2010 Successes

  • We had National Honor Society students from Rockhurst High School become members of our executive team where they recruited, trained, scheduled, and monitored almost 1,000 volunteer reading tutors from area high schools. This magnificent effort is a crucial component of our reading success.
  • Our High School Prep, a program run at Rockhurst University and taught by teachers from Rockhurst High School, which takes 7th, & 8th grade students who have been in our program for a number of years and are reading two or more years above grade level, and prepares them to go to private schools (Rockhurst, St. Teresa’s, & Pembroke) was expanded to include rising sixth grade students.
  • Our reading competition among the 23 sites was won by Swope Parkway Church of Christ whose 5th and 6th grade students posted an average gain in reading of one full academic year during their eight weeks with us.
  • Our ARTS program took a leap forward with 250 students now taking private music lessons, and our first ensembles forming, as we prepare to establish a youth orchestra for each neighborhood over the next two years. Our two-night dance recital drew standing room only for both nights at the 1,500 seat Scottish Rite Temple amid fears we may have outgrown another facility!
  • The Linwood YMCA turned over their outdoor pool and all in-door facilities to the Upper Room for the entire summer.
  • Our middle school students hosted a writer’s workshop and invited the best-selling African-American author’s from all over the country. The short stories written by our students that emanated from this event were awe inspiring.
  • Our Family Literacy Program has had eight of our single moms receive their GED just since June. Based on that performance, the State required all family literacy programs to come to our Child Development Center, which is located smack in the middle of Swope Ridge Geriatric Center, to learn how we do things. Our proud staff held the event on November 22nd.

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