 Great to see everybody here today really appreciate you're coming out, and I'm really appreciate all the students sticking around to be here today because all of this work is absolutely without question about you and It's really tremendous to see you being willing to share in this moment with us Today, we're announcing after a long haul $2.4 million worth of funding from the 21st century program to Provide after school extended learning and summer school for about 1,400 kids Two schools in Portland and two schools in Bideford without question just a great day for a lot of low-performing low-income kids So right off the bat just saying thank you for that happening to the state and Commissioner Bowen who sent his words and we have some comments from him as well. So first off tremendous news What we know is that when kids start falling behind early? And you don't help them catch up That starts to magnify exponentially when kids start falling behind in second grade and third grade and fourth grade and fifth grade You can often see that a lot of the young people that we work with here at a high school level It all started way back when and what this program is designed to do is to set up some real Individualized curriculum within these schools to make sure that we're helping second graders catch up with their peers Because you don't want them falling behind year after year in the last year in the program that we have now at Reiki and East End 92% of the kids that we worked with advanced a full year academically in this program 92% And over 50% of those kids actually advanced more than a year and that's really ultimately what you want to do You want to get them all the way catching up and getting ahead and this grant over five years is going to allow us to begin to do that In four new schools and serve 1400 kids We have a few special guests here that I want to bring up to say a few words First are some of the folks who are on the front lines who are going to see this impact more than anything This is really a public-private partnership We couldn't do this without the public schools the public schools rely on us to do the good work that we do and apply for The funds and so I want to bring up the two superintendents who are so instrumental in making this happen Jeremy Ray and Manny Cawke from Bideford and Portland First thank you to learning works for all of the work that you did on this grant for us This is a tremendous opportunity for our students With our dwindling funds coming from local and state level Opportunities like this wouldn't be here for kids without the fine work you do Secondly, I want to thank my assistant superintendent Jeff Porter who really was on board last year when this progress project began And it's really been the driving force behind it for the Bideford school department. I really appreciate the work. He's done When we talk about resources and we talking about trying to get kids to catch up These are the types of things that keeps kids connected to their schools and connected in their community And so we're just so thankful for you guys And we look forward to spending The next five years with you and hopefully longer. Thank you I just want to echo what Jeremy said and again Thanks to learning works for the work that you've done and our partnership with us And we know we're going to continue to strengthen our partnership as we Share these resources and bring on board presumed Scott and Ocean Avenue We have our principals here really a driving force for change in organization. It really starts with the leadership level Leadership at the principal level and we're fortunate in Portland to have two amazing principals principal Lauren at presumed Scott Principal Curran see at Ocean Avenue. They're going to really do great work in partnership with learning works. I think for us It's really around making sure that students graduate from high school college and career ready without the need for remediation and We understand that we're students get off track. It's really at the elementary level Right, and that's how they're pre K to 16 focus and it's really a clear bright line benchmark for us is getting every student reading Proficient and reading that grade level by third grade And that's why it's valuable to have these resources come in at second grade to make sure that students You need that additional support to really accelerate their learning and get them there have that support Especially in the time we're dealing with Diminished resources so it's wonderful to have this partnership that will allow for our students to Understand that learning just doesn't end when the school day is over that it's extended that it's also summer learning experience for our students and what I've often said to Internally to our stakeholders and externally I say this this afternoon is that we have students who? Through our more imperative or below proficiency that we really have to get them to proficiency faster And this is part of those partnerships that this program and support that you're going to provide That would help us take our students and get them to proficient that much faster And so for that we're grateful. We're thankful and this is really critical to our work. So thanks again I'll add that when Manny first got to town and we were first Hanging out and chatting about the schools one of the first things he said is we got to figure out how to close the gap in the summer You know we got these kids and they're done in June and they don't start again until September and so much ground gets lost We got a focus on closing that gap and that's when we really began the conversation about how to make this kind of work happen In terms of making it happen my next two guests that I want to bring up to speak If you don't remember last spring the Department of Education awarded these grants and then through a bureaucratic mistake on there and pulled them back So we had this press conference then we're past the appeal process. There's no possibility can't pull it back this time So we waited But really there was a tremendous amount of Conversation up in Augusta from our legislators and from the two individuals are going to speak right now with the Department of Education pushing hard to make sure that they got these funds back out the door as fast as possible and that those programs that were legitimate and that knew how to spend the money appropriately got funded and Not only did the Department of Education get the money back out the door They just about doubled the amount of money that they were funding last time so many more kids are getting services We did lose some time that kids could have got otherwise But in the end there's more money getting out the door more kids are going to be served and these two individuals are Instrumental making that happen. That's Mayor Alan Cassavan. There's also a legislator from Bittiford and Senate President Justin Alfond, who's the senator from the city of Portland representing this district and learning works in particular So if you two guys would come up, we'd love to have you So thank you Ethan and it's great to see so many students here because that's what this is all about But you can't Overstate a couple things one. This is a competitive grant. So learning works competed against many other great Programs They put their heart and soul into them and learner works not just got one, but I got two pieces of the pie So congratulations to learning works and the results you're getting the accountability The bar that you have for all of your programs and that can't be overstated enough So thank you Ethan for providing great leadership This this public-private partnership It's been talked about a little bit, but we have to get more creative. Clearly. We are not putting out the dollars We'd like from the state side and so we have to get more creative and programs that work with our public schools Work as nonprofits coming together solving problems. That's what makes our communities great and make our communities strong and Again, it's what makes these students thrive and hopefully smile a little bit. Come on smile a little bit guys I mean this you know you must be getting some sort of credit for being here But no, I just it's really very very important that it's always it's student Centered whatever we're doing has to be student-centered because at the end of the day you all are gonna be taking care of us You know and that's and and and now I need I need to take care of me so 1400 students that's that's a lot of students, but what does that really mean? I mean Ethan spoke about it quite a bit this extended learning time is so crucial after school summer Doing it and not the same traditional ways that they do in school. It's it's it's it's dynamic It's really really important and that and they and what we're doing is closing that gap and giving all students a better opportunity when they're in school traditionally and so I am thrilled For this day. It's taken a lot of emails a lot of phone calls a lot of tough conversations with the Department of Education But that's all behind us. What's in front of us is a great opportunity for 1400 students and their families So thank you Ethan for giving me the opportunity to speak today You notice how politically savvy I am I always defer to the senator, you know, of course He doesn't mention that you know, we talked about support. Well, of course, I'm always up in Augusta supporting him but On a serious note, I really appreciate what Justin has done. I don't think you really like many people realize What an advocate he's been for education that while he's on the Education Committee now is Senate president I mean his voice is always loud and clear in terms of education and he was a huge asset to this program And I want to thank Ethan and his staff for being so persistent This is deja vu all over again as Yogi said because I was here Just a number of months ago celebrating the award and of course as was indicated. There was a bureaucratic Follow-up, but I got to admit, you know, Commissioner Bowen Was very receptive. He understood he listened to what I had to say I listened to what what the senator said and he was there and the goods got delivered and I can tell you something You know, I'm mayor Bitterford currently. I served as a teacher for 35 years and social studies And I was well aware of how Critical it was for kids in the younger years to get some sort of foundational support Whether it was in the home or in the schools that had to take place and those who didn't get it by the time that I got them There was something missing. There was a gap and a lot of it translated to self-esteem And part of my job happened to be rebuilding self-esteem and trying to get them to believe in themselves to believe in their skills and Programs like this are so important to reconnect kids with the thrill of education of learning So I want to thank you for all you've done I want to thank the state of Maine for what it's done And I'm really thrilled that you've expanded a bit of it because I know that our kids will be willing and able to meet the task You know, it's it is remarkable the folks we have here and the kind of work that they do up in Augusta in terms of making sure that Education is put at the forefront and I appreciate everybody's kind words about learning works I want to pass that on to is Amy there's Amy Amy who runs this program who doesn't like to stand in front of crowds And but she really is the rock in the foundation that makes this program work But she was also the rock and foundation of these applications and yes We did get funded and we also we were the two best We were the two top-scoring applications in the state and that really was thanks to Amy because she really knows how to put This together and she understands what moves kids from a place of instability to a place of stability. So thank you The Senate majority leader is also here I want to say thank you for coming Seth Goodall from Sagittahawk County has been gracious enough to come down and join us So thank you for being here. I appreciate it We have a couple of reporters here, and I don't know if you want to ask a few questions Jeannie wanted vickers oversees all our educational programs So Jeannie would you mind coming up if there are any specific questions about the programming itself? She's happy to answer them or any of the other folks here The difference was about 2.2 million over the five years about 2.4 million so it's gonna allow us I think in the spring We probably would have been able to serve 1200 or so now we're gonna be able to serve about 1400 over the five years That's both in Portland and Bideford across the board. So combined. Yep Yep, the two schools in Bideford, it's about 150 kids a year the two schools in Portland It's about 130 kids a year Yep, 300,000 annually for Bideford and 257,000 not that I count every penny 257,000 for Portland for the two schools and so it's a five-year grant But in the final in the years four and five they reduced the amount of the original awards It goes down to 75% then down to 65% No, the ones in Portland that we currently have reiki and East End will remain there under a different grant But the same program these will be brand new programs in two new schools presumed Scott and ocean The principals are here too and they can answer any questions We've done quite a bit in Bideford actually we started down there we have some case managers who are working with at-risk young adults We have Anger management classes that we provide and we also have a new high school that we're starting down there just like YBA up here. It'll be called YBB Youth Bill Bideford and that'll be starting up Sometime late winter two weeks That's what Nick always says when he's working on a construction project just two more weeks. Yeah three months later It's still two weeks. Yeah So, yeah, we'll be starting the high school. That's with Bideford Housing Authority and coalition there. All right Well, thank you everybody for coming and if you have any additional questions for any of these folks Please feel free to do it really appreciate your being here today. Thanks very much for the support