CORE | Coalition for Residential Education

From Place to Place and Waiting for Superman shed light on America’s broken child welfare and education systems – and as a result, how children are struggling profoundly and getting lost in “foster care drift,” “drop-out factories,” and “academic sinkholes.” Residential education – where at-risk youth live and learn in safe, stable, and education-focused settings - is one viable alternative to foster care and ineffective school systems.

Directed by Academy Award winner Davis Guggenheim (also of An Inconvenient Truth), Waiting for Superman follows five promising students through our country’s education system that inhibits – rather than encourages – academic growth. The documentary provides an exhaustive review of public education. One of the five students hopes to attend residential education program The SEED School of Washington, DC, and illustrates the high stakes for families without many options.

Waiting for Superman will be released this fall and is the recipient of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival’s Audience Award for Best U.S. Documentary.

From Place to Place spends two years in the lives of six youth who recently aged out of Montana’s foster care system. At 18 years old, they are forced to leave the system without the skills or support they need to be successful. They struggle immensely to make the transition from foster care to independence. Their stories of trauma, abandonment, multiple placements, and aging out can argue the need for nurturing residential education programs, many of which also have transitional independent living programs where graduates can continue to reside and learn life skills as they transition to adulthood. The film will be released in December.

- Trailer for Waiting for Superman - Official Movie Web Site 6/3/10
- Trailer for From Place to Place - Official Movie Web Site 6/3/10

May 6 marked the second annual National Residential Education Day - a day to celebrate the many opportunities residential education programs provide for children while increasing understanding of residential education at national and local levels. Students, alumnae, staff, and supporters introduced, reminded, and served as “voices” of residential education to media, referral sources, donors, policymakers, and child welfare professionals through a variety of activities across the country.

CORE member programs tailored events to fit their individual program’s needs and strengths.
A sampling of events include:

Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children instituted their second annual Advocacy Day, where youth success stories were delivered to each state representative, and youth met with policymakers to share how residential education has impacted their lives.

Boys’ Home, Inc. in Virginia instituted their second annual “Heads and Shoulders” open house event, inviting community members to learn about their program. Youth showcased the array of services offered. Allegheny County author Josh Hagy also spoke to youth about the importance of literature and writing.

Methodist Children’s Home in Texas used the Willson-Johnson Lecture Series for social workers, teachers, and counselors in Central Texas as an opportunity to educate child welfare professionals on the residential education option. The guest speaker was Frank Kros, president of The Upside Down Organization and executive vice president of The Children’s Guild in Maryland.

Crossnore School in North Carolina organized an open house event for the local community and a campus-wide assembly where NASCAR Hall of Famer and Crossnore alumnus Waddell Wilson inspired youth and staff with his personal story of determination,
overcoming hardships, and achieving success with the help of Crossnore support and relationships.

Milton Hershey School (MHS) in Pennsylvania implemented activities that further integrate the academic and residential components of their home and school. In addition to the Houseparent-Teacher Alliance hosting two open forums for staff, houseparents accompanied students to school while teachers and staff ate, toured, and had social time in student homes. A parade showcasing student homes was held. Additionally, MHS alumna and current houseparent Deanna Slamans ‘91 held an assembly and book signing of Faith’s Pursuit, her memoir of growing up at MHS.

Some programs celebrated the day internally while many programs reached out to local media using common language - CORE’s “branding” language that defines and distinguishes residential education.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Celebrating Alternative Education Settings Serving At-Risk Youth

Washington, DC – Approximately 40 boarding schools and children’s homes for over 10,000 socially and economically disadvantaged youth across the United States will celebrate next Wednesday the second-ever National Residential Education Day. The celebration is part of a national effort to increase public awareness of “residential education” as a crucial option for at-risk youth.

Residential education programs are community-like settings where children severely challenged by homelessness, abuse, neglect, the child welfare system, and low-income, high-crime neighborhoods live and learn together, outside of their homes, within stable, supportive environments. The majority of children live on a campus, in single-family homes with a married couple and seven to ten other boys or girls. Other children, mostly in urban areas, live in boarding school-style dormitories with trained adult mentors. In 2009, 79% of CORE-member residential education program graduates went on to attend two- and four-year colleges.

With an average length of stay of two years and funded privately or through a public-private partnership, residential education is a growing trend that transforms the lives of children on the margins.

Positioned within National Foster Care Month, National Residential Education Day seeks to increase recognition and understanding of the approximately 150 programs across the country that provide at-risk youth chances to live safe, productive, and meaningful lives. September 2006 federal foster care legislation was passed adding residential education as a valid placement option for children in the child welfare system, and as a viable alternative to traditional foster care homes.

“Kids need physical and emotional safety, and they need a quality education. They need the feeling of belonging to a nurturing community, a belief in self, and a structure to grow in,” says Heidi Goldsmith, executive director of Washington, DC-based CORE: the Coalition for Residential Education, the organization spearheading National Residential Education Day. “Ideally, that structure is a good family. But if that is not possible, kids need not what looks like a family, but what behaves like a healthy family.”

Programs in Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma and beyond are hosting open house events and on-campus parades and celebrations, instituting Advocacy Days to bring youth and alumni to speak with state policymakers, implementing letter-writing campaigns to state legislators, planning lecture series that further educate participants about residential education, reaching out to local media, and making “A Day in the Life of…” films to spread awareness of this valuable education alternative. Additionally, Florida Governor Crist has proclaimed May 6 as Florida Residential Education Day.

Crossnore School alumnus Michael Jones says, “I would not be where I am today without the help and influence of the caring staff, teachers, and houseparents at Crossnore. What is so amazing is that for any other person, there are roadblocks to the things I have done and want to do. For me, these roadblocks just kind of disappeared and I am free to go where I want to go. Crossnore gave me these opportunities.” Enrolling in Crossnore School in 2004 after his family faced financial crisis and his once stable home unraveled, Michael graduated from Crossnore School in 2007 and, after working on the presidential campaign, is now a freshman at New York University.

For more information on residential education and specific events occurring around the country, contact Maya Aguilar at CORE: the Coalition for Residential Education.

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Governor Crist of Florida has signed a proclamation declaring May 6, 2010 Florida Residential Education Day!

Thank you to Bill Frye of CORE-member Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches for attaining this great success!

In addition to residential education programs in Florida, programs nationwide will celebrate the second annual National Residential Education Day on May 6. This day-long public awareness event is an opportunity for residential education programs to reach out to policymakers, decision-makers within the child welfare and education fields, funders, and the community at large to better share with them the invaluable services residential education provides youth from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds.

CORE envisions May 6 as a powerful platform upon which residential education programs can increase recognition and understanding of their value.

Through relationships with local media, policymakers, and supporters, programs will concentrate their awareness-building efforts on one specific day to enhance visibility. CORE encourages programs across the country to get involved - highlighting their services and accomplishments within this national context, and having fun while doing so!

A new study by Duke University of approximately 3,000 orphans ages 6-12 in Africa and Asia suggests that institutional care for orphans produces no less happy and healthy children, and outcomes are in fact “generally better” for orphans and abandoned children raised in orphanages than with kin or in foster care. It is one of the most comprehensive studies of orphans ever conducted, and looks at the health, behavior, physical growth, intellectual functioning, and emotional state of orphans – 1,357 of whom grew up in small and large orphanages, and 1,480 in kinship and foster care programs.

“We are seeing children thriving in institutions…What people don’t understand is that, in many cases, the institutions are the community’s response to caring for orphaned and abandoned children,” says study leader Kathryn Whetten, director of the Center for Health Policy at the Duke Global Health Institute.

“These communities love kids and as parents die, children are left behind. So, the individuals who love children most and want to care for them build a building and that becomes an institution. These institutions do not look or feel like the images that many in this country have of eastern bloc orphanages, they are mostly places where kids are being loved and cared for and have stable environments.”

“This is not the time to be creating policies that shut down good options for kids. We need to have as many options as possible,” says Whetten. “Our research just says ‘slow down and let’s look at the facts.’ It’s assumed that the quality of care-giving is a function of being institutionalized, but you can change the care-giving without changing the physical building.”

“Let’s get beyond labeling an institution as good or bad,” she says. “What is the quality of care inside that building, and how can we help the community identify cost-feasible solutions that can be delivered in small group homes, large group homes, and family homes?”

The New York Times reviewed the Duke study: “One [orphanage] in Battambang, Cambodia had 252 children living in 27 traditional Khmer homes inside a ‘large, airy, well-maintained gated compound’ with gardens, a basketball court, a playground, and plenty of open space. The people caring for the children had been orphans themselves or were widows, and the orphanage tried to make sure each child had at least one ‘parent and sibling.’”

The Duke study also prompted a Wall Street Journal editorial by orphanage alumnus Dr. Richard McKenzie, who attests to the positive impact the experience had on his and other alumni’s lives. CORE encourages you to also join the conversation by following the link below to comment on his editorial and share your thoughts about giving destitute children the chance to grow up in a larger (compared to a traditional family) residential, education-focused setting!

- “A Comparison of the Wellbeing of Orphans and Abandoned Children Ages 6–12 in Institutional and Community-Based Care Settings in 5 Less Wealthy Nations” - Duke University 12/18/09
- “The Best Thing About Orphanages” - Richard McKenzie in The Wall Street Journal 1/14/10
- “Study Suggests Orphanages Are Not So Bad” - New York Times 12/17/09

Heidi Goldsmith, profiled in Washington Jewish Week, speaks about CORE, residential education, community-organizing, and life.

- “Heidi Goldsmith” - Washington Jewish Week 12/10/09 (pdf)

The outstanding student, staff, and supporters who won the 2009 Catherine Hershey National Residential Education Awards - the only national awards specifically for the residential education field - are recognized in the June edition of Youth Today, the newspaper on youth work.

View Article (pdf)

To learn more about the 2009 winners and the awards, visit “2009 Catherine Hershey Award Winners”

Residential education programs nationwide celebrated the inaugural National Residential Education Day on May 6. Below are a few highlights and photos of events that lifted the visibility of this option for at-risk youth:

(Above) Boys’ Home, Inc. in Covington, VA held an Open House event entitled “Head and Shoulders Day” for community leaders, Board members, supporters, and other guests, which featured displays showcasing campus activities, including videos on the Hiking and Rock Climbing Club and the Weightlifting Club. A month-long, campus-wide reading marathon was also put in place leading up to National Residential Education Day, with the number of books read greatly surpassing the goal.

(Above) Crossnore School in Crossnore, NC also held an Open House event for local and county leaders, all county Department of Social Services staff, supporters, and the community, which included a campus-wide assembly and presentation featuring several former Crossnore students who benefited from living and learning at this high-quality residential education program.

(Above) Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children organized “A Voice for Residential Education” Capitol Hill Day with children from several of their campuses around the state who visited local legislators, sharing their and alums’ personal stories of how residential education transforms lives.

What is National Residential Education Day?

National Residential Education Day is an annual opportunity for residential education programs to reach out on the local level to key policymakers, media, funders, and the community at large with awareness-building activities. This day-long national public awareness event is a concerted and powerful platform upon which to increase recognition and understanding of residential education and the important services it provides for children, families, and communities.

The month of May is National Foster Care Month. Across the country, leading child welfare organizations are coming together to increase awareness about foster care. This gives the residential education field an opportunity to leverage national efforts that raise awareness of the needs of at-risk children — and the promising and effective residential education programs that serve these children.

One day in May - this year May 6, residential education programs nationwide concentrate their efforts to reach out to local media, policymakers, decision-makers, and the community at large — greatly enhancing visibility of this crucial option for at-risk youth.

A Sampling of Events That Took Place Around the Country:

• “Open House” events and student-led campus tours, with invitations to the media, legislators, county social workers, supporters, alumni, and the community
• Campus-wide assemblies featuring presentations from youth who benefited from living and learning at a residential education program
• “Power Lunch” with key state legislators and local decision-makers
• Month-long series of inspirational speakers on campus for students, entitled “Power and Pizza”
• Student-made film – “A day in the life of…” with stories of several children living at a residential education program
• Student and alumni letter-writing campaigns to congressmen about the benefits of residential education
• Radio interviews discussing the crucial services residential education offers youth
• Student talent shows, houseparent and teacher “shadow” day, and special meals and festivities bringing together staff, supporters, and children
• Tying National Residential Education Day into the Philadelphia City Council honoring Girard College for 160 years of service to at-risk youth

Press Coverage Included:

• Residential Education to Be Honored, The Index-Journal
• Boys’ Home, Inc. Plans National Residential Education Day Celebration, The Allegheny Journal
• National Residential Education Day to Recognize Methodist Children’s Home, The United Methodist Reporter
• Former Resident Example of Why Methodist Children’s Home Will Receive Honor, North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church

We look forward to having you join us in next year’s efforts!

Congratulations to the winners of the first annual National Residential Education Essay Contests:

Student Essay Contest Winners:
First Place – Carlos M., Florida Sheriffs Boys Ranch, Live Oak, FL
Second Place – Ugo U., Girard College, Philadelphia, PA
Third Place – Danielle M., Milton Hershey School, Hershey, PA

Honorable Student Mentions:
Nathaniel S., Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches
Kelsey F., Florida Sheriffs Youth Villa
Victoria M., Milton Hershey School

Alumni Essay Contest Winners:
First Place – Marcus Wright, Girard College Alumnus
Second Place – Heather Reed, Methodist Children’s Home of Texas Alumna
Third Place – Wayne Scott James, Connie Maxwell Children’s Home Alumnus

Responding to the student essay contest question “How has living and learning at a residential education program impacted your life?” Carlos M. of Florida Sheriffs Boys Ranch says:

The Ranch is a better community to help me with my behavior. They are teaching me to deal with my problems and attitude. It has stopped me from doing the things that got me in trouble. Without the Ranch, I would be locked up or on the streets. I am getting to know a lot of people, but not just anyone. Cottage parents, teachers, and counselors help you make good choices. I am thankful for my cottage parents helping me with my ups and downs and through tough situations.

My school notes are improving and I am in class learning every day. My class behavior has improved, and so have my grades. I want to get back on track and take advantage of the opportunities I have been given.

I have apologized to my Mom for giving her a hard time. She worked 11 hours a day just to feed, cloth, and shelter me. She works too hard for me to treat her bad. I am sorry, Mom, I love you. I am blessed to have a chance to change my life. By coming to the Florida Sheriffs Boys Ranch, my family and I have a chance to turn my ways around. I wish many other boys could have this chance.

Ugo U. discusses the unique opportunities she has had at Girard College and the positive influence of her peers and staff:

Being in a residential education program has given me the support system that one can only dream of having during elementary, middle, and high school. As I grew up in the tight-knit community of Girard College, the connections I made with the faculty and alumni became unbreakable. If I asked for something, full attention and support was paid. This summer, I had the amazing opportunity to spend eight weeks at Harvard University taking classes and experiencing college life.

In a way, my peers have become my extended family. They are always there when I need them. They have seen me grow and go through the most personal trials and tribulations. Consequently, they have become the strong boulder I need when I am unable to hold myself up. I do not think the same kind of relationships can be formed at a non-residential school.

Being at Girard helped me develop a sense of independence. Now, when I am about to head out to college, I am not afraid of being away from home. I have already acquired the skills necessary to successfully enter the real world.

The time of my life when I entered Girard College has always been a bittersweet memory. It was bitter because I had just lost my parents and was about to leave my friends as well. I did not see it then, but it was also sweet. It was sweet because it set me up to be prepared for the world and gave me an infallible support system as I enter the real world. Entrance to my boarding school was the greatest thing that happened to me.

Danielle M. of Milton Hershey School writes:

I am confident when I say I would not be the person I am today without the experiences I have within residential education. I almost wish I would have come sooner. I’m so thankful not only because of what it has done for me but for what it will do for others.

I’ve met people that have helped me make it through the hard times and have ultimately given me the courage to make it through this challenging life. I’ve learned so much about diversity, youth, and about the struggles that people face day in and day out. Residential education has made me more responsible and mature. It has developed me into a role model for my younger peers and it has established me with the qualities I need to be successful in life.

A lot of people believe that residential education is a horrible idea and that it only causes problems. But that clearly is not true, I am a witness. It builds each individual and prepares them for society. It gives those students around the world the chance to succeed in life, and make a promising life for themselves and their future families.

Responding to the alumni essay contest question “How has your residential education experience impacted your life?” Marcus Wright, Girard College alumnus, writes:

Without Girard, I do not think I would understand the beauty of camaraderie; how the peer you don’t know or may not share many traits with would soon feel like a brother or sister to you. How the man or woman years older than you that you never met before could feel like a mother or father, and would be there for you just like one. Without Girard, I would not know the greatness of community, and the importance of giving your time and your energy to others. The education I received at Girard was not just about math and science. It was about the importance of the person next to you, and the sacrifices of the person watching over you. It taught me to appreciate so much in myself, in people, and in life.

I did not know what Girard College had in store for me. But from the second I met my residential advisor, it all fell into place. I was going to grow. I was going to mature, and I was going to become something special because of Girard. I could feel it then, and I have felt it ever since.

CORE received dozens of compelling submissions from students and alumni, and thanks everyone who shared their thoughts and personal stories.