2008 Finalists
Health and Wellness
Positive Tomorrows
The mission of Positive Tomorrows is to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty - one family at a time, by providing education and family support for homeless and at risk children and their families. In order to meet out mission we have a two pronged approach: education and family support.
To meet our mission in education we operate a privately funded school for children kindergarten through fifth grade whose lives have been impacted by the trauma of homelessness and poverty. The children we serve are usually at least one grade level below their peers and many are two or more years behind. They do not have the tools to compete in a regular public school and often loose interest in school and fall through the cracks at a young age. Positive Tomorrows' staff assesses each student academically and socially and begins an individual course of instruction at the level at which the child currently functions.
The family support component of our program works with the entire family. We offer self improvement and motivational workshops for parents; literacy assessment and reading tutoring for parents; basic skills instruction, as well as case management where case managers individually work with parents to meet the goals they have set at enrollment. We offer a clothing room where families can "shop" (no charge), hygiene items at each clothing room visit, small appliances and household items when a family finds housing after a stay in the shelter.
Transportation is a major issue for most homeless and at risk families. Homeless families move frequently in order to keep a roof over their children's heads, thus making regular school attendance difficult, if not impossible. Regular school attendance is necessary for continuous learning for a student. The transportation system is the core of Positive Tomorrows' operation. If a family will let us know by 7:30 in the morning if they have moved during the night and where the children need to be picked up for school, we will revise our bus route to accommodate that need. It is not uncommon for our bus route to be different every day of the week in order to assure every student can be present for instruction as often possible.
Our request to Impact Oklahoma is for funding to update our transportation system. Our bus and two 15-passenger vans each have over 100,000 miles and are beginning to be costly to keep in good repair. New vehicles will enable us to continue to serve the most vulnerable children in our community with transportation to and from school and on field trips and special activities. With the rising cost of gasoline, we are investigating the benefits of natural gas vehicles and other environmentally sound transportation alternatives. We are working currently with Chesapeake Energy to explore the cost efficiency of CNG vehicles like those in Chesapeake's fleet. As of this writing, we have not made a decision on which vehicle to purchase, but we are looking at all the economics of that decision.
You will make a huge impact on the community and the lives of struggling students by funding our request. Homelessness is cyclical and until we get serious about breaking the cycle of homelessness and poverty, it will continue to plague our nation. This is your opportunity to touch lives and make a difference in the future of children and our community. You can ÒImpact OklahomaÓ today and for many years to come by helping us secure vehicles that are handicapped accessible and economically and environmentally sound.
Culture
Oklahoma Children's Theatre
Oklahoma Children's Theatre will design a 4 day Family Theatre Festival comprised of performances in a variety of imaginative mediums including puppetry, opera and drama. Performances will be signed for hearing impaired audiences. Theater for Youth companies such as Paul Messener Puppets, Dallas C.T., O.C.U. Opera/Music Theatre will be invited to participate. Performances will be mornings, afternoons and evenings. Teacher development workshops in arts integration will be offered along with theatre and creative drama activities for families to enjoy together.
Our target population includes all children, families, and teachers in the OKC Metro as well as a broader regional community encompassing much of Oklahoma. Children from 2 years through elderly will be impacted through performances and additional activities.
Theatre as an artistic discipline has been virtually omitted from the narrowing curriculum of public education, and therefore it is so important for theatre for families to be supported and supplemented by quality extracurricular options such as this Family Theatre Festival.
Why a Family Theatre Festival? When you give a child, a teenager or an adult, permission to imagine, the doors of possibility fly open and barriers become merely a game of leap frog! Imagine the Impact that could have on Oklahoma!
Education
Oklahoma Foundation for the Disabled
Enhancing Possibilities for People with DisabilitiesThis grant is requested for construction of a 40Õ X 100Õ metal building to be used for recreation for our clients who have disabilities.
The Foundation is licensed to care for 96 per day, plus the Thursday Evening Party with over 150 attending each week. Our clients ages range from 18 - 67 years. In 2007 we served more than 845 persons with disabilities as well as their families. Space for basketball, pool tables and exercise equipment is extremely limited. In inclement weather they must stay indoors. The recreation building would allow them to have exercising and other activities each day. Exercise is vital for those with disabilities to help maintain their health, also, being able to participate is great for their self-esteem.
The plan is to have a separate area for the exercise equipment, an open area for the basketball goals, pool tables, fooz ball machines and other activities. Two handicapped bathrooms and a small snack area will be included in the air conditioned building.
The land is available for the building and a grant will be received for the landscaping surrounding the building. Also, space will be reserved for outdoor activities, such as horse shoes, volley ball and practicing for Special Olympics. A walking trail will be included in the area.
The recreational building is important to the program of the Foundation in providing recreational and social activities to those with disabilities.
Environment
Girl Scounts - Western Oklahoma, Inc.
We take pleasure in requesting the support of Impact Oklahoma for Girl Scouts - Western Oklahoma, Inc.'s environmental programming and renovation initiative at our campground near Midwest City. GS-West seeks a grant of $100,000 to renovate the Big Oak facility located at Camp Cookieland. This facility renovation would make Big Oak Lodge handicap accessible, eco-friendly with "green" renovations as well as provide funding for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programming for the next two years. With the funding from Impact Oklahoma, GS-West aims to improve statistics directly related to girls and their success in Oklahoma. The need for STEM education for girls in our state is evident. Statistics show that one if four girls who start high school will not finish. While girls perform at the same level in Science and Mathematics as boys in 4th grade, by 8th grade their scores and interest fall. NCES conclude that girls have fewer out-of-school experiences in STEM subjects, which results in reduced participation in STEM courses. Oklahoma ranks 46th in the country as great places for women to live and work. It is imperative that we provide the skills and opportunities necessary for girls in Oklahoma to build the courage, confidence and character that it takes to make the world a better place.
Family
Calm Waters
Can you still remember what it was like being 9 years old?
Now, imagine that your mother is gone and you are convinced she left because of you. Dad is only a mythical figure in your life. You feel lost every time you are taken in by foster family after foster family. The color and size of your room changes monthly. Finally, someone wants you. Your lifelong dream becomes reality - you are adopted and now have a mom to call your own. However, the bliss is short-lived, as within months, your new mom (and only family member) is deployed to Iraq.
Sound like a made-for-TV movie? Unfortunately not. This is the story of a child in our community who recently attended Calm Waters (CW) School-based Grief Support Groups.
Founded in 1992 by a 10 year old boy, his mother, and renowned local therapist Charlotte Lankard, Calm Waters Center for Children and Families continues to teach healthy coping skills to children and families whose lives have been affected by death, divorce or other major losses, by providing free support groups and other services.
In previous years, CW free School-based groups served approximately 200 students annually. In 2007-2008, more than 800 students (K-12) attended grief groups. This year, due to anticipated increased community support, CW will be able to provide much-needed help to more than 1,600 students as they navigate through turbulent times.
Additionally, challenging economic times prohibit many needy families from attending CW Center-based grief support groups. Therefore, Community-based groups have been implemented to allow more families from all areas of the metro to benefit from CW free grief support groups in the familiar setting of their neighborhood school.
Impact Oklahoma will allow Calm Waters to positively impact the lives and futures of more grieving children and families than ever before.