Changing Futures

acsf.org P.O. Box 3196 Asheville, NC 28802 828-350-6174

2011-2012

Dear Friends,It is my pleasure to share with you the results of your investment in 2011-2012. Our board of directors, former Co-Director Leah Ferguson, partners through-out the community, and donors deserve praise for the strong foundation they provided that quickened the impact of our work and enhanced the success of our children.

The Foundation Fellows program empowered teachers to be learners and in-novators. Gaelyn Evangreene wanted to spend more time teaching, and less time disciplining her kindergarteners. With a Fellowship from ACSF, Gaelyn studied a strategy for improving self-control that helped children monitor their own be-havior and learn more. The results? Vast improvements in pro-academic behav-iors like attention and time on task. New skills in conflict resolution and anger management will have benefits that last a lifetime for these children. Asheville High Fellow Jerome Hughes saw low SAT scores as a barrier to the future suc-cess of his students living in poverty. Mr. Hughes studied and integrated new strategies into his classroom. As a result his students raised their SAT scores by as much as 400 points, bringing a better college education within reach.

After school, lives were changed at Asheville Middle through the In Real Life (IRL) program. Students explored opportunities like computer game design, civil rights, and hiking. With a gold standard assessment, we found that students were more committed to learning, had more positive values, and felt more em-powered after participating in IRL. One teacher told me about her most difficult student, “IRL turned a statistic into a success.”

The network of community support for schools was strengthened. Friendships become partnerships as local businesses joined forces with ACSF to launch the Go Local discount card -increasing the resources of our schools while strength-ening our local economy. Enhanced collaborations meant more kids experienced the arts during the school day, and more struggling learners were paired with tutors and mentors.

I look forward to expanding our work with your help - as an advocate, volun-teer, donor - we can meet the challenges with innovative, effective solutions.

Kate PettExecutive Directorkate@acsf.org

From the Director

Michelle Robinson- Development ManagerJay Lively- Volunteer Outreach DirectorMiranda Bailey-Foundation Administrator Carlye Gates- VISTA Grants Volunteer

Travis Herbert- Campus Director IRLTiffany DE’Bellott- Prog. Coordinator IRLMaddie Davis- VISTA Volunteer IRL

Staff

ACSF helps children get what they needto discover their abilities and open doors

to a brighter future.

Changing Futures

Ensuring Academic Achievement ACSF coordinates an extensive tutoring program, placing trained volunteers with 142 students at all grade levels in 2011-12. Tutors become more than just academic aides. They often serve as mentors, sound-ing boards, and advocates.

Making College Possible ACSF administers a number of schol-arships that make college affordable for first-generation attendees. In Spring 2012, we awarded $191,600 in scholarships to 38 students.

Focusing on Equity Poverty can wreak havoc on a child’s ability to concentrate and perform well in school. A family illness, homelessness or inability to purchase needed supplies can make the difference between school success or constant struggle.

ACSF Equity Fund provides emergency assistance to families in crisis, so that children can remain focused in school. It also provides extra support to classrooms that serve high-need students, so that everyone can achieve more. In 2011-12, we awarded $5,000 from the Equity Fund.

Re-Imagining Classrooms

Supporting Great TeachersGreat teachers never want to stop learning themselves. The ACSF Foundation Fellow-ships inspire teacher innovation and enthusiasm by allowing teachers to design and conduct real-time research projects in their classrooms aimed at increasing student achievement. The Fellows regularly share their learnings with other ACS faculty. ACSF awarded $30,000 in Fellowships to 29 teachers at 6 schools in 2011-12.

Investing in IdeasCutting edge ideas come from a number of teachers, not just Foundation Fellows. ACFS provides smaller grants to support innovative classroom projects that will enhance the experience and performance of students. In 2011-12, we provided $42,000 to 43 classrooms spread across each school in the district.

Elevating the Art of LearningCreative learning experiences often come from outside the classroom. Teaching Artists Performing in Asheville Schools (TAPAS) trains and places local artists in classrooms to create hands-on, engaging learn-ing activities.

ACSF created and operates TAPAS in partnership with LEAF in Schools

and Streets, UNC Asheville, and the local arts community. In 2011-2012, 21 artists worked with more than 1000 students in our schools.

ACSF supports innovative teachers and enhanced experiences, inspiring students to excel.

ACSF actively engages Asheville in the success of our schools so that we can maintain

a vibrant, thriving community.

Inspiring Community

Getting RealThe In Real Life program, created in partner-ship with dozens of community organizations, provides safe, relevant and fun afterschool learning opportunities for Asheville middle schoolers. In 2011-12, IRL networked 21 community organizations and served 219 middle-school youth.

Connecting PTOsACSF brings together Parent Teacher Orga-nization (PTO) representatives from all of Asheville’s public schools to share ideas and experiences that can help make PTOs more effective and collaborative.

Going Local2012 saw the launch of ACSF’s new Go Local partnership, a fundraising and awareness building effort with the Asheville Grown Business Alliance that makes supporting local schools and local busi-nesses easy, affordable and rewarding. More than 800 Go Local discount cards were purchased as of August 2012.

Reaching FartherACSF coordinates the local VISTA program that places 11 civic-minded people in positions that help students excel in and out of school. Thousands of children were impacted at 9 community-based sites.

Learning from Low-Income FamiliesThriving public school systems include the voices of all families. But the voices of those with fewer resources are often lost. In 2012, ACSF conducted a “listening project” targeted at parents in low-income com-munities. We will use what we learned about the hopes, frustrations and needs of these families to help shape our grant making programs going forward.

Thank You To Our Donors

11 North Market StreetA-B TechAsheville City SchoolsBenefit BrewingBiltmore EstateCarePartners FoundationCatholic Daughters Of The AmericasCity of AshevilleClass of 1966David Gantt Law OfficeDixon Hughes Goodman, PLLCEquixnox EnvironmentalErie IndemnityForest Commercial BankFraternal Order of PoliceFutch FoundationGallery M.I.A.Grove Stone and Sand CoHigh Touch - High Tech IncHometrust BankImageSmithIra B. Jones PTOIsaac Dickson PTOJennifer Jackson, DMDJohnson and Vollmerhausen, PLLCKeith Black, DDS

Keith Hargrove Architect PCLand of Sky Regional CouncilLee Edwards Class of '65Mark Knollman, DDSNCRSP Asheville-Buncombe ChapterParsec Financial Management, Inc.Pepsi Cola Bottling CorporationProgress Energy FoundationR. Stanford Webb AgencyRetro-Fit-Design, LLCRoots + Wings School of ArtState Employees Combined CampaignTargetTen Thousand VillagesThe Abell Flute CompanyThe Bio Network Bio Business CenterThe Hop Ice Cream CaféThe Wine Studio of AshevilleUNC AshevilleUnisonUnitarian Universalist Church of AshevilleVan Winkle Law FirmVerizon FoundationWalnut Cove Members AssociationWhole Foods MarketYou Get We Give

Sponsors:

The ACSF would like to thank the more than 300 individuals and families, both new and long-time donors, who support our work. Our donors span the depth and breadth of our community. Many of you are teachers, school administrators, PTO leaders, volunteers, business owners, and community leaders. You all care about the needs of our children and are creating brighter futures. We could not carry out our mission without your support.

Thank you!

FinancialsContributions $492,312.00

Grants $132,542.00

Fee for Services $44,953.00

Other $43,200.00

Total $713,007.00

Student Scholarships

$184,725.00

Teacher Supports $86,101.00

After-School Program

$89,063.00

Volunteer Outreach $60,715.00

Program Staff $34,073.00

Other Program Activities

$24,633.00

Other Program Expense

$21,054.00

Program Total $500,364.00

Management & General

$43,088.00

Fundraising $25,441.00

Total $568,893.00

Revenue

Expenses

Board of DirectorsBetsey Russell- PresidentMonica Koerschner- Past PresidentSteve Dykes- Vice-PresidentPeggy Hughes Weil- SecretaryJean Wauford- TreasurerTangela BowmanJoyce BrownRon Bradford

Shelagh Byrne Garvin DetersCynthia GradyMatt MaultsbyTracy MooreRandy Nuss Kern ParkerTanya PreshaBeth Russo

Dan ShawDenise TurnerSasha VrtunskiAt Large:Allen Johnson- SuperintendentPeggy Dalman- ACS School Board

Asheville City SchoolsBeattie FoundationBradham Family FoundationCommunity Foundation of WNCI Have a Dream FoundationFerguson Charitable FoundationNC Arts CouncilProgress Energy FoundationRichard Eckerd FoundationSisters of Mercy of NC FoundationSutherland FoundationUnited WayWells Fargo FoundationZ. Smith Reynolds Foundation

Thank you to our Funding Partners:

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