From violin to volleyball, to tap dance and taekwondo, participating in extracurricular activities is critical for children to form healthy behaviors and to achieve long-term academic success. Unfortunately, not all students and their families can afford after-school programs. The SKJAJA Fund helps students who lack the financial resources to participate in extracurricular activities. CommunityWorx and the SKJAJA Fund share the same core value of empowering and enriching the lives of the youth within the local community. 

Students who receive grants from SKJAJA can put the funds toward an extracurricular activity of their choice. From music lessons, recreational sports, and camps to field trips and tutoring, the recipient can pursue whatever they’re most passionate about.

“We don’t dictate what the kids want to do. The kids come to us saying what they want to do,” said Charlotte White, one of the founders of the SKJAJA Fund. “Some kids know exactly what they are passionate about, and some kids want to try lots of different things. Sometimes figuring out that you don’t like something is just as important as finding something you are passionate about.”

Paying It Forward

 White said that she benefited tremendously from the opportunities she had to take art and dance classes as a child. When her sister-in-law Kim gave her a gift with the intention for her to pass it on to somebody else, White wanted to help provide other children access the same advantages that she had. Together, a group of her family members created the SKJAJA Fund. The pay-it-forward model eventually became a key tenant of the program’s success.

 Grant recipients are required to complete community service in order to receive funding for their afterschool activities. Expectations correspond to a participant’s age: an elementary-aged student might make a card for a person in the hospital, while an older student might help elementary students with homework. The first and second graders get excited about volunteering alongside high school students during SKJAJA Saturdays, the organization’s monthly service event. 

“It’s not a handout, they worked for it,” said White. “We have kids that sign up for SKJAJA Saturday who needs one to fulfill their requirements, but they ask to come back next month. Engaging kids at the young age of 5 and 6 instill something in them. It’s a neat thing.”

SKJAJA and CommunityWorx

The SKJAJA Fund, alongside Musical Empowerment, were some of the first tenants to join YouthWorx on Main, the nonprofit coworking accelerator run by CommunityWorx. White believes that having an established office gives them functional capabilities and legitimacy as a nonprofit organization. Being able to collaborate in person with other nonprofits on a regular basis has also been a valuable resource to the SKJAJA fund. Furthermore, having a presence in the YouthWorx on Main has also given them a greater sense of visibility within the community.

Cause Communications is a service-learning course at the Hussman School in which students learn the importance of nonprofit communications through classroom instruction, guest lectures, and hands-on community partnerships. The course was created and is taught by Marshéle Carter, an adjunct professor with over 30 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. This semester’s cohort included 35 students from across various majors and with an assortment of nonprofit-related experiences. The Fall 2019 edition of Cause Communications marked the second time in which the course was offered and the second time in which CommunityWorx was a partner for the course’s service-learning component.  

In August, CommunityWorx Chief Operating Officer Erik Valera visited the class to educate students about the opportunity and achievement gaps in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community and to present their service-learning assignment for the semester. Valera tasked the students with developing public relations strategies for local nonprofits to engage with “grass-top” stakeholders. He explained that since these stakeholders have high professional and/or political profiles, they are the best potential partners for nonprofits fighting opportunity gaps in our community. As a result, Valera asked the students to research multiple “grass-top” groups and prepare communications recommendations based on their findings to share with local nonprofit leaders.

Over the next few months, the students conducted demographic and psychographic research on seven key “grass-top” groups, including local business partners, elected government officials, non-elected officials, philanthropists, real estate investors, UNC-CH faculty members, and UNC-CH healthcare administrators. The students also examined external case studies to identify effective strategies involving “grass-top” groups in other areas across the country dealing with substantial opportunity and achievement gaps. Using their research findings, the students then developed high-level communications recommendations for nonprofits seeking to reach any, or all, of the aforementioned “grass-top” groups.  

As a culmination of their research, the students planned an event to share their findings and engage in round-table discussions with local nonprofit leaders. Since the event was aimed at cultivating dialogue between the students, nonprofits and “grass-top” groups, the students named the event “Carolina Cultivates.” “Carolina Cultivates” was held on November 21 at YouthWorx on Main in Carrboro and was attended by nonprofit leaders from various organizations across the community. Former Chapel Hill Mayor Howard N. Lee was also in attendance and served as the event’s keynote speaker. The students then led discussions focusing on their assigned “grass-top” groups and allowed attendees to interact with their research. Each attendee received a “resource folder” with handouts detailing the students’ research findings and recommendations for communicating with potential “grass-top” collaborators.

Howard N. Lee, Mayor of Chapel Hill from 1969-1975, speaking on education at YouthWorx on Main.

  While “Carolina Cultivates” served as the conclusion of the students’ service-learning project, their research findings, and communications recommendations present an opportunity for local nonprofits to reach new “grass-top” collaborators or to strengthen existing partnerships. Their research and recommendations will undoubtedly be assets in the fight against opportunity and achievement gaps in Chapel Hill-Carrboro, and CommunityWorx is extremely grateful to Marshéle Carter and her students for their hard work this semester.  

About Howard Lee

Howard N. Lee served as mayor of Chapel Hill from 1969 to 1975, making him the first African-American mayor of the town. He was also the first African-American mayor of a predominantly white city in the South. Since retirement from public service, Lee has established several nonprofit organizations in the Chapel Hill area, including the Howard N. Lee Institute, which focuses on providing adequate resources for students and educators. Lee’s work at the Institute has introduced him to countless at-risk middle and high school students within the local region, making him an advocate for closing achievement and opportunity gaps in the school system. For more information about Lee and his service to the Chapel Hill area, visit www.howardleeinstitute.org.   

The lowest point of my life was incarceration and drug addiction. Actually, I think [incarceration] saved my life. I was in drug addiction for 17 years. It gave me time to readjust my thinking and put my priorities in order — self-examination and what I wanted to do with my life. I had lost so much time — it took so much from me. I wanted to build a relationship with my daughter, I wanted to build a relationship with my family and I wanted to have a stronger bond with God.

I have worked at the thrift shop for 10 years. I started here doing community service. I had just been released from prison, and it was a part of my probation. They were impressed with the way that I [worked], so I put in an application, and they called me back and hired me.

I’m more interested now in the ministry — helping people. Whether that be physically, spiritually, mentally — always trying to build them up. I encourage them.

Triangle Bikeworks is a nonprofit located in Carrboro, NC, that creates fun, challenging and educational biking trips for middle school and early high school students. The program, which is geared toward serving local students of color, has benefited over 119 individuals.

Participants meet up to practice riding bikes throughout the year to prepare for their 700-mile, two-week summer cycling and camping tour. Younger students or those who want another option can sign up for weekend-long excursions that tour around the Triangle.

How Cycling Can Impact Students for Good

Through Triangle Bikeworks, students who might normally find cycling training and equipment beyond their financial reach have the opportunity to try an activity that can build personal responsibility, endurance and teamwork skills and prepare them for future success. Kevin Hicks, the founder and executive director of the program, wanted to use experiential learning to teach students skills and knowledge in a different setting outside the classroom.

“Each experience is different, said Hicks. ” Some like the ride, some like the historical aspect, some like the aspect that they are doing something that gets them out of the neighborhood. It depends on the individual. If there is anything that resonates with all of them, it’s the comradery on the road working as a team. ”

The tours focuses on cultivating an appreciation for nature as well as a better understanding of national and local history. In the past, Triangle Bikeworks has lead excursions along the Mississippi River starting in St. Louis in order to highlight some of the origins of American music. The group has also done a tour along the Trail of Tears with the intent to spark conversations about the past and present issues the nation faces. Hicks decided to focus on history because he said he saw gaps in what students are taught about history in schools today.

“The dominate history taught in school is European history,” said Hicks. ” I wanted to explore the underground railroad, and I thought the kids would too. It’s history they don’t experience in school. ”

During a two week tour, students average 55 miles of riding per day before pitching their camp at night. Once at a campsite, the participants will take responsibility for chores, talk about the day’s experiences and write a daily reflection. To make the experience more inclusive, a van follows alongside the tour in case a rider needs to take a break for physical reasons.

Expansion of Triangle Bikeworks

Due to the program’s rising success, Hicks hopes to be able to reach a total 100 students during next season’s rides. As the organization matures, they’ve needed more physical and organizational resources. They are currently seeking donations and equipment to be able to serve more youth. In terms of organizational resources, being a part of the YouthWorx building has helped them grow and refine their strategies.

“The collaboration aspect is phenomenal,” said Hicks. “We can kick around ideas with other executive directors to collaborate and learn from them. ”

With seven chapters in North Carolina and one in New Hampshire, Musical Empowerment has a strong presence in many communities. Their drive to mentor local youth aligns with CommunityWorx’s mission to build a collaborative community that serves as a catalyst for innovation and empowerment for the lives of youth.

Music Lessons Benefit Students and Teachers Alike

This past year, over 270 students applied to receiving musical training and mentorship from Musical Empowerment volunteers at the UNC-Chapel Hill chapter alone. Allison Flors, a program director for the nonprofit, believes the number of interested students indicates how large of an opportunity they have as an organization. Although PE and fine arts are often some of the first targets of budget cuts, these programs are valuable for a student’s personal growth and development.

Social workers refer elementary and middle school students to the program, who are paired with a mentor for a 40-minute lesson once a week at a local school or church. Students who enjoy and excel within the program are permitted to stay through high school. At the end of every semester, the students perform at a recital.

Musical Empowerment benefits those receiving the lessons as well as the college students who volunteer as teachers. Musical Empowerment has often witnessed young men and women make deep, lasting relationships with the students they guide.  University students who may not have the time to join an ensemble have found that teaching others allows them to reconnect with an instrument they love.

“Music can be a lifelong thing, not just a thing in school,” said Flors. “You can be involved with it your entire life.”

Musical Empowerment and CommunityWorx

When the YouthWorx building opened in 2017, Musical Empowerment became one of the first tenants to lease an office. They’ve found the space to be perfect for hosting leadership summits and professional development for training their college student music teachers. Flors has also found that being in close proximity to other nonprofits helps her brainstorm ways to improve the operations of her own organization.

“We are all scrappy nonprofits that are all in this together, ” said Flors. “I learn a lot from being in this environment. It’s been a huge resource and helped us. We’ve also been to connect with other organizations in the space. If we hear about another policy, more of us can benefit from these resources.”

Zenzele Barnes, another program director, has also find the synergistic nature of CommunityWorx to be both inspiring and practical.While each of the organizations that partner with CommunityWorx are distinct, their passion for supporting youth is the same. From translating documents to finding referrals, the other organizations are often willing to lend their expertise to help out.

“We are constantly building connections and seeking to more deeply understand communities, ” said Barnes. ” In a lot of ways, the same collaborative spirit we bring to the CommunityWorx environment is something we take with us across all of our college campuses and communities.”

In 2016 275 eighth grade students at Smith Middle School completed a STEM biotechnology experience thanks to a generous grant from the PTA Thrift Shop, now CommunityWorx. The grant provided the entire eighth grade class with materials to genetically transform E.coli bacteria to glow in the dark. The lab was the culmination of weeks of research and preparation by the students.

Students started the unit by researching about Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), including its origins in the North American jellyfish and how it is used by scientists.  After gaining a firm understanding of GFP, students then learned about the major steps necessary to bioengineer E. Coli into glowing E.coli cells, including creation of a plasmid, insertion of the plasmid with GFP into the bacteria cells, selection for transformed bacteria, and growing bacteria cultures. We also wanted our student to understand the real-world applications of creating genetically modified organisms.  We therefore used a virtual lab to compare the techniques we would use in our lab to insert GFP into E.Coli to the process that is used by biotechnology companies to create transgenic crops. Many of my students mentioned that their parents work for Bauer and other biotechnology companies in the Research Triangle Park, and this activity helped validate this important scientific application. Lastly students completed a model lab in which they did each of the steps in the procedure using practice materials and learned about appropriate sterile technique. When the actual lab day came, students had the background knowledge to understand the purpose of each step of the procedure, the skills to successfully carry out the transformation, and pride in their ability to complete a complicated bioengineering task on their own.

We cannot describe how wonderful it is to provide this hands-on lab experience to all our students. Exposure to STEM experiences will hopefully inspire more students to pursue advanced sciences in high school and college. It is also important to give each student the fundamentals about bioengineering that will help them prepare for decisions that they will make in the future in regards to the foods they choose as well as the regulations needed to protect our society.