The Need to Succeed

As a young student I was asked, “what do you want to be when you grow-up?” Countless ideas filled my head – an astronaut, teacher, athlete, artist – all with the idea that I could go anywhere and do anything. With unemployment and homelessness hitting highs not seen since the Great Depression, children today have been asked to grow up quicker. Many have few, if any, positive role models. Many are being forced to start making adult decisions earlier than preceding generations. Our political leaders have spent an inordinate amount of time arguing how our public school dollars are best used with only marginal results. This turmoil has trickled down to our kids. It has made high school expendable in some students’ eyes because the need to make money and help provide for the family has taken over. This sad reality is why we work hard every day at the Simon Youth Foundation.  

Alarming statistics further depict an urgent need for alternatives.

• In America’s high schools, 7,000 students drop out every day totaling 1.2 Million annually – equal to the same number of jobs lost in the U.S. during 2008.
  
• Over the course of a lifetime, each high school dropout costs the nation approximately $350,000 in lost earnings, taxes and productivity.
  
• Taking the above statistics, today the United States lost $2.5 Million because these high school students decided to quit.

Igniting hope is paramount to navigating through these tough times. At Simon Youth Academies throughout the United States we are turning around the lives of at-risk youth. We partner with school districts and public school educators to help end the cycle of self-destruction. The resiliency and fire I see from our graduates is nothing short of remarkable when taking into account their individual stories of struggle.

One such example is a student named Abby. She currently attends the Simon Youth Clark Pleasant Academy in Whiteland, Indiana. In the traditional high school setting, she was hanging out with the wrong crowd making poor decisions. She quickly fell behind her classmates in all areas of studies and her ability to graduate was fading. A school counselor suggested to her that she go to the Simon Youth Academy.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do and school wasn’t clicking until I got to the Academy. I haven’t missed a day of school because of how engaging the teachers are and the pace of studies. I can go faster in subjects I’m strong in and slow down to get help in the others. Without this academy, graduation wasn’t a thought in my head. Even when I started people didn’t think I could do it and I’m proving everyone wrong.”

It’s at-risk youth like Abby who simply needed a chance to succeed. She’s not only going to graduate, she’s moving on to higher education where she plans to become a nurse. Boasting a 90% graduation rate, the Simon Youth Foundation offers this alternative to help high schools change the course of students whose challenges require extra attention.

This coming year, SYF will celebrate our 15th year and our 10,000th graduate. That is 10,000 lives changed through earning a high school diploma. At Simon Youth Foundation, we are proving these types of partnerships work, and we are serving as a national model. As a public charity, along with local school district partners and private entities, especially Simon Property Group and the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, we established a successful nationwide network of alternative schools for at-risk high school students that since 1998 has helped students earn a high school diploma.

SYF’s mission is for youth to start here and go anywhere. As I travel to each of our 23 academies in 13 states, I see this first hand. Our students no longer check off what they can’t do - they write down goals they want and can achieve.  It’s a new day filled with hopes and dreams for the future – all sparked by believing in the movement. What a fitting way to celebrate National Education Week.

In the words of William Butler Yeats, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” We at Simon Youth Foundation work to be the ignition of the inferno within. Students start here and go anywhere.

SYF Names New Manager of Communications

Simon Youth Foundation is proud to announce Thomas McAninch as the new Manager of Communications. He will be responsible for the Foundation’s efforts in developing and executing communication, marketing and public relations. McAninch’s focus on helping guide youth to live a principled life has been a staple since a young age. 

“I am humbled to have the opportunity to join such an amazing foundation,” said McAninch. “They have a dedicated team with unparalleled passion for igniting hope in youth. I relish the chance to tell the unique and remarkable story of SYF.”    

A graduate of Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ), Tom earned a degree in Broadcasting & Mass Communications. Since a young age, McAninch has been heavily involved in the non-profit community. He has fundraised and ran marathons with Team in Training (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Angelwish. He has served on boards for the Fraternity Communications Association, Hoosier Devils (Arizona State University Indiana Alumni Association), and the Indiana Chapter of Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. His career began at Tri-State News radio as a news director and led to becoming a Capitol Press Corps Reporter with Arizona News Radio. He joined Indianapolis based Tau Kappa Epsilon International Fraternity in 2005 as a Communications Coordinator. He was subsequently promoted to Director of Communication & Public Relations earning more than 30 awards during his tenure.

 “We are proud to have Thomas McAninch join our SYF team,” said Dr. J. Michael Durnil, SYF President & CEO. “His work in the non-profit community, both volunteer and career, will bring a great perspective in raising our organization’s profile to the next level.”

SYF Student Leaders Making a Difference

Former Super Bowl winning Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy once said, “It's about the journey-mine and yours-and the lives we can touch, the legacy we can leave, and the world we can change for the better.”

At Simon Youth Academies across the United States, our teachers and administrators are instilling principles that will last a lifetime. One of these is volunteerism. Four students at Simon Youth Clark Pleasant Academy recently wrote and presented a grant proposal to the Youth Philanthropy Council of Johnson County. One of the volunteer activities they want to use the money – Stockings for Seniors.

Abby Van Landingham (Senior), Angie Sigman (Junior), Jacob Holzer (Senior) and C.J. Dixon (Junior) are the Students in Action Leaders for the 2012-2013 school year. The Stockings for Seniors project is an effort to show appreciation for those who may be forgotten around the holidays. Gifts are always nice to receive, but these students are more concerned with showing men and women in nursing homes a little attention during the joyous season.

In addition to this project, Abby, Angie, Jacob and C.J. have been participating in the Jefferson Awards Students in Action organization. It is a program focusing on volunteerism and getting others to learn to be philanthropic.  Last year they came in second place for their outstanding work and calculated more than 2,000 hours in giving back to the community. Earlier this month, these students attended a lunch and learn for leadership and team building. There were about 150 students there from schools in the central Indiana area.

This is just one example of thousands seen at the Simon Youth Academies across the nation. It’s great to showcase a group of individuals who are beginning to make their mark on society. In the same way they were given a second chance to succeed, they are paying it forward. It’s a lesson everyone can take away.

Eric Chamberlain Selected as SYF Major Gifts Officer

Simon Youth Foundation is proud to announce Eric Chamberlain as the new Major Gifts Officer. He will be responsible for the Foundation’s efforts in developing and executing external individual and corporate gifts. He is very excited to get to work.

“As someone who believes deeply that all people, regardless of their life circumstances, should have the opportunity to obtain the lifelong emotional, intellectual, and economic benefits of high-school and higher education, I am delighted and honored to be joining the team of like-minded professionals at SYF who ignite hope each and every day,” said Chamberlain.

A graduate of Lycoming College (Williamsport, PA), Eric earned the distinction of Certified Association Executive (CAE) from the American Society of Association Executives in 2008. Chamberlain is also heavily involved in the Indianapolis non-profit community. He is a mentor with the Starfish Initiative enhancing college access and readiness for disadvantaged high school students, a board member of the Exodus Refugee Immigration Services assisting those fleeing religious or political persecution with the process of rebuilding their lives, and a board member with Play Ball Indiana to develop life skills of inner city youth through the game of baseball. He has worked at Tau Kappa Epsilon International Fraternity as a Regional Director, WFYI Public Broadcasting as a Community Ambassador and, most recently, as the Associate Executive Director of Volunteer Services for Delta-Upsilon International Fraternity. 

“We are proud to add Eric Chamberlain to our SYF team,” said Dr. J. Michael Durnil, SYF President & CEO. “He brings great passion and expertise to advance the pursuit of positioning Simon Youth Foundation as a national leader in non-traditional education and student retention.”