Hannah Project Partnership For Academic Achievement

EDUCATIONAL AND ACADEMIC SERVICES FreedomSchool2/Scholar2Scholar (S2S) In 2022, concerned with the continued impact of the COVID pandemic, particularly among students entering adolescence during this period of isolation, Hannah piloted a new program we called FreedomSchool2/Scholar2Scholar focused on middle and high school students. Partnering with the Sausalito Marin City School District, Hannah provided full-time staff support on site at Dr. MLK Academy. Staff provided Tier 2 support to designated middle school students, oversight of student government, the student store, leadership development, and cultural celebrations including Hispanic Heritage Week, Black History Month, Dias de La Raza, Jazz History Month, and MLK and Caesar Chavez Day. In high school, Hannah provided part-time staffing in the Tamalpais High School District including collaboration with Tamalpais High's Success Network to monitor entering freshmen attendance, homework completion, grades and engagement in student activities. Program participants were given laptops to facilitate homework and ensure that each household could have reliable interface with online school communication. The FreedomSchool2/Scholar2Scholar program continued in 2023 with greater emphasis in the middle school program placed on behavior modification and academic preparation for high school. Dominican College provided tutors twice per week in English and Math to support student success. The S2S high school component expanded in 2023 to include both freshmen and sophomores. Parent Empowerment With the introduction of the FreedomSchool2/Scholar2Scholar program in 2022, Hannah began a parallel program with parents of enrolled students to better acquaint them with school policies and strategies to ensure that their students graduate and attend college. These quarterly meal focused meetings have continued on a quarterly basis throughout the 2022 and 2023 school year. These meetings have been augmented by periodic family night programs to foster increased family engagement.

Reading by 3rd Grade Campaign With the startling news that half of California students do not read at grade level. For low-income Latinx 3rd graders, 66% are below grade level. For low-income African American students, 74% - more than 3 million children. To link our community's efforts with that of State Superintendent Tony Thurmond's "Reading by Third Grade" state-wide initiative, Hannah launched a READING by Third Grade campaign in the fall of 2022 with a community meeting to determine interest. In 2023, Hannah held a Reading by 3rd Grade workshop at the community's annual MLK event to bring the issue to light and concerns about the Lucy Calkins "balanced reading" curriculum currently in use in district classrooms. Subsequent workshops included the movie 'The Right to Read;" an info session with parents and other interested persons led by SMCSD teachers on reading methodologies; and other discussions around alternatives to "balanced reading" approach, including the "science of reading" a more explicit approach to teaching phonics, letters and sounds, and comprehension which many believe has been shown to be more successful with low-income students of color. These concerns and discussions have been shared with district staff and the school board with an explicit recommendation for SMCSD to pilot science of reading curriculum in the district. Save our City SAVE OUR CITY is a recently formed (2023) coalition of residents and allies who have come together to support the children and families of Marin and protect the historical legacy, rich cultural diversity and environmental integrity of our beloved community whose viability is being threatened by an aging and neglected infrastructure, gentrification, and development pressures. Headed by the Hannah Project, the coalition has opposed a large housing development at 825 Drake Project because of the safety issues it poses for nearby seniors and families who use an adjacent park. SAVE OUR CITY is seeking to purchase the property to repurpose it for child/friendly usage. Voter Information Hannah hosted two voter information nights to better inform constituents on school board candidate positions.

Dream Keeper Scholarship The Dream Keeper Scholarship program was organized to provide academic counseling and financial support to low-income constituents.