There’s little doubt that this Halloween will be unlike any we’ve ever known. In fact, about 40% of Americans believe that COVID-19 will affect how they celebrate Halloween this year. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to still enjoy this beloved holiday, especially if you aren’t among the 23% of parents planning to take their children trick-or-treating.
Your Vote Counts!
The election season is here, and included on the ballot are candidates and issues that impact school outcomes. Voting is one way that we can ensure Alamance County’s future as a vibrant, thriving community. Alamance Achieves wants to encourage you to do your civic duty this fall to support our kids, our schools and our community.
Beyond the Classroom: A New Initiative to Support Remote Learning in Alamance County
The school year across North Carolina, and the country, started out a bit differently than was hoped this year. While many had thought that all children would be able to return to the classroom, the continuing COVID-19 pandemic forced many school systems to make other plans for the start of the 2020-2021 school year.
The Alamance-Burlington School System (ABSS) was one of many districts in North Carolina that greenlighted a back-to-school plan to begin the year with nine weeks of remote learning under the guidelines of Governor Roy Cooper’s ‘Plan C.’
Concerns about remote learning quickly poured in — from educators and parents — as everyone tried to imagine how to make the best of remote learning. Alamance Achieves knew it could assist in bringing together different groups within Alamance County to identify ways to leverage existing resources. And Beyond the Classroom was born.
Starting in July, Alamance Achieves and partners such as Alamance County YMCA, Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Alamance County, the City of Burlington Parks and Recreation, Elon University, and a number of local churches, began work. With several weeks to prepare before school began, these partners from different sectors came together virtually to align the community around the students.
Beyond the Classroom’s primary goal is to provide safe learning environments and support Alamance County students as they transition back to school in the most unconventional way. ABSS has done a phenomenal working with partners in the community that can best serve students. Many of these partners are already integral parts of our community and are able to serve students by providing virtual learning spaces for them that are not too far from their homes.
For instance, many local churches offered their buildings, allowing Beyond the Classroom to adapt those empty worship spaces to support this new community-wide need. It’s just one example of the many ways Alamance Achieves works within the community to leverage resources to support children and education.
Cameron West, pastor at First Baptist Burlington, said, “If everybody is able to pitch in with their strengths, so much can be done because this was built and created in such a short period of time but that’s because Alamance Achieves had people to point to and even helped me get connected to the right people at ABSS and through that I’ve gotten linked up with other individuals who are helping to pitch in.”
Alamance Achieves will continue to work with these groups as ABSS prepares to make another shift to a hybrid model of learning for the students.
In Alamance County, we are stronger together. If you would like to network with Alamance Achieves to help with Beyond the Classroom, contact Lexy Roberts, lexy.roberts@conehealth.com, or Tyronna Hooker, tyronna.hooker@conehealth.com.
Community strengthens grid of resources to increase food access
Community partners and organizations across Alamance County have aligned efforts to increase access to healthy, affordable food for young children, students and families impacted by closures related to the COVID-19 epidemic. Together, our community has leveraged existing resources to establish more than 240 food distribution locations all over Alamance County, ensuring that every resident is less than 4 miles away from a food distribution site. These innovative and equity-driven solutions ensure that all families continue to have access to a strong grid of resources that enables every child to be well, healthy and ready to learn.
Alamance-Burlington School System has established more than 200 grab-and-go bus stops, where students can pick up lunch and breakfast for the next day. Using data to identify bus stops that pick up five or more students, the school system designed a strategy to serve students who may not be able to get to one of the 22 school lunch sites in the county — including students whose parents are working during the day. With locations ranging across the central, northern and southern parts of the county, the buses are an example of a solution designed with equity and access at the center. By adding new bus stops in response to community voice, ABSS is seeing a increase in the number of families who are able to access the daily deliveries — and the number of meals distributed.
Several churches and food pantries have adjusted their processes and hours to safely provide groceries to more families. Businesses and local restaurants are partnering with community members to design innovative ways to meet community needs for food.
These efforts provide a blueprint for how communities can leverage existing resources and design solutions that meet growing needs in our community. Before the recent closures, about half of all students who attend school at ABSS — nearly 12,000 — received free or reduced price meals at school. About 2,400 children under 5 are experiencing poverty, which limits access to healthy and affordable food. With the recent closures of schools, local businesses and restaurants, many more families are in need of support. This is one example of how community can continue to strengthen the grid of resources that support a healthy community.
Each of the points on this map is a place on the grid of resources that sustains the community during times of extreme need.
Sources: ABSS Grab and Go Bus Stop Meal Delivery List; ABSS Lunch Sites; United Way Resource Guide (all accessed 3/23/2020)
Resources
To view an updated list of community resources from United Way visit United Way Community Resource Guide.
To find ABSS grab-and-go bus stops and school lunch sites visit ABSS School Nutrition.
To find the closest resources to you on a Google map visit Map of Food Resources in Alamance County.
To Volunteer visit #Help4Alamance
Call 2-1-1 for NC Resources and Assistance, or use the 2-1-1 Online Search Tool
Success Together in Alamance County
Alamance Achieves, in collaboration with StriveTogether and local community partners, has applied for a KaBoom playground to be built in our community. As a national non-profit, KaBoom is dedicated to ensuring that ALL kids get a childhood filled with the active play they need to thrive.
We know access to play fosters emotional and social development. Swings, slides, climbers and other types of equipment encourage children to develop their balance, speed, agility and coordination. Getting kids in the habit of exercise and making it a fun activity can help encourage kids to stay active throughout their lives.
This playground would help strengthen our grid of resources in an underserved community to ensure that all children are plugged in to the opportunities they need to excel. Stay tuned for more information about how you can support our efforts to bring a KaBoom playground to our area.
Alamance County Kindergarten Fair
Saturday, March 30, 2019, there were over 30 varying resources allowing parents of young children to meet face-to-face with school representatives, learn more about kindergarten readiness, and discover resources available to Alamance County’s youngest children. The fair brought out over 150 perspective students and an overall turnout of over 300 people to learn how to gear up for greatness and get their child Kindergarten ready!
Schools in attendance included Alamance-Burlington Schools, Alamance Christian School, Blessed Sacrament School, Bradford Academy, Burlington Christian Academy, The Burlington School, Children’s House Montessori, Clover Garden Charter School, and Grace Christian Academy.
Community resource agencies included critical early childhood supports like Alamance Partnership for Children, the Children’s Developmental Services Agency, Alamance County Division of
Social Services, Alamance County Health Department, and Alamance County Public Libraries. Additional participating partners include Head Start, United Way of Alamance County, Alamance Citizens for Education, Children’s Referral Agency, Holy Comforter Playschool, Burlington Recreation and Parks, Be Healthy Now | Cone Health, Maynard Aquatic Center, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, 4-H, Studio 1, and Sylvan Learning Center of Burlington.
Coordinated and sponsored by Alamance Achieves, Tyronna Hooker, Executive Director of Alamance Achieves, explains how the fair aligns with it’s initiative’s goals.
“Alamance Achieves is an all-in partnership of cross-sector leaders who are committed to working together and with the community-at-large to measurably improve the success of our children, cradle to career. Currently, we are working with community partners who are aligned around the common goal that every child is well, healthy and ready for school. This event is a great example of the work team’s commitment to increasing access to resources.”
Community Transformation Council 2018
Community leaders from across sectors gathered during Alamance Achieves’ annual Community Transformation Council meeting to discuss the state of education in Alamance County. Key speakers included Dr. Patrick Cronin, Dr. Bruce Benson, and Dr. John Stockwell. Presentations included a range of topics including the economic benefit of investing early in children, how ABSS uses data to move forward, and how we as a community can be involved in making change happen.
There were also presentations about local initiatives in Alamance County aimed at improving education outcomes. Local kindergarten teacher, Melissa Blum, presented on Ready Freddy and Kenan Community Impact Fellows Bernadette Cooper and Daniela Ceron presented on Vroom. For more information on these programs as well as the community’s key takeaways from the event, check out our newsletter below!
Summer Visit with SAM
Earlier this summer, the Alamance Achieves Team visited Spartanburg Academic Movement (SAM), a sister organization in the Strive Together network, to see what and how they are ensuring children in Spartanburg, South Carolina succeed from cradle to career.
Along with our staff, members from our Steering Committee and Kindergarten Readiness Network met with the SAM leadership team and learned about the ways in which they are engaging the larger Spartanburg community in improving outcomes around kindergarten readiness, school attendance, and high school graduation. They emphasized building trust with partners and using data as a flashlight and not a hammer.
Check out our video below to learn more: https://youtu.be/OkqpcVyOvDM
