Program Name: Project Safe
Nominator's Name: Frank DeBell
Title: Principal, North Dover Elementary School
Address: 51 Highland Avenue
City/State/Zip: Dover NJ 07801
Nominator's Telephone Number: 973-989-2020
Organization: Morris Area Girl Scout Council - Project Safe
Address: 1579 Sussex Turnpike
City/State/Zip: Randolph NJ 07869
List of Community Partners: Morris Area Girl Scout Council, Tiger Rap, College of St. Elizabeth, United Way
The nominated program focuses on the following grade level or area: Elementary
District:  Dover
County: Morris
Address: 100 Grace Street
City/State/Zip: Dover NJ 07801
District Superintendent: Ms. Margaret Fischer
District Telephone Number: 973-989-2000
Date of Program Initiation: 1985

Area 1: Goals: How does this program support student achievement through its alignment with the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards? State relevant program goal(s) and how it relates to the Core Curriculum Content Standard(s).

The program supports and promotes knowledge, skills and understandings through enriching learning opportunities that complement the school day and it provides a safe supervised environment in which students are able to complete assignments, homework with guidance from professionals and volunteer high school students.

Project Safe also cooperates with the College of St. Elizabeth to provide a unique science program. This science program has presented key concepts and skills contained in the core curriculum standards for science K-4 such as:

5.3 (1,2) Inventors/Scientists (Multicultural)

5.6-6 Organisms and food chains

5.7-4 Survival: Plant/animals in habitats

5.10-2 Rocks, Minerals, Soils, Fossils

A Conflict resolution program called "Keeping the Peace" has been implemented.

Area 2: Activities: What are the activities and unique features of the program? (Include the number of volunteers, volunteer hours, students, parents, teachers, and corporate or community involvement).

Project Safe provides the children with a safe and stimulating after school environment. Daily activities include homework assistance, outdoor play, crafts, games, free playtime, and a nutritious snack. In addition, Girl Scout and Boy Scout programs are presented every week during the school year.

The children also participate in several community service opportunities, on-site programs and educational field trips. Project Safe is also an informal resource for families that need assistance in assessing social services and in developing parenting skills.

We have a program coordinator, assistant coordinator, senior field aide and 8 field aides at each site. Five dedicated volunteers also provide assistance usually on a daily basis for 30 hours per week. A Project Safe Manager and the Morris Area Girl Scout Council's Director of Membership Services supervises the program.

Project Safe involves the following community and corporate entities: Girl Scouts of America, Boy Scouts of America, Hope House, Tiger Rap (School Based Youth Services)

Area 3: Outside Resources: What outside resources (financial and human) support the partnership program?

The partnership is supported by the following outside resources:

• Morris Area Girl Scout Council
  
  
• United Way
  
  
• Family Services of Morris County
  
  
• Division of Youth and Family Services
  
  
• Child and Family Resource and Referral

Area 4: Evaluation: What has been the impact of the partnership program on the students, teachers, and community being served? Factors to be considered include the number of students involved, increased student achievement, increased parental involvement, and attitude changes of students and staff through pre- and post-test data.

In 1998, the Project Safe After-School Program conducted a self-evaluation to examine program strengths and weaknesses. It was also a guide to help determine how best to meet the needs of the families which Project Safe serves in the community. While this was not originally conducted as an outcomes measurement, the information contained in the family questionnaire brings us closer to measuring observable changes in the lives of these families, rather than just measuring the number of families served.

Overall families and children like the Project Safe After-School Program. 100% of families responded favorably, with 82.76% of the families children always like coming to the Program.

There are 75 students who are serviced by the program. 100% of the families who filled out this evaluation felt that the staff responded to individual characteristics of their children, such as age, culture, language, temperament, and development. 92.59% of families feel that the staff of Project Safe discusses their child's growth and behavior in a helpful way. 85.18% of families are kept informed of their child's successes and difficulties. This provides much needed support and nurturing, not only for the children, but for the families as well.

Families participate in meetings throughout the year and activities such as talent show. It is evident that Project Safe continues to be an integral part of the Dover community and of the Dover School District. The North Dover School Site is an example of a School-Community Partnership Program, educators and a youth organization such as the Morris Area Girl Scout Council together actively committed to promote knowledge, skills, and understandings through enriching learning opportunities that complement the school day.

Area 5: Stability: Are the major organizational components of the program in place? Describe the stability of the program as a whole, as evidenced by the length of time in existence, status of the coordinator, sources of funding for program operation, recruiting and recognition of program participants, orientation and training.

Project Safe After-School Program began in 1985 in a church basement where it served 15 newly-immigrated Hispanic children as an outreach activity of the Morris Area Girl Scout Council. Although it has grown to keep pace with demand, its primary mission is unchanged - to provide a high quality, low cost program for the working families of the Dover community.

Project Safe is licensed by the State of New Jersey. Funding comes primarily through United Way and the Morris Area Girl Scout Council. It is open to boys and girls, Grades K-5, in the Dover School System. The program is held at North Dover School and at Academy St. School. Program capacity is 75 children per site, and Project Safe typically operates at the maximum.

During a course of a program year, Project Safe serves an average of 300 different children.

Area 6: Endorsements: Which major stakeholders in the school-community partnership support the program? Include brief statements by three individuals involved with the program (must be included in the four pages of narrative).

Lily Ramirez - Being a full-time single working mom I worried about what my children would do after school. Project Safe took those fears away. They help with the nourishing and development of my children.

Cindy Burbridge - We began our experience with Project Safe in 1989 when we moved to Dover, at that time my oldest son was 7 and he had just been diagnosed with ADHD and took medication for it. The woman in charge at the time Peg Flannigan was a godsend for us, she understood my son and always gave him attention and positive reinforcement, in fact of all the people in his life she probably has cared the most.

Diane Rojkuma - I am a working mother and the program provides aftercare for my child. This enables me to continue with my full-time job which I would have to give up if this program was not in place. I recommend that the Project Safe program be allowed to continue in order to provide aftercare services for our children so we can continue working to give our children a better life.