Wiregrass Foundation is a private foundation promoting philanthropy and a spirit of giving in the local community.
The Foundation's hope is to maintain a modest approach to its grant programs with emphasis of achievement placed on its grantees and local citizens committed to unselfish giving.
Yes We Can! Dothan
What is
Yes We Can! Dothan (YWCD)? It is a
citizen driven initiative designed to engage Dothan citizens in creating a unified voice and vision for the Dothan City Schools and the children and families served. The effort requires an ongoing commitment by all participants to improve education and to foster accountability. "Yes We Can! Dothan" is an opportunity to design a better Dothan from the inside out by assessing expectations, met and unmet, and proposing progressive alternatives.
Early Spring of 2008, a citizen led group met, organized and declared goals to propel the Dothan City Schools (DCS) to state and national prominence. Three goals, determined from input of more than 1,000 Dothan citizens, have become YWCD's focus in working with DCS personnel on a collaboratively developed,
co-owned strategic plan. The YWCD goals are:
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To Improve Student Achievement for all Dothan City School Students
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To Maintain a Process of Continuous Improvement of the Dothan City Schools Utilizing Data Driven Decision Making
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To Engage In Meaningful Ways the Citizens of Dothan Improve Their Public Schools
By December 2008, a draft copy of a Co-owned (Community/School) Strategic Plan was completed, and it immediately became the focal point of YWCD and school efforts toward “improving student achievement for all DCS students.” Assisting YWCD and school leaders in preparing the final copy of the Co-owned Strategic Plan were YWC Mobile consultants, Drs. Harold Dodge and Rhonda Waltman, former superintendent and deputy superintendents of the Mobile County Public School System. Later, the Dothan City Board of Education voted unanimously to accept the final copy, and immediately YWCD and DCS officials began implementation work around the five goals included in the approved Co-owned Strategic Plan:
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Graduation for All: Ready for College, Work and Life
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High Expectations and Accountability for Home, School and Community
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Parent Responsibility and Involvement
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Funding Better Schools to Make a Better Dothan
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Communication that Informs, Engages and Reconnects
Civic Index for Quality Public Education Advocacy Groups
Early expectations of the Co-owned Strategic Plan were met and the community momentum toward improvement was boosted when YWCD organized thirteen advocacy groups for the Dothan City Schools. All thirteen groups had organizational meetings by the middle of August, 2009, (with a 14th added in February, 2010) and their relationship to a
Civic Index for Public Education were identified. The Civic Index for Quality Public Education is the first-of-its kind tool specifically designed to measure community support for public education. The index:
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Helps communities define and measure support of their public schools
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Helps communities identify what they are doing right and what they can do to improve their support for their public schools
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Offers strategies and other resources for communities to increase their support for their schools
Advocacy Groups:
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· Local Elected Officials
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· Acceptance and Inclusiveness
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· Active Parents
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· Civic Organizations
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· Faith-Based Entities
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· Philanthropic Groups/Foundations
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· Continuous Improvement
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· Youth Involvement
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· Partnerships with Higher Education
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· School Board
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· Active Business Community
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· Media Coverage
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· Better Funding, Better Schools
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· Perspective Families
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Adopt-A-School! Dothan
What is Adopt-A-School! Dothan? It is an effective, mutually beneficial partnership among civic, business, education, faith based and not-for-profit organizations, as well as Dothan citizens. This partnership has as its primary mission "Preparing All Dothan City School Students for College, the Work Force and Life", and this mission is being accomplished through an ongoing working relationship among Dothan citizens.
Adopt-A-School! Dothan, using the Co-owned Strategic Plan , clearly outlines the community's commitment to the success of our schools. We have committed to "create a culture of community support around our schools" (action step 5) and to "form a network of business and community people willing to contribute human and financial resources" (action step 7). Adopt-A-School! Dothan provides a framework for these goals to become reality. To complete a questionnaire or for more information on becoming a partner in Adopt-A-School! Dothan, contact Lavonda Gosselin at (334) 671-7981 (llgosselin@aol.com) or LaRhonda Robinson at (334) 792-5138 (lrobinson@dothan.com). The Adopt-A-School program is sponsored by Yes We Can! Dothan, Dothan City Schools and Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce.
The "Yes We Can! Dothan" Executive Team:
Judge Rose Gordon & Morris Slingluff, Co-Chairpersons
Thomas Harrison, Director of Operations
Twyla Williams, Director of Communications
Lavonda Gosselin, Director of the "Adopt-A-School! " Dothan" program
Libby Krietemeyer, Lucky Martin, Matt Parker, Wayne Prim and Tom Ziegenfelder
