SSEFs mission is to create opportunities that educate, inspire and prepare Sandy Springs public students for a competitive world

During the year ended June 30, 2019, SSEF impacted these students through the following programs:AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS(i)After School All Stars After School All Stars About 150 students participate in this comprehensive five-day per week two hours per day after school program at Sandy Springs Charter Middle School incorporating academic remediation and enrichment. The program is implemented in collaboration with the Georgia State University Foundation and After-School All-Stars Atlanta. Transportation is provided by the school. 97% percent of the students in the program are economically disadvantaged and do not pay to attend the program. 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 at North Springs This high school program incorporates many of the same elements as its middle school counterpart. Operating three afternoons a week, this North Springs Charter High School 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)Junior Achievement (JA) This program is delivered to students in the ninth and tenth grade at North Springs Charter High School in collaboration with JA and the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce. Over 400 ninth graders students participate in the program which provides valuable financial literacy education. Over 400 tenth graders participate in the Career Success program. The program has a structured curriculum designed to educate students about basic economic and career success topics in a grade level appropriate manner. (iv)SAIL & FINAL HURDLE For the SAIL program, about 45 Riverwood International Charter School seniors are identified by the counselors in January as being on target to graduate, but without post-secondary plans. Trained volunteers present options and assist students with post-secondary applications. SSEF provides funds for application fees as well as SAT/ACT fees for those students needing financial assistance. As part of the program, representatives from local post-secondary institutions visit the school. As a result of the program, 80% of the students were accepted to post-secondary institutions this year. A similar program, FINAL HURDLE is also implemented at North Springs Charter High School. v)Link with a Leader The Link with a Leader Program is designed to challenge students to dream big and strive for excellence. Volunteers mentor students monthly at Ridgeview Charter Middle School, Sandy Springs Charter Middle School and Riverwood International Charter School and North Springs Charter High School. The graduation coaches at all four schools pinpoint students who can benefit from identifying with a successful role model and who are at risk of not succeeding in school or of dropping out. The program reaches over 400 students each year. Evaluation results indicate a positive impact on empowerment and self-esteem for participating students.(vi)Business Bridge The Business Bridge program offers students the opportunity to experience a business environment while still in high school. SSEF works with the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce to engage students in career focused opportunities. SSEF assists with internships, speakers, job shadowing and field trips to provide these opportunities. This program matches business leaders to requests from the schools which can include speaking at career/industry centered events, as well as lending their expertise to a particular classroom unit of study. SSEF also assists members of the local business community in connecting with students through various SSEF Programs such as SAIL/Chosen, Link with a Leader, STEAM Grant After School Clubs, After School All Stars and Junior Achievement. (vii) Cradle to College In partnership with Georgia State University Perimeter Campus, SSEF implemented a program to introduce and expose all of the 5th grade students at Dunwoody Springs Elementary School to a college experience. Students visited the campus, attended classes and listened to presentations from GSU professors. LITERACY(viii)Reading Buddies This program is conducted at Ison Springs Elementary School, Lake Forest Elementary School, Spalding Drive Elementary and Dunwoody Springs Elementary School. In each school, teachers identify students in need of assistance with reading. Once per week volunteers read to a chosen student for 30 minutes during their lunch period. Orientation, support and training are provided for volunteers. Suitable books are purchased by SSEF and kept on a cart for SSEF volunteers to use 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. (ix)Mini-Libraries This program reaches out to at-risk students by providing them with immediate, home-based access to high quality books that they can read and keep. Portable, free-standing, newspaper- type dispensaries are placed in strategic location sites at six of our elementary schools. Books are also available at various locations for students at our two middle schools and two high schools. Books given out through the Mini-Libraries Program are donated by individuals and businesses in our community, collected by volunteers and then sorted and stored at Heards Ferry Elementary until ready for disbursement. These books are nationally recognized as approved reading to ensure that only appropriate books are dispensed. Students are asked to take two books at a time to read at home and can either keep or return them to the bin. The program also includes an evening event with parents in which students are given books to take home with them. This year, Mini Libraries gave out 12,000 books.STEAM INITIATIVES (x)Showcase- The Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Showcase is presented each year to the 11 Sandy Springs public schools. The opening event takes place at North Springs Charter High School where over 1800 high school and middle school students view STEAM focused exhibits geared to inspire students to pursue STEAM careers. In the evening, 800 community, business and civic leaders, as well as other Sandy Springs students, attend the Showcase. SSEF has been twice awarded the Georgia STEM Award for Extracurricular Programs by the Technology Association of Georgia for this program. (xi)Out-Reach - Although the Showcase concludes after one day, STEAM initiatives do not! The Out-Reach program promotes year-long field trips, events and programs in many of the schools to continue to expose students to careers and opportunities in these critical fields.(xii)Grants- From the funds raised from the STEAM Showcase sponsors, SSEF offers STEAM grant opportunities to all 11 Sandy Springs public schools for ongoing after school STEAM clubs, projects or programs. In addition to a critical evaluation aspect, all grantees are expected to present their projects at the following years STEAM Showcase. (xiii)Math Hound Bowl SSEF sponsors an annual math competition event sanctioned by Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS). The 2017 inaugural competition was one of only three MOEMS elementary level tournaments held in Georgia schools this year. The 2019 Hound Bowl held at High Point Elementary School, involved 4th and 5th grade math teams from High Point, Dunwoody Springs, Ison Springs, Spalding Drive, Lake Forest and Woodland Elementary Schools as well as sixth grade teams from Ridgeview Charter Middle School and Sandy Springs Charter Middle School. COMMUNITY COLLABORATIVES(xiv)Teacher Supply Closet In partnership with the Community Assistance Center (CAC), SSEF coordinates school supply drives in the community to stock the SSEF Teachers Closet. Supplies are stored at the CAC. The Sandy Springs public school teachers are able to request supplies for their needy students through the SSEF website. This year, over 1600 students received needed school supplies through this program.