Progress 06/15/09 to 06/14/14

Outputs
Target Audience: This project had a focus on alternative education that had been specifically designed to meet the needs of at-risk students whowere at risk ofsucceeding in the traditional public school setting.While each of Indiana’s alternative education programs is unique, they share characteristics identified in the research as common to successful alternative schools. In Indiana, these characteristics are: maximum teacher/student ratio of 1:15; small student base; clearly stated mission and discipline code; caring faculty with continual staff development; school staff having high expectations for student achievement; learning program specific to the student’s expectations and learning style; flexible school schedule with community involvement and support; and total commitment to have each student be a success (Indiana Department of Education, 2008).Options Charter School, Noblesville, IN -- Alternative High School which had a school enrollment of 136 students in 2009-2010 (last reported year for which data were available). 36.7% of students qualified for free and reduced lunch. Ethnicity: 91.2% White; 2.9% Black; 2.9% Multi-racial; 1.5% Hispanic; .7% Asian and .7% Native American. 30.4% of students passed the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) compared to 68.8% statewide. 47.6% of eligible students graduated in 2009-2010 (Indiana Dept. of Education, 2010). Mission statement: To provide a caring community to students seeking an alternative to the traditional high school program. Charter sponsor: Ball State University. Fountain Square Academy, Indianapolis, IN -- Alternative Opportunities Charter School which had a school enrollment of 253 students in grades 5-12 during the 2009-2010 school year. 77% of students qualify for free and reduced lunch. Ethnicity: 66% White; 26% Black; 6.3% Hispanic; 1.7% Multi-racial. Only 38.9% passed both the ISTEP English language/Math exams required for graduation. Mission statement: To provide every student with the educational skills and tools they need to be productive and engaged citizens. Charter sponsor: Indianapolis City-County Government (Mayor's Office). Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? This project has provided an opportunity for staff at Southeast Community Services to participate in 4-H 101 training with the Purdue Extension staff. The Youth Center coordinator had no previous experience with 4-H. Through the 4-H 101 training she learned about the 4-H program and will be able to effectively administer an after-school 4-H program in the coming years. Teachers from Options were able to use professional development funds from this project to attend a conference that specifically dealt with the integration of technology in the classroom. With their project focus being very heavily based on robotics and engineering, they use a lot of technology and this professional development opportunity allowed them to more effectively utilize the technology acquired with this project. Project staff (Extension Educators in each county and Project Evaluator) were able to attend the annual meeting of NAE4-HA to meet and network with other 4-H Educators who are offering programming similar to that being done at both sites in Indiana. They were also able to attend workshops that increased their capacity and knowledge of 4-H curriculum and tools used to implement that curriculum. The Project staff additionally participated in the annual CYFAR Professional Development event. The extension and site staff also participated in the Indiana Youth Institute’s Because Kids Count Conference which is the state’s largest professional development event for youth workers. The two-day, first-class conference experience is packed with educational workshops, nationally recognized speakers, a resource tradeshow and amazing networking opportunities. For youth workers, time is an incredibly valuable resource. That’s why this conference was selected to efficiently connect quality information and resources with the staff who will use them every day. The conference annually provided more than 70 workshops and addressed the five core competencies that outline best practices for individuals who work with youth, plus nonprofit management. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Extension Educators share the outcomes and results of the programs with their boards and councils at the county level. The schools share results with their administration and parents of the students. In addition, community partners are made aware of the results through an end of year “community fair.” This affords the students the opportunity to showcase what they have worked on throughout the year. This event was similar to what other 4-H members in the county would consider their county fair experience. Students/4-H members from these project sites have additionally represented the Indiana 4-H Program and have been featured presenters at Extension annual meetings and Indiana 4-H Foundation donor events in addition to representing their schools in a variety of science competitions. They have also served as presenters at an annual public science festival held in Indianapolis, Indiana, where they provide hands-on, interactive activities for kids of all ages and assist with marketing the Indiana 4-H Youth Development Program. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? During the first two years of this project, the work with the Options Charter School was focused on the creation of short teaching units focused on Rocketry, Aerospace, Robotics, Video Production, Hydroponics, and Fitness. While these units were successful from the standpoint of engaging volunteers from the community with the students, thus affording a youth/adult partnership model, it proved to not be sustainable given some of the constraints of the school’s daily schedule. We ultimately transitioned to the creation of semester-long courses such as hydroponics, robotics, and science class based on topics that are involved in Science Olympiad. Several of the original community volunteers remain engaged with the school five years post- the initiation of the project and parents of students have also become engaged. School personnel have also developed a valuable relationship with Purdue Extension and the 4-H Program which we anticipate will continue into the future. Several of the students have become active members of the 4-H Program as a result of engaging with Extension staff and community volunteers who also serve as volunteers in the 4-H Program. This has additionally afforded these students the opportunity to begin serving as mentors for younger youth. This is a tremendous accomplishment for youth who had initially struggled academically but found their alternative education experience to be a positive one. This programming has tremendously impacted youth in southeast Indianapolis. The funding allowed the creation of one middle school age afterschool 4-H club in 2009. Five years later, (with the initial youth participants working with parents and community volunteers advocating for more 4-H opportunities in their community), there are three afterschool clubs at three sites that serve 89 youth from grades 3-9 on a year-round basis. When there was a perceived threat to the future of the original charter school involved in this project, focus groups were conducted with parents to determine priorities as they advocated for the school’s future. We were very pleased that the presence of 4-H afterschool club at the school was the second most often cited necessity! The increase of youth participation, involvement of parents, and increased support from community partners are encouraging signs that the CYFAR funding has promoted the integration of 4-H programming into the community and will be a sustainable activity for many years. The afterschool 4-H clubs provide safe places for youth to gather and gain new life skills. The community in which the schools are located has an average of 11.87 violent crimes per 1,000 residents compared to 3.9 national median. According to the CYFAR common measure implemented in the Fall of 2013, students’ reported perception of physical and psychological safety increased significantly over the course of that year. CYFAR funding has provided a safe place for these youth to grow. The creation of the community garden and its continual growth has also enhanced the youth’s opportunity to not only apply what they have learned but also to find personal satisfaction as their ongoing contribution to their community.

Publications

Progress 06/15/12 to 06/14/13

Outputs
Target Audience: Options Charter School, Noblesville, IN is an Alternative High School which had a school enrollment of 150 students in 2011-2012 (last reported year for which data were available). 35.3% of students qualified for free and reduced lunch. Ethnicity: 87.3% White; 2.7% Black; 5.3% Multi-racial; 3.3% Hispanic; and 1.3% Asian. Their mission is to provide a caring community to students seeking an alternative to the traditional high school program. The Fountain Square Academy School’s student population for 2011-2012 (last reported year for which data were available) was as follows: 68% White; 22.6% Black; 1.1% Multi-racial; and 8.3% Hispanic. The Southeast Community Center, Indianapolis, IN (where the 4-H clubs created via this award will be relocating) is a local community center serving neighborhoods on the southeast side of Indianapolis. Once a thriving business district, this area with a population of 25,000 is now plagued with a 22.8% unemployment rate, 24% of the residents live below the poverty line and there is a 9.7% foreclosure rate. Forty three percent of the residents do not have a high school degree. The Race/Ethnicity breakdown as of the 2010 Census is: 81% Caucasian, 13% African American, and 6% Hispanic. Changes/Problems: The Fountain Square Academy has had significant issues over the past two years due to school management issues and the subsequent loss of the school’s charter. Because the school’s future was uncertain, we established a relationship in the Fountain Square Community and subsequently moved our contractual agreement and began educational programming with the Southeast Community Services Youth Center. After making this shift to the Youth Center, the school was assigned to a new management entity which sponsored its charter for the 2012-13 school year and the 4-H clubs were allowed to continue meeting after school. In fact, our professional staff indicated that it was the parents of students who had been engaged in the 4-H club experience who advocated for the clubs’ continuation. During 2012-13 the teachers at Fountain Square continued working with the 4-H Program and did an excellent job of working with Youth Center to help familiarize that staff with the 4-H Program members and their families. During the fall of 2012, we also experienced the resignation of the Extension staff member who worked with this project and a shift to a new staff member assuming this responsibility. This (when combined with the physical location changes) did result in a programming setback as we worked to engage both new staff and volunteers as well as a new local partner. This resulted in a deviation from our planned evaluations. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? This project has provided an opportunity for staff at Southeast Community Services to participate in 4-H 101 training with the Purdue Extension staff. The Youth Center coordinator had no previous experience with 4-H. Through the 4-H 101 training she learned about the 4-H program and will be able to effectively administer an after-school 4-H program in the coming year. Teachers from Options were able to use professional development funds from this project to attend a conference that specifically dealt with the integration of technology in the classroom. With their project focus being very heavily based on robotics and engineering, they use a lot of technology and this professional development opportunity allowed them to more effectively utilize the technology acquired with this project. Project staff (Extension Educators in each county and Project Evaluator) were able to attend the annual meeting of NAE4-HA to meet and network with other 4-H Educators who are offering programming similar to that being done at both sites in Indiana. They are also able to attend workshops that increase their capacity and knowledge of 4-H curriculum and tools used to implement that curriculum. The Project staff additionally participates in the annual CYFAR Professional Development event. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Each Extension Educator distributes information about the program in their county to various entities, including: County Commissioners, County Extension Boards, District Directors, and Community Partners such as Master Gardeners. In addition, the teachers at the schools involved with this programming share the results with their building principals and superintendents. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? As the final year of programming approaches, we hope to meet individually with each school to assess the programming that has been conducted in the previous four years and to determine what, if any, additional resources might be needed to move both of these sites to sustainability post- the final year of this award. We have heavily invested in curriculum, materials and supplies that will support sustainability. We hope to be able to offer additional in-state training to the site teachers related to 4-H and experiential learning. Due to SECS recent introduction to the project we will work diligently to bring them up to speed and set a plan for after the completion of this project. We are also focused on the further identification and training of additional parents and volunteers who will also assist with sustainability efforts.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Learning must be relevant and applicable to life outside of school and to future learning and work opportunities. To achieve this goal, youth from Options Charter school were invited to attend 4-H Science Workshops at Purdue University. They chose a topic of interest to them and spent three days at Purdue University learning about that topic area from specialists and researchers in the field. Students from Fountain Square were offered the opportunity to attend 4-H Round-Up where they spent three days on campus exploring future careers and learning what life at college will be like. Extension staff in each community works with school personnel at each site to determine the optimum presentation opportunities with students. They meet regularly with teachers at both sites to determine if additional curriculum would be appropriate for the youth. In the case of Options Charter School, the teachers have been able to effectively utilize the Junk Drawer Robotics curriculum. Fountain Square Academy has enjoyed great successes with the photography and geocaching 4-H curriculum. At Southeast Community Services Youth Center, Marion County Extension staff was able to provide knowledge, expertise and curriculum to their existing community garden. Youth have benefited from the programming offered through 4-H to improve their garden knowledge.

Publications

Progress 06/15/11 to 06/14/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Options Charter School, Noblesville, and Fountain Square Academy, Indianapolis, continued to collaborate on this project. Eleven Fountain Square students attended Round Up at Purdue University where they explored numerous career options. Fountain Square Academy students participated in Indiana's first ever Celebrate Science Indiana, an opportunity for the citizens of Indiana to learn more about science from hands-on activities and professional scientists from the field. Students at FSA conducted the National 4-H Youth Science Day Wired For Wind experiment with hundreds of participants. Students at Fountain Square also discovered that 4-H offers a foods curriculum and decided they wanted to complete some of the foods activities in their clubs. With an emphasis placed on healthy eating, the students organized a parent night where they cooked dinner to show what they had learned. Options Charter School, with the help of community members and businesses, planned and constructed a car for the Super High Mileage Contest. PARTICIPANTS: Renee McKee, Assistant Director of Extension, State 4-H Program Leader serves as the PI on this project and facilitated the FRA response, served as the liaison to the Extension staff working on the project, and facilitated required reporting. Kathleen Bohde, Extension Educator, Hamilton County has facilitated the collaboration with the Options Charter School and Extension volunteers from the community. Claudia Guerin, Extension Educator, Marion County has facilitated the collaboration with the Fountain Square Academy for the 2011-2012 school year and Extension volunteers from the community. Ryan Wynkoop, Special Projects Coordinator, CYFAR Project Evaluator, trained the teachers and educators at both sites to use the Smart clickers for evaluation and provides assistance to Extension Educators at both sites in acquiring materials. TARGET AUDIENCES: Options Charter School, Noblesville, IN is an Alternative High School which had a school enrollment of 158 students in 2010-2011 (last reported year for which data were available). 28.5% of students qualified for free and reduced lunch. Ethnicity: 89.9% White; 5.1% Black; 3.2% Multi-racial; .6% Hispanic; and 1.3% Native American. Their mission is to provide a caring community to students seeking an alternative to the traditional high school program. The Fountain Square Academy School's student population for 2010-2011 (last reported year for which data were available) was as follows: 61.7% White; 26% Black; 2.2% Multi-racial; and 10% Hispanic. The Southeast Community Center, Indianapolis, IN (where the 4-H clubs created via this award will be relocating) is a local community center serving neighborhoods on the southeast side of Indianapolis. Once a thriving business district, this area with a population of 25,000 is now plagued with a 22.8% unemployment rate, 24% of the residents live below the poverty line and there is a 9.7% foreclosure rate. Forty three percent of the residents do not have a high school degree. The Race/Ethnicity breakdown as of the 2010 Census is: 81% Caucasian, 13% African American, and 6% Hispanic. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: When we embarked on a CYFAR partnership with charter schools, these schools were relatively new (per Indiana law) and presented some interesting opportunities for conducting 4-H educational programming both in/and after school. The Fountain Square Academy in Indianapolis was established under a charter that was sponsored by the Mayor's Office (under a prior administration). The current mayor has just begun his 2nd term and announced last fall the revocation of the charter for this school resulting in the school's dissolution at the end of the 2011-12 school year. The private not for profit management company for the school (private contract with the Mayor's Office) made an application to Ball State University which was denied in December, 2011. Our work towards sustainability with the Cool Dogs 4-H Club that was established at Fountain Square Academy during the 2009-2010 school year has paid dividends this fall and winter as the 8th grade students (who have now been involved with 4-H for three years) advocated for finding a place for 4-H in the neighborhood so they could continue meeting regardless of the school they would attend next year. The club also planned a community project, and thus organized a coffee and cake round table with community leaders to talk about what their 4-H club has meant to them and how strongly they hoped to find a place for the club to continue meeting when the school closes in May, 2012. Several months and many meetings later, the Southeast Community Center (SECS) - located in the same neighborhood as the school that will be closing has agreed to host the Cool Dogs 4-H Club program. The Community Center is opening a new Youth Community Center which is only 5 blocks from the current school structure and the facilities are quite conducive to club meetings. The SECS has a Youth Outreach Coordinator, who will become a volunteer with the Marion County 4-H Program and will work with the local Extension Educators to identify additional community volunteers and assist the Cool Dogs 4-H members as they transition their club from the school to the center. This will also allow for outreach to youth from other schools in the neighborhood in addition to home schooled youth. Current 4-H members will be taking a field trip to the new Youth Center when it opens to assist them with becoming familiar with the site and facility. The CYFAR Program staff and current volunteers at this site are working with the Mayor's Office to move the CYFAR purchased program materials and supplies including technology equipment to SECS before the end of the current school year.

Impacts
Teachers' are able to teach curriculum and provide activities in their classroom that they otherwise would not have been able to do without the resources CYFAR provides. The programming has introduced youth at both sites to topics such as robotics, hydroponics, and filmography, they would not have experienced. Students actively engaged in the curriculum in classes and in one instance the student enrolled in a dual credit opportunity and attended summer workshops at Purdue. Our work towards sustainability with the Cool Dogs 4-H Club that was established at Fountain Square Academy during the 2009-2010 school year has paid dividends this fall and winter as the 8th grade students (who have now been involved with 4-H for three years) advocated for finding a place for 4-H in the neighborhood so they could continue meeting regardless of the school they would attend next year. The club also planned a community project, and thus organized a coffee and cake round table with community leaders to talk about what their 4-H club has meant to them and how strongly they hoped to find a place for the club to continue meeting when the school closes in May, 2012. Several months and many meetings later, the Southeast Community Center (SECS) - located in the same neighborhood as the school that will be closing has agreed to host the Cool Dogs 4-H Club program. The Community Center is opening a new Youth Community Center which is only 5 blocks from the current school structure and the facilities are quite conducive to club meetings. The SECS has a Youth Outreach Coordinator, who will become a volunteer with the Marion County 4-H Program and will work with the local Extension Educators to identify additional community volunteers and assist the Cool Dogs 4-H members as they transition their club from the school to the center. This will also allow for outreach to youth from other schools in the neighborhood in addition to home schooled youth. Current 4-H members will be taking a field trip to the new Youth Center when it opens to assist them with becoming familiar with the site and facility. The CYFAR Program staff and current volunteers at this site are working with the Mayor's Office to move the CYFAR purchased program materials and supplies including technology equipment to SECS before the end of the current school year. The move and relocation of materials/supplies has caused us to reevaluate our budget request for this site for the coming year.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 06/15/10 to 06/14/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Collaboration with Options Charter School, Noblesville and Fountain Square Academy, Indianapolis was continued. Educational programming was planned by school site personnel in conjunction with Extension Educators in the respective county. Extension personnel also work with the schools to identify key community partners to enhance and enrich the programming that has been planned. Options School staff and Extension designees attended national CYFAR conference. 5 students from Options Charter School participated in the 2010 4-H Science workshops on campus. Two new after school 4-H clubs were initiated at the Options Charter School and meet once per week. The clubs' educational activities are focused on science subjects. PARTICIPANTS: Renee McKee, Assistant Director of Extension, State 4-H Program Leader serves as the PI on this project and facilitated the RFA response, served as the liaison to the Extension staff working on the project, directed the graduate students who are assisting with evaluation, and facilitated required reporting. Attended CYFAR new project orientation and annual CYFAR conference. Abby Robinson, graduate student participated in meetings with Options Charter School and assisted in the development of evaluation instruments that will be utilized with students. Attended CYFAR conference, 2010. Elizabeth Gall, graduate student joined the project in August, 2010 and is assigned to work on the evaluation instruments and data collection for the students at the Fountain Square Academy. Kathleen Koch, Extension Educator, Hamilton County has facilitated the collaboration with the Options Charter School and Extension volunteers from the community. Attended CYFAR conference, 2010. Lisa Cangany, Extension Program Assistant, Hamilton County has facilitated the collaboration with the Options Charter School and Extension volunteers from the community. Attended CYFAR conference, 2010. Claudia Guerin, Extension Educator, Marion County has facilitated the collaboration with the Fountain Square Academy and Extension volunteers from the community. Attended CYFAR conference, 2010. Janet Bechman Extension Evaluation Specialist assisted with development of logic model and consults on development of evaluation instruments. Craig Personett, Computer Analyst serves as the Technology Coordinator for the project. Richard Fox, Computer Analyst also assists the Technology Coordinator and attended the CYFAR conference, 2010. TARGET AUDIENCES: Options Charter School is an Alternative High School which had a school enrollment of 136 students in 2009-2010 (last reported year for which data were available). 36.7 percent of students qualified for free and reduced lunch. Ethnicity: 91.2 percent White; 2.9 percent Black; 2.9 percent Multi-racial; 1.5 percent Hispanic; .7 percent Asian and .7 percent Native American. 30.4 percent of students passed the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) compared to 68.8 percent statewide. 47.6 percent of eligible students graduated in 2009-20010 (Indiana Dept. of Education, 2010). Mission statement: To provide a caring community to students seeking an alternative to the traditional high school program. Fountain Square Academy is an Alternative Opportunities Charter School which had a school enrollment of 253 students in grades 5-12 during the 2009-2010 school year. 77 percent of students qualify for free and reduced lunch. Ethnicity: 66 percent White; 26 percent Black; 6.3 percent Hispanic; 1.7 percent Multi-racial. Only 38.9 percent passed both the ISTEP English language/Math exams required for graduation. Mission statement: To provide every student with the educational skills and tools they need to be productive and engaged citizens. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Teachers' observations were that students' accomplishments and application of new skills built confidence resulting in improved self-concept. Self-concept was additionally enhanced by the incorporation of community volunteers and the connections they made with youth as they learned and applied new skills. Students demonstrated a connection between skills learned from hands on activities and application back to the classroom. Student attendance improved at the Options Charter School during the time that CYFAR programming occurred and teachers observed increased student engagement. Options teachers report that students who traveled to Purdue University to participate in the Science Workshops frequently mention that experience and a concept they learned. The science teacher at Options Charter School reported that two of the students now openly discuss plans to further their education post-high school and indicate they had not previously thought they would or could go to college. The Options Charter School has reformatted their educational plan for the school day based on their experience with students' increase connectedness resulting from hands-on learning. The 4-H club leaders at Fountain Square Academy report that students participating in the 4-H Afterschool clubs demonstrate a sense of connectedness to one another as a result of participating in a club. School personnel are also beginning to observe parents becoming involved in their children's activities. They attribute this to the family activities that are being planned for 4-H members.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 06/15/09 to 06/14/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Collaboration established and budgets created for educational programming to be conducted with Options Charter School, Noblesville and Fountain Square Academy, Indianapolis. Contracts established and signed. Plans for educational program delivery solidified. Local volunteers identified to assist with programming in each school. Options School staff and Extension designees attended national CYFAR conference PARTICIPANTS: Renee McKee, Assistant Director of Extension, State 4-H Program Leader serves as the PI on this project and facilitated the RFA response, served as the liaison to the Extension staff working on the project, directed the graduate students who are assisting with evaluation, and facilitated required reporting. Attended CYFAR new project orientation and annual CYFAR conference. Julia Wickert, graduate student participated in meetings with Options Charter School and assisted in the development of evaluation instruments that will be utilized with students. Attended CYFAR conference, 2009. Abby Robinson, graduate student joined the project on January 3, 2010 and is assigned to work on the evaluation instruments and data collection for the students at the Fountain Square Academy. Kathleen Koch, Extension Educator, Hamilton County has facilitated the collaboration with the Options Charter School and Extension volunteers from the community. Attended CYFAR conference, 2009. Lisa Cangany, Extension Program Assistant, Hamilton County has facilitated the collaboration with the Options Charter School and Extension volunteers from the community. Attended CYFAR conference, 2009. Claudia Guerin, Extension Educator, Marion County joined the project in January, 2010 and has facilitated the collaboration with the Fountain Square Academy and Extension volunteers from the community. Janet Bechman Extension Evaluation Specialist assisted with development of logic model and consults on development of evaluation instruments. Attended required CYFAR new project training. Craig Personnett, Computer Analyst serves as the Technology Coordinator for the project.Options Charter School is an Alternative High School which had a school enrollment of 135 students in 2008-2009 (last reported year for which data were available). 29% of students qualified for free and reduced lunch. Ethnicity: 96% White; 1% Native American; 1% Hispanic; 2% Multi-racial. 30.4% of students passed the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) compared to 68.8% statewide. 42.9% of eligible students graduated in 2007-2008 (Indiana Dept. of Education, 2008). Mission statement: To provide a caring community to students seeking an alternative to the traditional high school program. Fountain Square Academy is an Alternative Opportunities Charter School which had a school enrollment of 275 students in grades 5-12 during the 2009-2010 school year. 80% of students qualify for free and reduced lunch. Ethnicity: 80% White; 7% Black; 11% Hispanic; 2% Multi-racial. Only 23.1% passed both the ISTEP English language/Math exams required for graduation. 27.3% of eligible students graduated in 2008. Mission statement: To provide every student with the educational skills and tools they need to be productive and engaged citizens. Three, Options school personnel participated in the CYFAR 2009 conference. TARGET AUDIENCES: Options Charter School is an Alternative High School which had a school enrollment of 135 students in 2008-2009 (last reported year for which data were available). 29% of students qualified for free and reduced lunch. Ethnicity: 96% White; 1% Native American; 1% Hispanic; 2% Multi-racial. 30.4% of students passed the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) compared to 68.8% statewide. 42.9% of eligible students graduated in 2007-2008 (Indiana Dept. of Education, 2008). Mission statement: To provide a caring community to students seeking an alternative to the traditional high school program. Fountain Square Academy is an Alternative Opportunities Charter School which had a school enrollment of 275 students in grades 5-12 during the 2009-2010 school year. 80% of students qualify for free and reduced lunch. Ethnicity: 80% White; 7% Black; 11% Hispanic; 2% Multi-racial. Only 23.1% passed both the ISTEP English language/Math exams required for graduation. 27.3% of eligible students graduated in 2008. Mission statement: To provide every student with the educational skills and tools they need to be productive and engaged citizens. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The initial response to the RFA included a collaboration between Purdue Extension - Vigo County and the Booker T. Washington School. Extension staff assigned to the project at that time were: Deanna Franklin, Lana Frazier and Jim Luzar. Both Deanna Franklin and Lana Frazier participate in the CYFAR, 2009 conference and returned home to begin formulating project plans with the Booker T Washington School staff. The Vigo County School Corporation notified us in mid-June that they were withdrawing the Booker T. Washington School that was initially identified and administratively confirmed for this project. (Withdrawal was attributed to school reorganization due to shifts in school funding formula). Project staff worked to identify a replacement school and did confirm participation of the Fountain Square Academy, Indianapolis, IN.

Impacts
This was a planning grant that allowed us to spend time building collaborations and developing our system for program delivery and evaluation. There is therefore, no outcome or impact to report at this time.

Publications

• No publications reported this period