Press Announcement
UrbanFUTURE Receives $213,740 in State Tax Credits
Funding Will Support Groundbreaking Literacy Programs
in St. Louis Public Schools
March 13, 2007, St. Louis, MO — Frank Van Bree, president
of local literacy and character development provider UrbanFUTURE,
has BIG plans for the $213,740 in Missouri state tax credits
that Governor Matt Blunt recently approved for any donation
that supports his organization.
UrbanFUTURE will use the Youth Opportunities Program tax
credits for its One on One INSPIRE program at Fanning Middle
School in St. Louis. The INSPIRE program is one of St. Louis’ most
effective reading, character development and goal setting
programs. A recent independent audit showed that 6th grade
students who enter the program reading at a 2nd grade level
(the average for St. Louis public school students), can increase
their reading comprehension by two to three years after one
year in INSPIRE.
What makes UrbanFUTURE’s program so effective? Van
Bree believes it is the structure of the program: the volunteer
mentor’s after school lessons are reinforced by the
inclusion of a teacher and each INSPIRE student’s parent,
creating a continuum of education that reaches beyond the
after school program, into the regular school day and continuing
that mentoring process into the evening at the child’s
home. The net effect is that the parent, teacher and mentor,
all communicate regularly about the student’s progress
and discusses how to meet that child’s educational
needs.
INSPIRE seeks to foster in students the foundational behaviors
that are necessary for them to flourish in and out of the
classroom. “We believe that only with established personal
and academic habits can the students be fully prepared to
reach their potential. As a student progresses through middle
school and through the INSPIRE program, the curriculum focuses
on building their Communication Arts skills. Each grade level
will focus on a particular area of skill: 6th grade – reading,
7th grade – writing, 8th grade – speaking and
presentations,” explained Van Bree. “We are able
to far surpass the successes of other programs because of
individualized and intensive one-on-one education.”
UrbanFUTURE, in partnership with family, school and community,
is dedicated to the success of urban youth through character
growth, academic achievement and career preparation.
The Youth Opportunities Program, administered by the Missouri
Department of Economic Development, provides tax credits
to organizations administering positive youth development
or crime prevention projects.
For more information about UrbanFUTURE and its mentoring
program, INSPIRE, please call 314.776.3434.
Press Contact:
Laura Slay
Telephone: (314) 504-0081
Email: lslay@slaymedia.com
URL: www.slaymedia.com
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