June, 2007
Dear friends of the Foundation,
We are pleased to report several positive developments since we last updated you.
After a recommendation by one of our donors and after review by the Directors and Board of Trustees, the Foundation has funded a $10,000 grant to Horton’s Kids, a non-profit organization that tutors and mentors disadvantaged children in Ward 8 (Anacostia) in Washington, D.C. Horton’s Kids has been widely recognized for their successes, and we are excited to support their program needs and hopefully foster a love for learning in children who lack fundamental educational support systems. Their Director indicated to us that our grant would go toward funding another busload of children who receive their services. She wrote to us:
"Horton's Kids has a 222-child waiting list. These children live in one of Washington's most dangerous neighborhoods and attend some of its worst schools. They are desperate for more opportunities and eagerly await their turn to join the program they see picking up their neighbors four times a week. Horton's Kids would like to apply the funding toward admitting another busload of needy children into the program.
These children will receive one-on-one tutoring two to three times a week, mentoring field trips every Sunday, meals four times a week, summer camp, holiday celebrations, swimming lessons, eyeglasses, and emergency services -- among other things. If they follow the pattern of other Horton's Kids, in just one year, they will make significant gains in reducing their academic deficits and see parts of Washington they'd only heard about.
Thank you very much for helping make this possible."
You can read more about them at www.hortonskids.org.
A Foundation-authored pilot study, entitled “Predictors of Parents’ Sense of Satisfaction with the Experience of Reading to Their Children,” was presented at the 16th Annual National Conference on Family Literacy (NCFL), May 4-6, 2007. At the NCFL annual meeting, we were able to publicize the availability of Foundation grant funding and discuss potential projects individually with numerous educators. We are currently following up with one of the meeting attendees to discuss collaboration on a research study investigating a novel means of teaching English to non-English speaking children.
We are in direct dialogue with the Kawasaki Disease Foundation with respect to potential collaborations and are in preliminary dialogue with a major Kawasaki disease research site with respect to potential support of a novel research endeavor. We have been approached by the preeminent thinkers in this field and would be very excited to work with them.
Four prestigious members of our scientific panel reviewed a well thought out and creative scientific proposal to assess the potential effectiveness and concomitant CNS white matter changes of an intervention to improve learning in children. After careful review, the scientific panel declined to recommend funding largely due to complex methodological issues.
Finally, we are considering establishing a unique interventional educational program whose goal would be to provide direct support (via tutoring, lessons, etc.) for promising children who lack the means to access extracurricular enrichment. Our aim is to identify promising students and establish a competitive process through which they apply for assistance. The Foundation would contract directly with their tutors or would purchase the required supplies. Full details will be forthcoming pending completion of an ongoing feasibility analysis and discussions with those more knowledgeable in instituting this type of “scholarship” program.
We appreciate your continued interest and support and please feel free to contact us with any suggestions you may have.
Gratefully yours,
David and Lisa Daniel