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In the ALIVE classroom, students are invited to make meaningful connections between their lives and their schoolwork. Through co-teaching and the use of art, drama, music and poetry, students express themselves and gain a stronger sense of self-worth and belonging.
“Students are affected by stress and that gets in the way of their abilities to get the most out of their school experience,” said Dr. Nisha Sajnani, director of drama therapy, community health, and ALIVE School Based Programs at the Post Traumatic Stress Center.
At many high schools, students have a sense of community on the first day of classes because most attended elementary and middle school with their fellow students.
Since Metropolitan Business Academy is a magnet school, the 350 students who attend come from all across the city, as well as from several other towns throughout the region. Therefore, they are far less connected on Day 1 than their peers in traditional high schools.
Published in The New Haven Register, Sunday, November 13, 2011
By Steve Higgins, Special to the Register
Covidien Surgical Devices and United Way of Greater New Haven have opened a new front in the battle against childhood obesity. The two organizations have teamed up to provide 5,000 Get Fit Kits to New Haven school children. The kits include a pedometer, a jump rope, a water bottle, a ball and a Frisbee.
Published in The New Haven Register, Saturday, October, 29, 2011
By Steve Higgins, Special to the Register
“United Way brought Experience Corps to this community because it simultaneously meets two of our objectives: improving children’s academic success and creating new ways for people to get involved with the community through volunteering,” said Jennifer Heath, executive vice president at United Way. “Experience Corps is part of United Way’s overall strategy to help children succeed in school, because we know that children have to know how to read in order to be successful in all of their other academic subjects.”
“When parents are engaged in their children’s education, students have better school attendance, lower rates of suspension, and higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates,” said Jack Healy, president and CEO of United Way of Greater New Haven.
Published in the New Haven Register, Saturday, June 04, 2011 By Steve Higgins, Special to the Register
“United Way designed the RFI process to help connect the rich diversity of programs and services in the community with the schools,” said Jennifer Heath, executive vice president at United Way of Greater New Haven.
Published in the New Haven Register on Saturday, May 28, 2011 By Steve Higgins, Special to the Register
“The district asked us to help address the availability and quality of a range of wraparound services” Bohen said. “We’re looking at extended learning opportunities, behavioral health, physical health and family support and engagement — all the things we know have a huge impact on student achievement.”
Published in the New Haven Reigster on Sunday, May 22, 2011 By Steve Higgins, Special to the Register
A 16-year-old New Haven girl whose father had been in prison for many years began missing too many school days at Metropolitan Business Academy this year. She had to take care of her mother and younger sister, and it became overwhelming.
But her attendance has increased significantly since this spring, when she was placed in a program designed to engage students who demonstrated a need for a more personalized learning environment, according to Nisha Sajnani, director of the Drama Therapy, Community Health and Prevention program at the Foundation for the Arts and Trauma. “She likes the class, and that really makes a difference,” said Sajnani.
Source: New Haven Register Published: Thursday, May 19, 2011 By: Pamela McLoughlin, Register Staff
NEW HAVEN — United Way of Greater New Haven held a sixth birthday breakfast Thursday for its early childhood initiative, “Success By 6,” designed to give kids a solid start in life and in hopes of making strides in closing the achievement gap.
It was a big party, with some 300 guests, held at the Omni Hotel at Yale, with Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman among the guests, as Gov. Dannel Malloy was called out of town and couldn’t speak as planned.Al Smith, chairman of the organization’s Board of Directors, noted like any proud father that United Way has transformed itself from a community fundraising agency to a community impact agency and Success by Six is an example of that.
Published: Saturday, May 14, 2011 in New Haven Register By Steve Higgins, Special to the Register
High-quality early childhood programs help not only with academic preparation, but in every area of a child’s life.
One New Haven toddler started in the United Way Early Head Start program with significant developmental and physical disabilities. Born prematurely, doctors told his mother he would not be able to do normal things. Over the course of 11 months in the Early Head Start program, he made remarkable progress.
