Ayuda Inc

TO HELP IMPROVE THE LIVES OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WHO ARE UNDERSERVED AND/OR AT RISK IN MIAMIDADE COUNTY THROUGH EDUCATION, LIFE SKILLS TRAINING AND PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT SELFSUFFICIENCY.

IN 2020 AYUDA FACED A CHALLENGING YEAR WITH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC SHUTDOWN. THE TEACHERS, COUNSELORS, ADMINISTRATION STAFF, STUDENTS AND PARENTS WERE UNDERSTANDING AND PATIENT AS WE ALL NAVIGATED THE NEW NORMS TOGETHER. WE HAD AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENTS WITHIN OUR PROGRAMS AND WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION. IN 2021, AFTER THE PANDEMIC ALLOWED US TO GO BACK TO IN- PERSON SERVICES, ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS, YOUTH EMPOWERMENT, YEN; YOUTH AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM, YAS; MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING IN PUBLIC SCHOOL (ZOOM ONLY); HERE FOR YOU ELDERS PROGRAM; AND HAPPY KIDS PRIVATE SCHOOL STEP UP PROGRAM STARTED AS BEFORE. TEENS ARE LIFELONG LEARNERS (TALL) - (YEN PROGRAM) AYUDA, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CHILDREN'S TRUST, SCOTT RAKOW YOUTH CENTER, NORMANDY ISLE PARK AND POOL, HAS DEVELOPED A PROGRAM CALLED TEENS ARE LIFELONG LEARNERS (TALL), THIS PROGRAM IS AIMED AT YOUTH FROM GRADES 6TH THROUGH 11TH SEEKING TO EMPOWER AND EDUCATE THEM WITH LIFE SKILLS TRAININGS. COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THIS OPPORTUNITY. TALL PROGRAM IS A YOUTH ENRICHMENT PROGRAM SERVING AT RISK MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL AGED YOUTH, INCLUDING YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES. THE GOAL OF T.A.L.L. IS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF ITS PARTICIPANTS THROUGH LIFE/SOCIAL SKILLS TRAINING, ACADEMIC SUPPORT, SERVICE LEARNING, JOB TRAINING, ART (DANCE) AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT SO THAT THE YOUTH OF MIAMI BEACH MAY LEAD SUCCESSFUL SELF-SUFFICIENT LIVES IN THE FUTURE. T.A.L.L. USES THE "POSITIVE ACTION" CURRICULUM, AN EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAM THAT GUIDES YOUTHS INTO MAKING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THOUGHTS, ACTIONS, AILS FEELINGS THROUGH DYNAMIC AND INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES THAT ENCOURAGE THEM TO USE CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS. THIS PROGRAM CONSISTS OF SOCIAL- EMOTIONAL LEARNING, ACADEMIC SUPPORT, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, JOB TRAINING, ART (DANCE) AND AILS. THE SCHOOL YEAR PROGRAM RUNS ON MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS FROM 2:30-4:30 PM IN SCOTT RAKOW YOUTH CENTER FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS FROM 3:30-5:30PM FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH IN NORMANDY ISLE POOL AND PARK AS WELL AS SCOTT RAKOW YOUTH CENTER. 90 YOUTH IMPACTED IN 2021 AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS (TOTAL 270 CLIENTS), AT LEAST 20% WITH DISABILITIES. AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND SUMMER CAMPS (YAS PROGRAM) THE AYUDA AND SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM PARTNERS WITH STARS LEARNING CENTER TO PROVIDE AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER CAMP WITH FLAMINGO PARK TO PROVIDE SUMMER PROGRAMMING. THE PROGRAM FOCUSES ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE FOR ALL CHILDREN INCLUDING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES. PRIMARY PROGRAM FOCUSES INCLUDE GROUP LITERACY AND TUTORING, WITH ADDITIONAL ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES IN THE AREAS OF STEM, SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING (PEACE PROGRAM), AND PHYSICAL FITNESS, (SPARK, DANCE). THE PROGRAM ENGAGES CHILDREN MONDAY- FRIDAY FROM 2 TO 6PM DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, INCLUDING DAYS WHEN SCHOOL IS CLOSED, AND DURING THE SUMMER MONDAY-FRIDAY FROM 9AM-5PM.THE ENTIRETY OF THE PROGRAM IS INCLUSIVE OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, STAFF IS SENSITIVE TO THEIR NEEDS AND WILL GIVE THEM ONE-ON-ONE ATTENTION THROUGH ACTIVITY AS NEEDED. REFERRALS TO COMMUNITY AGENCIES AND OTHER PROGRAMS WILL BE MADE AS NEEDED. CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS WILL BE PRIMARY IN OUR PROGRAM. ALIGNMENT WITH THE DIVERSE CULTURES OD PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS WILL BE EVIDENT VIA MAPS, BOOKS, WORLD POSTERS, MULTICULTURAL ARTS AND CRAFTS, FOODS, DRESS, HISTORY, AND DIVERSITY OF LANGUAGE. 45 CHILDREN IMPACTED IN 2021, AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM AND 75 CHILDREN IMPACTED IN SUMMER, MORE THAN 10% WITH DISABILITIES. HERE FOR YOU ELDERLY ADVOCACY AND SUPPORT PROGRAM THIS ELDERLY SERVICES PROGRAM PROVIDES SOCIAL SERVICES TO ADULTS 60 AND OLDER. THE GOALS OF THE PROGRAM IARE TO ASSIST ELDERS IN MAINTAINING THEIR INDEPENDENCE IN THEIR COMMUNITY; IMPROVE THEIR NUTRITIONAL STATUS; ENHANCE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE; PROVIDE THEM WITH SUPPORT AND SECURITY, AND TO PROVIDE THEIR CAREGIVERS WITH ASSISTENCE AND RELIEF SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE CARE. 20 ELDERS IMPACTED IN 2021 AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS. MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING FUNDED BY MIAMI DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THIS PROGRAM IS AIMED TO SUPPORT THE DISTRICTS MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANT PLAN. M-DCPS IS THE NATIONS 4TH LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH OVER 345,000 STUDENTS. AYUDA HAS BEEN CONTRACTED TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT, MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING AND CASE MANAGEMENT TO THEIR STUDENTS IN NEED. A TOTAL OF 12 MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WERE HIRED THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR (AUGUST 2021-DECEMBER 2021). WE RECEIVED 175 REFERRALS. WE PROVIDED 530 SCREENERS/ASSESSMENTS, 1085 INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS AND 75 GROUP SESSIONS. HAPPY KID PRIVATE SCHOOL (STEP-UP PROGRAM) THE STEP-UP SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR GRADES K-5 IS A PARENT CHOICE STATE FUNDED PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES. IN 2021 WE HELD A LEARNING POD FOR A SMALL GROUP OF 8 CHILDREN THAT NEEDED TO BE HOME SCHOOLED, CHILDREN THAT HAD BECOME DELAYED DUE TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHUT DOWN. DURING THE YEAR BECAUSE OF THE INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION AND TUTORING, THE CHILDREN MADE ENORMOUS GAINS. WE CELEBRATED THE STUDENTS ACHIEVEMENTS, THEIR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS AND OUR 100% COMMITMENT TO QUALITY AND EXCELLENCE IN SCHOOL AS WELL AS COMMUNITY. IN MAY OF 2021 WE RE-ENROLLED THE CHILDREN FOR THE NEXT SCHOOLYEAR AND WE INFORMED PARENTS THAT THEIR CHILDREN WOULD BE READY TO JOIN REGULAR CLASSROOMS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL AUGUST OF 2022.