minds with entrepreneurial skills is key to unlocking not only the individuals full potential but can also lead to fostering stronger communities. By equipping our young people with the ability to learn and investigate entrepreneurship, we're encouraging and nurturing individual experimentation and creativity, and going beyond learning about business acumen. It will allow our young people to overcome challenges, build a problem-solving mindset, learn how to deal with setbacks and appreciate success once it is achieved. These qualities empower young people to adapt, innovate, and contribute meaningfully to society. As they learn to navigate challenges, set goals, and take initiative, they become drivers of positive change. Fostering entrepreneurial skills among the youth has a ripple effect on communities. It helps to create a culture of collaboration and resourcefulness. Young entrepreneurs often identify and address local needs, leading to the development of community-centric solutions. In essence, investing in the entrepreneurial education of young individuals isn't just an investment in their personal success; it's an investment in building dynamic, resilient, and interconnected communities that thrive together.

Groups from across Worthing have come together to build connections and celebrate their successful bids for funding from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Neighbourhood Fund. Over £577,000 from our CIL Neighbourhood Fund was successfully bid for by 45 community groups and voluntary sector organisations in September this year. Groups have already started using the money on a range of projects that improve the lives of residents in the town, with others developing plans to get their projects up and running in the new year. At the celebration event, representatives from Dad La Soul, Humber Avenue Community Allotments, Sight Support Worthing and West Tarring Young People's Hub spoke about their projects, as well as the work they do in the community and how this funding is helping to support them. The audience of over 70 people was shown progress photos and videos and heard powerful testimonials. There was also a chance to ask questions as part of a panel session designed to help groups learn from each other. Soul and gospel choir Spring into Soul, which was awarded funding to host a month of events to celebrate Worthing Black History Month in October, topped off the celebrations with a couple of songs before groups were given the chance to network. Community Works, a local organisation that supports the voluntary community and social enterprise sector, also spoke about the advice, support, learning and networking opportunities it can offer. On the night, groups were enthusiastic about the chance to collaborate by sharing resources, partnering on projects and even helping each other apply for other funding opportunities. Feedback from groups after the event highlighted the opportunity to make new links and the chance to hear about and be inspired by other people’s projects. The CIL Neighbourhood Fund is collected as a levy from developers building in the local area, to offset the impact felt by residents. As part of our commitment to being a council for the community, last year we began speaking with community groups to find out how the fund can be made fairer, more transparent and easier to bid for grants from. We will be following up on the progress of the successful projects and will give residents regular updates via its website and social media platforms. 👉Visit https://lnkd.in/eQ_b6U-T to find out more about the fund. #Worthing #communitygroups #voluntarysector #communityengagement #communityparticipation #funding #development #localgovernment