Community Engagement And Opportunity Council

OUR MISSION IS TO REVITALIZE THE COMMUNITIES OF AMERICA THROUGH SPORTS, MENTORSHIP, AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.

THE BRIDGEBUILDERS LITERACY LAB BONTON SOUTH DALLAS TEXAS THE LITERACY LAB IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BRIDGEBUILDERS, WE DESIGNED AN INSPIRATIONAL SPACE TO TACKLE POVERTY AT THE ROOT LEVEL - CHILDHOOD ILLITERACY. WE BUILT AN INDOOR TREEHOUSE AND BOOKSHELVES, INSTALLED FRESH CARPET, BOUGHT NEW BOOKS, AND PROVIDED NEW IPADS TO SERVE STUDENTS IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 5TH GRADE. STATISTICS: - BY THREE YEARS OF AGE, CHILDREN IN POOR FAMILIES WILL HEAR 30 MILLION LESS WORDS THAN CHILDREN IN AFFLUENT FAMILIES (FERNALD, MARCHMAN, & WEISLEDER 2013). - ONLY 18% OF BLACK 4TH GRADERS SCORED PROFICIENT OR ABOVE IN READING (FORBES, HOW READING INSTRUCTION FAILS BLACK AND BROWN CHILDREN 2020). STRUCTURE: - STUDENTS ENROLLED SPEND AROUND 20 MINUTES A DAY LEARNING THROUGH LEXIA WITH READING TIMES DISPERSED THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. THE LITERACY LAB IS THE HIGHEST REQUESTED ACTIVITY AND ROOM WITHIN THE PROGRAMMING. RESULTS: - 39 OUT OF OUR 59 STUDENTS (67%) ARE EXPECTED TO MEET THE END-OF-YEAR, GRADE-LEVEL BENCHMARK ON LEXIA SOFTWARE. FUTURE: - IN Q3 AND Q4, OUR PARTNERS AT BRIDGEBUILDERS WILL ADD AN ADDITIONAL 25 TO 30 STUDENTS TO THE LITERACY LAB PROGRAM EXPANDING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE IMPACT WITHIN THE BONTON COMMUNITY. CELEBRATING IMPROVED LITERACY IN BONTON BONTON FALL FESTIVAL (NOV 2021) - WE BROUGHT THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE THE LITERACY LAB'S GRAND OPENING IN ADDITION TO THE OPENING, WE HOSTED A COMMUNITY FESTIVAL WITH FOOD, FELLOWSHIP AND FUN FOR ALL AGES. BONTON BACK TO SCHOOL BLOCK PARTY PLANNED FOR AUGUST 2022 - STUDENTS IN BONTON WILL RECEIVE SCHOOL SUPPLIES, BACKPACKS, HAIRCUTS, AND MORE TO PROPERLY PREPARE THEM THE 2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR. THOSE IN THE BRIDGEBUILDERS PROGRAM WILL ALSO RECEIVE SCHOOL UNIFORMS. ADDITIONALLY,WE WILL SERVE BURGERS AND HOT DOGS FOR ALL RESIDENTS, AND PROVIDE IMPRESSIVE RAFFLE PRIZES, BOUNCE HOUSES, BINGO, FACE PAINTING, AND MORE TO CELEBRATE ALL THE GREAT THINGS HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY CURRENT + FUTURE LITERACY INITIATIVES CEOC LEARNING LABS - WE TOOK ON THE IMMENSE TASK OF CREATING OUR OWN AFTER-SCHOOL LITERACY PROGRAM - CEOC LEARNING LABS - IN EFFORTS TO SCALE QUICKLY AND ATTACK THE CHILDHOOD ILLITERACY ISSUE ACROSS THE NATION. - OUR PROGRAM WILL BEGIN WITH A FOCUS ON IMPROVING LITERACY, WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL TO SUPPORT AND ENHANCE COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION THROUGH A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS THAT INCLUDES MATH, SCIENCE, HISTORY, AND GEOGRAPHY. - THE URGENCY TO CREATE OUR OWN PROGRAM CAME FROM AN IMMEDIATE NEED TO IMPROVE CHILDHOOD LITERACY IN A RURAL COMMUNITY HIDDEN ASIDE SOME OF OUR WEALTHIEST NORTH TEXAS NEIGHBORHOODS. WE CELEBRATED THE COMPLETION OF OUR FIRST CEOC LEARNING LAB WITH A RIBBON CUTTING AT NEW LIFE COMMUNITY CHURCH IN FRISCO, TX ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2022. THE PROGRAM IS EXPECTED TO LAUNCH AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 2023 SCHOOL YEAR. EXPANDING THE BRIDGEBUILDERS LITERACY LAB IN BONTON - IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BRIDGEBUILDERS WE HAVE THE CURRICULUM AND SUSTAINABLE PRE-K STUDENT PIPELINE TO ACHIEVE THIS INITIATIVE THROUGH OUR LITERACY PROGRAM. - OUR LITERACY LAB IN BONTON IS CURRENTLY LIMITED TO SERVING A SMALL GROUP OF STUDENTS DUE TO THE SIZE OF THE SPACE. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WE WILL EXPAND OUR CURRENT LITERACY LAB TO INCLUDE THE KINDERGARTEN READINESS INITIATIVE.

SOUTH DALLAS DRIVING ACADEMY BONTON SOUTH DALLAS TEXAS SOUTH DALLAS DRIVING ACADEMY (SDDA) STATISTICS: - 39% OF BLACK PEOPLE AND 29% OF LATINOS WHO MAKE UNDER 25,000 DO NOT HAVE A DRIVER LICENSE - 40% OF AMERICANS HAVE LESS THAN 300 IN SAVINGS (GO BANKING RATES) - ONLY 35% OF THE BONTON COMMUNITY HAS ACCESS TO STABLE TRANSPORTATION - IT TAKES ABOUT A 2-HOUR ROUND TRIP TO GET TO THE NEAREST GROCERY STORE VIA PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ANNUAL OPERATIONS: - THE ACADEMY WILL COST APPROXIMATELY 135,000 TO OPERATE EACH YEAR: 60,000 TO EMPLOY A DIRECTOR 40,000 TO EMPLOY AN ASSOCIATE 20,000 ATTRIBUTED TO CAR MAINTENANCE, GAS, AND SUPPLIES 15,000 TO INSURE THE STUDENTS AND VEHICLES FUNDING EFFORTS: - SDDA IS APPLYING FOR THE ABA GRANT ALONGSIDE THE TRUCKING CARES FOUNDATION - THE ACADEMY IS CONSIDERING ADDITIONAL REVENUE-GENERATING MODELS - ONE EXAMPLE INCLUDES PARTNER TRUCKING COMPANIES PURCHASING A MEMBERSHIP TO SECURE A SELECT NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN THE PROGRAM WHO ARE EARNING THEIR CDL. THE CDL RECIPIENTS WOULD THEN GO TO WORK FOR THE PARTNER TRUCKING COMPANY RESULTS: - OUR FIRST GROUP HAS COMPLETED THE PROGRAM FIVE YOUNG ADULTS FROM OUR COMMUNITY ARE NOW WORKING IN THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY AND MAKING A MINIMUM OF 40,000/YEAR - TWO TEENAGERS AND ONE ADULT OBTAINED THEIR DRIVERS LICENSE THROUGH SDDA AND THREE MORE TEENS ARE CLOSE TO OBTAINING THEIR LICENSE - 10 ADDITIONAL ADULTS ARE ON THE PATH TO OBTAIN THEIR LICENSE FUTURE SDDA INITIATIVES THE OPPORTUNITIES, RESOURCES, AND ACCESS WE CAN PROVIDE TO LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES ARE ENDLESS. WEVE ALREADY BEGUN ENVISIONING PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES THAT BENEFIT ALL PARTIES INVOLVED. A DAY ON THE JOB - WE WILL DEVELOP AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITHIN OUR PROGRAMS TO EXPERIENCE FIRST-HAND A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THOSE ON THE JOB. - THIS INITIATIVE COULD BE BUILT AS A SINGLE MONTHLY EXPERIENCE OR MONTHLY PROGRAM, WHERE STUDENTS VISIT COMPANIES IN DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES AND ARE EACH TIME PAIRED WITH EMPLOYEES WITH CONTRASTING JOB FUNCTIONS WHERE THEY WILL LEARN WHATS ITS LIKE TO BOTH START AND BUILD A CAREER PROFESSIONALLY. EACH PARTNERSHIP WILL HAVE ITS UNIQUE BENEFITS AND STRUCTURE. CDL JOB OPPORTUNITIES - WE WILL PROVIDE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WORKING ON OBTAINING THEIR CDL THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM WHERE THEY ARE PAIRED WITH A DRIVER-MENTOR AND LEARN ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO DRIVE FOR THE COMPANIES. - UPON COMPLETION OF BOTH THE PROGRAM AND OBTAINING A CDL LICENSE, INDIVIDUALS WILL BE OFFERED A FULL-TIME JOB TO WORK FOR THE PARTNER COMPANY. TRUCKING INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS - WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON PARTNERSHIPS WITH SOME OF THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY'S MOST POWERFUL PLAYERS IN EFFORTS TO FILL THE IMMENSE TRUCK DRIVER GAP. STARTING AT SDDA, WE WILL PROVIDE GRADUATES WITH A DRIVER LICENSE. - FROM THERE, OUR PARTNERS WILL PROVIDE A JOB PIPELINE FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN ENTERING THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY. TOGETHER, WE WILL PROVIDE OUR GRADUATES WITH ALL THE MEANS TO OBTAIN A CDL, AS WELL AS PREPARE THEM TO IMMEDIATELY GO TO WORK FOR ONE OF OUR PARTNERS. - THESE ALLIANCES WILL GREATLY IMPACT THE LIVES OF THOSE IN THE SOUTH DALLAS COMMUNITY WHILE FILLING THE NATIONWIDE TRUCK DRIVER GAP.

REVENUES RECEIVED AND EXPENDITURES INCURRED FROM CEOC'S PRIMARY EXEMPT PURPOSE ACTIVITIES TO HELP SHAPE AND FUND TWO IMPACTFUL PROGRAMS - THE LITERACY LAB AND THE SOUTH DALLAS DRIVING ACADEMY. CEOC PARTNERS WITH BRIDGEBUILDERS, AN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO SERVING THE BONTON COMMUNITY IN SOUTH DALLAS, TEXAS.