SUMMER 2013

NEWSLET TER

5 PROMISES FOR T WO GENERATIONS

CARing adults safe places a healthy start an effective education an opportunity to give back

director's letter
When I joined DCPNI last April I laid out seven priority areas, in which I would focus my immediate attention in order to move DCPNI forward in becoming a world-class organization. Those areas included enhancing partner support and accountability measures, data collection and reporting, staff recruitment, strengthening our outreach and engagement, board development, increasing our budget and redefining our organizational structure. Over the course of these past six months, thanks to our amazing investment from the Department of Education and countless other supporters, we have been able to use this time to catapult the progress and growth of this organization at an unprecedented pace. This has been both exciting and challenging as my board, my team and I, all work diligently to identify and close gaps to ensure the delivery of high quality services to our schools, youth and families living in the Kenilworth-Parkside community. Since January, we have welcomed several new board members, our full time staff has quadrupled from 4 team members to 16 and our partner programming is growing by the day. Our mission to increase the number of children who complete their education from cradle to college and enter adulthood as productive participants in the 21st century economy and in the civic life of their communities, is becoming a reality, one day at a time. As we shift into life after the grant, our priorities have shifted too. With such a responsibility to uphold, we are taking great pride and deliberation in establishing a true pipeline of services to be delivered through our collective impact approach. Some of our deliverables are tangible and in some cases they are not. However, I am most proud of the immediate gains we have made thus far in jumpstarting our summer programs to ensure a decrease in summer learning loss and in forging stronger community partnerships through our newly launched Community Action Teams and Community-Based Summer Support assistance, which can read more about in this edition of our newsletter. With summer programs off to a strong start and our increased capacity, we have immediately transitioned into planning for the upcoming school year.

in the news
DCPNI in Ebony.com!

Click here to read the full article!

Neval Thomas ES and Cesar Chavez Middle and High schools will serve as our primary focus group for year one. And although Kenilworth Elementary School has closed, DCPNI has worked closely with the District and the community to remain onsite to house some of our key partner programs and staff. Additionally, through our efforts in working with the Chancellor, students from Kenilworth ES have been given the right to transfer to Neval Thomas. We are excited to report that nearly 60% of the students from Kenilworth ES have registered to date, to attend Neval Thomas in SY 2013/14; this will allow them to more readily access our continuum of services. Delivering our Five Promises for Two Generations is an enormous responsibility that I take seriously and one that will take time. As we continue to make major gains, I remain energized with my sights on the road ahead in expanding our programs better support the needs of our students, parents and educational leaders.

Warm Regards,
Watch the historic journey of Kenilworth Elementary School encapsulated with pride.

Executive Director, DCPNI

Ms. Ayris T. Scales

Summer Learning: Keeping Students Engaged

With the goal of youth entering the 2013/14 school year with the strongest lift off, DCPNI produced a 2013 Summer Guide offering a bounty of enriching courses and educational activities for youth in Kenilworth Parkside from science and technology programs to day camps and youth sportstowards the promotion of a healthier lifestyle, furthering STEM learning and enhancing 21st century skills as youth enter a globally competitive economy upon graduation.
One such program is our very own Digital Media Academy (DMA) DMA is slated to be one of the most innovative of the programs stemming from the network of Promise Neighborhoods nationwide. Serving 22 youth this summer, the program helps to prepare youth for careers in the 21st century economy through over 130 robust hours of digital media instruction and immersion. Program participants learn to use 21st century tools and technologies to bring their ideas to life and make their voices heard by others in their communities and across the globe. Youth are charged with producing a PSA campaign as part of their service learning project. This summer, the youth will focus on teen pregnancy prevention. We are interconnecting this program with world class resources from public, private and social partnerships and bringing the most important voice to the table youth from the community. The DCPNI Youth Portal will feature digital portfolios youth works in action, which will also be on exhibit at Bus Boys and Poets in downtown, DC on Friday, August 9th.

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29 22 76.5 7.5 30.5 18 132.5 1

PROGRAM DAYS YOUTH PARTICIPANTS COURSE HOURS WORKSHOP HOURS INTERNSHIP HOURS

FIELD TRIP HOURS HOURS OF DIGITAL MEDIA IMMERSION IN HYBRID LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AMAZING STUDENTPRODUCED PSA CAMPAIGN AROUND TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION

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MEDIA MENTOR PLACEMENTS!!!

DMA participants who are assigned to Media Mentors work off-site in an internship at major media and marketing companies within DC. Media Mentors will expose DMA participants to potential careers in the marketing, media, communications, advertising and journalism industries, while helping them develop the skills essential for college and career success.

Perennial Sports OCTO The Aba Agency Studio202 BET Destination DC Corporation for Public Broadcasting

WHUR 96.3FM CNN FHI360 WPFW 89.3FM RT TV America The Informer Newspaper American Advertising Federation

the Challenge

On average,
3 months of math and reading learning/
functioning every summer. a student loses

DCPNI DELIVERS

DCPNI has

and education for youth 0-21 this Summer. That is an

880 slots for summer programs, activities

11 partnerships providing over

INCREASE of 161 slots or 22 % from last year.

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CONTACT US!
1300 44th St. NE, 3rd Floor Washington, DC 20019 202-615-0935 info@dcpni.org

Y K

READY, SET, GO!

SPEND YOUR SUMMER ENGAGED IN FUN AND SAFE PROGRAMS

DCPNIS SUMMER PROGRAMS GUIDE

Click here to access the full brochure!

DCPNI's Community-Based Summer Programming support! (CBSP) In the summer of 2013, DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative Inc. instituted a
unique opportunity for community centers implementing summer programming within the Kenilworth-Parkside community. DCPNI's Community-Based Summer Programming (CBSP) was implemented in response to inquiries requesting supports for community programming within Kenilworth-Parkside. DCPNI is committed to delivering a cradle to career pipeline for children to ensure that they obtain a quality education, graduate from college or a vocational school, and grow up to have successful careers and communities. Our support of community-based summer programming aligns to this commitment, and helps to mitigate summer-learning loss, provide opportunities for effective and progressive learning, and ensure that children in the community have safe places to play and learn. Although DCPNI cannot always grant every request we review, we are happy to be able to play a role in the success of valuable programs that serve the children of Kenilworth-Parkside. Based on the proposals submitted we are proud to announce that our summer 2013 award recipients are Paradise Summer Youth Program, Mind, Body and Soul Summer Program (Kenilworth Courts) and Kenilworth Terps Athletic Program (KPRMC). We applaud our summer 2013 grant recipients and look forward to cultivating new community partnerships in the future! Summer 2013 recipients of DCPNI's Community Based Summer Program support are Paradise Summer Youth Program, Mind, Body and Soul Summer Program (Kenilworth Courts) and Kenilworth Terps Athletic Program (KPRMC).

CELEBRATING PROGRESS
OUR SEMI-ANNUAL REVIEW
Thanks to a U.S. Department of Education Promise Neighborhood Implementation grant, we began 2013 with the resources necessary to better serve students and families in the Kenilworth-Parkside community. The award provided a groundbreaking opportunity to launch several innovative new initiatives and attract talented staff members who are addressing local challenges and priorities. Take a look at our programmatic highlights, activities and milestones over the past six months.

Building Out Our Collective Impact: Innovation Groups

Since January 2013, DCPNI has convened 7 Innovation Group meetings with 30 of our K-12, College & Career, and Family & Community Supports partners. These meetings have served as a critical venue through which DCPNI partners are sharing programmatic information, identifying areas of overlap and collaboration, and beginning to link their individual programs to create our cradle to career pipeline.

Inaugurated Resident-led Program.

On Wednesday March 24th, with over thirty committed residents in attendance, DCPNI launched its Community Action Teams (CATs). CATs is comprised and spearheaded by KenilworthParkside residents. The mission of CATs is to empower residents to organize and create programs that are resident led, results driven and evidence based in collaboration with DCPNI. With monthly meetings in place, CATs endeavors to transform the fabric of the Kenilworth-Parkside community and the lives of community residents. CATs programming aligns with DCPNIs four target areas: Early Learning, K-12 Support, College/Career Readiness and Family/Community Strengthening. The first of such programming, National Night Out (NNO), will be held on Tuesday, August 6, 2013. NNO is a national program devoted to the promotion of safer communities. The July CATs meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 24th. Future CATs meetings will be held on the fourth Wednesday of each month. If you or someone you know is interested in joining DCPNIs Community Action Teams, please send all inquiries to cat@dcpni.org.

Began Assessing Our Impact.

To make a real difference, both DCPNI and its partners must be effective. We regularly gauge the effectiveness of programming delivered in the communitywhether we are improving lives and student outcomesby collecting demographic, output, and outcome data using the Efforts to Outcomes data (ETO) management system. We will also implement the Results Scorecard to document and share community-level change over time.

SEMI-ANNUAL REVIEW CONT.

Hosted a Health and Wellness Fair.
More than 200 community members and partners came out for our Feb. 27 event at Kenilworth Elementary to promote healthy living. From food and nutrition tips to massage therapy demonstrations and an energetic Zumba class, families were offered valuable information and resources to help guide them towards a healthier lifestyle.

dcPNI in the news!!!

To read the articles in full, go to dcpni.org/news-2

BITTERSWEET

Visited the Harlem Childrens Zone.

Three months into our DOE award, key leadership staff from DCPNI and our anchor schools, Neval Thomas and Cesar Chavez traveled to Harlem to learn firsthand from Geoffrey Canadas national model, about the key components to developing a true pipeline of services and programs from cradle through college. A key highlight of the trip was when Executive Director Ayris T. Scales and Deputy Director Lauren Dunn, presented to Mr. Canada and half a dozen congressional staffers on the DCPNI model and the TwoGeneration approach we are currently developing. This three day technical assistance visit is directly helping our team shape our Parent Academy, Out of School Time strategy, Community Outreach and program design.

Bittersweets Spring 2013 issue applauds DCPNIs comprehensive response to teenage pregnancy. According to the zine about improving public health, 25 percent of births in the KenilworthParkside community are to mothers 19 years old or younger (more than twice the citywide rate) and the average age for a grandmother is only 36. Our promise to provide a healthy start for two generations includes offering essential services to young moms. Bittersweet describes DCPNIs work as a new kind of strategy designed to reduce the number of teen pregnancies, educate teen parents, begin investing in their children, and thus end generational poverty.

EAST OF THE RIVER

Addressing Summer Learning Loss.

In February, DCPNI Executive Director Ayris T. Scales was thrilled to joined Americas Promise Graduation Nation Summit, where she participated the panel, Finding the Time: Building Support for Expanded Learning. Ms. Scales led a discussion on summer learning loss in the Promise Neighborhood and emphasized the importance of ensuring Kenilworth-Parkside students continue to learn and remain engaged in the months between the close of school and the beginning of the new academic year. Her session, was attended by nearly 75 leaders from across the country, where she shared DCPNI lessons learned on coordinating summer programs and the steps DCPNI is taking to enhance our partner coordination to increase student enrollment and program quality for summer 2013.

An East of the River profile opens with Ayris Scales, executive director of the DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative, confiding that her dedication to the Kenilworth-Parkside community stems from being a Ward 7 resident and parent of a child who attends public school. The April 13 feature reports on the origins of DCPNI, the neighborhoods we serve, our strategy and growth, and the connections that ultimately create action and drive change. The local news website spoke to Tracey Woodridge, a resident who runs small child-care business that she was able to expand to serve more children after joining DCPNIs Early Learning Network. What DCPNI does is bring us together as one community, Woodridge said.

ELEVATION DC

What is the focus of the DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative? Ayris Scales recently responded to this poignant question and several others during an interview with Elevation DC, a weekly online magazine that covers whats next for the District of Columbia. We fill gaps and [provide] services that our children wouldn't necessarily have access to because the schools don't have the resources to pay for these additional resources, said Scales, executive director of DCPNI. Published on April 16, the Q and A conducted by Rachel Kaufman also covers the scheduled closing of Kenilworth Elementary School, our five-promise commitment to the children and parents in the community, and predictions for the neighborhood in five years.

DCPNI WINS CAPACITY BUILDING GRANT!

We are pleased to announce that DCPNI has been awarded a Human Resource Capacity Build Service Grant from the Taproot Foundation. The Taproot Foundation makes grants of professional consulting services, called Service Grants, through their Service Grant Program. Every Service Grant is delivered pro bono by a team of 5-6 business professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to help a nonprofit in their community. The goal of the Human Resource Capacity Build project, which is valued at $55,000, is to assess and improve DCPNIs human resource infrastructure. This is extremely an exciting project for DCPNI because as we are in the mist of period of rapid growth from both a staffing and programmatic perspective. Successful completion of the service grant will allow us to more effectively provide services to the community.

EARLY LEARNING!
Alma Powell Sharing DCPNIs Work
The Kenilworth-Parkside community welcomed influential education advocate Alma Powell for a tour of local schools in February. Mrs. Powell serves as chair of the Americas Promise Alliance and is also honorary chair of the DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative. DCPNI was thrilled to host Mrs. Powell, who visited our four target schools: Kenilworth-Parkside Educare, Neval Thomas Elementary, Kenilworth Elementary, and Cesar Chavez middle and high schools. At Kenilworth, students were eager to show off their Black History Month projects. Journalist Janet Langhart - Cohen accompanied her longtime friend on the tour and, along the way, interviewed Powell who emphasized the importance of early childhood education and placed a priority on the need to address the dismal high school graduation rate in the United States.

View the full video of Mrs. Powells inspirational day in our Promise Neighborhood.

Watch this bright and amazing video!

Educare Turns one

In June, Educare celebrated its first year of providing youth in the Kenilworth-Parkside community with the essential tools to start our youth out with high quality early childhood education. Aimed at closing the achievement gap for low income children, Educare currently serves approximately 120 infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their families, providing a fullday year-round education program. A DCPNI anchor partner, this state-of-the-art school will definitely support our effort to ensure our youngsters are kindergarten ready.

dcpni spring jamboree

DCPNI recognizes early childhood is a critical time for our children. How they learn and develop during this period will in many ways dictate their intellectual abilities and opportunities as they mature. On April 28 we welcomed infants, toddlers, preschool and pre-kindergarten children from the DCPNI community to attend the event with their families. The Jamboree coincided with the National Association for the Education of Young Childrens annual Week of the Young Child and the District of Columbias Month of the Young Child.

k-12 news in our schools

ASHLEY WILLIAMS AYRIKA HEWLETT BEANCKA BOOTHE CHANTEL GADDY CHYNA PRICE DAVID FARRAR DEMETRIUS GLEATON DERRICK MURPHY II DEXTER HOOKS DONTE KEMPER DUQUAN ADAMS ELEXIS KEELS HONESTY BRAGG IVORY HALL JAKIYAH ANDERSON JAMES QUIGLEY JAMES GARRETT JIHADAH JACKSON JONATHAN LARIOS KAMARIA BROWN KARIN UMANZOR KAVIN HIGHSMITH KEVIAR MYERS KIANA POWELL MARQUISHA WILLIAMS MILTONIA CHERRY MIRACLE PROCTOR NEIL THOMAS RONIECE COTTOM ROSETTA JOHNSON SHANECE CALHOUN SHANELLE WILLIAMS SHELDON WILLIAMS STEVON FELTON SYDNEY BRYANT TANIA TORRES TANIYA CRUMP TEKIA KENNER TIANA SPENCER TINA STARR TYRIE ELLIOTT WHITNEY WIGGINS

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CESAR CHAVEZ CLASS OF 2013

Cesar Chavez Parkside High School has much to celebrate as the Class of 2013 takes on the world by taking flight to college! In the words of Nelson Mandela, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."
UDC Potomac State Morgan State Delaware State Potomac State Undecided Coppin State Winston Salem State Tennessee State University Livingstone Potomac State University of Delaware Undecided Coppin State Lincoln University Potomac State Undecided Virginia State Coppin State Trinity University Montgomery College Undecided Winston Salem State Morgan State Trinity University Fayetteville State Trinity University Potomac College Delaware State Undecided CCDC Undecided Winston Salem State Undecided Undecided Montgomery College Morgan State Coppin State Undecided Undecided West Virginia State Prince Georges CC

KENILWORTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Former Kenilworth Elementary School Principal, Fatima Johnson-Avery will join Neval Thomas Elementary School as the Vice Principal starting School Year 13/14. Congratulations, Fatima!

NEWS AT CESAR CHAVEZ FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2013/14

PRINCIPAL DWAN JORDAN

JOINS PARKSIDE HIGH SCHOOL

Dwan is a graduate of the 2010 Harvard Graduate School of Education's Principals' Center National Institute for Urban School Leaders. He served as principal of Sousa Middle School in Ward Seven, where he increased proficiency scores by 16% in reading and 25% in math (2010). After Sousa, Principal Jordan transitioned to PG County Public Schools where he was principal of Suitland High School. Following Suitland, Principal Jordan worked in the Sacramento Charter High School (SCHS) before returning home to DC to lead the high school at Chavez Parkside. Welcome, Dwan! ACTING PRINCIPAL FELICIA IRICK

JOINS PARKSIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL

For the past two years Felicia has worked as Chavez's Director of Culture and Academic Support. Prior to Chavez she was the principal of Westport Academy in Baltimore. Congratulations, Felicia! VICE PRINCIPAL/ RESIDENT PRINCIPAL

NATALIE ARTHURS

Prior to this role Natalie served as the Director of Academics at Arts and Technology Academy Public Charter School. She taught and coached other teachers for 8 years in PG County Schools and completed the New Leaders for New Schools Leadership Program. Welcome, Natalie!

Thank you to Our Recent Funders!

DCPNI is grateful for the ongoing and generous support of the local philanthropic community. We absolutely could not accomplish all that we do, without your support.

partner profile
U.C. Berkeley Center for Cities & Schools Y-PLAN
(Youth-Plan, Learn, Act, Now)
DCPNI is proud to introduce a new partner, the Y-PLAN program out of the U.C. Berkeley Center for Cities & Schools. Y-PLAN, or Youth-Plan, Learn, Act, Now, is an award-winning educational strategy and research initiative that partners high school students and teachers with civic leaders, businesses, university students, and other community members to collaboratively develop solutions to authentic community development challenges. Y-PLAN launched their nationwide initiative in February 2013 here in Washington, DC. DCPNI and a cohort of Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools students and teachers, along with staff from the office of Ward 7 Council member Yvette Alexander, participated in the National Y-PLAN Fellows Institute. This group will continue the Y-PLAN program through the upcoming school year to tackle some of Kenilworth-Parksides toughest challenges and offer youth-driven solutions to Council member Alexander, who is serving as the groups legislative mentor. The work of this team will help to ensure that the youth of KenilworthParkside are developing strong leadership skills, are engaging in local community transformation efforts, and are providing DCPNI with an important youth-perspective.

$75,000
from DC LISC

$66,000 $50,000 $25,000 $15,000

from HSBC

from the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region

from the Lois & Richard England Family Foundation

from Prince Charitable Trusts

$2,500
from Walmart

$300

from the District of Columbia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

We are also grateful to the following individuals for their generous support: Brenda Anderson Eliza Barclay Peter Beard Deborah Foster Eric Glaser Antonio Hicks Brenda Lazzari Barbara Metclaf Elizabeth Moderi Michael Pinck Laura Scherler Gabriella Shuskey Francess Taylor Megan Tracz Rachel Wick Gina Williams James Yu

partnership highlights
For nearly 2 years as a DCPNI Partner, AARP Experience Corps has created powerful opportunities for local 50-plus adults to help produce outstanding literacy results for children in grades Kindergarten through third. Across the nation, AARP Experience Corps engages 50-plus adults as literacy tutors and mentors in hundreds of classrooms across the U.S. Through this generational exchange, children succeed, 50-plus adults thrive, and communities are made stronger. During SY 2012/2013, 24 AARP Experience Corps volunteers served nearly 324 students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade classrooms at Kenilworth and Neval Thomas Elementary Schools through classroom assistance and a high-intensity small group literacy intervention. These volunteers, along with great teachers and a strong school administration, help create a culture of success that leads to improved literacy skills, higher standardized test scores, and better student behavior. Sandra Randall started with the DC Branch of AARP Experience Corps in September 2012. She lives in the Kenilworth-Parkside community. Ms. Randall has a direct connection with the children and a motivation to see them succeed. Carole Allen, the team leader at Neval Thomas Elementary, and herself a Kenilworth-Parkside resident, says that Ms. Randall is one of her star tutors and the students interact with her very well. It is evident that Ms. Randall is a positive, dedicated literacy tutor who truly desires to make an impact in her community. She volunteers more than 12 hours per week mentoring and tutoring students working hard to help them achieve reading benchmarks.
The DC Branch of AARP Experience Corps is actively recruiting new volunteers for the coming school year, 2013-2014. Interested 50-plus adults should contact Liz Heaps at 202.434.6495 or dcexperiencecorps@aarp.org.

5 Dynamic Leaders Join DCPNI Board

DCPNI is proud to welcome five new members to our board of directors representing the private, education and non-profit sectors. These dynamic leaders bring a wealth of knowledge, commitment and resources to help fulfill our mission and champion our KenilworthParkside neighborhood.

Mae H. Best

Executive Director, East River Family Strengthening Collaborative (ERFSC)

The wellbeing of children and families has always been central to Mae Bests work, a focus that will greatly benefit DCPNI. Since 2001, Best has served as the executive director of ERFSC, an organization that provides integrated and collaborative services to the Ward 7 residents to help empower youth, seniors and the community to become more self-sufficient. Under her leadership, the organizations resources have grown exponentially from a budget of $700,000 to more than $4,000,000, through contracts with city government agencies as well as foundation contributions. Bests previous work includes stints with the District of Columbias Child and Family Services Agency where she served as director of resource development, director of adoptions and director of homes for black children. She was also a project coordinator with the National Council on Adoptable Children, and prior to relocating to Washington D.C., Best worked for the Mahoning County Children Services Board in Youngstown, Ohio. She earned a masters degree in social work from the University of Illinois and a bachelors degree in social services from North Carolina A&T State University. Having dedicated her career to the promise of the Districts children and families, Best will provide informed leadership to help guide DCPNIs youth and parenting initiatives.

Brett McCleod

Vice President, JPMorgan Chase, Community Development Banking Group

Brett Mcleod, an expert in affordable home financing and urban revitalization, brings a deep understanding of real estate and community development to DCPNI. Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase in April 2012, Macleod was a banker at Citigroup in the Citi Community Capital division, where he originated and underwrote more than $600 million of construction and permanent financing in the Mid-Atlantic. He also worked at Preservation of Affordable Housing, a Bostonbased nonprofit that acquires, rehabilitates and manages affordable housing developments across the nation. Macleod began his career as an educator. He taught seventh grade English and eighth grade math at the Willauer School in Boston and directed a technology education program for low-income families for Citizen Schools, a national after-school program. Macleod is a member of several community development and school boards and also serves on the D.C. Leadership Council for The Posse Foundation. He received two undergraduate degrees from Williams College and earned an MBA, magna cum laude, from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College. Macleods understanding of neighborhood revitalization will bolster DCPNIs promise to deliver safe places to live, play and learn to the children in our community.

Neil O. Albert

Josephine Bias Robinson

Senior Policy Advisor, Holland & Knight

A senior policy advisor in Holland & Knight, Neil Albert brings more than 20 years of executive management experience and a vast network of contacts to DCPNI. Prior to joining the international law firms Public Policy & Regulation Practice Group, he served as city administrator for the District of Columbia in the Fenty Administration. In this position, Albert ran the District's day-to-day government operations, provided oversight and guidance to district government agencies and was responsible for developing and implementing policies and strategies that guided government operations. Prior to his appointment to this position, he served as the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, establishing and executing the District's economic development strategy and managing a development pipeline worth more than $13 billion in public-private housing, retail, office and parks projects. Albert was also responsible for the District's efforts to create and preserve affordable housing and oversaw business attraction and retention initiatives. Prior to joining the Fenty Administration in 2007, Albert was co-founder and CEO of EdBuild, an educational services firm working to increase the number of high-performing schools in the District. Before assuming his role at EdBuild, he served District residents as Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth, Families and Elders and director of the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation. Alberts long standing commitment to the District, deep business development experience and public policy knowledge are invaluable assets that will help drive DCPNIs community improvement goals.

Chief, Office of Family and Public Engagement, District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS)
A dedicated leader in Washingtons public schools, Josephine Bias Robinson focuses on supporting parents and families, encouraging community partnerships and spearheading community engagementactivities that are vital to DCPNIs success. Prior to joining DCPS, Robinson served as vice president of Income and Community Impact at United Way Worldwide and as United Ways representative to the national Emergency Food and Shelter Program Board. She earned a bachelors degree in international relations and politics from Georgetown University, providing a solid foundation for her extensive experience in the public sector. Robinson held several senior appointments in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including director of the Office of Community Services at the Administration for Children & Families and executive director of the Presidents Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. At the White House, Robinson served as executive assistant to Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr. in 2001, and later was associate director for Healthcare Outreach in the Office of Public Liaison. Robinson also worked in the U.S. Senate as a professional staff member to the Joint Economic Committee, and held positions at Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and Amgen. Drawing on her wide range of experience and connection with DCPS families, Robinson will be a tremendous asset to DCPNIs efforts to collaborate with the community and deliver on our promise to ensure that each child in our community is provided with a high quality and effective education.

max skolnik

Executive Director for Washington, D.C., Taproot Foundation

A tireless youth and community advocate, Max Skolnik has nearly two decades of nonprofit experience, invaluable expertise that DCPNI welcomes. At the Taproot Foundation, he promotes an innovative approach to social changeconnecting nonprofit organizations with business, technology, marketing and design experts who donate their time and services pro bono. After earning a masters degree in Latin American studies from the George Washington University, Skolnik founded Kid Power Inc., in 2002. He served as executive director of the nonprofit for 10 years, providing academic, nutritional, and service-learning programs for thousands of young people throughout the District of Columbia. He has lobbied for citywide reforms as a board member of the DC Alliance of Youth Advocates, a coalition of more than 120 organizations, youth and concerned residents. Skolnik has also championed support for the community through the public sector. During his two terms (2005-2009) as commissioner/treasurer on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission, he worked on local school issues, affordable housing, community-based development and public safety concerns. In 2012, he was a Democratic candidate for the Ward 4 DC Council seat. Skolnik resides in Petworth and is looking forward to extending his community service commitment to DCPNIs Kenilworth-Parkside neighborhood and supporting the organizations promise to create opportunities for our residents to give back.

our family is growing

DCPNI recently hired several new staff members talented, community-oriented professionals who will help us fulfill our mission, and the team is still growing. To learn about additional opportunities to support our promise, click here.

Ayris T. Scales Executive Director

ayris.scales@dcpni.org

Eric Scott Chief Operations Officer

eric.scott@dcpni.org

Lauren Dunn Deputy Director

lauren.dunn@dcpni.org

Isaac Castillo Dir. of Data & Evaluation

isaac.castillo@dcpni.org

nekosi nelson dir. of pARTNER ACCOUNTABILITY & OUTCOME MANAGEMENT

nekosi.nelson@dcpni.org

june Jimenez director of development

june.jimenez@dcpni.org

Wendy Osefo Director of family & Community development

wendy.osefo@dcpni.org

GINA DySON grants & finance manager

gina.dyson@dcpni.org

larry hicks special projects manager

larry.hicks@dcpni.org

Quentin liggins Academic Services (K-8) Program Director

quentin.liggins@dcpni.org

april williams Out of School Time Program Director

april.williams@dcpni.org

porscha manson college & career readiness program director

porscha.manson@dcpni.org

Sharita Slayton Community Liaison

sharita.slayton@dcpni.org

Sherrie Jones promise engagement coordinator

sherrie.jones@dcpni.org

Sharon Jeffries Executive Assistant

sharon.jeffries@dcpni.org

Sheila Miller Program Assistant, Operations

sheila.miller@dcpni.org

evert orinion Program Assistant, Community Engagement

evert.orinion@dcpni.org

khia burke syep program Coordinator

khia.burke@dcpni.org

Click here to read our full bios.

1300 44th St. NE, 3rd Floor Washington, DC 20019 202-615-0935 info@dcpni.org

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