AdvanceMe

Strategic Plan

February 2019

Julianna Lamey, Annalise Miller, Kate Owens

VISION STATEMENT

• “All girls and young women of Indianapolis neighborhoods will be strong, supported, and prepared to lead their own future.”

MISSION STATEMENT

• “AdvanceMe strives to promote the development of underprivileged girls within Indianapolis neighborhoods by developing community engagement, strengthening individuals, and by providing a mentor for success”

VALUES

• Responsibility: We will provide engaged mentors for all attendees who care deeply for the success and potential each girl.

• Self-worth: We will be aggressively promoting the value of lives, worth, and self-advocacy through programming and activities

• Engagement: We will produce an effective camp environment where young women and girls can interact and explore themselves.

• Courtesy: We will behave with civility towards others and offer a safe environment to share ideas, thoughts, and perspectives.

• Achievement: We will encourage hard work for individuals to reach towards their goals with the mentoring and support from their peers.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

• GOAL 1: Create a platform for girls to enhance engagement with the community for self-betterment

A. Create an environment where the young women will interact with one another as well as people in the community to promote healthy relationships.

B. Provide group activities and individualized mentoring to promote self-care and self-esteem for the growth of each individual young woman.

C. Give girls a mentor and connecting them with other young women in their community through AdvanceMe.

• GOAL 2: Building strong ties between mentee and mentor will provide support and reinforce self-image, leadership skills, and deliver programs specific to the individual.

A. We will recruit mentors who are alumni of the program and those who have grounded lifestyles and ties within the community.

B. The mentor will act as a role model and advisor to help each young woman to self develop specific sets of skills and goals.

C. We will match up mentors with the young women by evaluating mentor and mentee through a questionnaire to achieve the best results.

• GOAL 3: Build competent, diverse thinking on a board level while staff maintains direct relationships with mentors to ensure individualistic growth and development.

A. By having a diverse board of directors, we can get multiple perspectives on everything that the program entails.

B. The board will be involved with the development of the organization and major decisions of the program.

C. With the ties of the members of the board we can better outsource resources and have insightful ties.

• GOAL 4: Network and community ties will assist in promoting the overall organization of AdvanceMe.

A. We will market to the communities of the target group of the organization.

B. We will market to other foundations, organizations, and individuals that have an interest in AdvanceMe who can be potential donors and provide women and young ladies to the organization.

C. We will fundraise to local communities by sharing our mission and goal with the public.

• GOAL 5: Collaborating with communities and girl serving professional organizations to build foundational trust to reach our goal as AdvanceMe.

A. Have partnership with organizations and foundations that are for the betterment of AdvanceMe.

B. Utilize the resources and opportunities that other organizations in the community.

C. Better ties with the community for the advancement of relationship and community betterment.

DATA

This link will discuss ten issues for teens in crisis. It has specifics of each of the ten issues at hand like bullying, isolation, depression, etc.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-magid/top-10-issues-for-teens-i_b_11057092.html

This link will discuss three of the big challenges that are facing in the perspective from a therapist. It talks about parenting, culture, and the adolescent brain.

http://www.chicagonow.com/between-us-parents/2016/03/challenges-facing-teens-and-teens/

This link will discuss the effects of poverty on the mental, physical, and behavioral health of children. It talks about the implications and different kinds of preventions.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/224956205_The_Effects_of_Poverty_on_the_Mental_Emotional_and_Behavioral_Health_of_Children_and_Youth_Implications_for_Prevention

• 1 in 5 Hoosier children are living in poverty. (28% in Marion County) (IYI Kids Count 2018)

• 48.1% of Indiana students receive free or reduced-price meals (40.6% receive free meals and 7.5% receive reduced-price meals). (IYI Kids Count 2018)

• Poorer children and teens are also at greater risk for several negative outcomes such as poor academic achievement, school dropout, abuse and neglect, behavioral and socioemotional problems, physical health problems, and developmental delays. (https://www.apa.org/pi/families/poverty)

• Children living in poverty are at greater risk of behavioral and emotional problems, such as depression, anxiety and low self esteem.

(https://www.apa.org/pi/families/poverty)

• More girls are living in poverty and low-income households today than ten years ago. This is significant because these low socioeconomic-status girls face considerable challenges that affect their health, happiness, and achievement. Low-SES girls are more likely to be of black/African American, Hispanic/Latina, and American Indian descent. (Girl Scouts of America State of Girls Report 2017)

SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths:

Creating change for girls will inevitably change communities.

More girls being engaged with their social circles and families.

Gender diversity in post-secondary education will level out.

Mentors being a voice for participants to achieve personal goals.

Weaknesses:

Admission to program through application, some applicants will be turned away.

Niches among participants may result in unfulfilled desires and goals.

Bad pairings for mentors and mentees.

Length of program may not be on enough to create sustainable change.

Opportunities:

With mentors in the picture, participants will have their voices heard to adjust programs to specific needs.

Learning about various uncovered issues girls face within communities

Other community support organization may join mission

Threats:

Program participants feeling unaffected by therapeutic mentorship.

Negative relationships with other participants within program.

Bullying and poor behaviors may influence each other post program.

Participates not taking the program seriously