Programs

  • Comprehensive After-School and Mentoring Programs

    During the year ended June 30, 2022, SSEF impacted these students through the following programs:AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS(i) After-School All- StarsThis comprehensive after school program takes place five days 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 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) SAIL& Senior Push For the SAIL program, Riverwood International Charter School seniors are identified by counselors as being on target to graduate, but without post-secondary plans. Volunteers receive training to help students identify their skills and interests and provide resources for students to learn about potential schools and programs that would be a good fit. Volunteers work with students on the entire college or program application process. SSEF provides funds for application fees, as well as SAT/ACT fees for those students needing financial assistance. A similar program called Senior Push is implemented at North Springs High School.(iv) 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 local 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 High School, and Riverwood International Charter School. (v) Business Bridge SSEF to engage members of the business community in the Sandy Springs public schools. SSEF assists members of Sandy Springs local business community in connecting with SSEFs students through various SSEF Programs such as SAIL/Senior Push, Link with a Leader, STEAM Grant After School Clubs, After School All Stars, and the After School Program at North Springs High School. In addition, the community collaboration with Sandy Springs local businesses provides opportunities for SSEFs students to participate in career fairs, field trips, and business-sponsored workshops. LITERACY(vi) 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 the students lunch period. Training, resources, and ongoing support are provided to volunteers. Suitable books are purchased by SSEF and kept on a cart for SSEF volunteers to read 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. (vii) 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 six Sandy Springs elementary schools. Books are also available at various locations for students at two Sandy Springs middle schools and two Sandy Springs high schools. Books given out through the Mini-Libraries Program are donated by individuals and businesses in the Sandy Springs community, collected by volunteers, and then sorted and stored 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 engagement events to reach siblings and other family members. Mini Libraries gives out about 14,000 books each year.(viii) Summer Book Club - This program is an intervention program designed to maintain student reading levels over the summer break for SSEFs at-risk elementary school students. Certified teachers from Ison Springs Elementary and Dunwoody Springs Elementary, with additional volunteer support, work with students on various reading initiatives. Students are divided into groups by grade level and meet once a week for an hour. Each week students read a new book, engage in group discussion, and complete related assignments. To measure the success of the program student reading levels are assessed at the end of the school year and again at the beginning of the school year. (ix) Virtual Tutoring Program - Implemented to reduce student learning loss during the pandemic, the Virtual Tutoring Program matches a Riverwood International Charter High School student tutor with a student in grades 1 5 from Ison Spring Elementary School. During their 45-minute virtual session each week, the tutor helps the student with homework, as well as math and reading skills work. In addition to helping with academic content, tutors with strong relationships with students, and help make the sessions each week fun as well as educational.STEAM INITIATIVES (x) 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 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 SSEFs schools. SSEF has been twice awarded the Georgia STEM Award for Extracurricular Programs by the Technology Association of Georgia for this program. (xi) STEAM Legacy Grants From the funds raised through STEAM Showcase sponsorships, SSEF is able to offer STEAM grant opportunities to SSEFs 11 Sandy Springs public schools for ongoing after school STEAM clubs and programs. Grant recipients are expected to display their projects at the annual STEAM Showcase. (xii) Math Bowl SSEF sponsors an annual math competition event sanctioned by Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS). The 2017 inaugural Hound Bowl competition, held at High Point Elementary, was one of only three MOEMS elementary-level tournaments held in Georgia that year. 4th and 5th-grade math teams from High Point, Dunwoody Springs, Ison Springs, Spalding Drive, and Woodland Charter Elementary Schools, as well as 6th-grade math teams from Ridgeview Charter Middle School have participated in the annual competition. In 2021, the SSSEF Math Bowl moved to a new home at Sandy Springs Charter Middle School.COMMUNITY COLLABORATIVES(xii) 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. The donated supplies are stored at the CAC. Sandy Springs public school teachers are able to request school supplies for their students in need through and online form found on the SSEF website.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jul 1, 2021 – Jun 30, 2022
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $183.4K

  • Program 1 [2025]

    During the year ended June 30, 2025, SSEF impacted these students through the following programs:AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS(i) After-School All-StarsThis comprehensive after-school program takes place five days 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. Ninety 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 two afternoons a week at North Springs High School, the program offers academic support and enrichment activities, field trips, exposure to college and vocational schools, and career opportunities. MENTORING/ROLE MODELS(iii) SAIL& Senior Push For the SAIL program at Riverwood International Charter School and Senior Push at North Springs High School, seniors are identified by counselors as being on target to graduate, but without post-secondary plans. Volunteers receive training to help students identify their skills and interests and provide resources for students to learn about potential schools and programs that would be a good fit. Volunteers work with students on the entire college or program application process. SSEF provides funds for application fees, as well as SAT/ACT fees for those students needing financial assistance.(iv) 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 local 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 High School, and Riverwood International Charter School.(v) Business Bridge SSEF works to engage members of the business community in the Sandy Springs public schools. SSEF assists members of Sandy Springss local business community in connecting with SSEFs students through various SSEF Programs such as SAIL/Senior Push, Link with a Leader, STEAM Grant After School Clubs, Teacher Supply Closet, After School All Stars, and the Aspire After-School Program. In addition, the community collaboration with Sandy Springss local businesses provides opportunities for SSEFs students to participate in career fairs, internships, business-sponsored workshops, and field trips such as SkillsUSA. (vi) Cradle to College In collaboration with Georgia State University-Perimeter College, fifth grade students from Dunwoody Springs Elementary land seventh grade students from Sandy Springs Charter Middle School learn about the opportunity for college in their own community and dual enrollment. The students take a field trip to the GSU Perimeter campus to meet professors and college students, tour the campus, and engage in classroom activities. (vii) Tutor Teams Virtual Tutoring Program Originally implemented to reduce student learning loss during the pandemic, the Virtual Tutoring Program is a vehicle for Riverwood and North Springs high school tutors and community tutors to work with students in grades 3-5 from Ison Springs Elementary. During the 45-minute virtual sessions each week, the tutor helps the student with homework, as well as math and reading skills. In addition to helping with academic content, tutors serve as mentors, form strong relationships with students, and help make the sessions each week fun as well as educational. (viii) High Demand Career Fair This single day event was implemented to expose Riverwood and North Springs High School students to careers that pay well and have many job opportunities with a focus on jobs that hire students right out of high school, provide on-the-job training and opportunities for advancement and/or allow the student to work and gain experience to help pay for college. Exhibitors include opportunities in Skilled Trades, Healthcare, Information Technology, Automotive and Childcare. This exposure inspires students to pursue careers that will take them out of the cycle of poverty without having to take on post-secondary debt. Through workshops, students prepare resumes prior to the Career Fair. Interested students are matched with community mentors after the Career Fair. LITERACY(ix) 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. Training, resources, and ongoing support are provided to volunteers. Suitable books are purchased by SSEF and kept on a cart for SSEF volunteers to read 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. (x) 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 six Sandy Springs elementary schools. Books are also available at various locations for students at two Sandy Springs middle schools and two Sandy Springs high schools. Books given out through the Mini-Libraries Program are donated by individuals and businesses in the Sandy Springs community, collected by volunteers, and then sorted and stored until ready for disbursement. The program also makes books available during school-sponsored family engagement events to reach siblings and other family members. Mini Libraries give out about 12,000 books each year.(xi) Summer Book Club - This program is an intervention program designed to maintain student reading levels over the summer break for SSEFs at-risk elementary school students at Dunwoody Springs Elementary School, Ison Springs Elementary School, and High Point Elementary School. Certified teachers, with additional volunteer support, work with students on various reading initiatives. Students are divided into groups by grade level and meet virtually once a week for an hour. Each week students read an assigned book or chapters, engage in group discussion, and complete related assignments. To measure the success of the program student reading levels are assessed at the end of the school year and again at the beginning of the school year. (xii) VOX Led by VOX ATL Mentors, North Springs High School students from diverse backgrounds write and record podcasts in this opportunity for leadership and self-expression, while learning about the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. STEAM INITIATIVES (xiii) 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 High School where high school and middle school students view STEAM-focused exhibits geared to the curriculum during the day. In the evening, elementary school students and their families, the general community and business, and civic leaders are invited to attend. The Showcase is followed by outreach STEAM events, field trips, and programs in many of SSEFs schools. SSEF has been twice awarded the Georgia STEM Award for Extracurricular Programs by the Technology Association of Georgia for this program. (xiv) STEAM Legacy Grants From the funds raised through STEAM Showcase sponsorships, SSEF can offer STEAM grant opportunities in all of our Sandy Springs public schools for ongoing after-school STEAM clubs and programs. Grant recipients display their projects at the annual STEAM Showcase. (xv) Math Madness Tournament SSEF sponsors an annual math competition event sanctioned by Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS), the only MOEMS tournament held on Georgia. The objectives of MOEMS are to teach multiple strategies for out-of-the box problem solving, develop mathematical flexibility in solving those problems and foster mathematical creativity and ingenuity. Third through sixth grade students from the Sandy Springs public elementary and middle schools prepare throughout the year using materials provided by SSEF for the end of year ind
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jul 1, 2024 – Jun 30, 2025
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $264.8K