Dalton-Whitfield Archway Partnership on Local Television & Chamberlink

On July 31, Archway Partnership Professional Melissa Lu went to the local television station, WDNN North Georgia Television, and hosted several on-camera interviews with representatives from local organizations who are involved with Archway efforts. The following week, Chamber of Commerce President Brian Anderson interviewed Archway chair and vice-chair Lynn Laughter and Don Cope about Archway initiatives.

The Archway Partnership is also the featured story in the August edition of Chamberlink, published by the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce. 

Readers to Leaders Hosts 3rd Annual Celebration of Literacy

Readers to Leaders recently hosted its third annual community-wide celebration of literacy for nearly 600 people in the Dalton-Whitfield community!  Of those 600, 149 were volunteers and 279 were children! A total of 276 free books were given away to attendees! Against the festive backdrop of games, live story book characters, and food, reading took center stage. There were cozy reading circles for children of all ages where stories were read by community volunteers. Reading-related crafts and activities further conveyed the importance of literacy. Below are a few snapshots from the event. To view all the photos, visit the Readers to Leaders Facebook page here. 

E3Z

With the early childhood Race to the Top funds, the State of Georgia has chosen 11 regions of high needs to apply to be an Early Education Empowerment Zone (E3Z) region, one of which includes Dalton-Whitfield County. If the Dalton-Whitfield County region gets chosen, benefits include $1.2 million dollars for birth to five efforts. The Archway Partnership recently collaborated with other local organizations to facilitate and organize a presentation for the E3Z search committee. The Committee visited Dalton-Whitfield County on July 29, and recipient regions will be announced later this fall. Photos of Phil Ledbetter from Catoosa Family Connections addressing the search committee on July 29 can be viewed below. 

Assessment Report Out

In an effort to achieve the vision of getting children in Dalton-Whitfield County on grade level reading by third grade, a special assessment team of local data experts in industries from Shaw, Mohawk, and J&J have worked tirelessly for months to determine if there is local consensus on what constitutes “third grade reading level.” The group has thoroughly reviewed the existing data and has developed a report on their findings. The data has been delivered to several leaders in the community, including city and county school representatives, teachers, and the Archway Partnership Executive Committee.

Dalton Whitfield Archway Partnership Teams Up with Local Educators to Share Best Practices at Georgia Department of Education (DOE) Conference

At a recent Georgia DOE conference, Archway Education Professional Katy Green collaborated with Kathryn Wilhoite and Maria Khote from Dalton Public Schools to share results from Archway’s pilot Saturday Academy program. Roughly twenty practitioners from around the state had the opportunity to learn about best practices and lessons learned.  Feedback was very positive, with many communities interested in learning more about Saturday Academy and the Archway Partnership.  

A link to the presentation can be viewed here. Photos of the three presenters can be viewed below. 

Conference presenters from left to right: Kat Wilhoite, Dalton Public Schools Teacher; Katy Green, Archway Education Professional; and Maria Khote, Dalton Public School Parent Educator

Presenters Kat Wilhoite (far left) and Maria Khote (right, next to Kat) discuss the presentation with participants after the conference. 

Tri-University Research Team Notes Significant Learning Gains in Saturday Academy Participants

The Dalton-Whitfield Archway Partnership recently facilitated Saturday classes for families of three-to-five year old children at the Mack Gaston Community Center. These classes were designed to promote school readiness skills and empower parents to serve as their child’s first teacher.

An evaluation of the pilot by researchers from the University of Georgia, the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, and the University of West Georgia indicated that participants experienced significant gains in school readiness skills, oral vocabulary, and an improvement of the family home literacy environment. Thirty families participated in the pilot study. Over 80% of participants were Spanish speaking only, and all classes and information were in a bi-lingual format. Parents reported a desire for more classes.  In addition, they indicated in a survey that they are reading more with their children, have a better understanding of child development, and now have a better understanding of all that they can do to help their children at home. An article highlighting the program's success and published by the Daily Citizen Newspaper can be read here. Pictures of the program can be viewed on our Facebook photo albums here. 

Book Drive Continues With Major Donations from Chattanooga Food Bank, Salvation Army, and Private Donors

This spring, Readers to Leaders hosted a formal book drive to supply book giveaways including Book Nooks, Pre-K registration, and Summer Power Lunches.  In light of the tremendous interest in these giveaways, our need has outpaced our books.  Fortunately, local donors have risen to the occasion to facilitate our summer giveaways.  Recently, the local Salvation Army donated two large bins of books; the Dalton branch of the Chattanooga Area Food Bank donated 352 lbs. of books; and private donors have cleaned out their basements (and their neighbors’ basements) to support the cause. A great big thank you goes to local community members, Tom and Ginger Mathis, who collected books from family and friends for Readers to Leaders at a personal event in their home. 

We are still in need for more books, as community demand is more than our current supply. If you or someone you know has books to donate, contact Archway Partnership United Way VISTA Melissa Morrison at 706.712.0961 or readers2leadersdw@gmail.com. 

Pictures of recent book donations can be viewed below.

Archway Partnership United Way VISTA Melissa Morrison smiles at the load of books in her car donated by the Salvation Army.

Books donated by the Dalton branch of the Chattanooga Area Food Bank were loaded onto a scale (left) before being brought to the Archway Partnership office. The weight totaled 352 lbs. (right)!!!

Archway’s Readers to Leaders Fuels “Power Lunches” at County USDA Free Lunch Sites

This summer, the Archway Partnership’s Readers to Leaders initiative is giving out free books to children at eight of our neediest USDA free lunch sites in Whitfield County.  Children without access to books typically regress academically in the summer when compared to their peers who do have access.  Research has proven that book access can make a tremendous difference in preventing the drastic learning slide. 

Readers to Leaders is providing books collected from donors and book drives, and Whitfield County Food Services is making sure the books get in the hands of kids. The Chamber of Commerce, Dalton State College’s School of Education, AmeriCorps VISTAs, and several churches are conducting reading circles and extra learning opportunities at some of the sites. This initiative would not be possible without Alice Ensley with Big Red Reads who has assisted with best practices and book donations.

Locations serving as a host site for children to receive their free lunch and book are: Mountain View Subdivision, Dawnville Meadows, Pleasant Grove Elementary School, Cedar Ridge housing area, Swamp Creek Baptist Church, New Haven United Methodist Church, Margaret Circle, and River Bend housing area.

We anticipate giving out around 1,000 books (or more) a week between now and the week of July 28.  Volunteers are needed to pass out books, encourage kids to read, and read to children at the sites. Books are also needed to accommodate the thousands of children receiving books over the coming weeks.

Pictures of the Power Lunches can be viewed here on our Facebook photo albums page. 

18 Book Nook Locations in Whitfield County!

Limited access to books is a barrier to reading for many Dalton-Whitfield families.  To facilitate children and parents reading together, the Archway Partnership has placed bookshelves, or “Book Nooks,” filled with children’s books at sites around the community where youth typically wait with their parents. Sixteen total Book Nooks have been placed around the community including local non-profits, banks, school enrollment offices, and doctor’s offices. The remaining two sponsored Book Nooks have been constructed and will soon be delivered to Juvenile Court and Dalton Public Schools Enrollment offices. The Rotary Club, Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia, and Dalton State Athletics have sponsored all 18 Book Nooks thus far.  Books are supplied courtesy of an ongoing book drive managed by Readers to Leaders VISTA Melissa Morrison. Site hosts have noted a huge interest among clientele. Vonda Bledsoe, branch manager at the Georgia United Credit Union host site recently noted that, “Our Book Nook is a great hit! The kids are loving it. Thank you again!” One of the banks is attempting to start a statewide program based off the success of their local Book Nook. Photos of some of our most recently placed Book Nooks can be viewed below. 

Community & Southern Bank staff were delighted to receive this Book Nook! 

Barbara Martin with a Book Nook at the Dalton branch of the Department of Labor.

Tom Bartley smiles proudly in front of Family Support Council’s new Book Nook.

Design, Engineering and Manufacturing Camp Wraps up its Fourth Year with 77 Attendees

From June 2-5, 2014, 77 local middle school students attended the fourth annual Design, Engineering, and Manufacturing (DEM) day camp at the Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy. The goal of the free camp was to spark an interest in manufacturing among local youth and show them the wide range of jobs and skills demanded in modern manufacturing, particularly in the floorcovering industry. 

At the camp, students had the opportunity to build and design wooden cars, create their own carpet designs, build a full scale hovercraft, use computer-assisted design (CAD) to create projects, explore career options, tour local floorcovering plants, and participate in team-building activities. 

The idea for a Design, Engineering & Manufacturing Camp emerged during Archway’s Higher Education Issue Work Group sessions in spring 2011.  At the meetings, citizens talked about the need to expose students at an early age to the variety of career options available to them.  A Leadership-Dalton Whitfield survey conducted during fall 2010 revealed that students had very low perceptions of local opportunities and did not understand the highly-skilled nature of many jobs.  Thanks to the vision and hard work of leaders Barbara Ward (Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce) and Brian Cooksey (Shaw Industries), the dream of DEM Camp became a reality in 2011 and continues to grow each year.

Photos courtesy of the Daily Citizen Newspaper can be viewed below. More about this year’s DEM camp can be read here. For more about the Dalton-Whitfield Archway Partnership’s involvement with the DEM day camp, click here.  

 Chris Forscutt drops an egg in an apparatus constructed by students during an engineering camp at the Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy. Student teams were given a paper bag with three drinking straws, cotton balls, tape, chewing gum, a length of string and a small balloon and were tasked with creating a device which could protect the egg in an 8-foot drop. (Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen)

 Audrey Webb, 11, Braeden Gallman, 11, and Nicholas Ruiz, 11, participate in the egg drop challenge at the Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy. (Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen)

 Brad Johnson with Mohawk demonstrates the use of a beam array as students use it to measure various objects at the Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy. (Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen)

Rachel Climer, 12, and Will Wright, 11, work to create a Lego object identical to one on a table across the room, obstructed from their view at the Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy. Students were separated into groups of “spies” and “builders.” The spies could look at the object and then had to run back across the room and describe it to the “builders.” (Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen)

The Latest at Lakeshore Park

At the end of 2011, UGA students Rachel Johnson and Justin Crighton teamed up with City-County Planner Kevin Herrit to host a planning event for the local Lakeshore Park. Prior to the event, Rachel and Justin prepared three different concepts for the park. Community members had an opportunity to view these proposals and then make comments about what they would like to see in the park. Over the next year, the Archway Partnership Executive Committee realized how important improving the park was and made it one of their top priorities. Today, a small team continues to work with local elected officials and property owners in the area to determine how changes can be implemented.

First Five Coalition: An Update

First Five Coalition Visits Prenatal Health Clinic Model in Hall County
In an effort to examine a successful model of prenatal healthcare to uninsured community residents, First Five Healthcare Subcommittee members visited the Long Street Clinic in Hall County on April 17. Longstreet Clinic is a large, physician-owned specialty group. The Hall County Health Department, local hospital, and the Longstreet Clinic combine forces to offer prenatal care at the Health Department for undocumented/uninsured women. The hospital provides two nurse midwives, and 600-800 women/year are seen. The cost is $450 up front, with a total cost of $1,200 for care (a 10% discount is given to women who pay the full $1,200 up front). 

Archway Partnership First Five Facilitates Meeting with OB-GYN’s

A few of the First Five Healthcare Subcommittee members recently met with some of the local OB-GYN’s  to discuss private care of women who need full-term care and get released early from the Health Department (currently the Health Department only offers partial-term prenatal care). At the meeting, subcommittee member and owner of a local clinic, Stephen Miracle, presented a proposal. Local OB-GYN, Dr. Tidwell, suggested that the Health Department extend their care to 32 weeks as opposed to the current 28 weeks. Then, private care could take over. The Health Department was open to the idea. Other local OB-GYNs were open to that same idea. The committee will continue to work towards finding a solution for all women in the community to obtain optimal prenatal care. 

March of Dimes Grants

First Five Healthcare Subcommittee member, Dr. Luis Viamonte, set up a meeting with the March of Dimes Regional Director on May 7 to discuss prenatal grants. One of the models discussed at a previous First Five Healthcare Subcommittee meeting, group prenatal care – Centering Pregnancy, is a top 3 priority for March of Dimes grants this coming year.

After the meeting, Dr. Viamonte invited the March of Dimes staff to visit the Dalton-Whitfield Health Department women’s clinic and the Hospital NICU area.  

Grant writing entities, including the Whitfield County Health Department, Hospital, Northwest Georgia Healthcare Partnership, and Georgia Mountains Health were all in attendance. Archway will continue facilitating these meetings to collaborate on the grant writing process.

It was such a positive meeting, and we look forward to seeing how all this plays out in the next few months. The March of Dimes grants are due at the end of the July with funding occurring January 2015. 

The Archway Partnership Presents to German Delegation

On April 23, the Rotary Club of Dalton hosted a delegation of educators from Germany. One of the chief concerns of the delegation was how to handle their growing immigrant population in schools. The delegation had the opportunity to tour some of our local schools during the day. Over lunch, Archway faculty were able to discuss differences and similarities faced by educators in the two cultures. Following lunch, the Archway Partnership gave a formal presentation with questions and answers, and the German delegation did the same. Archway’s presentation can be viewed here. 

Oasis Tutoring Field Trip

On March 20, Archway Professionals and Father Paul Williams of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Dalton visited the Oasis Tutoring Program in Athens, Georgia. Oasis Tutoring is a tutoring and support program created by Catholic nuns in a trailer park previously riddled with gangs and other issues in the Athens area. UGA students of diverse majors and backgrounds support the program by volunteering time to tutor students after school. The program has seen much success in Athens since its inception, and some Dalton-Whitfield community members are anxious to explore how it can be implemented locally. Find out more about Oasis Tutoring here.

First Five Coalition Celebrates Week of the Young Child

As part of the national Week of the Young Child celebrated across the country April 6-12, the Dalton-Whitfield community honored young children and all those who make a difference in children’s lives. The First Five Coalition had several articles included in the newspaper, one of which can be read here. The coalition encouraged local churches, schools, and organizations to publicly honor childcare workers. The group ended the week on April 12 by hosting a public celebration at the local community center that included inflatables and an ice cream social sponsored by the Dalton Parks and Recreation department. Pictures of the event can be viewed on our Facebook page here.  

Archway Staff Meet with Local High School Students

As a means of enhancing summer learning opportunities for local children, Archway is exploring the possibility of facilitating a regularly occurring bilingual literacy publication printed by the Dalton Daily Citizen newspaper. On March 26, Archway professionals Melissa Lu and Katy Green visited a Morris Innovative High School Spanish class to discuss the class’s interest in writing bilingual books and providing literacy services around the community. A picture of their visit with the students is captured below. Following their visit, Morris Innovative High School teacher Sandy Crowe attended and recruited students (and her daughter!) to assist with Saturday Academy activities.  

Library Interior Design Project Completed

Last fall, the Northwest Georgia Regional Library asked the Dalton-Whitfield Archway Partnership for assistance in creating a Workforce Development Center in the ground level of the Dalton library.  With an eye towards a promising grant opportunity, the library specifically asked for help developing a functional design plan for the space that would utilize existing resources and amenities but create a bright new space for learning.

After conversations with Archway Coordinator of Operations, Sue Chapman,  Associate Director and Interior Design Chair of the Lamar Dodd School of Art, Thom Houser, volunteered for the task.  Dr. Houser traveled to Dalton in December to meet with library staff and tour the room contemplated for the redesign.  He then returned to Athens, where he and Linda Floyd, Northwest Georgia Regional Library Director, continued their work long-distance.

In February, Professor Houser returned to Dalton to share the final plans with Linda Floyd and Library Board Chair, Tangela Johnson.  “The plans far exceeded our expectations, including every element we had requested while allowing the space to flow seamlessly,” said Linda Floyd.  “The Library Board is very appreciative of everything Archway and Professor Houser have done to help facilitate this project!”  These plans were presented to an anonymous, generous donor who has matched a State Legislative approved Allocation of $100,000 with the required $100,000.  Construction on the project should begin this summer. 

The new center will house: one large and one small classroom, tutoring rooms, a collaborative workspace with table and computers, a technology helpdesk with library staff, a comfortable seating area with electrical outlets for laptops and other wireless device usage, copy and fax machines, and printers.  This will be a state-of-the art learning facility open to the public with free classes.   

Linda Floyd (center), stands with Thom Houser at a planning meeting. 

The Archway Partnership Speaks at Local Rotary Club

On March 4, Archway Professionals Melissa Lu and Katy Green spoke to the Dalton Rotary Club about the Dalton-Whitfield First Five Coalition. The presentation included the group’s current goals, community-wide challenges in prenatal care and early literacy, and accomplishments. Photos of the event can be viewed below, and the presentation can be seen here.

 First Five Executive Committee Chair, Dixie Kinard, talks about Archway initiatives and introduces Archway Professionals Melissa Lu and Katy Green.

 Archway Education Professional, Katy Green, discusses First Five’s involvement in the community.

Archway Professional Melissa Lu thanks club members for their ongoing support.

Saturday Academy Wraps Up

The Archway Partnership Saturday Academy pilot program finished with its final Saturday on April 12. An article highlighting the program was published in the local Daily Citizen newspaper and can be read here. Thank you to all of the families, volunteers, and organizations who made this possible - we couldn't have done it without you! To put their importance into perspective, here are some numbers:

30 families with 68 children participated; 
54 volunteers devoted a total of 357 hours of their time; and
15 collaborative agencies provided services, food, time, and energy!

Byron Castillo-Sanchez, 4, takes a test with Archway Education Professional Katy Green at the Mack Gaston Community Center. (Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen)

Young Professional Park Restoration Project: An Update

Our last update on the Dalton Whitfield Archway Partnership's involvement with the Young Professionals of Northwest Georgia (YPONG) discussed their intent to restore Varnell Park on February 22. 

They have since followed through with the project. You can read about their success, and see before and after photos here!