A night for all pastors, church deacons and elders, youth ministers, educators, community leaders, and congregants still uncertain about 20/20 Vision for Schools or not sure what to do next in adopting a local school. Come hear Rev. Dr. Tony Evans of the Urban Alternative, a nationally recognized faith leader and President of the National Church Adopt-a-School Initiative, share why public schools are the cutting edge of ministry in our city.

Pastors must RSVP by email for the 5 pm gathering.

The 7 pm gathering is open to all.

More info.

Listen

Front

Back

Find out more. ]]> http://coalitionnyc.com/2008/01/24/2020-vision-for-schools-flyer/feed/ 0 http://coalitionnyc.com/2008/01/15/2020-vision-for-schools-logo-and-website/ http://coalitionnyc.com/2008/01/15/2020-vision-for-schools-logo-and-website/#comments Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:56:06 +0000 coalitionnyc http://coalitionnyc.com/2008/01/15/2020-vision-for-schools-logo-and-website/

The 20/20 Vision website is live. Content and functionality is being refined and added regularly so check it frequently. Here are some key links:

Home
Resources
About

Jeremy Del Rio @ UYWI 2007

RELATED

+ AUDIO: Adopt-a-School: An Idea whose Time has Come – NEW from UYWI 2007
+ BOOK: Playbook: A Campus Ministry Primer for Cities
+ POWERPOINT: Adopt a School: An Idea Whose Time Has Come – NEW from UYWI 2007
+ BLOGPOSTS: Blog posts tagged with Adopt-a-School.
+ TIMELINE: Adopt-a-School Timeline (May 2007)

coordinated this as a tribute to new school opportunity:

Eleven years ago, thirteen young people ages 14-22 overcame the lack of money, space, equipment, and paid staff to establish Generation Xcel, a youth center in Manhattan’s Jacob Riis housing projects. We couldn’t articulate it then, but over time we discovered that our experience reflected certain essential characteristics which we later described as creativity, initiative, resourcefulness, resilience, excellence, and unity. Our mission, also refined later, became empowering young people to achieve their dreams and transform their culture and communities. Then four years ago, 10 teens replicated the model and launched Xpress as a creative arts outlet for their peers.

In the years since that initial summer of 1996, we’ve consistently drawn 75%-80% of our students from PS & MS 34, the public elementary and middle school across Avenue D. Despite repeated attempts to formalize our relationship with the school and even establish a presence on the campus, our efforts pretty much failed beyond the fact that we shared so many students and prayed consistently for the school. Then last year, Jonathan and Dorothy joined the school’s faculty. Then this past spring, the Metro New York Baptist Association awarded us, a non-Baptist ministry, a Paint-the-Town grant. And all summer, volunteers from churches throughout the country have helped beautify the building’s interior.

Then this past week, six artists under the direction of legendary graffiti artist NYC Lase, immortalized everything that Xcel represents in the school’s playground. Three legends including NYC Lase, Duro, and TooFly and three up-and-comers, Ramon Trevino, Lorena Barrezueta, and Kekoa collaborated on four walls and six column surfaces. The lone remaining column surface will be painted by students this fall. Collectively, every wall communicates the mission, values, and opportunities that Xcel empowers kids to realize.

Our prayers for eleven years have included becoming a meaningful presence on campus, one that supports and enhances the staff and students and reinforces their capacity to become who God created them to be. Lase and his crew took the answer to those prayers far beyond our wildest expectations.

Related
+ Adopt-a-School resources
+ Generation Xcel Fact Sheet
+ Volunteer Opportunities ]]> http://coalitionnyc.com/2007/07/26/a-dream-come-true-2/feed/ 1 http://coalitionnyc.com/2007/05/09/timeline-adopt-a-school-generates-traction/ http://coalitionnyc.com/2007/05/09/timeline-adopt-a-school-generates-traction/#comments Wed, 09 May 2007 18:56:35 +0000 coalitionnyc http://coalitionnyc.com/2007/05/09/timeline-adopt-a-school-generates-traction/ [Photo courtesy of Michael Mowery.]

It never ceases to amaze me how the right idea at the right time can inspire action. Sometimes, it takes a while the idea to germinate underground before sprouting. But good seed in good soil with good nurture produces good fruit.

So it’s been with Adopt-a-School.

Timeline

+ Jan 2006 — After contemplating AAS-related thoughts for over a year, the idea was framed for us in New York.

+ Feb 2006 — We wrote about it in a local Christian newspaper. The article was read by, among others, the executive director of the Metro NY Baptist Association who saw possible synergies with MNYBA projects locally and also a number of national initiatives.

+ Spring/Summer 2006 — The article was republished in a national magazine and half a dozen websites and ezines.

+ Summer 2006 — Flushing Seekers clubs organize churches to support student-led prayer for neighborhood schools.

+ Summer 2006 — Abounding Grace youth pastor and missions director are hired as the dean and math teacher of public middle school that feeds most youth into the church.

+ Fall 2006/Winter 2007 — Urban Youth Workers Institute republished the article in the training manual for its Reload tour.

+ Jan 2007 — UrbNet visioning retreat contemplates AAS as a core strategy.

+ March 2007 — MNYBA executive director asks how to leverage existing Paint the Town (PTT) project to launch an interdenominational AAS initiative in NYC.

+ April 2007 — MNYBA awards ten mini-grants to PTT partner churches to pilot PTT/AAS projects this summer, including three non-Baptist churches.

+ April 2007 — MNYBA retains consultant to monitor pilot projects and craft strategic leverage plan to present to national donors.

+ April 2007 — Student Venture NY receives micro grant to invest in branding AAS as a city-wide initiative.

+ April 2007 — Student Venture NY publishes the Playbook: A Campus Ministry Primer for Cities.

+ May 2007 — MNYBA trains PTT churches on Adopt-a-School

+ May 2007 — The Coalition of Urban Youth Workers in NYC receives capacity building grant to invest in AAS

+ May 2007 — UrbNet and Campus Alliance revisit EverySchool campaign and considers church-based AAS strategies

+ May 2007 — Baltimore Area Youth Network introduces AAS to area churches as a core strategy worth pursuing

+ May 2007 — UYWI introduces AAS concept at its national conference.

Much more to come. Hang with us. Stay engaged. Share your AAS ideas and stories here.

Related

+ NY Times profiles Coalition member Seekers: “A Christian Group Finds Its Place in the Public Schools.” This is old (May 2006) but I saw it for the first time today. ]]> http://coalitionnyc.com/2007/05/09/timeline-adopt-a-school-generates-traction/feed/ 0