2007 Accomplishments

Research

  • 2007 ROI (return on investment) study completed by the Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency affirmed the economic benefit (to the community) of high school graduation and the efficacy of this program.

Innovation

  • A Summer Academy was established to provide students with opportunities and exposure to unusual enrichment activities. Highlights included: two horse programs, A Horse’s Friend and Equicenter; a culinary program in partnership with Wegmans; a sports program at R.D. Long including golf, bowling, and basketball; an arts and dance program exposing students to the Boab Cultural Center; an outdoor recreation program including an urban scavenger hunt; and formal etiquette training including etiquette dining at the Crown Plaza; how to purchase professional attire; and portfolio building and resumé writing.

Growth

  • Expansion of our partnership with the health care industry provided employment opportunities to students within the health care field. New partners included Unity Health, Episcopal Senior Life Communities, Lakeside Memorial Hospital, and The Woodlands.

  • The following new employment partners have joined the program: Monroe Plan, McDonalds, Courtyard by Marriott, Monroe Muffler Brake and Service, and Strong National Museum of Play

  • Our Syracuse program was expanded as a result of merging with Syracuse Choice, formerly a program in the Syracuse City School District targeting middle school students.

2006 Accomplishments

  • The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation selected Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HW-SC) to receive a $250,000 grant to aid in the development of a business plan to guide HW-SC in effectively expanding its services and improving the quality of its programs.

  • A representative from the United States Chamber of Commerce visited Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection to observe the program and meet staff and students.

  • Four HW-SC students received tuition scholarships through its higher education partners: St. John Fisher [1], Rochester Institute of Technology [2], and University of Rochester [1].

  • Five new employer partners committed jobs for HW-SC students this year: Kenneth Crosby - New York, Inc., Rochester City School District, Golisano Children's Hospital, High Falls Brewing, and national publications including Time and U.S. News and World Report.

  • "Be Healthy, Be Successful Initiative" partnerships were established leading to increased access and free health, dental, and eye care, and eye glasses for HW-SC families.

  • The 2006 "Shining Star Gala" hosted by Danny and Stency Wegman raised $293,000 to benefit HW-SC.

  • Manns' Jewelers, David & Sybil Yurman, and Dixon & Schwabl Advertising  held a "Denim & Diamonds" fundraiser to benefit HW-SC and two other Rochester-based organizations.

  • Rochester's WROC News 8 Now, in collaboration with Hillside Family of Agencies, produced the documentary "The Bridge to a Future-Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection," which was broadcast in June 2006.

2005 Accomplishments

  • The Kellogg Foundation donated $30,000 to HW-SC with will be used for the Financial Literacy Program

  • 175 students received their high school diploma for School year 2004-05 representing HW-SC's largest graduating class to date.

  • New funding provided by the Rochester City School District added an additional 3 Youth Advocates. Advocates were placed at Douglass, Charlotte, and Freddie Thomas schools.

  • The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) contract was refunded for 2005–2006 at $220,000.

  • The Center for Governmental Research (CGR) began a follow-up evaluation on HW-SC during May 2005. The follow-up evaluation is being funded by the RUMP group, a consortium of local business leaders who have endorsed the model and promoted expanding HW-SC by a greater number of students in the Rochester City School District.

  • Contracted with Iglesia Educational Centers for a second year to provide SAT Preparation for 70 seniors.

  • Rochester Business Alliance’s Board of Directors designated healthcare and HW-SC as operational priorities. Rochester Business Alliance set a goal to assist with developing new jobs for HW-SC students by December 2005.

  • 170 HW-SC students completed the Youth Employment Training Academy (YETA) during fiscal year 2004–2005.

  • 5 HW-SC students received tuition scholarships through our higher education partners as follows: Nazareth College (2), RIT (2), and University of Rochester (1).

  • Added 6 new employment partners that committed jobs for HW-SC students during the 2004–2005 fiscal year: Bausch and Lomb, CGR, Excellus, Finish Line, M&T Bank, Pike Company.

  • In collaboration with the County of Monroe and United Way of Greater Rochester, HW-SC and Hillside Children’s Foundation identified an innovative funding mechanism by which Monroe County is able to use philanthropic dollars to leverage state funding for

2004 Accomplishments

  • HW-SC has continued to strengthen its employer partnerships to provide a greater variety of jobs to its youth. HW-SC’s newest employer partner is Preferred Care. Preferred Care has committed 3 positions for HW-SC youth. 

  • The Syracuse Partners for Education & Business, Inc. recognized HW-SC and Wegmans Food Markets for our 10-year, long-standing partnership.

  • HW-SC continued to cultivate its relationships with institutions of higher education to ensure the future success of its graduates. Among the results of these efforts were:

  1. The State University of New York (SUNY) entered into a Memo of Understanding to make access to SUNY institutions feasible to HW-SC students.

  1. Syracuse University entered into a Statement Understanding to make access to its institution feasible to HW-SC students. The Understanding will continue indefinitely.

  1. Beginning in Fall 2005, five students will be eligible to receive $80,000 each in scholarships to attend the University of Rochester.

  • Wegmans continued to support HW-SC with monetary contributions, employment for youth, executive staff support, and the Gala. The Gala held in May 2004 raised $175,000 for HW-SC.

  • In December 2003, the Center for Governmental Research (CGR) completed its comprehensive evaluation of Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HW-SC). “Charting a Course for the Future” documented the results of a cohort evaluation of a controlled comparison group over the period of the 1996-97 academic year through the middle of the 2002-2003 year. Among its findings were:

  1. “HW-SC makes a dramatic impact on the graduation rates of the students it serves.” ( CGR: Charting a Course for the Future)

  1. 61% of students exposed to HW-SC for at least seven months graduated versus only 31% of comparable urban students in the (Rochester) City School District not exposed to the variety of supports offered by HW-SC. Further, the graduation rate of students who are retained is approximately 80%.

  1. Three times as many HW-SC students who enter the program with grade point averages below 2.0 are retained and graduate compared to similar students without program supports.

  1. Between 75% and 80% of HW-SC graduates go on to post- secondary education: one-third typically go on to a four-year college.

  1. An average of 80% of all graduates reported being employed post-graduation.

  1. “Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection achieves its primary goal of improving school retention and graduation rates for students enrolled in the Rochester City School District” (CGR: Charting a Course for the Future)

  1. “Fundamentally, the Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection makes a tremendous impact when it comes to keeping disadvantaged urban youth in school and helping them to graduate.” (CGR: Charting a Course for the Future)

2003 Accomplishments

  • The HW-SC family expanded, bringing 3 more high schools on line.  Fowler High School in Syracuse has been provided with youth advocate services.  In Rochester, youth advocates have been added to Dr. Freddie Thomas High School and Josh Lofton Academy.

  • HW-SC has continued to strengthen its employer partnerships to provide a greater variety of jobs to its youth.  HW-SC began new partnerships with Tom Wahl’s, Bill Gray’s, Wendy’s, Unity Health Systems, and Spezio Property Management.  These employees have committed over 15 new positions for HW-SC youth.

  • Additional relationships were cultivated with higher education institutions in order to strengthen HW-SC’s commitment of ensuring the future success of its graduates.  HW-SC established new collaborations with Nazareth College and Roberts Weslyan College this year.  Nazareth College committed 10 $5,000 tuition scholarships-- five scholarships for entering freshmen and five for transfer students. Roberts Wesleyan committed one renewable tuition scholarship for HW-SC students who gain admittance to their institution.

  • HW-SC was awarded a 2003 PEPNet (Promising and Effective Practices Network) Award from the National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC). NYEC is a network of over 250 youth development organizations dedicated to promoting policies and initiatives that help youth succeed in becoming lifelong learners, productive workers, and self-sufficient citizens. PEPNet is one of NYEC’s hallmark initiatives and is the nation’s premier resource on what works in youth employment and development programming.

  • Wegmans Food Markets continues to find news ways to expand its partnership with Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection. This year it loaned HW-SC two of its executives to become youth advocates for students within the Rochester City School District.

2002 Accomplishments
  • Zeller Corporation again has stood out as a model for Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection business partners, pledging $10,500 through the Eric Zeller Scholarship Fund in support of student advocacy services. Zeller Corporation also provided a Work-Scholarship student with part-time employment and work site mentoring. To establish new employer connections in the service area, the third annual Hillside Work-Scholarship Gala was held. It is hoped these partnerships will result in new jobs for Work-Scholarship students.
  • The HW-SC family expanded, bringing one more high school online. Henninger High School in Syracuse has been provided with youth advocate services, bringing Syracuse to full capacity with one manager and seven youth advocates.
  • The new Work-Scholarship Connection facility opened in January 2002 at 30 Hart Street in Rochester. This new facility houses staff offices and serves as the center of operations for the Rochester program. A formal open house was held in February to celebrate the happy occasion.
  • Supporting students’ future success, HW-SC continued to provide scholarship opportunities for its graduates. The Reinman Family Fund provided one scholarship to a 2002 graduate, and one student received a Rochester Institute of Technology tuition scholarship. Two students received scholarships from the Jagdish, K. and Hans Mangla Scholarship Fund. Eighteen graduates also received $1,500 Wegmans scholarships. In addition to the eighth annual graduation celebration for HW-SC seniors, the program's eighth-graders were recognized at their own ceremony and offered encouragement as they prepared for high school.
  • HW-SC received the 2001 Cultural Competency Best Practice Award from the New York State Office of Mental Health and Coordinated Care Services, Inc. for demonstrating extensive community collaboration, and collection and use of data in the development of culturally sensitive services.
  • Center for Governmental Research is currently conducting an evaluation project, including study of the Hillside Work-Scholarship program. It is hoped the outcome of this research will give an objective view on how the model of work-scholarship works and what contributes to its success.
  • HW-SC received the PEPNet Promising Program Award from the National Youth Employment Coalition for demonstrating effectiveness in three of the five PEPNet categories: Purpose and Activities, Organization and Management, and Youth Development.
  • HW-SC has embraced Parents as Partners (PAP) in attaining success for its students and their families. To this end, HW-SC has implemented Parents as Partners to assist in every aspect of care. The purpose of PAP is to create a collaborative effort between parents, students, HW-SC staff, and stakeholders, to increase the awareness of services, values, expectations, and the mission of HW-SC, as well as to empower parents in regards to their child’s education.
  • A HW-SC Student Council was created to create a collaborative partnership between students and HW-SC by increasing awareness of services, values, and program requirements, and to empower and enlighten students about their education and community resources.