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Read the latest from the merged Change Inc. & GAP School

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"WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER"

The theme we chose for the 2019-2020 school year is “We Are All In This Together” and, over the course of the year thus far, truer words were never spoken! Whether reflecting on world, national, or local events, the idea that we are all connected and what we do impacts others is profound. As we head into the spring of the year, having survived the days of darkness, cold and snow/ice, we look forward to opportunities to refresh and renew our commitment to the Change Inc. mission: to utilize the power of relationships and community to create educational, training and healing opportunities for children, youth, young adults, and families so that they can achieve their highest ambition.

This issue of the Change Inc. newsletter features a piece on Gilbert de la O, Board Member, a spotlight on a key program – Welcome & Keep, and an uplifting letter from a GAP alumnus All three articles have one of our key values at the heart: Relationships are the key to Change! I hope you find encouragement in this newsletter to continue to build community wherever you are. Thanks in advance for your support.

Sincerely,
Jody Nelson, Ed.D., LMFT
Executive Director
WELCOME & KEEP:
Leading with compassion

There are three main points in a child’s education that are pivotal in ensuring their engagement and success in school: 1st grade, 3rd grade and 9th grade. In first grade, students become attached to their school and teachers, as well as begin to enjoy school; in third grade, students transition from learning to read to reading to learn; and in ninth grade students make the transition to high school – those students who pass at least 5 of their classes in 9th grade, are predicted to graduate from high school. If students miss any of these engagement points, their likelihood of school success diminishes, and they are at risk of being left behind by the system.

Change Inc.’s Welcome & Keep program aims to work with students through each of these key connection points to keep kids “in school”, “in class”, and “involved” so they thrive and grow to their full potential. Students identified by the school as being at high-risk for school failure are provided 1:1 mentoring, skill building groups, conflict mediation, and out-of-school-time activities. Welcome & Keep staff work to increase school engagement for participants and to promote positive relationships with participants and their teachers. Additionally, Welcome & Keep staff support parents to become engaged with the school and to enhance their relationship with their child’s teacher(s.)

Welcome & Keep was initiated at Edison High School in 2014 when the then Assistant Principal, Jon Peterson, asked Change Inc. to develop a program to address the needs of students who were being administratively transferred to Edison due to behavioral issues at past schools as well and for students who were at-risk of being administratively transferred out of Edison. The program name represents the goal of the program to “welcome” kids who are transferred into the school and to “keep” kids in their current school rather than transferring them out.

Continue reading in our full newsletter... (https://www.gapschool.org/news-and-events)

Help Support Programs like Welcome & Keep (https://www.gapschool.org/donate.html)
Corey & Steve
Steve clearly remembers the day he met Corey in the early 1980’s. Recently hired as a gang outreach specialist for Park Avenue United Methodist Church, Steve was walking around outside one day. “I saw a kid crying and asked him what was wrong. He said another kid had stolen his bike.” Walking around to the back of the church’s basketball courts, Steve saw a group of kids, one of whom was on a bike. That kid was 14-year-old Corey Byrd.Corey had gotten involved with a local gang and had been leading a group of young men in stealing bikes from outer-community kids that came to the church’s community center. Steve asked Corey if he had stolen the bike and told him he needed to give it back, “He looked at me like I was crazy.” ...
Continue reading (https://www.gapschool.org/news-and-events)
Student Spotlight: Suliya
My name is Suliya Thao and I am Hmong. I was a student at GAP, and I graduated in 2016-2017. I was born in a quiet village in Laos, which I believe is the most amazing place in the world. After living in Laos for 18 years of my life, my family and I decided to move to the United States in search for greater opportunities.

What I liked most about GAP School is that it was an amazing place where I learned English. We have wonderful teachers in GAP School. These teachers were always able to motivate me to attend school. After I graduated GAP...
Continue reading (https://www.gapschool.org/news-and-events)

Support Change Inc. and GAP School 

https://www.gapschool.org/


** Today's the Day!
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https://www.givemn.org/organiz.../Changeinc-Gapschool


** Support Change Inc. today!
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Give to the Max Day (GTMD) is the biggest giving day in Minnesota! Last year, over 400,000 individuals came together to raise over $21 million for Minnesota-based nonprofits and schools.

This year has been a huge time of transition for Change Inc. and Guadalupe Alternative Programs. The newly merged Change Inc. is excited to advance the programs that serve children and families challenged by transition, poverty and racism and build community and human capital to best serve the Twin Cities into the future.

Help us celebrate the new Change Inc. by donating what you can for GTMD. Every little bit helps!
DONATE (https://www.givemn.org/organiz.../Changeinc-Gapschool)

Change is Good
GAP Merges with Change Inc.

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https://mailchi.mp/f5037910c9c...nge-inc?e=c0fea78013
https://www.gapschool.org/


** Fall 2019
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** Change is Good
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** GAP Merges with Change Inc.
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Guadalupe Alternative Programs (GAP) is excited to announce that on June 28th, we officially merged with our longstanding partner, Change Inc., a community-based provider of mental health services across the Twin Cities. As result of this merger, we have retained the name Change Inc. As the new Change Inc., we will work towards a combined future based on the shared belief that relationships are the key to change.

Under the umbrella of Change Inc., GAP School will retain its name, along with much of the organization’s St. Paul-based activities. The GAP School and the Community School Collaborative, our two core programs, will continue empowering communities challenged by transition and poverty through education and enrichment opportunities, social and emotional support, and training that leads to employment.

Thank you for your continued support as we make this transition to the new Change Inc.! If you would like further information regarding the merger agreement, please don’t hesitate to reach out (mailto:info@gapschool.org) .
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GAP School welcomes a new year
This fall, GAP School welcomed 139 students back into its halls. Some are familiar faces while others are excited to start their journey with us. GAP’s Young Adult Learning and Earning (YALE) program began with one week of orientation. During this week, the 107 YALE students explored GAP's career pathways and then chose whether to pursue the construction, IT or healthcare pathway. MIT (Make It Today), GAP’s alternative high school, welcomed 32 students to the 2019-20 school year. Thanks to new funding through a state grant, MIT students now take part in College and Career Readiness (CCR). In addition to regular course instruction, students will receive a full range of services to aid in student transition to college, technical training, and careers. CCR services have long been a part of YALE curriculum, and we are thrilled to be able to offer these services to the younger generations of GAP.
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CSC celebrates its accomplishments
For the past 26 years, Change Inc. has been on the forefront of school-based mental health through our Community School Collaborative (CSC). Through CSC, our staff is able to increase overall access to mental health, enhance early prevention, remove mental and emotional barriers to school success, and reduce the stigma of accessing mental health services. In the 2018-19 school year, CSC achieved the following outcomes:
* Served 719 children/youth and their families
* 98% of these clients remained in the same placement or moved to a less restrictive placement
* Staff provided 8,805 individual sessions and 1,251 family sessions
* 92.5% of clients and parents reported satisfaction with school-based mental health services

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** Upcoming Events:
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11/14 | Give to the Max Day
Show your support of Change Inc. on Give to the Max Day. Donate here! (https://www.givemn.org/organiz.../Changeinc-Gapschool)

12/11 | Ethics Training
Inter-professional Cooperation with the Legal Community. More information and registration available here (https://www.gapschool.org/inte...legal-community.html) .

Please remove me from the list to receive emails. The amount of emails I
receive from you is traumatizing!

Jody Nelson, Ed.D., LMFT
Associate Director
Guadalupe Alternative Programs
381 E. Robie Street
St. Paul, MN 55107
612.581.9811 cell
651.290.2701 fax
http://www.gapschool.org


On Fri, Sep 9, 2016 at 8:13 PM, ACEsConnection <
communitymanager@acesconnection.com> wrote: