BGA Awards 2nd Annual Education Summit Spotlight of Achievement

October 2013
Issue 2
elevate
A newsletter dedicated to celebrating the success and empowerment of low-income
families and youth, and the organizations working to improve their communities.
Perlman Summit scholarship recipient, Joaquin Clay, conquering the UCLA Ropes and Challenge course.
2nd Annual
Education
Summit
A life-changing event for
26 students.
page 2
Spotlight of
Achievement
BGA
Awards
Meet the founder
of Social Justice
Learning Institute.
Now accepting
applications.
page 6
page 4
Summer Camp Program
Upcoming Events & Programs
My Future Scholarship Recipients
Become a Sponsor
page 6
pages 7
page 7
pages 8
Bridging
Gap
the
Welcome to the 2nd edition of the
Perlman Foundation quarterly newsletter –
Elevate. We received a lot of positive
feedback from our last newsletter, and
we truly want to thank you for your
2nd Annual
continued support and donations.
Perlman
This summer, the Perlman Foundation
awarded college scholarships to 45 high
school seniors and nine college students,
bringing our total awards to $170,000
over the past four years.
In addition, we held our 2nd Annual
Perlman Education Summit at UCLA
where 26 of our high school senior
scholarship winners came to Los Angeles
to participate in a four-day summit to
help them prepare for their first year
in college. Words cannot describe the
feeling in the room as these students
began to realize and understand the
notion that success was “Their Life,
Their Choice and Their Future.”
As we plan for the year ahead, we are
committed to reaching even more
individuals. So please be on the lookout
for announcements on program updates,
new partnerships, grant opportunities
and more. If you have an idea to help us
be the best, please email me personally!
And again, thank you for your support!
The 2nd Annual Perlman Education Summit, held on
June 26-30 at UCLA’s campus, hosted 26 students
from across the country. The four-day retreat, themed
“My Life, My Choice, My Future,” was designed
to prepare incoming freshmen for their first year
in college and empower them to take personal
responsibility for their own success.
During the summit, participants were exposed to a variety of educational, cultural and
recreational activities that focused on building their self-esteem, self-confidence and
self-determination. Students attended daily sessions with workshops on note-taking
skills, study habits, time management and college writing, in addition to attending daily
mindset-building workshops such as creating a personal brand and network. Each
student was also encouraged to step outside their comfort zone and participate in the
UCLA Ropes and Challenge course, which required them to work as a team and walk
across a tightrope 30 feet in the air.
“You walk into the summit totally unaware that in just a few days you’re going to walk
out with great friendships and feeling one thousand times more confident, prepared
and fully worthy for college. It’s just an amazing experience!” exclaimed Myesha Parker,
who started her freshman year at Texas Tech University this fall.
Gregory Perlman
Founder and CEO
2
The 26 students in attendance were all recipients of the Perlman Foundation’s “My
Future Scholarship” and were selected based on their personal motivation to succeed.
elevate: The Perlman Foundation Newsletter
Summit Spotlight
Elijah Bibbs
The summit was an exciting learning
experience where I joined 25 other teen
freshmen students from around the
country to take part in an academic and
physical challenge for four days.
We had an all-expense-paid trip to Los Angeles where we were met by
adult chaperones and teen counselors at a hotel. We spent the evening
getting to know everyone. We found out what college everyone was going
to and what they were planning to major in. I was happy to know that there
were other freshmen going to school to play football — we hit it off right away!
The next day we went to UCLA where we stayed the remainder of the
week in dorms. That was an experience for me because I’ve only slept
in my bed at home. I told myself, “So this is college living.”
While at the summit, I celebrated my 18th birthday where I was given a
cake and everybody sang “Happy Birthday” to me. This is when I realized
that these people truly cared about me. We also had a great time getting
to explore the city. We saw the Hollywood sign and the Walk of Fame.
We went to a L.A. Dodgers game and visited the Santa Monica Pier.
I learned a lot from the classes and the people I talked to, but I feel like I
learned the most from the other people on my trip. They each taught me
something that I’ll always remember and I’ll always appreciate them for that.
This was the greatest experience of my life. I will never forget this and
I know that if college is anything like this, then I will have no trouble
succeeding at the collegiate level.
October 2013 | Issue 2
3
Students from the SJLI
Spotlight
of Achievement
Investing in Innovation: The Social Justice Learning Institute
D’Artagnan Scorza,
founder and
executive dIrector
Go to perlmanfoundation.org/community-spotlight.php to see a video
featuring D’Artagnan Scorza and some of the students he has empowered.
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elevate: The Perlman Foundation Newsletter
The Perlman Foundation awarded the Social Justice Learning Institute (SJLI),
a California-based nonprofit, a $130,000 grant to match funding received
from the California Community Foundation’s BLOOM (Building a Lifetime of
Options and Opportunities for Men) Initiative. Elevate’s Shaun-Teka Joyner sat
down with D’Artagnan Scorza, SJLI’s founder and executive director, to discuss the
organization’s changes and upcoming projects.
Joyner: Can you explain what the SJLI organization is and
how it came to be?
Joyner: Is it important to you to involve today’s youth in
Scorza: I began SJLI in 2006 with the hopes of keeping
Scorza: Yes. As an organization, we grew out of a desire
Black male youth out of prison, out of gangs and off the
street. With a dropout rate of nearly 65 percent at my high
school in Inglewood, CA, I decided I would not wait for
someone else to address the challenges and would do
so myself. I entered graduate school to pursue my PhD
in education and to focus on identifying solutions to the
problems facing Black males. I developed a curriculum
to help these young men create a vision for their future
by going to college and becoming examples of social
change in their community. It was widely successful as
we saw Inglewood Unified School District graduate over
80 percent of their Black males. Out of the 100 percent
of youth who completed our Black Male Youth Academy
program, 95 percent went on to a two- or four-year
college/trade school. Now, these young men return home
from college to give back to their neighborhood, helping
to create a new cycle of success. And this has allowed us
to expand the Black Male Youth Academy to serve roughly
230 boys and men of color in more than six schools
with a focus on probation-involved youth throughout
Los Angeles County.
to create fundamental change in high-need communities
and to do so with, and not for, the youth and community
members already living there. Many people are waiting for
someone else to find solutions to the challenges we face
and I don’t have that perspective. If we want something
done in our community, we need to stand up and do it. We
decided not to wait for the government or corporations, but
instead wanted to empower the community to create our
own solutions — and that’s what we have done. Now, these
young African-American men are in the community pushing
back against gangs, going to college, proposing legislation,
speaking to elected officials, leading community support
efforts and doing it all while they’re still in high school!
Joyner: The SJLI is now in its fifth year and has already
accomplished many great things, and you are now joining
the BLOOM Initiative with California Community Foundation.
Where does the passion come from?
Scorza: Having grown up with a father addicted to drugs
and a struggling single mother, it is important for me to
help those who grew up in similar ways. After serving in
the Navy for four-and-a-half years, being deployed to Iraq
and working on my PhD, I acquired a number of skills and
experiences to understand many of the challenges faced
in high-needs communities. So I guess you can say my
passion comes from my past, from the current needs of my
community and from a deep hope in our future. After being
inspired through a conversation with Rev. James Lawson,
the historic civil rights leader, and Nancy Greenstein, one of
my current Board Members, I was encouraged to build for
the future I wanted to see.
your initiatives?
Joyner: How do you get high school students involved in SJLI?
Scorza: Most often, we work with students throughout the
school year. We have some summer programming, but we’re
working to build a stronger summer program. What’s unique
about our current program is that it takes place during the
school day on high school campuses and is offered as an
elective. We don’t have to hope students will show up on a
Saturday morning. When they are in school, they come to our
class or program just like they would for an English or math
course. We help make school worth it for these students and
that’s why they graduate.
Joyner: That is amazing. What are the next steps with
your organization?
Scorza: Given the type of work we do, I expect us to grow
to other school districts around the country. We intend to
take our curriculum, mission and passion into communities
all across the country. We have so much to bring to our
youth and we are looking forward to expanding!
Joyner: Best wishes and good luck.
Scorza: Thank you and we deeply value our partnership with
the Perlman Foundation. We cannot do this without you!
For more information on the Social Justice Learning Institute, please visit
sjli-cp.org or email D’Artagnan Scorza, founder and executive director, at dscorza@sjli-cp.org.
October 2013 | Issue 2
5
Bridging
Gap Awards
the
The Perlman Foundation is pleased to announce that it
is accepting submissions for its 2nd Annual Bridging
the Gap Awards, a matching grant that assists smallersized charitable organizations who exemplify the
Perlman Foundation’s mission to provide support
and assistance to lower-income youth and families.
This funding opportunity targets organizations that use innovative methods to positively impact
individuals living in low-income communities. Recipients will be awarded a one-time, unrestricted,
matching donation between $5,000 and $20,000 to further their mission. Recipients will also become
eligible for other Perlman Foundation initiatives, such as My Future College Scholarship, which awards
scholarship money to incoming freshmen around the U.S. With minimal budgets, these organizations
have implemented programs that continuously leave a significant imprint on the communities they serve.
The grant opens on October 10, 2013, and closes on October 31, 2013. For more
information or a list of qualifications, please visit perlmanfoundation.org/bga.php.
Summer
FUN
The Perlman Foundation gave the gift of summer
to 300 amazing campers.
Through the Summer Camp Scholarship program and partnerships with 30 camps
across the U.S., the Perlman Foundation provided a one-of-a-kind experience to
youth living in Section 8 Housing.
Participants enjoyed a safe and educational opportunity designed to engage them in
a variety of outdoor activities.
“It is important that we do this every year,” says Greg Perlman, founder and CEO of the
Perlman Foundation. “It’s not just about helping a child get to camp; it’s about providing
a memorable and irreplaceable experience that may otherwise be unavailable.”
For a complete list of summer camps or to help make a difference in a child’s life, please visit perlmanfoundation.org.
6
elevate: The Perlman Foundation Newsletter
My Future
Scholarship
Recipients
The Perlman Foundation recently awarded 45 education
scholarships to incoming college freshmen from
around the US. The scholarship recipients were selected
through a competitive application process, which took
into account their personal background, motivation to
succeed, community service and involvement, as well as
their GPA. Each recipient will receive a yearly scholarship
between $500 and $2,500, renewable for up to four years.
As part of the scholarship, students will also have access to
an education counselor to help with education decisions,
such as selecting a major, tutoring and financial aid.
Meet a few of the scholars:
Previous BGA recipients from SERA, Inc.
Miriam Gonzalez
GPA: 3.70
Attending: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Organization: College Access Plan
Mark Your Calendar
Personal Statement Webinar
Date | October 25, 2013
Time | 5:30PM–7PM (PST)
Location | Online
This webinar will help high school seniors critically plan and
develop their personal statement topics. For more information,
please visit perlmanfoundation.org.
College Application & Personal Statement Workshop
Date | November 2–3, 2013
Time | 10AM–3PM (PST)
Location | Venice, CA
Free to Los Angeles residents, this workshop will help high
school seniors put together a competitive college application.
To learn more and reserve a spot (space is limited), please email
scholarships@perlmanfoundation.org.
Myesha Parker
GPA: 3.33
Attending: Texas Tech University
Organization: People’s El Shaddai Village - PK Management
Jajuan Brown
GPA: 3.04
Attending: Washington State University
Organization: Mentoring Partnership Youth Development
Davion Marsh
GPA: 3.9
Attending: University of Charlotte North Carolina
Organization: Coleridge Road Apartments - PK Management
For a full list of the 2013-2014 scholarship recipients,
please visit us online at perlmanfoundation.org/
scholarship-spotlight.php.
October 2013 | Issue 2
7
Expose
Your Brand.
Empower
the Community.
Sponsor.
The Perlman Foundation is currently
seeking new sponsors and partnerships
to continue expanding our mission
and reach.
We want to thank all of our past and current sponsors who
have supported our events, making them so successful. The
Perlman Foundation is only able to make a difference because
of the generous support from businesses like yours.
Your sponsorship gives your company the ability to reach
thousands of people, increase the visibility of your brand,
improve corporate image and make a lasting impact. Plus,
100% of all funds donated to the foundation goes to our
programs! How many organizations can say that?
Download our Sponsorship Packet for details on sponsorship
levels, benefits and target marketing opportunities at
perlmanfoundation.org/donate.php
For additional information about sponsorship
opportunities, please contact Shaun-Teka Joyner at
sponsorships@perlmanfoundation.org.
How to Give to the Perlman Foundation.
You can choose to make a general, memorial or honorary
donation either online at perlmanfoundation.org/donate.php
or by mailing checks to:
Perlman Foundation
c/o Elisa Della Ripa
15301 Ventura Blvd. Suite B570
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Stay Connected
/ThePFoundation
@ThePFoundation
Connecting Communities to UCLA (CCU), former BGA winner.
Board of Directors
Executive Leadership
Gregory Perlman
Founder
Shaun-Teka Joyner
Executive Director
Jodi Perlman
Founder
Rhonda Kidd
Director of Communications
Elisa Della Ripa
Joyce Walker
2013 National Sponsors
2013 Local Sponsors