EMILY KRZYZEWSKI FAMILY LIFE CENTER INC
904 WEST CHAPEL HILL STREET, DURHAM, NC 277013060 www.emilyk.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: OUR MISSION IS TO INSPIRE STUDENTS TO DREAM BIG, ACT WITH CHARACTER AND PURPOSE, AND REACH THEIR POTENTIAL AS LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY. THE EMILY K CENTER SERVES AS A COLLEGE ACCESS HUB IN DURHAM, N.C., PROPELLING K-12 STUDENTS AND GRADUATES TOWARDS SUCCESS IN COLLEGE THROUGH ITS K TO COLLEGE PROGRAMS WHILE ALSO OFFERING COLLEGE INFORMATION AND ADVISING SUPPORT TO ANY LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT THROUGH THE GAME PLAN: COLLEGE PROGRAM. THROUGH BROADER FACILITY PARTNERSHIPS, THOUSANDS OF ADDITIONAL STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS USE THE CENTER AS A PLACE TO CONVENE, LEARN, AND GROW.

TO DEVELOP EDUCATED STUDENT LEADERS AND SERVE AS A COLLEGE ACCESS HUB IN DURHAM, NC

THE CENTER OPERATES FOUR PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALL ALIGNED WITH THE GOAL OF PROVIDING ACADEMIC SUPPORT, COLLEGE READINESS AND COLLEGE COMPLETION SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS WHO FACE THE MOST PRONOUNCED BARRIERS TO SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATING AND COMPLETING HIGHER EDUCATION. AS A GENERAL NOTE THAT IS RELEVANT TO ALL PROGRAM OPERATIONS FOR THE 2019-20 PROGRAM YEAR, DUE TO THE COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC, THE EMILY K CENTER SUSPENDED ITS IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING AND CONVERTED TO A VIRTUAL SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL BEGINNING MARCH 16, 2020 AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE FIRST SEMESTER OF 2020 (DECEMBER 2020) WITH THE INTENTION OF RESUMING IN-PERSON OPERATION IN JANUARY 2021 PENDING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES. A NOTE ABOUT THE GENERAL IMPACT OF THIS TRANSITION IS MADE IN EACH PROGRAM DESCRIPTION BELOW. OUR THREE K TO COLLEGE PROGRAMS ARE:THE PIONEER SCHOLARS PROGRAM ENSURES THAT OUR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE BUILDING THEIR ACADEMIC AND PERSONAL LEADERSHIP SKILLS, ACHIEVING IN SCHOOL, AND LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE COLLEGE SUCCESS. DURING THE 2019-20 ACADEMIC YEAR, PRIOR TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE PIONEER SCHOLARS PROGRAM OPERATED FIVE DAYS PER WEEK FOR AN AVERAGE OF 7.5 HOURS PER WEEK. PRE-COVID, OUR 88 PIONEER SCHOLARS STUDENTS IN GRADES 1-8 DEMONSTRATED AN AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE RATE OF 94%. AS A RESULT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE PROGRAM SHIFTED TO A FOUR DAY PER WEEK MODEL WITH AN AVERAGE OF 6 HOURS OF PROGRAMMING PER WEEK, AND ATTENDANCE WAS MADE OPTIONAL BUT HIGHLY ENCOURAGED IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEW DEMANDS FAMILIES FACED IN TERMS OF BALANCING NEW WORK, HOME-BASED LEARNING AND CHILD CARE RESPONSIBILITIES. IN AN EFFORT TO STEM THE LEARNING LOSS THAT CAN OCCUR DURING SUMMER BREAKS, THE PIONEER SCHOLARS PROGRAM ALSO PROVIDES A SUMMER SCHOLARS PROGRAM, WHICH IS TYPICALLY DELIVERED AS A THREE WEEK PROGRAM BUT WAS REDUCED TO A TWO WEEK VIRTUAL PROGRAM THIS SUMMER. THE PROGRAM RAN SIX HOURS PER DAY OVER TWO WEEKS. FIFTY-NINE STUDENTS ATTENDED SUMMER SCHOLARS AND COMPLETED A TOTAL OF 60 HOURS EACH OF PROJECT-BASED ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AND SKILL-BUILDING DESIGNED TO ENSURE THEIR READINESS FOR THE YEAR AHEAD, AS WELL AS CULTURALLY ENRICHING ACTIVITIES AND SOCIOEMOTIONAL SKILL BUILDING TO ENHANCE THEIR ABILITY TO COPE WITH THE SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS THAT MARKED THE 2019-20 ACADEMIC YEAR. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING CORE PROGRAM SERVICES, PIONEER SCHOLARS STAFF ALSO ENSURED FAMILIES RECEIVED THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION ABOUT COMMUNITY RESOURCES VITAL TO FAMILY BASIC NEEDS AND WELL-BEING, AND ALSO PROVIDED TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO SCHOLARS AND FAMILIES IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE NAVIGATING TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE ENGAGEMENT IN REMOTE LEARNING.THE SCHOLARS TO COLLEGE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO ASSIST HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO FACE THE MOST PRONOUNCED BARRIERS TO HIGHER EDUCATION TO SUCCEED ACADEMICALLY AND PERSONALLY, BECOMING GRADUATING SENIORS WHO ARE SCHOLARSHIP-ELIGIBLE AND COLLEGE-READY. THIS YEAR, OUR 123 SCHOLARS TO COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN AN AVERAGE OF 5.5 HOURS OF WEEKLY CURRICULUM-BASED INSTRUCTION, INDIVIDUALIZED ACADEMIC COACHING AND COLLEGE ADVISING, 1:1 TUTORING, STANDARDIZED TEST PREPARATION, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURAL ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES AT THE CENTER. WHILE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC FORCED THIS PROGRAM TO SHIFT TO VIRTUAL PROGRAM DELIVERY, THE NUMBER OF SERVICE HOURS DID NOT CHANGE, AND THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO STUDENTS' PROGRAM ATTENDANCE. STUDENTS IN THE SCHOLARS TO COLLEGE PROGRAM ALSO ATTEND SUMMER PROGRAMMING DESIGNED TO ENSURE THEY CONTINUE TO BUILD LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND PLAN FOR THE MAJOR COLLEGE ACCESS TASKS FOR THE YEAR AHEAD. THIS YEAR, STUDENTS ATTENDED A ONE OR TWO WEEK VIRTUAL "BOOT CAMP" (DEPENDING ON THEIR GRADE) TOTALING AN AVERAGE OF 16.25 HOURS OF DIRECT INSTRUCTION. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING CORE PROGRAM SERVICES, SCHOLARS TO COLLEGE STAFF ALSO ENSURED FAMILIES RECEIVED THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION ABOUT COMMUNITY RESOURCES VITAL TO FAMILY BASIC NEEDS AND WELL-BEING, PROVIDED LOANER COMPUTER DEVICES TO STUDENTS WITHOUT LAPTOPS AND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY, AND PROVIDED TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO SCHOLARS AND FAMILIES IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE NAVIGATING TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE ENGAGEMENT IN REMOTE LEARNING.THE SCHOLARS ON CAMPUS PROGRAM ENSURES THAT STUDENTS WHO COMPLETE THE SCHOLARS TO COLLEGE PROGRAM AND OPT TO CONTINUE IN OUR COLLEGE COMPLETION PROGRAM SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITION TO AND COMPLETE HIGHER EDUCATION BY SUPPORTING THEIR DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREAS OF ACADEMIC AND CAMPUS ENGAGEMENT, CAREER PLANNING, AND FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH AN INTRUSIVE ADVISING AND SUPPORT MODEL. THE 2019-20 ACADEMIC YEAR MARKED AN IMPORTANT EXPANSION OF THIS PROGRAM FROM A TWO-YEAR COLLEGE SUPPORT PROGRAM TO A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE COMPLETION PROGRAM, THUS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASING THE PROGRAM'S ENROLLMENT AND OPERATIONS. THIS YEAR, 89 SCHOLARS ON CAMPUS STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN CAPACITY-BUILDING WORKSHOPS, INDIVIDUALIZED ADVISING AND COACHING, 1:1 CAMPUS VISITS, AND A PRE-COLLEGE TRANSITION RETREAT. BECAUSE THE SCHOLARS ON CAMPUS PROGRAM TYPICALLY EMPLOYS A NUMBER OF VIRTUAL AND TECHNOLOGY-BASED METHODOLOGIES TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO STUDENTS, COVID-19 DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT THE SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL. HOWEVER, THE FOCUS ON PROVIDING SUPPORT TO ENSURE STUDENTS' ABILITY TO SUCCESSFULLY RETURN HOME AFTER CAMPUS CLOSURES AND TO ACCESS THE REQUISITE TECHNOLOGY TO CONTINUE ENGAGING IN THEIR LEARNING WAS MORE PRONOUNCED. STUDENT PROGRESS IS EVALUATED ACROSS ALL THREE OF THE ABOVE REFERENCED PROGRAMS USING BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGIES DESIGNED TO DETERMINE HOW WELL WE ARE MEETING OUR SUCCESS GOALS AS WELL AS TO ASSESS OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES' EXPERIENCES WITHIN OUR PROGRAMS. AS A RESULT OF THE TIMING OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, UNFORTUNATELY, MANY OF THE CRITICAL DATA POINTS USED TO ASSESS ANNUAL OUTCOMES WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR ANALYSIS THIS YEAR. REPRESENTATIVE RESULTS FROM THE 2019-20 ACADEMIC YEAR INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING HIGHLIGHTS. 81% OF STUDENTS IN PIONEER SCHOLARS STUDENTS WERE MEETING OR EXCEEDING ACADEMIC BENCHMARKS FOR THE PROGRAM, AS MEASURED BY OBTAINING GRADES OF B OR HIGHER IN SCHOOL AS OF THE END OF THE FIRST SEMESTER. 100% OF PARENTS IN THE PIONEER SCHOLARS PROGRAM FEEL THAT THE PROGRAM HELPS THEIR STUDENTS BUILD THEIR ACADEMIC AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND REPORT THAT THE PROGRAM INCREASES THEIR CONFIDENCE THAT THEIR STUDENT WILL ATTEND COLLEGE. OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE SCHOLARS TO COLLEGE PROGRAM DEMONSTRATED COLLEGE READINESS LEVELS THAT FAR EXCEEDED THEIR PEERS ON A NATIONAL LEVEL IN BOTH ENGLISH (85% VS. 59%) AND MATH (85% VS. 39%). OUR 30 GRADUATING SENIORS IN THE SCHOLARS TO COLLEGE CLASS OF 2020 EARNED 150 ACCEPTANCES TO 56 COLLEGES. LASTLY, 100% OF FIRST YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS IN SCHOLARS ON CAMPUS ENROLLED ON TIME AS FULL TIME STUDENTS DURING THE FALL SEMESTER, AND PERSISTED FROM SEMESTER 1 TO SEMESTER 2, AND WE CELEBRATED THE COLLEGE COMPLETION MILESTONE FOR EIGHT COLLEGE SENIORS IN MAY 2020.

THE EMILY K CENTER'S GAME PLAN: COLLEGE PROGRAM PROVIDES POSTSECONDARY INFORMATION, ADVISING AND SUPPORT TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN DURHAM THROUGH A STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, WE ARE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO BOTH THE DISTRICT'S AND THE CENTER'S SHARED GOAL OF ENSURING THAT ALL STUDENTS HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION AND SUPPORT THEY NEED TO PURSUE THEIR POSTSECONDARY GOALS. STUDENTS WHO WILL BE THE FIRST IN THEIR FAMILY TO ATTEND COLLEGE, WHO COME FROM LOW INCOME FAMILY BACKGROUNDS, AND WHO ARE MEMBERS OF RACIAL/ETHNIC GROUPS THAT ARE UNDER-REPRESENTED IN HIGHER EDUCATION ARE THE TARGET POPULATION FOR THIS PROGRAM, ALTHOUGH ANY STUDENT WHO RESIDES IN DURHAM AND/OR ATTENDS A DURHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS HIGH SCHOOL CAN ACCESS THE SERVICES. THROUGH SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY BASED COLLEGE ACCESS WORKSHOPS, OUR PROGRAM PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH ALL OF THE INFORMATION, TOOLS AND RESOURCES THEY NEED TO IDENTIFY THEIR BEST-FIT POSTSECONDARY OPTION AND TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON COMPLETING THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND ENROLLMENT PROCESS. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROGRAM PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET WITH COLLEGE ADMISSIONS REPRESENTATIVES AND CULTIVATES SPECIALIZED SERVICES FOR MEMBERS OF OUR TARGET POPULATION, SUCH AS STANDARDIZED TEST PREPARATION AND SUMMER INTENSIVE WORKSHOPS. THIS YEAR, GAME PLAN: COLLEGE SERVED 1,758 STUDENTS ACROSS ALL 13 HIGH SCHOOLS IN DURHAM, REFLECTING SERVICE THROUGH WORKSHOPS TO 1,267 STUDENTS AND 1:1 ADVISING TO 391 STUDENTS. ADVISING SERVES AS A CRITICAL SUPPORT IN HELPING STUDENTS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES NECESSARY TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THEIR COLLEGE/POSTSECONDARY APPLICATION PROCESSES. GAME PLAN: COLLEGE ALSO CONVENED THE DISTRICT'S COUNSELORS FOR BOTH AN APPRECIATION EVENT AND TO CONDUCT AN INFORMAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT TO IDENTIFY EXISTING GAPS THAT THE CENTER CAN CONTINUE TO STRIVE TO MEET IN SERVING THE COMMUNITY'S EDUCATIONAL NEEDS. GAME PLAN: COLLEGE SHIFTED ITS SERVICE DELIVERY FROM IN-PERSON TO VIRTUAL AS A RESULT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. DURING THIS PHASE, THE PROGRAM WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE 54 VIRTUAL COLLEGE INFORMATION SESSIONS AND 18 COLLEGE ACCESS WORKSHOPS, AS WELL AS CONTINUING ITS INDIVIDUALIZED ADVISING SERVICES. THE PROGRAM ALSO HOSTED A SUMMER INTENSIVE WORKSHOP THROUGH WHICH 23 STUDENTS FROM OUR TARGET POPULATION PARTICIPATED IN A TWO-WEEK PROGRAM DESIGNED TO GIVE HELP THEM GET A SOLID START TO THEIR COLLEGE AND FINANCIAL AID PROCESS FOR THE YEAR AHEAD.

IN ADDITION TO COLLEGE ACCESS PROGRAMMING, THE EMILY K CENTER ENHANCES THE IMPACT OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH FACILITY PARTNERSHIPS BY SERVING AS A HOME AND RESOURCE FOR NON-PROFITS, SCHOOLS, AND COMMUNITY GROUPS AS THEY CONVENE, LEARN, AND GROW. THIS YEAR, 40 FACILITY PARTNERS RAN PROGRAMS, HOSTED EVENTS, AND HELD MEETINGS AT THE CENTER, SERVING MORE THAN 1,200 STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN AN AVERAGE WEEK. THE CENTER PROVIDED SPACE FOR FREE TO OVER 90% OF THESE PARTNERS, RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT RENTAL SAVINGS FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS. DUE TO THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK, THE FACILITY WAS TEMPORARILY CLOSED ON MARCH 16, 2020. A STAGED REOPENING BEGAN IN AUGUST 2020.

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