heartprints inc. is a community driven, positive impact 501(c)(3) approved non-profit that improves the lives of youth, families, and our communities by diminishing educational poverty through mentoring, jobs, and outreach to help people live a significant, respectful, and successful life. Copyright © 2007-2011 by heartprints inc.™ . All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Announcement ::Angela Muchmore appointed new Executive Director::


heartprints logo heart hands
                                                                                      DIMINISHING EDUCATIONAL POVERTY
                                                                                                               www.heartprints.org

::Press Release:: Announcement of new Executive Director, heartprints inc. 10.25.12

It is with great pleasure that the 501(c)3 charitable organization, heartprints inc., announces the appointment of Board Member, Chief Operations Officer (COO) and Volunteer, Angela Muchmore, the new Executive Director.

Angela has been leading efforts such as events, volunteer recruitment, PR, social media, outreach, and more around helping heartprints gain traction in positively impacting the lives of youth and families in the Greater Cincinnati Area for a few years now. Her passion to serve, dedication to improving lives, and talent around engaging others, connecting, and leadership will propel heartprints to the next level.





Heartprints is refocusing their efforts from a pivotal approach that focuses on four key areas of 1.) Strategy, 2.) Partnerships, 3.) Volunteerism, and 4) Funding/Development. These form the “four legs” of the table, with the top being the impact to be made around their energy to diminish educational poverty by aligning initiatives that not only improve math, reading and test scores, but leadership, decision making, participation, jobs, and higher education as well to infuse a more holistic approach to improving youth’s lives.

Angela will oversee the development and leadership around Board membership, overall strategy, lesson plans/activities, seasonal events, development, and programs heartprints leads such as Charity Coffee, CincyJobSpace, and the heartprints help guide. Brian Siegel, the Founder and prior Executive Director, will maintain full involvement with heartprints inc., continue to serve as “Chief Giving Officer”, and is focusing on being of value through strategic vision, innovative marketing, and supporting the direction of where Angela and the Board wants to take heartprints.

There is an adjustment from the 5 locations that were served to leading mentoring/tutoring as well as curriculum development via lesson plans/activities at the Westwood Public Libraries, Deer Park Public Libraries, and the YMCA Teen Achievers Program (Gamble-Nippert YMCA). Also we are working on solidifying a  partnership with a Whiz Kids/City Gospel Mission site (church in White Oak to partner on mentoring/tutoring as well as  building a  collaborative curriculum for 6th-8th graders, lesson plans, and experiential learning via activities for game changing/leading direction in our communities).

Attacking through these battles to win the war so to speak is key. We will lead this through our Board, Volunteers, Curriculum/Lesson Plans/Activities, Sites, faith/ministering/love for these youth and the environments/families they’re a part of, building into youth by way of actionable care and time, and infiltrate the hearts and minds of constituents to diminish educational poverty, alleviate juvenile detention/jail time for youth, increase participation/attendance, grades, behavior, confidence, well-being, anti-bullying, awareness, and opportunities.

Angela has volunteered for numerous organizations, held leadership positions at various companies and worked at Huntington Bank, Fifth Third, and US Bank, attends Crossroads Church, is a stellar singer and songwriter as a hobby, has a son Andrew, and thrives in serving the community, her friends, and family. Angela has already begun the process of fueling a game changing strategy for heartprints, and we look forward to discovering the results that arrive from her passionate servant leadership style.

Congratulations Angela!

For more information on heartprints, how you can get involved and support this amazing cause, email hello@heartprints.org, or visit www.facebook.com/heartprintsinc or www.heartprints.org

“We’re as great as we help others become!”






Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Intervention Now | Improved Lives Later



"Johns Hopkins researcher Dr. Robert Balfanz has uncovered a series of indicators that he says can predict how likely a student is to drop out of high school: attendance, behavior and course performance, which he describes as the “ABCs.” "


Middle School Moments, as shared FRONTLINE
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/education/dropout-nation/middle-school-moment//

Ex. "In high-poverty schools, if a sixth grade child attends less than 80 percent of the time, receives an unsatisfactory behavior grade in a core course, or fails math or English, there is a 75 percent chance that they will later drop out of high school — absent effective intervention."


This is a stat, like many the education system learns, puts on a flyer, uses to leverage support around funding or volunteering. Sure, we see them, hear them, and understand there should be action post learning them. It makes sense that if you don't attend school consistently, your grades falter, and you are at a school with a high poverty rate - the youth there are at greater risk of dropping out, negative behavior, lower test scores, and the like.


This bolsters why our non-profit focuses on helping 6th-8th grade and High School students. The reason we focus on intervening during the 6th-8th grade years is due to the amount of decisions made around school, patterns, habits, friends, and other choices that dictate these pivotal times in youth's lives (prior to venturing into High School). Our lives are shaped and molded since entering the world of course, studies conducted around how the mind is most impacted between 0-2, then highly influenced during these middle school years - into adulthood.

Our approach with heartprints is to not only help improve math and reading scores - as well as improved achievement test results, but motivate youth to succeed holistically as a person beyond scores, and through 5 key areas (Leadership, Decision Making, Jobs/Career, Higher Education, and Participation).


Scores/Grades are good measures, but to measure and test the true success solely on this will not work. Studies do show that improving these areas are essential to progress through the system, but infusing innovative methods such as divergent learning, working with mentoring/tutoring groups internally and externally, real-time service learning, and case studies allow for unique learning experiences. Not everyone learns the same. Some folks are process, others are creative. Some are both. Some are visual, others written learning works. Some need hands on experiences, others can dissect the essence of a lesson by literary study. It's diverse, differs across the board, and what has worked for decades may not work the same in a changing world.


As businesses evolve to ever changing markets and are agile to develop strategies for survivability and growth - schools may learn from this approach as well. Realistically, we cannot overhaul an entire educational system constantly, but in the least we can work to infuse dynamic opportunities for growth/learning experiences. There's no magic pill or simple solution to a system that is in place and is gargantuan. The way we process kids


heartprints noticed this trend as well, and works to be more strategic in impacting the lives of youth, families, and our communities. It's time to stop the blame game and excuses. Parent(s)/Guardian(s) blame schools. Teachers blame home. Schools blame the government. Government blames everyone.


The blame stops with you. Taking ownership and accountability to get involved in changing the system through your involvement is the start of the marathon race. We would like to generate excitement in your spirit, for service. It would be great if you choose us, no shameless plug (ha), but find a trust worthy, passionate, energizing, and caring cause that is focused on helping youth succeed academically and also personally.


Collaborating with the appropriate leaders at the sites we (heartprints) serve, through our mission, striving to earn volunteers to mentor/tutor, and amplify impact through our programs + services like CincyJobSpace, Charity Coffee, and our heartprints help guide to positively infiltrate the home/family unit a well also inspires connectivity to opportunities.

Email hello@heartprints.org to get involved with our cause!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Meet Josh

Josh, an 8th grader, was seeking ways to enhance his opportunities and learning related to homework, careers, and higher education.

He was introduced to the YMCA Mentoring Program, and from there heartprints Mentors/Tutors were asked to assist Josh with his goals.

During the first few meetings, Josh was reserved, which is to be expected around first engagements. Volunteers invited him to participate in activities such as basketball, soccer, and board games. Once he began trusting and knowing the Mentors/Tutors, Josh began bolstering his confidence in himself, and his projects.

He shared with a volunteer that some other kids at school were calling him names, and bullying him. heartprints worked with Resource Coordinators, and recommended that his mother inform the teachers and Principle at his school.

Once this was done, the bullying diminished, and Josh has gained more confidence, interest in learning, and improved his Math, Reading, and Science scores.

Beyond the walls of a school, a Y, or kicking a ball around, we have learned that connecting professional and caring adults to youth in need, discussing the things a kid enjoys, and interacting with them around their dreams can have a significant impact in their lives.

Josh and his family have been given donations, tickets for opportunities to visit basketball games, the orchestra, art shows, and other educational yet fun events he otherwise would not have access to. This improves cultural proficiency, builds relationships, and also memorable experiences.

Due to heartprints volunteers getting involved, the partnership with the Y, and good people getting involved, Josh now believes the sky is the limit, and is developing a more positive attitude. This is being achieved by the generosity of volunteers aligning to the Y's mission, in tandem with collaboration with the after school programs, and heartprints mission to diminish educational poverty through mentoring, jobs and outreach areas.

To learn more about heartprints or to become an advocate through volunteering or donating, give heartprints a hello@heartprints.org, and visit www.heartprints.org.

Blessings

*NOTE: For confidentiality purposes, only first names are utilized, the names of the families and schools are not mentioned, and this is to protect the privacy of participants in our programs.