MAY 2014
NEWSLETTER
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A CELEBRATION IN BLOOM
UrbanFUTURE's D'Aundre Fitzpatrick with
Lt. Comdr. John Hiltz, USN

May marks the end of the 2013-2014 school year, and what a year it's been! UrbanFUTURE students continue to learn, grow and explore their way towards careers in tomorrow's workforce. Our staff is working tirelessly to prepare for next week's annual Awards Banquets, where we celebrate the incredible achievements of our urban students. We have so much to commemorate, and so much to be thankful for this year!
 
UrbanFUTURE had the distinct honor of hosting the U.S. Navy Blue Angels for "A Night Under the Stars" on May 3rd at the Saint Louis Science Center Planetarium, while the squadron were in town for the Spirit of Saint Louis Air Show and STEM Expo. After participating in the STEM expo on Friday, UrbanFUTURE students ate dinner and took in a star show at the Science Center, and then had the chance to meet with and speak to not only the pilots, but the entire Blue Angels team! It was a fantastic night and a testament to the power of hard work and determination. Check out a gallery of images from the night, and thank you to Marcone Supply for your generous sponsorship of this fabulous evening.
 
The Cardinal's Trevor Rosenthal chats with UF students
 
Back on April 29th, UrbanFUTURE students got a special treat when they went on a trip to a St. Louis Cardinals game. Pitcher Trevor Rosenthal met UF kids in the dugout before the game, where he chatted with us about his career as a professional athlete, signed autographs and posed for pictures. Talk about being starstruck! A big thanks to the Cardinals for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity which put smiles on all our faces - including Trevor's!
 
As I mentioned last month, we are partnering with Ranken Technical College to formulate a group of current UrbanFUTURE high school sophomores and juniors to join our SuperMileage Challenge Team! It is an exciting opportunity for high schoolers to earn college credit and college scholarships this coming school year. For more info or to sign up contact [email protected].

  

Lastly, on June 9th, we are sending 35 UrbanFUTURE students on an educational adventure to Washington, DC! We are about $1,600 away from our fundraising goal, which would allow us to take all eligible students on the trip. Please consider taking a moment to visit our fundraising page, and donate what you can to make this dream a reality. Deepest thanks for your continued support of and interest in UrbanFUTURE. With your help, we will continue on our mission to empower, educate and enliven our urban youth, and lead them on a path to a career in tomorrow's workforce.


Sincerely,
  
Frank Van Bree
 
President/CEO
UrbanFUTURE

   Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist, Dr. Andrea Park 
FANNING MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS

MAP testing wrapped up at the end of April and students could breathe a sign of relief! But there is not much downtime at UrbanFUTURE, as we schedule as many enriching classes, field trips and learning experiences as we can before the end of the semester. Currently, students in our graphic design class are working on an UrbanFUTURE yearbook, others are participating in fashion design workshops, and our DC class is finishing research papers for their upcoming presentation in preparation for the Washington DC trip on June 9th!
 

Speaking of Washington DC, UrbanFUTURE students and staff held a bake sale to raise funds for the 35 kids who have earned spots on the trip. We are only $1640 away from our goal of bringing all of our eligible students to DC! The trip is less than a month away, so please visit our fundraising page and give what you can to send our UrbanFUTURE star students on the trip of a lifetime.

Our May Explore! Careers speakers included Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor Andrea Park, who has visited us multiple times to speak about her profession. She is a doctor at Barnes Jewish Hospital, and had UrbanFUTURE students experiment with their taste buds and the relation of taste to smell. She also brought special dye to locate the taste buds, and determine their sensitivity. Our students love every visit from Dr. Park; they always learn something new!

**FANNING SUCCESS STORY**
UrbanFUTURE Step Team instructor, Mr. Marlon Wharton & team

One of our star enrichment class this year has to be the UrbanFUTURE step team, led by Mr. Marlon Wharton from St. Louis' Gentlemen of Vision (GOV).  He has been coaching our team all school year, and has invited the UF team, whom he calls "GOV's little sisters" to open for the GOV step team for their May performance. Mr. Wharton aims to improve each students' self confidence and character, and does so through individual talks with each student and by acting as a positive role model. Thank you Mr. Wharton, for your priceless contribution to UrbanFUTURE!

 
If you would like more information about teaching an enrichment class or volunteering as a career speaker, contact Jennifer Davies at [email protected].

BUSCH MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS
UF students are rewarded with a Sky Zone field trip

Wrapping up our first year of programming at Busch, we are proud of the progress our students have made in this short period of time!
We continue to grow our partnerships with local businesses who are invested in the community and share our passion for empowering St. Louis youth. 
 
One such company is Weekends Only, who continues to provide support through career development and counseling. On April 4th, the human resources department of Weekends Only hosted UrbanFUTURE students for an interview simulation event! Students prepared in advance by brushing up on answering interview questions and proper etiquette, and then were interviewed by Weekends Only employees and given feedback for their responses. It was a marvelous success, and our students reported feeling more prepared for real interviews in the future. Thanks again to Weekends Only for your career guidance!
The UrbanFUTURE mural is complete!
 
Students who diligently prepared and excelled at the interview event were rewarded with a field trip on April 25th to Sky Zone, a giant indoor trampoline park. In addition to jumping around like crazy, they also learned about the physics behind it - we never miss a learning opportunity here at UrbanFUTURE!
 
 
Back in the February Newsletter, we mentioned that students in the painting enrichment class were creating a mural for the UrbanFUTURE classroom at Busch Middle School. The mural features the themes of character, respect, determination and self-control and includes a bobcat (the mascot of Busch Middle) and two children. For some students, this was their first time painting, and they did a spectacular job!  Thanks again to fantastic teacher James Lochhead, for giving your time to teach our students the art of mural painting.
 
 
 
**BUSCH SUCCESS STORY**
Derica Reese is a 6th grader at Busch, is an all-around fantastic student and young adult! Her consistently positive attitude as well as her kind and thoughtful spirit make her an encouraging role model for her peers. She has a 3.91 grade point average and utilizes every pillar of UrbanFUTURE! 
 
Derica's relationship with her mentor, Rachael Dufek, has blossomed over the year and she has gained self-confidence through that interaction. Rachael communicates regularly with her parents, whom have become increasingly engaged and invested in UrbanFUTURE as the year has progressed. Her parents participate in open houses, support field trips, attended the Night Under the Stars with the Blue Angels and are in frequent contact with UF staff to support her. 
 
Derica enjoys and excels in a variety of UrbanFUTURE enrichment classes including knitting, cooking, photography, art and newspaper. She loves science and math and plans to become a doctor. Derica is an extraordinary role model, and her motivation to succeed inspires us all!
 
If you would like more information about mentoring or tutoring a student, contact Jennifer Davies at [email protected].


UrbanFUTURE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Meet Adrianna Adams

Sixth-grader Adrianna Adams participates in every aspect of UrbanFUTURE programming! She is an active member of the fashion design, singing, step, double-dutch and crafting enrichment classes.  A true superstar, her natural creative, vocal and athletic talents shine through in all she does!

Adrianna's mentor, Linda Kohne, is helping to instill a sense of confidence in her as well as maintaining her good grades and positive attitude through struggles of any kind, and keeps in close touch with her family. This past Saturday, Linda accompanied Adrianna to the St. Louis Zoo, where they bonded and rode the zoo train as they learned about animals and habitats.

Adrianna will be attending Ranken's Summer Adventure Academy this July, and will continue to foster her creative abilities. Go Adrianna!


UPCOMING EVENTS

Awards Banquets
It is the time of year again where we gather to enjoy a meal, student performances and celebrate UrbanFUTURE students' accomplishments! All students, families, mentors, volunteers and donors are welcome to join us at 5:00pm on May 20th at Fanning Middle School, and at 5:00pm on May 21st at Busch Middle School. RSVP to Siinya at 314-480-3727 or [email protected] by May16th.

Washington DC Trip
There is less than a month until we leave for Washington DC! Our trip last year was the highlight of our students' summer. We visited countless museums and monuments, which was a fabulous opportunity for our students to learn and grow. Many kids had never left St. Louis before, and were thrilled to see a new part of the country. We are returning again to DC in June, with 35 UrbanFUTURE studentsPlease consider donating to the 2014 trip on our fundraising page HERE


UrbanFUTURE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM NEWS

Sign up for the SuperMileage Challenge
We are seeking bright and motivated students to join our team for the Missouri SuperMileage Challenge! Our team, in partnership with Ranken Technical Collegewill compete in designing and building a safe vehicle that can achieve the highest fuel mileage possible. Our team will assemble this summer to begin work on a vehicle for the competition in Spring 2015. You must be a rising 11th or 12th grader (current 10th and 11th grader) to be on the team. Contact us at [email protected] or 314-480-3727 to sign up.
 
Join the UrbanFUTURE Robotics Team
Join one of our four Robotics Teams, sponsored in part by Ranken Technical College! If you are interested in computer programming, engineering, technology and science contact us at [email protected] or 314-480-3727 and get involved today. 
 
UrbanFUTURE High School Website
Visit www.urbanfuturehighschool.org for up to date information on all the happenings in our High School Program. Also follow us on Facebook and stay connected!
 

Become a mentor and change a life!
COME TOGETHER

Be a Career Connector!
Our middle schools invite you to come and speak to our students about your career in the upcoming school year. Discuss your career path, educational history and how you chose your profession. Exposing our students to a variety of careers gives them a broad perspective on what tomorrow's workforce holds for them. A one-time commitment of an hour is all it takes! Contact Jennifer Davies at [email protected] to schedule a time to share your story with an eager audience.
 
Mentor a Student
We are in need of mentors to sign up to be matched with a student at either Fanning or Busch Middle Schools. Students with mentors are stronger academically and get a boost in self confidence. Watch our video and contact Jennifer Davies at [email protected] to start mentoring a student of your own.

Call for Donations 
We rely heavily on donations of time, money and supplies from our enormously generous sponsors, supporters and volunteers. Specifically, our schools are in need of rechargeable AA batteries for our photography class, cutting boards for our cooking class, drum equipment for our drum line, and any art supplies for our art classes. Call 314-776-3434 for more info or stop by our office at 2823 Olive Street with any donations. Your help is truly appreciated! As always, you can make a monetary tax deductible donation via our secure website at any time.
 
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UrbanFUTURE
2823 Olive Street
St. Louis, MO 63103
314.776.3434