Higher Achievement Baltimore
The Higher Achievement model provides multi-year, out-of-school programming in the areas of academics enrichment, family engagement, and high school placement support for middle school students in fifth through eighth grades. Each child participating in the program receives around 400 hours of programming. Program outcomes from 2019-2020, yielded 69% of students increasing one letter grade in math or maintaining As and Bs through the second quarter. Through the support of the Abell Foundation grant, Higher Achievement is currently engaging in an expansion plan that seeks to double their footprint by expanding to two additional schools by the Fall of 2022.
Civil Justice, Inc.
Civil Justice expands legal services to clients of low and moderate income while promoting a network of solo, small and community-based lawyers who share a common commitment to increasing access to justice. It is a common practice that, after evicting tenants who fall behind on rent, landlords will later sue those same tenants for prospective rent and alleged damages, as well as unlawfully withhold security deposits. These suits result in millions of dollars in judgments against tenants each year in Baltimore City and further destabilize tenant households. With Abell funding, Civil Justice will address aggressive landlord debt collection suits against tenants, serving 50 households and preventing judgments totaling $100,000 either through in-house counsel or through their referral network.
Center for Urban Families, Inc.
The Center for Urban Families (CFUF) works to strengthen urban communities by helping fathers and families achieve stability and economic success. STRIVE Baltimore, the cornerstone of CFUF’s programming, is a strict, demanding, three-week workshop that focuses on workplace behavior, appearance, and attitude. Upon completion of training, STRIVE graduates are placed in jobs, and are followed by STRIVE staff for two years. Last year, CFUF placed 37 STRIVE graduates and 159 other participants into jobs, earning an average wage of $14.12 per hour.
Building STEPS, Inc.
Building STEPS partners with non-academic-criteria Baltimore City high schools and provides college going support including STEM seminars, summer internship experiences, college workshops, tutoring support, and college counseling. Students are identified by their school counselor and are admitted through an application process. Participating students must meet the 3.0 GPA threshold and have strong school attendance. This grant from the Abell Foundation will enable expansion into the tenth grade in order to provide an additional year of programming to improve foundational math skills, boost SAT scores/college math readiness, and expand college persistence programming.
BUILD
Turnaround Tuesdays is a BUILD jobs initiative in which residents meet at Zion Baptist Church on Tuesday mornings from 9 am to 11 am to receive help in finding employment. During the pandemic, Turnaround Tuesday has been holding weekly online orientation sessions on Monday, and transitioned its 30-hour essential skills training to a four-day, 16-hour online session. Last year, Turnaround Tuesday placed 202 people into jobs, most of which are defined by Turnaround Tuesday as being quality jobs, or those that pay over $16 per hour and offer medical and vacation benefits as well as a career pathway. In 2021, Turnaround Tuesday expects that 100 of its 225 placements will be in quality jobs.