Executive Director
Carlton G. Cartwright
529 Clematis Street
2nd Floor, Suite 5
West Palm Beach, FL 33402
561-832-3797 Phone
561-832-3713 Fax
561-719-8106 Pager
THE CHILDREN'S COALITION, INC.
Arts
to Education to Work
Programs for At-Risk Kids Mission Statement
Veteran’s History Project Narrative
The Children's Coalition, Inc. (TCCI) is a private non-profit established to meet the needs of area at-risk youth through programming. TCCI has also attained the status of Official Archivists for the Library of Congress. Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000 (Public Law 106-380) for the Library of Congress (LOC) to establish a national collection of personal accounts of veterans of the wars fought by the United States in the 20th and 21st centuries. These histories will be recorded on audio and video tape, with supplemental documentation from letters, diaries, maps, photographs and home movies.
South Florida is home to a significant number of veterans as well as disadvantaged and at-risk youth, the latter served by The Children's Coalition, Inc. (TCCI) in West Palm Beach. TCCI would like to help record these personal histories, supporting the goals of the Veterans History Project and providing these adolescents with a worthwhile after-school and weekend activity. Benefits to the program include a larger number of experiences by individual veterans being recorded for the LOC, exposing these teenagers to positive role models and teaching these at-risk youth to be productive citizens. The education of these youth will be greatly enhanced by the experiences gained through this project, including their knowledge of history and audio-visual techniques.
Instruction in the program includes (but is not limited to) interviewing, still photo, video recording, and archival techniques. This will be an ongoing, year-round activity, and experienced students will in turn teach these techniques to others who will be perpetually sought out to participate in this project. Because The Children's Coalition, Inc. (TCCI) just recently this past year found out about this wonderful opportunity of the Veterans History Project for its students to participate, it is in the process of identifying Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) posts and individuals who are receptive to sponsoring students for this endeavor. TCCI is also appealing to local government entities that historically have provided it with grant funding.
In addition to the VFW’s The Children's Coalition, Inc. (TCCI) has extended its project to the local Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Riviera Beach, Florida where a Holiday Project completed in conjunction with a faith-based organization, Unity Church was completed where interactions with students and veteran’s began to unfold and is continuing for the duration for the purpose of project fulfillment.
The Veterans History Project is a national priority of the Library of Congress. Recordings gained through the TCCI project will be of great benefit to future generations of Americans, a wise investment of federal funding. The budget will be used for the following purpose. We have begun logistical planning and communication with contacts around the country to begin travel in May and make stops including the following cities: Atlanta, Georgia; arrive in Washington, DC in time for the memorial week celebration, travel up the coast to New England stopping in Philadelphia, New York and Boston and then heading west to Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Dallas, New Orleans and stopping in Tallahassee by the end of July. The purpose will be to coordinate for up to 50 people (80% will be students) visits to universities, military installations, such as the Air Force Academy in Colorado, VFW’s, faith-based organizations and interact with the population around the country on a national level compiling and learning war histories for the Library of Congress (LOC). The result will be a project that will be pursued on a year round basis with national impact.
Goals, Objectives & Methods
Goals
1. Identify and cultivate student talent through exposure of students to a wide range of technology oriented multi-media arts through an after school workshop and mentorship program.
2. Increase the academic performance of participating youth through archival education.
3. Increase youth and veteran interaction on a nationwide basis.
4. Publicize student technical art skills (still photography, video production, computer arts) through organizing a series of public exhibits of student work in still and video photography.
5. Develop student self esteem and confidence through teaching computer literacy and multi-media arts.
6.
Prevent recidivism of adjudicated juveniles for first-time and repeat
offenders.
Objectives
1. Increase interaction between youth and veteran’s for the purpose of implementing a mentorship relationship between adults and youth.
2. Improve the self-confidence level of juveniles participating in the program.
3.
By introducing at-risk and troubled teens to the interviewing process we
expect to help them to attain skills that will aid to divert them from the
criminal justice system. A subjective survey will be provided to the
students to discuss their self-image, including their opinion of their
abilities, academic, artistic and social skills. Interviews will be
conducted at least once, during the course of the project year. Many of the
interviews will be accomplished during the field trips.
Methods
1. Students will participate in multi-media workshops, identify art forms that inspire them and will identify and build art skills/talents through completion of art projects and guidance by art mentors/workshop directors.
2.
Juveniles will procure computer and multi-media art skills using state of
the art technology and will demonstrate those skills through completing a
series of products including preparation of photography for a public
exhibit, and production of a video.
3. Copies of participants’ creative projects will be collected in student portfolios to demonstrate student progress. At least two copies of all work will be archived, one set to be used for auditions to area public art schools and to remain with the child upon exit from the program and one set to remain with TCCI for evaluation purposes.
4. Students will maintain passing grades in all their classes. Quarterly copies of student report card results will be provided to project staff with assistance of Palm Beach County School Board records collection staff, student teachers, and students. Ideally, student grades will increase in at least two subject areas due to participation in this program.
5. Students will maintain good conduct in their classes. Student conduct will be reported to project staff on a quarterly basis to project staff with assistance of referring teachers and school administrators.
6.
Evaluation studies/questionnaire surveys by parents and participant youth
will be completed. Due to confidentiality issues we will not identify any
particular students.
Project Timeline
The attached schedule and web site information reflects our normal programming throughout the week. At least 20 hours per week (or 50% of instruction) are spent implementing curriculum and/or training students in multimedia forms (computer technology/still and video photography) associated with accomplishing the goals of the Veteran’s History Project. What is not listed is the coordinating of activities and visits we are coordinating and setting up with the officials at the local Veteran’s Hospital we are presently negotiating. Once students finish the initial orientation this will be an ongoing project student will participate in weekly and monthly. This will allow for an extensive amount of positive interaction with the students and the veterans. A full report and accounting of all the events that have and will take place will be provided to your office by the end of this fiscal year, including all interaction form our day students and weekend students from JROTC programs for example.
The nationwide field trips are scheduled to occur throughout the remainder of the fiscal year, during the summer months:
Trip #1 (August 1 through August 10, 2005):Chicago, IL, St. Louis, MO, Kansas City, MO, Denver, CO) (7 Students plus 2 Chaperones)
Trip #2 (September 21 through September 29, 2005), Atlanta, GA, Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD, New York City. (3 Students plus 1 Chaperone)
Trip #3 (November 8 through November 15, 2005), Tallahassee, FL, Atlanta, GA, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Washington, DC, New York City, (3 Students plus 1 Chaperone)
(TBA) We will also be visiting the Kennedy Space Center in Cocoa Beach and MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa
Resume
Project Director/ Photography/Video Production/Entrepreneurial Workshop Leader
Mr. Carlton G. Cartwright, Founder and Executive Director, brings significant technology, education, and multi-media art related experience to his dual roles of administrator and educator. In addition to his duties and responsibilities with TCCI, Mr. Cartwright conducts workshops in still photography and videography for youth in and from delinquency facilities, children’s shelters, and local community recreation centers. Mr. Cartwright developed his interest in photography in the United States Air Force, and was certified as a Still Photographic Specialist in 1984. He worked for International Business Machines Corporation (“IBM”) for a total of 13 years. His last position held was Telecommunications Support Specialist. During his tenure at IBM, he founded Neptune’s Blues, Inc., a still photography and portraiture company. Mr. Cartwright studied Human Resource Management at Palm Beach Atlantic College (now Palm Beach Atlantic University) in Florida, and was awarded Artist-in-Residence status with the Palm Beach County School Board in 1992 for his professional accomplishments in the arts. Mr. Cartwright has also served as a substitute teacher for all grade levels for children with cognitive, emotional and physical disabilities.
Carlton G. Cartwright
Founder & Executive Director
The
Children's Coalition, Inc.
P.O. Box 2774, West
Palm Beach, FL 33402
561-832-3797;
561-719-8106
561-832-3713 fax