www.d2center.org
In order for youth to become productive members of our community and the future workforce, they will need to master core skills in school, graduate from high school and be prepared for post-secondary education. Some adolescent youth become disengaged during middle school and high school, and this is reflected in behaviors such as poor grades and failure, skipping school, experimenting with drugs, joining gangs and having unplanned pregnancies. Nearly 20 percent of Douglas and Sarpy County youth end up dropping out of high school. For the youth, this can result in a significant reduction in income potential over a lifetime and greatly increase the chances they will be unemployed, working at menial jobs or become incarcerated. For our community, the result is more citizens who consume valuable resources rather than contributing resources.
Because interventions cannot be one size fits all, Building Bright Futures continues to research best practice models for academic support and re-engagement of dropouts. The focus of Academic Supports and Re-Engagement is on strategic tutoring, career exploration and readiness, literacy and numeracy skills, expanding credit recovery options and multiple pathways to graduation.
Program Goals
Tutoring, interventions, instructional support in reading and math and career readiness
The Math Teacher Assistant (MTA) program delivers supplemental, one-to-one or small group instruction at eight Middle Schools in three school districts - Omaha, Ralston and Millard. MTAs are UNO math and secondary math education majors who use co-teaching strategies to support a student’s daily learning. The classroom teacher identifies which student(s) the MTA will assist, provides direction and supervision and completes an evaluation of the MTA’s performance.
Building Bright Futures and the Omaha Public Library are collaborating with community agencies to develop site-based programs that will provide youth with opportunities for online tutoring using Tutor.com. Click here for more information about Tutor.com.
Building Bright Futures facilitates access to career and post-secondary exploration for secondary students through use of http://www.nebraskacareerconnections.org/, a Nebraska Department of Education supported resource. New career and post-secondary exploration initiatives have begun at a local high school, several middle schools and community centers.
Building Bright Futures is also supporting efforts by Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands, Omaha Housing Authority and the Urban League of Nebraska to engage youth and reduce truancy throughout the community.
Re-engage high school dropouts and disengaged youth through credit recovery and support services for earning a high school diploma
The D2 Center | Directions Diploma is the new Building Bright Futures Re-Engagement Center. Located at The Center at 42nd & Center, the D2 Center serves disengaged and out-of-school youth ages 15-20, providing the opportunity for re-engagement in an educational program. D2 Center staff assess youth to determine academic status as well as discern non-academic factors contributing to disengagement. Staff then develop an Individual Action Plan to re-engage youth and empower them in a pathway to a diploma. The D2 Center connects youth to a comprehensive system of supports, including multiple pathways to graduation, mental/behavioral health, juvenile justice, social services, career and college readiness, and other community-based partners. The D2 Center partners with several community agencies to provide a Youth Academic Navigator (YAN) for each student. This adult advocate supports the youth on an ongoing basis until the youth completes a high school diploma.
Develop and enhance community-based opportunities for improving literacy and credit recovery
The D2 Center partners with school districts and community organizations to support, develop and expand credit recovery options at various sites to keep youth engaged in an educational pathway. Some students may choose to take elective credit classes at the D2 Center as well.
Academic Supports contact
Albert Varas
Project Coordinator
402-502-8534 ext. 103
a.varas@buildingbrightfutures.net
D2 Center contacts
Greg Emmel
Director, D2 Center
Cell: 402-982-9022
Office: 402-502-8534 ext. 102
g.emmel@buildingbrightfutures.net
Carolyn T. Miller
Director, D2 Center
Cell: 402-982-9023
Office: 402-502-8534 ext. 101
c.miller@buildingbrightfutures.net