SANDY SPRINGS EDUCATION FORCE INC
7580 SOUTH SPALDING LAKE DRIVE, SANDY SPRINGS, GA 30350 www.sandyspringseducationforce.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: SSEFs mission is to create opportunities that educate, inspire and prepare Sandy Springs public students for a competitive world

During the year ended June 30, 2020, SSEF impacted these students through the following programs:AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS(i)After-School All- StarsThis comprehensive after school program takes place five day per week/ two hours per day at Sandy Springs Charter Middle School, incorporating academic remediation and enrichment. The program is implemented in collaboration with the Georgia State University Research Foundation and After-School All-Stars Atlanta. Transportation is provided by the school. 97% percent of the students in the program are economically disadvantaged. Students consistently show an increase in grades, a decrease in disciplinary infractions and an increase in attendance as a result of participation in this program. (ii)After-School North Springs - This high school program incorporates many of the same elements as its middle school counterpart. Operating three afternoons a week at North Springs Charter High School, the program offers academic support for one hour followed by enrichment activities, field trips, exposure to college and vocational schools and career opportunities.MENTORING/ROLE MODELS(iii)Junior Achievement (JA) This program is delivered to students at North Springs Charter High School in collaboration with JA and the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce. The program provides valuable financial literacy education to ninth grade students and a Career Success program to tenth graders. The program has a structured curriculum designed to educate students in a grade level appropriate manner. (iv)SAIL& CHOSEN For the SAIL program, Riverwood International Charter School seniors are identified by counselors in February as being on target to graduate, but without post-secondary plans. Trained volunteers present options and assist students with post-secondary applications. SSEF provides funds for application fees, as well as SAT/ACT fees for those students needing financial assistance. As part of the program, representatives from local post-secondary institutions visit the school. As a result of the program, 80% of the students were accepted to post-secondary institutions this year. A similar program called CHOSEN is implemented at North Springs Charter High School.(v)Link with a Leader This program is designed to provide targeted students with an opportunity to meet and learn about careers and post-secondary educational opportunities from members of the business community. Community mentors share stories of their personal career and educational journeys, as well as present informational workshops focused on increasing college and career readiness. Program speakers impart the importance of getting a good education to students who would not otherwise hear this message. Counselors and graduation coaches identify the students participating in this program at Ridgeview Middle School, Sandy Springs Charter Middle School, North Springs Charter High School and Riverwood International Charter School. (vi)Business Bridge SSEF works with the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce to engage members of the business community in our Sandy Springs public schools. This program matches business leaders to requests from our schools which can include speaking at career/industry centered events, as well as lending their expertise to a particular classroom unit of study. SSEF also assists members of our local business community in connecting with our students through various SSEF Programs such as SAIL/Chosen, Link with a Leader, STEAM Grant After School Clubs, After School All Stars and Junior Achievement. In addition, the community collaboration with our local businesses provides opportunities for our students to participate in career fairs, field trips and business sponsored workshops. (vii)Cradle to College In partnership with Georgia State University Perimeter Campus, SSEF implemented a program to introduce and expose all of the 5th grade students at Dunwoody Springs Elementary School to a college experience. Students visited the campus, attended classes and listened to presentation from GSU professors. LITERACY(viii)Reading Buddies This program is conducted at Ison Springs Elementary, Lake Forest Elementary, Spalding Drive Elementary and Dunwoody Springs Elementary Schools. Teachers identify students in need of assistance with reading. Once per week volunteers read to a chosen student for 30 minutes during their lunch period. Orientation, support and training are provided for volunteers. Suitable books are purchased by SSEF and kept on a cart for SSEF volunteers to use with their students. The objective of the program is to foster positive feelings about reading, thereby improving motivation, self-confidence and reading skills, all centered on a meaningful relationship with a caring adult. (ix)Mini-Libraries This program reaches out to at-risk students by providing them with access to high quality books that they can read and keep. Portable, free-standing, newspaper-type dispensaries are in place at strategic locations at our six elementary schools. Books are also available at various locations for students at our two middle and two high schools. Books given out through the Mini-Libraries Program are donated by individuals and businesses in our community, collected by volunteers and then sorted and stored at Heards Ferry Elementary until ready for disbursement. Students are asked to take two books at a time to read at home and are encouraged to start their own personal library. The program also makes books available during school sponsored family engagements events to reach siblings and other family members. Mini Libraries gives out about 14,000 books each year.(x)Summer Reading Program - This program is an intervention program designed to maintain student reading levels over the summer break for our at-risk elementary school students. Certified teachers from Ison Springs Elementary School, with additional volunteer support, will work with students from the school on various reading initiatives in ten two-hour sessions during the month of July. The program will take place where the students live- at a local apartment complex served by the school. Students will have an opportunity to choose books which they would enjoy reading and will be able to keep the books at the end of the program. To measure the success of the program student reading levels will assessed at the end of the school year and again at the beginning of the school year. Due to the COVID pandemic, this program was held virtually in June and July. STEAM INITIATIVES (xi)Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics (STEAM) Showcase and Outreach Each year, SSEF presents an Annual STEAM Showcase to the 11 Sandy Springs public schools. The opening event takes place at North Springs Charter High School where High School and Middle School students view STEAM focused exhibits geared to the curriculum during the day. In the evening, the general community along with community, business and civic leaders are invited to attend. The Showcase is followed by outreach STEAM events, field trips and programs in many of our schools. SSEF has been twice awarded the Georgia STEM Award for Extracurricular Programs by the Technology Association of Georgia for this program. Due to the COVID pandemic, we had to cancel the STEAM Showcase two days before the event.(xii)STEAM Legacy Grants From the funds raised through STEAM Showcase sponsorships, SSEF is able to offer STEAM grant opportunities to our schools for ongoing after school STEAM clubs and programs. Grant recipients are expected to display their projects at the annual STEAM Showcase. This year SSEF awarded a grant to all 11 public schools. (xiii)Math Hound Bowl - SSEF sponsors an annual math competition event sanctioned by Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS). The 2017 inaugural competition was one of only three MOEMS elementary level tournaments held in Georgia schools this year. The 2019 "Hound Bowl," held at High Point Elementary School, involved 4th and 5th grade math teams from High Point, Dunwoody Springs, Ison Springs, Lake Forest, Spalding Drive and Woodland Charter Elementary Schools, as well as 6th grade math teams from Ridgeview Charter Middle School and Sandy Springs Charter Middle School. Due to the COVID pandemic, we were not able to hold the MOEMS competition in April.COMMUNITY COLLABORATIVES(ixv)Teacher Supply Closet In partnership with the Community Assistance Center (CAC), SSEF coordinates school supply drives in the community to stock the SSEF Teachers Supply Closet. Supplies are stored at the CAC. The Sandy Springs public school teachers are able request school supplies for their needy students through the SSEF website. (xv)Special COVID RELIEF Program - In an effort to address the food insecurity issues that faced many of our school families, a group of our school community members instituted a Pop-Up Food Pantry. SSEF supported this initiative and held a special fundraiser t

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