"You Can Make a Difference"

Advocates of Dalton Challenge Program

is proud to sponsor

Syndicated Columnist Dick Yarbrough

Please join us 

“You Can Make a Difference”

Dalton High School

7:00

February 4, 2014

For the past 15 years, Dick Yarbrough has gained a large following with his syndicated newspaper column which reaches some 600,000 households and more than 1.3 million readers each week throughout Georgia, making him the most widely-syndicated local columnist in the state.  The Georgia Press Association has twice named his column “Most Humorous.”

Yarbrough is known as a strong advocate for improving public education.  He also continues to push for stronger ethics legislation in the state.  In 2012, he received the Democracy Award from Common Cause Georgia.  “Dick Yarbrough has been a staunch supporter and advocate of meaningful ethics reform for our state and has humorously and effectively kept the issue alive in the hearts and minds of Georgia citizens,” said William Perry, Executive Director of Common Cause Georgia.

Writing a column is just one of Yarbrough’s talents. The Georgia native is an author of two books and a sought-after speaker on today’s circuit.
                                                                                                             

Meet Dick Yarbrough

Dick Yarbrough is a Southern philosopher, political pundit and straight-shooting humorist all rolled into one. Seen weekly in nearly one million households throughout Georgia, his column is an artful mix of comedy and candor that leaves readers amused, inspired or enraged, but always engaged!

Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP): An Update

In 2012, the Dalton-Whitfield Archway Partnership facilitated bringing the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education program, administered locally by Whitfield County’s Cooperative Extension Office, to Whitfield County to help families prepare fast, healthy meals on a budget.  The program uses a series of six 1 hour sessions geared toward improving a family’s diet and nutrition practices, stretching their food supply longer, and handling food more safely.  Those who complete all six sessions receive a cookbook and a certificate. In FY 2013, Whitfield County Cooperative Extension EFNEP reached 97 participants directly and 402 family members indirectly. After completing the EFNEP program:

·   96.7% of EFNEP graduates had a positive change in any food group (fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, dairy, and oils).

·   53% of EFNEP graduates more often planned meals in advance.

·   24% more often followed the recommended practices of not allowing meat and dairy foods to sit out for more than two hours. Furthermore, 50% always follow the recommended practice.

The program is free of charge to participants.  The target audience for the program is any caregiver (parents/foster parents/grandparents etc.) with school age children who receive public assistance (i.e. SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, TANF, and free or reduced lunch). The program can, however, accommodate families who do not receive public assistance as EFNEP’s goal is to reach as many families as possible.   

If your organization would like to host the EFNEP program, please contact Brooke Walker at 706.278.8207 or brooke1@uga.edu.  To conduct an EFNEP session, all that’s necessary is a room with electricity.  All meals are cooked on an electric skillet.

Click here to learn more about the Dalton-Whitfield Archway Partnership’s facilitation efforts with the EFNEP. 

Sharing is Caring

On December 12 and 14, Readers to Leaders (R2L) and First Five joined with other community organizations and participated in a collaborative effort known as Sharing is Caring.  At Sharing is Caring, families who have earned credits by participating in parenting and enrichment classes have the opportunity to shop for gifts for their children at a store created by various charity organizations.  While waiting to shop, parents had the chance to explore booths represented by local organizations such as the Northwest Georgia Regional Library, WIC, and SNAP. R2L and First Five provided families with books, a crayon, a bracelet, a sticker, a bookmark with tips for reading to children at home, and various other informational materials to promote literacy. Pictured below are R2L representatives with booth materials, and a mother and daughter at the event.

 

Left to Right: Katy Green, Archway Education Professional; Melissa Morrison, Readers to Leaders VISTA intern; Pam Partain, Readers to Leaders Chair

 

 

A mother holds parent material, while her daughter holds books.

Book Nooks: Successful Community Collaboration

The Archway Partnership has recently launched its newest initiative: Book Nooks!  As the result of dedicated volunteers working through Readers to Leaders and First Five, a birth-to-Pre-K work group, bookshelves containing child-appropriate books, or “book nooks”, will make their way to local businesses and waiting areas in the community.  Dalton State College’s Athletics program has agreed to sponsor the first four Book Nooks and placed the first one at White’s Pediatrics on December 3. Children were excited to see the Book Nook, and their reaction immediately upon its installation can be viewed below.

 

None of these efforts and community successes would be possible without the collaboration of different individuals and organizations coming together. Pictured below is a snapshot of the first Book Nook and a few of the individuals and organizations that helped make it possible.

Left to right: Erik Simpson, Dalton State Athletics; Elizabeth Chadwick, Dalton State President’s Office and former library board chair; and two representatives from White’s Pediatrics office. 

If your organization is interested in sponsoring or hosting a Book Nook, please contact Readers to Leaders/United Way VISTA Melissa Morrison at readers2leadersdw@gmail.com.

 

 



Industry and Education Partners to Develop Reading Metrics

In 2012, Dalton-Whitfield leaders declared their commitment to helping all students achieve grade level reading by third grade.  In an effort to ensure progress towards this goal, the Dalton-Whitfield Archway Partnership has decided to work together as a community to establish common grade level reading metrics.  Shaw Industries, Mohawk Industries, and J&J Industries have each volunteered a Six Sigma expert to work with representatives from each school system on this project.  The scope of the group’s work is as follows: 

1) Examine existing data to determine how variables like poverty are impacting student success;

2) Decide upon a common metric(s) for third grade reading level and grades up to third; and

3) Decide upon a benchmark on the metric(s) that will establish success.

The team hopes to have a recommendation for the school systems in early January of 2014, prior to the schools’ spring budget determinations.

Archway Presents to Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce

 

On October 31, the Archway Partnership shared information about local initiatives with the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. At the meeting, Archway Partnership chairman Lynn Laughter, Vice-Chair Don Cope, and Archway Professional Melissa Lu refreshed the board on select poverty statistics indicating the need for community collaboration: 

 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Fact Finder.
Poverty line is considered to be $21,954 (GA County Guide).

 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Fact Finder.
Median Household Income is defined as the income of the householder and all other individuals 15 years old and over in the household, whether they are related to the householder or not (U.S. Census Bureau). Inflation adjusted income has been adjusted using an inflation-adjusted calculator found at http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm and is based on the 2013 year.

Archway representatives then shared with the Chamber Board Archway's 2013-2014 priorities:
     1) Get Students on Grade Level Reading by Third Grade
     2) Prioritize a Greenways, Parks, and Trails Project
     3) Further Explore the Concept of a Business Incubator

The presentation shared can be viewed here.

GPEE Bus Tour Visits Dalton-Whitfield County

On October 29, the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education bus tour visited Dalton-Whitfield County to learn more about community-wide education efforts.  More than 80 representatives from around the state visited the Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy, where they had an opportunity to learn about Archway Partnership and Archway-initiated efforts including the Early Childhood Community Coalition; Readers to Leaders; Explore Experience; and Design, Engineering and Manufacturing Camp.  Participants also had the opportunity to learn about other educational opportunities sponsored by Georgia Northwestern Technical College, Dalton State College, and Whitfield Middle School STEM programs.

Following a tour of the Career Academy and exhibit visits, representatives were treated to a dinner prepared by culinary arts students from local high schools. During dinner, participants had an opportunity to learn more about Archway Partnership’s work and other community-wide education initiatives.

Below are some images highlighting the event.

Archway Education Professional Katy Green (center) discusses early childhood education initiatives with two bus tour visitors.

 

Pam Partain (right), Chair of Archway Partnership’s Readers to Leaders (R2L) Committee, explains R2L’s mission and the community’s commitment to literacy.

 

Archway Professional Melissa Lu (center) shares Archway Partnership efforts with representatives.