Shawn was born and raised in Pontiac, Michigan. He has worked in secondary education for 16 years in Arizona. Shawn has served in multiple roles including teacher, coach, instructional coach, building administrator and now serves as the Assistant Superintendent in the San Carlos Unified School District located on the San Carlos Apache Tribe. Shawn has a strong belief that all students and children can succeed regardless of their race, gender, socioeconomic status or ethnicity. Shawn enjoys the education field because with the right guidance youth and adults can greatly impact the quality of life for future generations. Shawn is excited to develop his leadership skills in order to provide a safe and equitable learning environment to the community he serves and beyond.

Sheila Betz is a dedicated educator with 29 years of experience in public education. Her journey began as a high school business teacher before transitioning to roles as a middle school language arts and computer teacher. Later as a CTE director and teacher, she empowered her students with skills to excel as certified computer technicians, programmers, and web design specialists. For the past two decades, Sheila has been a leader at Chinle Unified School District, serving first as a computer teacher and for 16 years as the Federal Programs Director. In this role, she has been instrumental in writing grants, supporting strategic planning and program implementation. Sheila’s passion for education is reflected in her commitment to inspiring children and families by shining light on life’s opportunities and the pathways to access them.

Kellsie Judge, a resident of South Dakota, has dedicated 10 years of her professional career to supporting students in their educational journeys. With a Masters in Family & Community Services, she brings a families-first approach to her position as the 21st Century Project Director for Black Hills Special Services Cooperative. Kellsie aspires to be a hands-on leader, serving as a positive example for team members and students. She prioritizes empowering our youth by actively listening and creating an open platform where she can ensure student and family voices are heard and valued. Kellsie is eager to expand her knowledge and capacity throughout her participation in the Rise Fellowship, so that she and her sites may continue to grow in enrichment, security, skills, and positive relationships.

Ya’at’eeh Celeste here, a New Mexican Dine Native, has worked in education for 20 years. She brings a unique perspective to her role as a Lead Experiential Educator and classroom teacher. Through her leadership, Celeste strives to create a local culture responsive environment where every child can connect to the Indigenous cultures, nature, and thrive, to develop self confidence and develop positive empowerment. Her passion to be of service for our next generation of youth shines through in efforts to provide opportunities for growth and development in connecting with nature and culture within her local community. Celeste is intrigued to learn through the opportunity of professional development that the Rise Fellowship will provide.

Amanda Carlow resides in Pine Ridge, South Dakota as a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe. She has an Associate of Arts from Northeast Community College, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from University of Texas Pan America, Master of Science in School Counseling from Creighton University, and is currently a PhD student at University of Hawai’i-Hilo finishing her dissertation. She is the Director of the Lakota Language Resource Othi at Maȟpíya Lúta Owáyawa where she is able to engage in the language everyday as she works to promote language revitalization. She is passionate about teaching students and adult learners, increasing those who can speak and understand. She is excited for the Rise Fellowship as she is passionate about making a difference in her community and working with and learning from others.

Alexander Richardson II, a Memphis, TN native, has worked in elementary education for over 13 years. With a Master of Arts in Education degree combined with over a decade of professional experiences in teaching and school leadership roles, Alexander excels in utilizing technological arts training to empower communities. Through his leadership, Alexander strives to create safe learning spaces to empower youth and members of the community because everyone is a star! Regardless of background, nationality, or location his passion for empowering the next generation is exemplified through his efforts to educate and create opportunities for stakeholders in his local community. Richardson is excited about acquiring new skills that the Rise Fellowship will provide.

Aaron Vaughn has grown up in South Dakota, and has spent nearly all his life on the Crow Creek Sioux Reservation. At the age of 12, Aaron found his life calling and began mentoring and developing the next generation of men and women who will lead our community towards a better and brighter future. After volunteering over 10,000 hours at a local non-profit called Diamond Willow Ministries, Aaron decided to stay in his local hometown and became the Director of a newly formed year round after school program called the Tokata Youth Center in 2015. Their staff employs 4 strategic priorities to guide their programming: Be like Jesus, Be a Friend, Be a Mentor, and Be Healthy. Aaron has a burning passion to give back and serve his community, while rallying others to do the same.

Geffrey is a rising 6th grade scholar in his first summer enrolled in a BellXcel-powered summer program. Tell us about what you are learning in the program. We learn a lot in fun activities and they teach us math and language arts. In math, I’m learning how to subtract, add, and multiply fractions and decimals. When you go back to school do you feel you will have a head-start? Yeah, I think because most people if they don't go to summer school, they might lose their knowledge about some important stuff. I think I am better prepared for school. Some of my friends in 6th grade told me it’s a review of what they learned in school so I’m getting a head start. It’s making us review the materials. What is the difference between this and school?  I think it’s more fun learning and the teachers have more time to spend with you to teach you things you are having a hard time with. That’s the biggest difference – not feeling so pressured and rushed. What else do you like about the program? I can go up to the whiteboard more and write answers the questions. I can participate more.

When 10-year-old Hattie Tillman, a rising 6th grader enrolled in YMCA of Greater San Antonio’s Power Scholar Academy (PSA), first embarked on her summer learning journey, she struggled with growth mindset. Today, when she gets an answer wrong, instead of shutting down like she used to, she says “It’s OK. I will get the next one right!” Once shy, she now beams with confidence. She enjoys helping other scholars. Her math and reading skills have always been solid, and through PSA, she’s bringing them to another level. “Here, she’s taking concepts she learned in the school year, and applying them to real-life, instead of compartmentalizing them. She’s learning that they’re all interconnected,” says Veronica Mansfield, academic instructor in PSA and a certified teacher during the school year. “She keeps pushing. Her confidence has improved. I’m proud of her,” said Hattie’s mother Karen Beard. “There’s a lot of negative pressure and violence in our neighborhood. She’s in a safe place to learn and grow.” Hattie is one of many shining examples of scholars enrolled in Power Scholars Academy, a partnership between YMCA of Greater San Antonio and BellXcel. Scholars, are improving their academic skills, social and emotional learning, and self-confidence, preparing them for success in school and beyond. The evidence-based summer program was launched to support struggling local schools, and to address summer learning loss. “Children in our community really need this program. They don’t have access to the same things other children do over the summer,” says Catherine Alvarado, Senior Director of Grant Administration and Program Innovation. “This is one of the poorest districts in San Antonio, and literacy is one of our biggest areas of need. This is my community. What pulls me in is knowing that we are helping children become more successful.” The PSA program’s success can also be attributed to the close, collaborative relationship with the schools they serve. This relationship isn’t confined to the summer months. It is year-round. Two PSA program directors, Elisa Felix and Edna Castillo-Saucedo, are embedded in the schools during the school-year. “Being in the school enables me to closely work with teachers and counselors, and engage with parents, to identify and enroll students who need extra help into the summer program,” Felix says. “We see the difference this level of engagement with schools is having compared to other sites,” said Alvarado. “We are a pillar of the school. We are a bridge for that continuum of learning with students from their community. When we speak to a financial supporter about the community needs, we speak to our impact on scholars, teachers, and on moving the entire school forward.” The partnership with BellXcel has helped their program reach new heights of success, says Alvarado. “This is too big a problem for one agency to handle alone,” Alvarado says. “Without the support of BellXcel, we wouldn’t have the data we so desperately need to prove that the program is working. Funders want to see outcomes, more than just outputs. BellXcel helps us prove that what we are doing in the partnership is working.”

Q&A with Beth Putnam, Assistant Director, Department of Alternative Education, Saint Paul, MN The mission of the Department of Alternative Education in Saint Paul, Minnesota is to provide focused daytime, extended day, and summer learning opportunities to support student achievement leading to graduation. Power Scholars Academy (PSA) has been a summer learning program at Saint Paul Public Schools for seven years. In your opinion, what distinguishes Power Scholars Academy from summer camps and other programs? Power Scholars Academy offers a unique experience to students in both structure and content. Due to collaborative use of funds, scholars attend more hours and days than in most of our other programs, making it possible to teach core academics in the morning with licensed staff and enrichment, including field trips, in the afternoon with YMCA staff. The number of scholars working with each adult is lower than in most other programs, making differentiated one-to-one and small-group instruction more feasible. The literacy curriculum reflects the racial and cultural identity of students who attend, and data shows it is successful in meeting its intended results. As a bonus, scholars get to take books home. What elements of the PSA program are particularly conducive to the success of scholars and educators? The PSA curriculum, including assessments, supports teachers in knowing exactly what each scholar needs. Staff receive extensive training, materials are high interest, and scholars are able to do interest- and community-based experiential learning in the afternoons—these are all benefits leading to success. It is the perfect opportunity for scholars to stay physically active, maintain their academic skills, and develop social and emotional and leadership skills while learning more about their community, other people, and themselves. How does PSA empower educators during the summer, and is this impact being felt in the school year? Many of our PSA educators come back year after year. Although the school-year curriculum and instruction may be different than what is used for PSA, what is learned during PSA professional development and throughout the session becomes part of how staff approach and carry out their work during the school year. The close student and staff relationships built during PSA provide a solid basis for those whose work together continues past the session, ultimately increasing student success and staff job satisfaction.

In our efforts to support you in using the Remote Quality Reflection Tool, we are pleased to provide the following videos that offer guidance, suggestions, and best practices when completing indicator ratings and reflecting on quality. Each video focuses on specific areas related to the tool purpose, use and completion, evidence collection, and making the data actionable within your remote learning programs. We hope you will find this information helpful as you rate and reflect on your program quality. Additionally, we encourage you to contact us with your feedback or if we can be of assistance. Introduction to the Remote Quality Reflection Tool [embed]https://youtu.be/T4ej-UlPKcY[/embed]   1. Purpose, Goals and Evidence [embed]https://youtu.be/tgyNhkawlnM[/embed]   2. How to Use the Remote Quality Reflection Tool [embed]https://youtu.be/Mznx3gGqeNw[/embed]   3. Evidence Collection [embed]https://youtu.be/gNSA9JXuvPg[/embed]   4. Reflection and Continuous Improvement [embed]https://youtu.be/0GBFU26DxAY[/embed]