CLARKSTON DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
PO BOX 529, CLARKSTON, GA 30021 www.cdfaction.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: VISION: THE VISION OF CDF ACTION IS THAT CLARKSTON, GEORGIA, WILL BE A THRIVING, VIBRANT, AND DIVERSE COMMUNITY WHERE ALL RESIDENTS' VOICES ARE HEAD AND WHERE RESIDENTS WORK TOGETHER TO TRANSFORM EARLY LEARNING AND EDUCATION. MISSION: CDF EMPLOYS AN ASSET- BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT APPROACH TO ENSURE THAT ALL CLARKSTON CHILDREN BIRTH TO EIGHT YEARS OF AGE WILL BE NURTURED, HEALTHY, AND PREPARED FOR KINDERGARTEN AND BEYOND. CDF SERVES AS A CATALYST TO BUILD ON COMMUNITY STRENGTHS, MOBILIZE NEW RESOURCES, AND PILOT INNOVATIVE PROJECTS. WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP TO ADVOCATE FOR EQUITABLE POLICIES, PRACTICES, AND PROGRAMS, MOVING IDEAS TO ACTION. CDF PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO GROUPS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF CLARKSTON.

CLARKSTON DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, INC., CREATED IN 2010, WORKS TO CONNECT AND ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY OF CLARKSTON AND SURROUNDING AREAS BY WORKING ALONGSIDE RESIDENTS TO RECOGNIZE AND DEVELOP THE INDIVIDUAL CAPACITIES OF EACH PERSON. BY SUPPORTING PARTICIPATION AND COLLABORATION AMONG COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WE WORK TO BUILD A COMMUNITY WHOSE RESIDENTS DRIVE AND DIRECT THE DEVELOPMENT OF ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES THAT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY. KNOWN TO THE COMMUNITY AS CDF ACTION, THE CURRENT FOCUS IS EARLY LEARNING AND EDUCATION. VISION: CLARKSTON, GEORGIA, WILL BE A THRIVING, VIBRANT, AND DIVERSE COMMUNITY WHERE ALL RESIDENTS' VOICES ARE HEAD AND WHERE RESIDENTS WORK TOGETHER TO TRANSFORM EARLY LEARNING AND EDUCATION. MISSION: CDF EMPLOYS AN ASSET- BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT APPROACH TO ENSURE THAT ALL CLARKSTON CHILDREN BIRTH TO EIGHT YEARS OF AGE WILL BE NURTURED, HEALTHY, AND PREPARED FOR KINDERGARTEN AND BEYOND. CDF SERVES AS A CATALYST TO BUILD ON COMMUNITY STRENGTHS, MOBILIZE NEW RESOURCES, AND PILOT INNOVATIVE PROJECTS. WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP TO ADVOCATE FOR EQUITABLE POLICIES, PRACTICES, AND PROGRAMS, MOVING IDEAS TO ACTION. CDF PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO GROUPS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF CLARKSTON. BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND STAFF. THE CDF BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS THE GOVERNING BODY AND PROVIDES FINANCIAL AND PROGRAM OVERSIGHT AND LONG-RANGE PLANNING. IN 2019, CDF BEGAN A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CIVITAS, USING THEIR FINDING YOUR NORTH STAR FRAMEWORK. ROBERTA MALAVENDA SERVES AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND FLO SHEPLEY SERVES AS THE FINANCIAL MANAGER. CDF CONTRACTS WITH PARTNERS AND INDIVIDUALS TO IMPLEMENT SPECIFIC PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES. PROGRAMS: IN 2019, CDF CONTINUED TO BUILD ON THE W.K. KELLOGG GRANT, CLARKSTON FAMILIES DECIDE, AWARDED TO THE ORGANIZATION IN 2014. CDF WORKS TO ENGAGE DIVERSE FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN BIRTH TO EIGHT TO BE THEIR CHILD'S FIRST TEACHER AND TAKE ACTIONS AS LEADERS RESULTING IN POSITIVE SYSTEMS CHANGES IMPACTING EARLY LEARNING, EDUCATION, AND THE COMMUNITY. CDF'S 2019 ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS: A. CLARKSTON EARLY LEARNING NETWORK (CELN). CELN, CREATED IN 2012 AS A RESULT OF CDF COMMUNITY DIALOGUES, IS A COALITION OF INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTED TO: (A) INCREASING ACCESS TO AND THE QUALITY OF EARLY LEARNING AND LITERACY ACTIVITIES, (B) PROMOTING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EARLY YEARS AND HOME LANGUAGE TO CHILDREN'S GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND (C) SUPPORTING EQUITABLE EARLY LEARNING POLICIES AND PROGRAMS. DURING 2019, CELN MET MONTHLY AT THE CLARKSTON LIBRARY TO SHARE INFORMATION, PLAN THE CLARKSTON TELL ME A STORY FESTIVAL, ADVOCATE FOR CHANGES IN ZONING TO ALLOW FOR FAMILY CHILD CARE AND FOR A CITY OF CLARKSTON EARLY LEARNING TASK FORCE. B.CLARKSTON TELL ME A STORY CHILDREN'S STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD (CTMAS). THE FESTIVAL, NOW IN ITS 7TH YEAR, IS FUNDED BY THE CITY OF CLARKSTON AND OTHER PARTNERS, AND IS ORGANIZED BY CELN AND VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF DEKALB AND THE CLARKSTON LIBRARY. CTMAS INCLUDED STORYTELLERS, OVER 30 LITERACY PARTNERS AND ACTIVITIES, FREE BOOKS, THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM, AND THE ALLIANCE THEATER. OVER 400 PEOPLE ATTENDED CTMAS AT THE GEORGIA PIEDMONT TECHNICAL COLLEGE CONFERENCE CENTER. IN 2019, CDF ACTION WAS SELECTED BY LEADERSHIP DEKALB TO PARTICIPATE IN A CONSULTATION TO CREATE A CTMAS MARKETING AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN. C.READY SCHOOLS. THE READY SCHOOL INITIATIVE IS AN INNOVATIVE EARLY LEARNING AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR 3 AND 4 - YEAR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES IN THE YEAR BEFORE PRE-KINDERGARTEN. THE READY SCHOOLS, LOCATED IN APARTMENT COMPLEXES OR CHURCHES, OFFER A MULTI-LINGUAL, MULTI- CULTURAL HALF DAY PROGRAM. THE READY SCHOOL, DESIGNED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FAMILIES AND EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS, PROVIDE AN INFORMAL AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE EXPERIENCE FOR REFUGEE CHILDREN, MANY OF WHOM HAD NEVER BEEN AWAY FROM FAMILY. CURRENT TEACHERS, WHO ARE BI-LINGUAL, WERE PREVIOUS READY SCHOOL PARENTS. IN 2019, CDF SUPPORTED 3 READY SCHOOLS, ONE IN NORCROSS FOR SPANISH-SPEAKING FAMILIES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AMERICAN LEARNING ACADEMY, AND TWO IN CENTRAL DEKALB, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SCOTTDALE EARLY LEARNING, INC. OVER 90% OF FAMILIES REPORT THAT THE PROGRAM HELPED THEM IDENTIFY AND ENROLL IN GEORGIA PRE-K AND PROVIDED THEIR CHILDREN WITH FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS. A 2019 EVALUATION REPORTED THAT CHILDREN IN THE NORCROSS PROGRAM SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED THEIR SKILLS IN THE AREAS OF SPEECH AND PROBLEM-SOLVING AS A RESULT OF THE READY SCHOOL. THE READY SCHOOL PROGRAM BY UNITED WAY OF GREATER ATLANTA. CDF ACTION PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO COMMUNITIES INTERESTED IN REPLICATING THE READY SCHOOL INITIATIVE. D. LITERACY PROGRAMS. IN 2019, CDF CONTINUED THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT (GOSA) MINI-LITERACY GRANT, PROVIDING FREE BOOKS AND LITERACY ACTIVITIES AT MULTIPLE COMMUNITY EVENTS, SUCH AS THE RAMADAN DINNER AND THE CITY OF CLARKSTON'S NATIONAL NIGHT-OUT. IN AUGUST 2019, CDF RECEIVED ONE OF 6 GOSA INNOVATION GRANTS TO PILOT "ALL ABOUT OUR CHILDREN," IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EARLY LEARNING SCHOLARS, A CLARKSTON CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER. THE PROJECT PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE LEADERSHIP AND TO PRE-K TEACHERS SERVING A CLASS OF 95% REFUGEE CHILDREN WHO SPOKE MORE THAN 8 LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED COACHING, HOME VISITING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON TRAUMA-INFORMED PRACTICE. PROJECT STAFF AND CONSULTANTS PRESENTED THE PROJECT AND EVALUATION AT THE ANNUAL GOSA CONFERENCE IN 2019. E.WALK WITH A DOC. IN 2019, CDF PARTNERED WITH DR. HEVAL KELLI AND OTHERS TO HOST A MONTHLY WALK WITH A DOC. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED A MINI-PRESENTATION ON A HEALTH ISSUE AND A 45- MINUTE WALK WITH A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. CDF COMBINED THESE WALKS WITH BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND FREE BOOKS. F.CENSUS 2020. CDF PARTNERED WITH SCOTTDALE EARLY LEARNING TO LAUNCH A CENTRAL DEKALB CENSUS 2020 PROJECT, FUNDED BY THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, IN LATE 2019. CDF WORKED WITH WOMEN WATCH AFRIKA DISTRIBUTING INFORMATION ABOUT THE CENSUS TO RESIDENTS OF 3 APARTMENT COMPLEXES. G.CITY OF CLARKSTON. CDF AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS RESEARCHED AND PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CITY'S ZONING ORDINANCE TO ALLOW FOR FAMILY CHILD CARE PROGRAMS IN RESIDENT HOMES AND APARTMENTS. THE PROPOSAL PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. IN ADDITION, CELN PARTNERS REQUESTED AN EARLY LEARNING TASK FORCE TO CREATE AN EARLY LEARNING PLAN WHICH WOULD ADDRESS POLICY, PRACTICE, AND PROGRAM THROUGH AN EQUITY LENS. THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE TASK FORCE COMPOSED OF 20 MEMBERS AS WELL AS FUNDING FOR CDF TO FACILITATE THE YEAR LONG PROCESS TO BEGIN IN 2020. H.CTI HEAD START/GEORGIA PIEDMONT TECHNICAL COLLEGE (GPTC) CHILD DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE (CDA). THE CDF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WAS APPOINTED TO THE CTI HEAD START POLICY COMMITTEE IN 2019 AND WAS ABLE TO BRING TOGETHER HEAD START AND GPTC TO DEVELOP A CDA PROGRAM FOR HEAD START PARENTS INTERESTED IN BECOMING EARLY LEARNING TEACHERS. THE PROGRAM WAS MODELED AFTER THE CDF ENHANCED CDA INITIATIVE FUNDED BY THE W. K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION AND LATER BY GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF EARLY CARE AND LEARNING (DECAL). PLANNING TOOK PLACE IN 2019. CLASSES WILL START AT GPTC, JANUARY 2020. TWENTY WOMEN WERE SELECTED, WITH ALL FEES PAID FOR BY CTI HEAD START. I.PARTNERSHIP WITH EMORY UNIVERSITY. CDF WORKED WITH TWO EMORY UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS AND STUDENTS TO DEVELOP CLASS PROJECTS. CDF ALSO CONNECTED EMORY VOLUNTEERS WITH THE SOMALI AMERICAN COMMUNITY CENTER (SACC) AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM. J.COALITION OF REFUGEE SERVING AGENCIES (CRSA). CDF JOINED THE COALITION OF REFUGEE SERVING AGENCIES (CRSA), AN ADVOCACY GROUP THAT MONITORS STATE AND NATIONAL LEGISLATION AFFECTING THE REFUGEE COMMUNITY AND SUPPORTS REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT AND SERVICES AND SPONSORS PROGRAMS INCLUDING WORLD REFUGEE DAY AND REFUGEE DAY AT THE CAPITOL.

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