Another group of Simon Youth Foundation 2011 grads cross the stage

The 120 members of the Class of 2011 from the Simon Youth Pacers Academy at Lafayette Square celebrated their accomplishments during an hour long ceremony Thusday, May 26, at the Pike Performing Arts Center. Hundreds of family members and supporters attended the event, applauding graduates as they crossed the stage to bring their high school careers to a successful close. Congratulations to the new graduates! SYF is proud to have played a small role in igniting your hope that your graduation day could be a reality.

Simon Youth Foundation honored as a top national nonprofit by Mutual of America Foundation

Life at Simon Youth Foundation doesn't get much better being in the midst of graduation season and seeing 1,000 students from our nationwide Simon Youth Academies, who could have been dropouts, earn their high school diploma. So, we'll just have to call May 25, 2011, the icing on the cake.

At a luncheon event, SYF celebrated with collaborators and stakeholders its recognition as a Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award winner as one of the nation's top three national nonprofits for "facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working as equal partners to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaboration that benefits the greater good."

In particular, the award recognized our Simon Youth Academies initiative, the national network of 25 alternative high schools formerly known as Education Resource Centers that, with the help of local school district partners and corporate sponsors, extend unique educational opportunities to at-risk students, keeping them in class and reducing the alarming national drop-out rate.

From a pool of candidates that numbers well into the hundreds, each year, Mutual of America Foundation names a Community Partnership National Award Winner and two Honorable Mention Recipients. In 2010, SYF was named an Honorable Mention Recipient as one of the three best U.S. nonprofits.



At the luncheon, SYF President and CEO J. Michael Durnil, Ph.D., talked about the special relationships that make SYF successful.

"Our more than 80 local school system partners nationwide and corporate sponsors, like Simon Property Group and CVS Caremark, are igniting the hope in thousands of students that they can graduate," Durnil said. "We are humbled to have the Simon Youth Foundation name on this award from Mutual of America Foundation, but it is our valued partners that deserve the recognition."

To further illustrate the importance of partnerships in the Simon Youth Foundation mission, seven SYF collaborators were honored with Mutual of America Foundation commemorative coins. Those collaborators included Deborah Simon, the SYF Board of Directors Chairperson; David Simon, the CEO of Simon Property Group; Lena Barkley, a Governemnt Program Liason for CVS Caremark; Faye Snodgress, the Executive Director of Kappa Delta Pi; Jim Morrison, the President of Pacers Sports and Entertainment; Rick Fuson, the Chief Operating Officer of Pacer Sports and Entertainment; and Theresa Knox, the Director of the Simon Youth Pacers Academy at Washington Square.

Simon Youth Academy graduation in Knoxville featured by two local TV stations

A lot can happen in a single year, just ask Tracy Poulsen, the director of our Simon Youth Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy at Knoxville Center, a Simon Property Group mall in Knoxville, Tenn.

In less than a year after opening the academy's doors, Poulsen, her team and the local SYF partner in education, Knox County Schools, ignited hope in 49 students, guiding them to their high school diplomas. All 49 kids were at risk of dropping out due to a range of personal challenges, but they all persevered and received their diplomas in a ceremony on May 20, 2011.

The event makes for 49 young people who will now go on to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars more in their lifetimes and better contribute to their communities along the way, because they have earned a high school diploma. The students' stories of hope attracted the attention of two Knoxville area television stations, which covered the graduation ceremony.

The first story on Simon Youth Foundation's graduation ceremony in Knoxville is from WBIR-TV, NBC 10.



The station has removed its video but you can still read the second story on Simon Youth Foundation's graduation ceremony in Knoxville from WATE-TV, ABC 6.

Emotional ceremony honors Simon Youth Clark Pleasant Academy Class of 2011

Families and supporters applaud the Simon Youth
Clark Pleasant Academy Class of 2011

Simon Youth Foundation's support of the Simon Youth Clark Pleasant Academy in Whiteland, Ind., ignited hope in 34 at-risk students who have now earned their high school diploma. Thursday, May 19, 2011, the students were recognized by their academy teachers; their families; members of the SYF staff; and leaders from the SYF local education partner, the Clark Pleasant Community School Corporation.

The two-hour event was very emotional, because each of the students took to the podium to share their personal stories of perseverance. Teachers also awarded student honors for good grades and behavior, attendance and more.

SYF President and CEO J. Michael Durnil, Ph.D., also spoke to the students about the bright futures they have ahead of them, telling them to "follow your dreams...and go anywhere."

Among the photos in the slideshow below, you'll see students Kayla Smith and Katherine Davis, who also were awarded Simon Youth Scholarships at the ceremony. The scholarship for Smith is valued at up to $3,000 and the award for Davis is valued at up to $6,000.

Simon Youth Foundation continues celebrating the Class of 2011

Simon Youth Scholarship winners at the graduation for
the Simon Youth Academy at Independence Center

We are in full graduation swing at Simon Youth Foundation! It feels like our network of 25 nationwide Simon Youth Academies is hosting a ceremony a day for the next couple of weeks.

Most recently, the Simon Youth Academy at Independence Center, a Simon Property Group mall located in Independence, Mo., hosted its graduation ceremony on May 12, 2011.


We've already blogged about the May 13 graduation at the Simon Youth Pacers Academy at Washington Square, another SPG mall. The Indianapolis Star provided great coverage of that event, too, including a 24 photo slideshow.


The Simon Youth Peabody Learning Academy's Class of 2011
Photo courtesy of Andrew Cardinale and Peabody Patch


This week, on May 17, students from the Simon Youth Peabody Learning Academy at Northshore Mall, an SPG property in Peabody, Mass., honored its first graduating class. You can see photos of the event and read coverage at the local news site Peabody Patch and at the Boston Globe's website, Boston.com.

Congratulations graduates! We plan more updates as more ceremonies are held.


Currently homeless, Simon Youth Foundation student chases education goals, earns internship

As the saying goes, Simon Youth Foundation administrators and teachers know that it takes a village to really make a difference in a student’s life.

This is why the teaching team at the Simon Youth Metrocenter Academy at Metrocenter, a mall located in Phoenix, Ariz., is always on the look out for great partner organizations that can help extend unique educational and professional-development opportunities to students.

SYF students Deneal Yazzie, Christina Torres
and Audi Arthur with their AAA awards

Three students from the academy, including one who is currently homeless, recently completed one such program sponsored by the AAA motor club, earning awards and new laptop computers along the way. The AAA Cares Program matches local volunteer mentors with students so that the students can learn basic business skills and practices.

SYF students Audi Arthur, Christina Torres and Deneal Yazzie and 20 other Phoenix-area students from the Glendale Union High School District, SYF's local partner in education, and another area school system worked with AAA Cares for 20 weeks and participated in a graduation ceremony on May 10, 2011.

In addition to his graduation award and new laptop computer, Yazzie, who teachers say excelled in the program, also was awarded one of only four paid summer internships with AAA.

“I am so proud of our students’ success in the AAA Cares Program,” says Janet Johns, the academy’s administrator and a teacher at the school. “I also am so excited for Deneal and his opportunity, and all of his classmates and teachers know that he will do great things with the internship.”

Yazzie says the internship award was a big but very pleasant surprise. He will work with AAA offices in the Phoenix area from June to September. The experience, he says, is the most important part of the opportunity, but the pay will help, too.

Deneal Yazzie earned a paid
summer internship with AAA



Yazzie is currently living in a group home, and the steady income through the summer could help him afford an apartment of his own. Whatever the future holds, Johns says Yazzie’s story should inspire other students who are considering dropping out of school because they face difficult circumstances.

“Deneal is homeless and facing more challenges as a teenager than some people will face in their entire life, but his commitment to education has never waivered,” Johns says.

“You have to chase your dreams, if you want it, you have to go and get it,” Yazzie says. “I want to earn my high school diploma, and I am going to get there.”

Johns believes Yazzie will be able to go anywhere his dreams lead him, and he’ll have the village that is Simon Youth Foundation and its education partners to help get him there.

 

Simon Youth Foundation 2011 graduation ceremonies are underway

Graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2011 have already been held at two of our 25 nationwide Simon Youth Academies as of this post on May 13. The Simon Youth Academy at Independence Center in Independence, Mo., awarded diplomas to its graduates on May 12. The Simon Youth Pacers Academy at Washington Square followed with a graduation event on May 13. The photo slideshow above is from the ceremony at Washington Square. We'll update the blog in the coming days and weeks with more photos from our network of schools. Congratulations Simon Youth Foundation 2011 graduates!!!