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SAVE Program
3535 Harney St Omaha NE 68133
www.saveprogram.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saveprogram/ ○ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaveProgramOmaha/ ○ Twitter: https://twitter.com/saveprogram
Kevin Melcher
Executive Director
kevin@saveprogram.org
+1 (402) 208-7536
Yes
Lauren Kraemer - Program Director ○ Diran Missak - Follow Through Director Isabelle Davenport - Program Coordinator/ 10 part-time employees
SAVE has been running and evolving for twelve (12) years. Attendance has been steadily increasing and our capacity is currently full. This program puts emphasis on recruiting 3rd graders, maintaining their participation through 6th or 8th grade (depending on the school), and eventually enrolling them into SAVE’s Follow Through Program, which supports students all the way through middle and high school. The timeline outlined is long-term from 3rd-12th grade.
Academic Mentoring and Follow Through Program
401100.0
200000.0
Service/program
Students, Activities, Values, Education (SAVE) is a nonprofit organization that strives to connect underserved individuals with opportunities and resources to be successful students and active individuals. With roughly 74.45% of our student population residing in North and South Omaha zip codes, SAVE wants to build up the quality of life within these communities for our students and future students to come. SAVE manages two main programs aligned with our mission: the Academic Mentoring Program and the Follow Through Program. Both programs seek to build positive associations with college campuses and young adults so that our students can envision their opportunities post-graduation, as many identify as first-generation college students. The Academic Mentoring Program is currently serving seven (7) underserved elementary schools and three hundred (300) 3rd-8th graders. SAVE transports students from each school to Creighton University, University of Nebraska – Omaha, Bellevue University, and Metro Community College (North and South Campus) for mentoring with volunteer college students, enriching activities, and campus engagement. In addition to the sessions, each participating student is eligible for financial support and registration help for extracurricular activities in their area of town. The Follow Through Program is designed to follow our AMP graduates through junior and senior high school to provide support, resources, and encouragement for academic success and extracurricular engagement. The students meet with SAVE staff at their prospective school on a bi-weekly basis to discuss any needs, challenges and accomplishments the individual students are experiencing. SAVE strives to level the playing field for the students and give them the opportunity to become well versed individuals in academics but also in their communities.
Program will start January 2023 and be completed in May 2024.
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Fundamental Change (i.e., a proposal that will continue to elevate North or South Omaha's presence and perception within the region, significantly improving the lives of area residents through physical development)
Policy (i.e., develop or improve context-sensitive education, finance, health, training, zoning, etc.) Sustainable Community (i.e., create or enhance housing, services, education, civic uses, recreation, etc.)
This proposal is for funding to grow and maintain our Academic Mentoring and Follow Through Programs serving underserved 3rd-12th graders with mentoring and engagement, in addition to funding for extracurricular activities. The programs specifically address sustainable communities by creating and enhancing needed services and education, with primary focuses on underserved areas: North Omaha, South Omaha. Eighty percent (80%) of our participants qualify for free or reduced lunch, with a majority identifying as first-generation college students, meaning that positive experiences with college campuses and academic/extracurricular engagement are needed for these students to understand their options post-graduation. In addition, research shows that programming impacts younger students (years 8-14) much more than older students and that crime rates are higher in the after-school hours, making our program effective in combating issues of displacement after school and access to college by providing positive experiences on college campuses and funding for extracurriculars.
The Visioning Workshop Summary aligns with our proposal considering SAVE’s programming serves students from the outlined areas: North and South Omaha. The findings of this workshop express needs for infrastructure, development that fits within the cultural context, and access to tools to leverage community resources. This proposal seeks to focus on the positive development of the members that live in these communities so that they are enabled with the tools needed to build and develop their community. Rather than being an outside entity coming in and providing these needs, SAVE seeks to work from the inside out and put focus where it really matters: the youth living in these neighborhoods. By bringing these kids to college campuses (both four (4) year colleges and Metro Community College), we spark an inspiration to bring infrastructure, cultural development, and tools to leverage resources back to these neighborhoods by focusing on the youth in these neighborhoods. AMP highlights “Adventures in Trades” days in which students travel to Metro Community College and have the opportunity to participate in hands-on construction and trade activities. In a community that regards infrastructure as one of the biggest needs, AMP inspires members of said community to build meaningful infrastructure in their own neighborhoods by connecting them with opportunities to be able to do so.
This proposal aligns with the strategic priorities of LB1024 considering more than half of our program participants live within the outlined census tracts. With exposure to opportunities through AMP and Follow Through, participants have a higher ability to bring housing needs, assistance for small businesses, job training, and business development to their communities and neighborhoods. As outlined in LB1024, SAVE focuses on the community development of these areas through education and opportunities. As stated above, this proposal puts emphasis on those living within these communities to enable them to develop their neighborhoods in relevant and informed ways.
The anticipated job creation from this project includes the projected estimates regarding SAVE graduates. SAVE’s enrollment will continue to grow every year, and AMP exposes them to both four (4) year colleges and Metro Community College trades, meaning that SAVE graduates are set up for successful and well-paying jobs upon graduation. In addition, SAVE has just hired their first SAVE graduate as a part-time employee while she goes to school at UNO.
9
20/hour
SAVE believes in the impact that inspired youth and inspired young adults can have on the community. With the Academic Mentoring and Follow Through Programs, SAVE students have an increased likelihood of graduating college and an increased awareness of opportunities available to them, meaning these students have the ability to improve their local neighborhood through higher paying jobs, innovation, and inspiration. SAVE provides opportunities for youth in North and South Omaha to travel around Omaha and experience what it has to offer, making it more accessible for them to bring their own expertise and inspiration to these neighborhoods.
This proposal contributes to community sustainability by improving quality of life for the youth living in these neighborhoods.
SAVE’s Programming brings equal parts innovation and proven best practices to the students served. SAVE is the only organization in Omaha bringing underserved youth to college campuses. This program has been bringing innovation to the Omaha community for twelve (12) years by utilizing this new concept. In addition to innovation, SAVE utilizes current proven practices for adolescent development. Modeling, hands-on, and experiential learning are the most proven ways to expand an adolescent’s perception of themselves and the world around them, meaning that if youth never step foot onto a college campus, they will not be able to visualize themselves in that setting. While being innovative, SAVE utilizes proven practices of hands-on, experiential learning.
SAVE Programs help improve the education of our students by ensuring their needs are met. Whether through mentoring on college campuses, academic needs such as providing funds for academic supplies, checking in on grades/attendance and much more, or extracurricular needs such as providing financial assistance for registration fees or equipment, SAVE provides the support needed to be successful.
SAVE measures participants’ GPA, extracurricular engagement, and attendance, in addition to keeping relevant data until high school graduation. SAVE receives this data from our partnered school districts.
Yes
While SAVE is the only organization in the area providing these specific services, AMP does provide financial support for students to get involved in extracurriculars through outside organizations. Depending on the neighborhood the students live in, SAVE finds a vendor within reasonable distance. SAVE’s partnership with all following vendors include the registration and payment for activities for SAVE students. SAVE sends students to Arts for All, Bellevue Junior Sports Association, Grover Rink, YMCA,
No
Within one or more QCTs
No
No
Yes
all funds received will be used towards programming costs included in attached budget.
Yes
Will and Ruth Scott Foundation Lozier Foundation Midland Community Foundation
Will and Ruth Scott Foundation: 125,000 - Lozier Foundation: 60,000 Midland Community Foundation: 10,000
SAVE is financially committed and dedicated to our programs. The support of our partners and community has been consistent
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1.0
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Proposal Budget/Sources and Uses