IV Youth Projects

Preparing Kids for Success

By Erica Rascón on Apr 5, 2016 in Giving, People

When it comes to education, establishing a strong foundation is integral for success. Since 1971, the Isla Vista Youth Projects (IVYP) Children’s Center has provided affordable childcare and enrichment to children between the ages of three months and six years of age. By forming a strong foundation in social skills and how to learn, children are better prepared for lifelong success.

Establishing good foundations for youth is the root of IVYP’s county-wide educational program, THRIVE. The program provides academic, social, and emotional support for children before they enter kindergarten. Children are then ready to meet schools’ increasingly rigorous demands before their first day of school. IVYP is also able to address students who need additional care and services before those issues affect their academic success.

Throughout the year, THRIVE assesses each student using 12 indicators of preparedness. If a child falters, the team intervenes.

Tyler Speier, Operations Manager at IVYP, explains, “We have partnerships with several organizations including CALM and the Department of Education. So at the beginning of the program, if we have a child who seems like they’re not going to be ready, we immediately start an intervention. Usually, it’s a social-emotional indicator where they are behind. We bring in a therapist and they work with the child using play therapy or other options. The goal is to work with the child throughout the year to bring them up to par.”

In the rare case that the child is still unprepared by the end of the program, THRIVE notifies the kindergarten teacher. The teacher can then coordinate counseling, tutoring, and additional services through the school district. The child’s needs are actively being addressed before the first assignment is ever assessed.

IVYP continues supporting the child after they begin Kindergarten, offering an After School Enrichment Program at Isla Vista Elementary School. 100 students are able to receive homework assistance, participate in clubs and classes, have extended library and computer lab access, and participate in extra-curricular activities (which they would not have the opportunity to engage in otherwise).

Meeting a child’s needs extends beyond the realm of academia. By enrolling their children in the Children’s Center or After School Program, parents are empowered to earn a living, go to school, and ultimately work to end the cycle of poverty in their families.

IVYP offers programs that help parents provide a supportive and nourishing environments for their children through their Family Resource Center. IVYP has teamed up with several community resources, including Santa Barbara City College, to offer onsite ESL courses. These enable parents to help children with their homework and stay involved in school activities. The organization also provides transportation downtown where parents can apply for WIC services. With WIC, parents can provide nutritious meals for their families. Parent can also receive assistance applying for Medi-Cal, Cal-Works, Cal-Fresh, take parenting classes, receive counseling services, and get peer support.

The IVYP model works so well that IVYP recently earned the Audience Choice Award at Fast Pitch Santa Barbara. Heralded by Bill Gates as “an incredible learning opportunity,” Fast Pitch is an intensive 10-week training that helps nonprofit leaders hone their skills. Upon completion, organizations are ready to quickly and effortlessly promote their nonprofit to donors.

Out of 60 competitors, IVYP’s dedication to children’s academic success won over the hearts of Fast Pitch audiences.

“Fast Pitch culminates in a large show—kind of like the TV show Shark Tank meets American Idol,” laughs Speier. “You get up on this huge stage in front of 500 people and we give our speeches. There were judges to issue awards and the audience can also text in votes. We won the Audience Choice Award. That’s pretty cool.”

A great pitch has resulted in more than Fast Pitch accolades. The mission of IVYP and its record of quantifiable results caught the attention of Yardi. The company now sponsors IVYP to ensure that the organization can keep impacting the lives of thousands of families.

Yardi sponsors 10 student scholarships that allow kids to attend the nine-month After School program without interruption. Those scholarships also opened 10 slots for additional children to attend the program who otherwise would have remained on the waitlist.

“Yardi’s support has been a game changer for these kids,” says Speier. “It makes our turnover lower but the real benefit is that they get the full benefits of this program without interruption.”

Further support is needed to guarantee that IVYP can help students succeed for years to come. There are currently 80 children on the IVYP Children’s Center waitlist and 100 on the After School Program waitlist. The organization also seeks a permanent place to call home.

“We’re in the middle of our capital campaign right now to secure our building in Isla Vista,” says Speier. “We have the opportunity to buy our building and ensure that we can be around for several generations to keep doing what we do—changing the lives of children in our community.”