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Closed session was entered at 6:08p.m.

Closed session reconvened at 7:48 p.m. Dr. Jennings noted that no action was taken and proposed tabling the HR update and the Facilities update to the December meeting. 

RISE 2021-22 Priorities: Data-driven, campus culture, college and career.

October Data and Demographics Data Update
RISE serves 209 students, 48% of whom are opportunity youth. ADA from 10/4 - 10/29 was 60.41% at Hawthorne, 56.11% at APCH, and 61.3% at New Earth. Schoolwide ADA is 58.39%. Mr. Whalen shared a breakdown of the number of foster youth, probationary youth, housing unstable (which changes weekly), and parenting youth across the RISE sites. He also highlighted data pertaining to student support services provided during the first quarter from all three school sites.

SSS Support Services Data - August-November 12
Mrs. Montes-Rodriguez noted the increase in case manager check-ins and individual counseling compared to presentations in the past. Mr. Whalen shared that the increase in data includes general check-ins for all students. Case manager interns have also increased support due to the transitions at New Earth. 

Partnership Updates
New Earth: To support building morale, students have had the opportunity to participate in field trips, including pottery, Appia BioTech, the beach, hiking. The career center is open for all students to assist with employment.

APCH: Paid Fall internships have started for students and members. A RISE student is currently interning with the IMPACT program and shadowing other departments. Staff are finalizing family-to-family matching where APCH will be supplying students and their families gift cards for the holidays. Students also received direct financial assistance this month.

Richstone: Staff are working collaboratively to offer no-cost enrichment opportunities to students such as gardening, cooking, etc. RISE students will have opportunities to volunteer in the Richstone Kids Club after-school program. Students will also have access to resources for the holidays, such as free Christmas trees for families in need.

RISE at Richstone:
Students engaged in a STEM interdisciplinary project, Verizon Emoji Design Challenge, during Quarter 1 to earn Math and English credits. Support by Board Members is requested by voting and selecting the winning student-designed emoji. Students engaged in the XQ Math Project Pilot and the Appia Biotech field trip. The new English and Math teachers are serving cross-site and were onboarded. The Special Education teacher position has been filled and is expected to start in early December. Staff are in the process of interviewing candidates to fulfill the open Office Manager position. 

RISE at APCH
Participation in various enrichment opportunities, including art workshops with community artists, culinary/business 101 workshops, bath bomb creations, CSU workshops, etc. Students participating within the onsite services are actively engaged with programming and steadily earning credits throughout our 21-22 instructional quarters. With the APCH vaccination mandates, the focus is to increase student vaccination awareness by providing COVID-19 health workshops, inviting medical experts as special guests, providing mobile clinics, student assemblies, etc., to increase the number of students vaccinated at the school site and ultimately maintain student enrollment.

RISE at NE
RISE is commencing the Tenant Awards to build morale and celebrations across campus. There will be a community Thanksgiving potluck for all students and staff. The book club has also started and is focused on student literacy through literature circles. New Earth is still seeking to fill many roles within the organization.

RISE 21-22 Cabinet Members
Mr. Whalen introduced the RISE cabinet. Members across sites will be supporting the evolution of RISE and the re-adaptation post-campus closure. The team is reviewing shared leadership structures and assessing the RISE model at large for refinements and adjustments that need to be made by eliciting feedback and insight from the community. 

Dr. McCullough asked about the emoji project. Ms. Naomi Lara shared that the project utilized the curriculum that Verizon launched. The winning student earns a meal from a restaurant of their choice paid by staff. 

Mrs. Montes-Rodriguez asked about vaccination requirements at APCH and staff impacts. Mr. Whalen shared that staff will be impacted, but accommodations will be made as needed. 

Mrs. Kari Croft shared grant application updates. The status of the Drown Foundation proposal will be provided mid-December. Regarding the Reinvention Lab grant submitted last month, staff were invited to an interview on January 13th for the next round. RISE did not advance for the STOP award as elementary schools and non-profits launched during COVID were prioritized. Mrs. Croft reviewed collaboration efforts and updates with Emerson collective, XQ Super Schools, and Capitol Advisors for potential pathways for special legislation and expanding communications through potential media outlets. Discussions center around the development plan and funding challenges.

The advisory committee met last week and completed a decent amount of foundation prospecting. Over 15 potential leads for foundations were identified. The list has been shared with the board working group, Mr. Whalen, and Dr. Wunder to prioritize and identify existing connections. Mrs. Croft thanked Ms. Carla Levinson and her team for supporting the giving campaign. Currently in progress are meeting requests with Ahmanson and Parsons Foundations. Through APCH, there is potential for a multi-year funding opportunity. In support of this, materials and a strategic plan will be shared with the CEO of APCH. Mrs. Croft is also finalizing a list of priority foundations and delegations of responsibilities and timelines.

Mrs. Croft shared concerns and challenges to garner problem-solving strategies with the group. Some concerns are limited staff capacity, competing priorities, and the need for alignment on necessary actions to ensure goals are being met. Mrs. Croft shared that moving target of the total amount of the deficit contributes to the difficulty of strategic planning and clear communication with potential funders. She thanked Mr. Amato for his presentation and breakdown of different scenarios, which provided context and guidance for the organization. Further challenges in applying for grants and opportunities center around more organizations applying with fewer foundations willing to take the risk on new and unfamiliar organizations. A few big donors or foundations have expressed they are not accepting new requests for grants and are not considering letters of intent or proposals. Mrs. Croft spoke of the urgency around creating greater collective alignment around priority actions and deadlines, so everyone moves forward together.

Dr. Jennings suggested inviting Dr. Wunder to the December 1st Board Working Group meeting to support prioritization and discuss focusing Board support and efforts.

Mr. Taylor asked for brief clarification on the points Mrs. Croft made and asked if something specific was needed from the Board. Mrs. Croft clarified her points and asked for direction in her efforts to be of best use.

Mr. Whalen reviewed the Educator Effective Block Grant and shared how the funds are being determined and what the funds are spent on. RISE will be focusing on strategies to implement social-emotional learning, trauma-informed practices, suicide prevention, access to mental health services, and other approaches that improve pupil well-being. Use of the funds will be used to supplement co-location partnership fees to provide mental health services, wellness programming, case management, arts and enrichment and diversion programming to support RISE students. The funds will be utilized in SY 22-23. 

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