In-SYNC Resources
Partnerships
The power of In-SYNC Partnerships comes from relationships. In-SYNC Partnerships supports each partner successfully reaching their organization goals so they can help create strong schools and promote success for young people. We have over 40 organizations working together and each of these partners is an important gear in the mechanism that makes Hampton the most livable city in Virginia. When an organization joins the partnership we create a customized memorandum of agreement document tailored to support your program and promote strong schools and youth success. If your organization supports these goals and you would like to be added to our partner list please contact us.
In-kind
Our primary resource is in-kind donations. Just by doing day-to-day work, each of our partners is creating strong schools and supporting youth success. We are planning on completing a detailed accounting of in-kind service by the Fall of 2001. Some examples help illustrate the power of working together and how in-kind can take many different forms.
A Common Language - The Developmental Assets Campaign
The Hampton Coalition for Youth has been actively engaged in a broad-based campaign promoting the 40 Developmental Assets. In-SYNC Partnerships has been an active partner with the Coalition since the start of the Assets Campaign and has contributed staff time and office resources to help infuse the asset language in all of our partners' programs and activities. By sharing resources and a language of youth success each organizations works is more effective and, more important, young people reap the benefit of organizations working with them to build success.
Shared Space/ Shared Goals - Community Technology Centers
Newtown Learning Center wanted to become a Community Technology Center for both youth and seniors. Newtown had computers maintained by Hampton City Schools and young people willing to help teach classes. What Newtown lacked was an instructor for their summer program who could work with senior citizens. KIDTECH received a grant from the Hampton Roads Partnership to create Community Technology Centers and bridge the digital divide. KIDTECH had the expertise and volunteers willing to help for a small stipend. In-SYNC Partnerships had a little bit of money for stipends and helped to put all the parts together to create a successful summer computer program for seniors.
Linking Parts and Pieces - School Safety
Hampton City Schools made school safety a priority activity for the 2001/2002 school year. At the same time, The Center for Child and Family Services had developed an effective bully proofing curriculum, the SAVY Program, but lacked funding to bring the program to scale. In-SYNC Partnerships facilitated a virtual meeting of the Schools and the Center out of which Hampton City Schools agreed to donated space and logistical support and the Center for Child and Family Services agreed to write a proposal to the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula who had funds available for innovative start-up programs. The SAVY Program was funded and will be operational in 3 middle schools and 10 elementary schools during the 2001/02 school year.
Volunteers
One of our most important resources is adults who are willing to mentor young people.
- 180 adults volunteered to work in the Reading 2000 Lunch Buddies program last year. Over 5000 hours of reading and mentoring supports youth success.
- Each of the Fire Stations in Hampton has adopted an elementary school and Fire and Rescue staff served as mentors for the young people at those schools.
- 15 AmeriCorps volunteers served as tutors for young people in after school programs. We are restructuring our tutoring efforts to work closely with the Hampton University Leadership Program and Thomas Nelson Community College.
Our goal for the 2001/02 school year is to expand our volunteer program into the business community. Please contact us if you are interested in helping in any volunteer capacity.
Grant writing
In-SYNC Partnerships creates positive relationships. We believe that critical resources will freely flow once we build healthy relationships between organizations; therefore, relationships serve as the basis for all grant writing efforts. We provide three types of grant writing support:
- Helping other organizations write grants by providing technical support, networking and partnership opportunities, and by writing letters of support as a representative of both the City of Hampton and Hampton City Schools.
- Partnering to write grants and coauthoring proposals.
- Writing proposals to fund partnership efforts.
For the past three years, we have focused most of our efforts on large comprehensive Federal and State grants. We will continue these efforts but plan to refocus to pursue smaller foundations proposals to fund targeted parts of the Partnership efforts, such as mentoring. We are always interested in pursuing funding opportunities that supports good inter-organizational relationships and fosters a willingness to work together to accomplish the goals of youth success and strong schools.
Proposals submitted for the 2001
- 21st Century Community Learning Centers
- Technology Opportunity Programs
- Community Technology Centers
- W.K Kellogg Foundation
- Community Development Block Grant
- Virginia Business Education Partnership
Financial support
In-SYNC Partnerships receives funding from the City of Hampton Neighborhood Office and Hampton City Schools. The funding is divided into almost equal parts from City, School and Federal sources. The total project budget is $348,263.