- NorthStar Foundation
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NorthStar is an Omaha foundation dedicated to meeting the critical, unmet needs of North Omaha’s young males – from fourth grade to high school graduation – in, before, and after school programming with the goal of successfully building them into healthy, educated, employed contributors to their community.
Contents
Mission & Vision
The NorthStar Foundation has for its mission "To change young men's lives" with a larger vision of doing so "through programming that supports, challenges, inspires and instills a life rooted in education, self discipline and service to community.”[1]
History
The NorthStar Foundation 501 (c)(3) was created in August 2007 by Scott Hazelrigg in partnership with the Board of Directors to address some of Greater Omaha’s greatest needs in before and after school programming.
The name is derived from the historical use of the North Star to help identify direction when a person is lost. The NorthStar Foundation seeks to do the same for male youth in North Omaha: encouraging an upward view, providing a constant resource and offering direction. The NorthStar Foundation is unaffiliated with any other group or organization by the same or similar name, including NorthStar Financial Services Group located in Omaha, NE.
The Stanford Research Institute/Building Bright Futures Assessment, University of Nebraska at Omaha Needs & Opportunities Assessment, and the 2005 U.S. census data cited in the April 2007 Omaha World Herald feature on poverty in North Omaha showed the importance of before and after school programming and its direct correlation to graduating from high school, coupled with the fact that currently there are no large-scale organizations in North Omaha that are dedicated to male youth. Further research by NorthStar identified the lack of before and after school programs in the male population in North Omaha.
Key statistics include:
- 62.3% of Omaha Public School students eligible for free and reduced lunch [2]
- Omaha currently has the greatest percentage of African American children living in poverty in the nation [2]
- Approximately one in four Omaha youth (25.1%) are home alone without adult supervision after school [3]
- Less than one-half of parents reported their youth participated in an organized after school program [3]
- Students ages 12–16 are disengaging and often unmotivated leading to the point where they cease to see education as a vehicle for their future success [2]
In August 2009, NorthStar along with Dr. B.J. Reed and Dr. Russ Smith from the Consortium for Organizational Research & Evaluation at the University of Nebraska at Omaha completed and released the Outward Bound Omaha “Needs & Opportunities Assessment” in preparation for a possible partnership with Outward Bound and establishing an Outward Bound Center in North Omaha.
The President and CEO of Outward Bound, John Read, said of NorthStar’s “Needs & Opportunities Assessment” document in September 2009: “The recently completed needs assessment in our view establishes that a real opportunity exists for Outward Bound to be successful in Omaha. It is an exceptional piece of work and clearly maps out the way forward.”
Outward Bound received the assessment in July 2009 and gave NorthStar a commitment for an Outward Bound partnership in Omaha in September 2009. Omaha will be one of Outward Bound’s new Start-Up Projects. Scott Hazelrigg, Executive Director and President of the Board of NorthStar, was invited to the Outward Bound Annual General Meeting in New York City on October 22, 2009, to highlight Omaha as a start-up center.
Program Structure
The NorthStar Foundation is focused on developing an exciting before and after school model that places youth in a safe and secure environment with mentors, staff and peers, who share common goals that focus on self-reliance, self-actualization, and accountability. At the heart of NorthStar are five unique program areas of emphasis:
- Academic Achievement
- Athletics & Healthy Lifestyles
- Adventure & Experiential Learning
- Arts Immersion
- Actualization & Employment Readiness
Outward Bound Partnership
NorthStar has committed to work with Outward Bound in building on the vision that was developed through the Outward Bound Omaha Needs & Opportunities Assessment. The Omaha community pilot program partners, in conjunction with NorthStar, will be at the heart of the start-up efforts in pursuit of a fully operational Center. NorthStar will work to connect Outward Bound across the Omaha community, leading local fundraising efforts and other support during the next several years.
In addition, NorthStar has committed to constructing an urban-based high ropes course built on leased land at the Omaha Home for Boys for the exclusive use of Outward Bound for the implementation of the pilot programs. A high ropes course is a structure made of utility poles and suspended cables created to challenge students individually and as a team in an active learning environment. Through the conversations held in Omaha in March 2009, educators and youth advocates repeatedly said that engaging urban youth in more traditional wilderness experiences must first begin close to home. Reflective of the Outward Bound “True North” beliefs, a high ropes course in the urban setting was a logical investment in bringing the opportunities for growth, closer to the needs in the community.
The Outward Bound Omaha Start-Up Project will serve the entire Greater Omaha area including both boys and girls, men and women. The Outward Bound Omaha Start-Up Project fulfills an important program need for the NorthStar Foundation but will also be able to serve groups of every kind: schools, youth serving organizations, families, athletic teams and any individual or group that has a need The Outward Bound Omaha Start-Up Project can meet.
Outward Bound Centers
Outward Bound, through its “True North” initiative, seeks to bring the Outward Bound experience to urban areas—through “Centers” -- in order to reach populations that would otherwise not have access to Outward Bound.
In his “Letter from the President” in the 2008 Outward Bound Annual Report, John Read said “True North” strategy focuses on serving more students, closer to home, with a progression of experiences and a lifetime of participation and service opportunities. To further our goal of empowering more individuals and groups with the life skills needed to make a positive impact on the world around them.”[4]
There are currently eight Outward Bound Centers located in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Denver, Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, Atlanta and San Francisco. The “True North” initiative seeks to expand the number of Centers from nine to 12 by 2012.
In the “True North” Strategic Plan, Outward Bound explains the importance of being accessible to urban youth:
“We choose … to grow and to continue to serve students ‘from all walks of life.’ We know through years of student testimonials, letters, and research that Outward Bound changes people’s lives. We also know through over 20 years of programming in cities, that we have the ability to reach students we would not otherwise serve if we do so through our Centers’ and in partnership with other community organizations. We want to change the lives of all young people, not just those that can afford to attend our longer courses. True North focuses on expanding Centers and growing scholarship endowments as the primary means of doing so."
Board of directors
Richard "Dick"Holland, Chairman
J. Robert "Bob" Kerrey, Vice Chair
Scott Hazelrigg, President
Susie Buffett, Secretary
Tim Clark
John "Buzz" Garlock
Ben Gray
Larry TrussellNotes
- ^ NorthStar Foundation Webpage http://www.northstar360.org/
- ^ a b c Building Bright Futures SRI Report - April 2007 http://www.buildingbrightfutures.net/Post/sections/7/Files/SRIReportExecutive_Summary-04-17-07.pdf
- ^ a b Center for Organizational Research and Evaluation at University of Nebraska at Omaha http://www.northstar360.org/images/stories/Outward_Bound_Omaha_-_With_Attachments.pdf
- ^ 2008 Outward Bound Annual Report http://www.outwardbound.org/index.cfm/do/ind.annualreport2008
External links
- NorthStar Foundation Home Page http://www.northstar360.org
- Outward Bound http://www.outwardbound.org
- Outward Bound Omaha http://www.outwardbound.org/index.cfm/do/obyc.center_omaha
- Outward Bound True North Strategic Plan http://www.outwardbound.org/docs/True%20North%20Strategic%20Plan%20Executive%20Summary.FINAL%20.pdf
- Outward Bound Centers http://www.outwardbound.org/index.cfm/do/obyc.index
- Building Bright Futures http://www.buildingbrightfutures.net/
- University of Nebraska at Omaha's Consortium for Organizational Research and Evaluation (CORE)http://www.unomaha.edu/core/
Categories:- Organizations based in Omaha, Nebraska
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