FOR 21ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER DIRECTORS

How to triple your impact and increase your funding in 90 days

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200+ Customers and Counting...

The Indiana Afterschool Network goes from No High School CCR Programming to 200+ students engaged

Project Brief: The Indiana Afterschool Network and Indiana Department of Education provide funding and resources to Out of School programs across the state to help them reach their goals.

Most of the work in this space is focused on Elementary and Middle School programs, while the High School Programs are left without much attention.

Before our partnership, the programs were doing a lot to try to meet the needs, but were falling short because they didn't have the adaptable resources to be able to support and engage the students. Staff were overworked and the high school students were more overlooked than before.

We started working with 10 programs from across the state in fall of 2020 during a very challenging year for schools and afterschool organizations. All program staff and students were given access to the 220 Platform and students were encouraged to complete one 220 module per week. We also conducted monthly webinars to answer questions and support the students/staff.

By the end of first semester, programs were off and running with the 220 Platform. Students were developing their leadership skills online and the Afterschool professionals had more time to spend connecting with students.The adaptable nature of the platform allowed for students to login at the best time for them to complete their work. Teachers were able to conduct impactful discussions with their students based on the work that had been completed each week.

Before: 0 Students Engaged in HS CCR Programming

After: 200+ Students Engaged

Timeline: 3 months

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"I appreciated the program a lot because I'm big on exposure. And you really don't know what you don't know...I love the program because it allows the students to look at different perspectives. Being that it's online it allows students to connect and meet students where they are which is the technology...allows students to experience something that isn't so cookie cutter. It applies to them. All students want to be seen, heard, and valued. And this is a program that allows them to see "Hey this is for me, this is my future.' And it allows them to project out and not just worry about today. And so I think it's just a phenomenal opportunity for students who have the chance to participate."

Nyika Leggett, Michigan City Area School, Safe Harbor Program

"In the craziness in what the world is going through right now, half of our group was quarantined one week and then the other half was quarantined. So we were never able to all be together, but everyone was able to get on and continue to go through the program. I think just seeing the process that you can have these big dreams and you can achieve it is so important...Noah would come running into my office and saying "Hey! I just finished my 220 and I'm going to do this, this and this!". It was just great that we could do it in-person or they could do it on their own then come back the next day and share. And there was that flexibility to do that because we need flexibility in everything we're doing right now."

Desiree Frederick, Boys & Girls Club Huntington Program Director

"This program allows that special quality in afterschool workers to be highlighted. There are a lot of programs that don't allow for the facilitation of a real connection and encourage growth and curiosity. I'd like to thank 220 for building something out that encourages and facilitates relationships in afterschool. Because that's what afterschool really is all about."

Abby May, Michigan City Area School, Safe Harbor Program Director

ChickTech Chicago gets $15,000 to start a new entrepreneurship program where students created their own conceptual startup

Project Brief: In partnership with the Chicago Learning Exchange, ChickTech and 220 worked together to help aspiring entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life. Participants used 220 Online Courses to develop their ideas, supplemented by workshops hosted at 1871- Chicago’s Technology & Entrepreneurship Center. Each participant created a minimum viable app design and presented their passion project at the culminating “pitch” event.

The ChickTech / 220 partnership empowered individual students to change the trajectory of their lives. Through the program intervention of self-discovery, leadership and social entrepreneurship, students will expand their perspective of what is possible for themselves, their community and the world whereas if the intervention did not occur, they might have settled for much less.

By empowering more individuals to optimize their potential and become positive, contributing citizens, students can transform their schools and organizations, and the community by solving some of its greatest challenges.

Before: 0 Students Engaged in Entrepreneurship Program

After: 20+ Students Engaged
$15,000 in new funding

Timeline: 3 months

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“Thank you so much for leading such a great experience for the students! I agree that there was still a big impact on those that participated.”

Katie SanFillipo, ChickTech CEO

“Hi Joseph, Thank you for having us, I loved the workshop. You guys do an amazing job and I really enjoyed it!”

Ana Parrott, ChickTech Mentor

“My passion project was to create a mobile app that is an outlet for those who want to volunteer, organizations who need volunteers, as well as planning out the volunteering itself.”

Program Participant

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What people are saying...

"220 has been a game-changer for our organization..."

"220 has been a game changer for our organization. They've provided us with incredible tools to equip, empower, and encourage young people."

Gerald Williams
^{_{CEO & Founder, Directed Initiatives for Youth}}

"They then ran 2 more miles!"

“Kelly gathered the group and gave the 40% rule talk and got the group fired up! They then ran 2 more miles! Thanks again for everything!”

Jeff Clemens
^{_{Assistant Principal, St. Laurence High School}}

"Discover the possibilities within you..."

"Traditional education teaches you what they think you need to know. 220 allows you to discover the possibilities within you."

Dr. Raed Elaydi
^{_{Professor of Entrepreneurship, Education Consultant}}

"They will use those skills and experiences for the rest of their lives...”

“In the long run you will see the importance of the work you've done, and that's irreplaceable - for you, your family, and others you've helped in the process. And you are changing the world, one young person at a time. You are teaching them that our minds have the ability to reason and the potential to wrap around all sorts of issues and situations – and they will use those skills and experiences for the rest of their lives.”

Sreela Banerjee
^{_{Founder, Life Skills Network}}

"They were able to assist me in becoming a leader in the community..."

"While working 220 I was able to see not only an increase in my grades consistently, but overall with everything I improved in. They were able to help me apply useful skills for every part of my life and assist me in becoming a leader in the community. Looking at any of my accomplishments from 2017-on will lead back to my working with 220."

Kurt Eshleman
^{_{220 Student, Information Technology Major}}

"Helping kids identify what success means to them..."

“This program is excellent, helping kids identify what success means to them, create a vision for themselves, and put a solid plan together to help them achieve their goals. Our son has learned a great deal and is equipped with a personalized plan going forward. Working with 220 has been a wonderful experience for us all and we would highly recommend this program!”

Kristy Brindley
^{_{Parent of 220 Student}}

"My vision is growing..."

“Not only did you inspire our students, but because of you both, my vision is growing beyond what I had thought it could in a week.”

Nicole Cattley
^{_{Program Manager, The First Tee Virginia Blue Ridge}}

"The things you taught me are so important..."

"You inspired me, motivated me, and guided me in the exact direction I need. The things you taught me are so important in relation to my life. You taught me how to be a good friend, a leader, and how to pursue my dreams. Again, thank you so much."

Zion G.
^{_{Aspiring NBA Executive, 220 Student}}

“We want 220 to be synonymous with our culture for years to come.”

“This program will prove to be a monumental progressive decision for our organization. We want 220 to be synonymous with our culture for years to come.”

David D.
220 Customer

"I actually see a purpose in life now..."

“I feel a lot better now than I did before. Before, I saw myself as really unmotivated, not excited to do anything, didn’t really care about anything. I actually see a purpose in life now. I feel more motivated to get my things done and things matter to me a lot more now and I want to work hard. It’s helped me with my parents the most. In situations with my parents, it helps me not to get mad at them, and understanding more what they’re going through. I take a lot more into consideration...I’ve found myself not hanging out with the same (negative) friend groups anymore too. It’s not that I can’t, it’s just that I don’t really want to after what we’ve talked about and worked on.”

Drew Conrad
^{_{Aspiring Musician, 220 Student}}

"I would highly recommend 220..."

“I have been able to use their extensive, well designed workbooks to enhance the education I provide for our First Tee of Phoenix Ace members. These kids are 14 to 18 and are approaching a time where they will be venturing out into the "real" world and with the help of 220 materials, I feel I am helping to prepare them to be our next leaders. The sequential workbooks provide me with a step to step format that continues to motivate these kids to define and follow their dreams in a logical and easy to understand manner. I would highly recommend 220 for any organization looking to develop strong and motivated youth.”

Greg Hall
^{_{The First Tee, Phoenix}}

So, who is this for?

You’re a 21st CCLC Director working hard for your students, families, staff and community.

Because you’re a visionary, you want your program to thrive.

You want to provide more exciting opportunities for your middle and high school students. But the program you have is outdated. Or maybe you don’t know where to start with a new program.

This is not easy when you have to worry about:

grant writing
program evaluation
staff development, burnout and turnover
stretched resources
satisfying current funders
schools not cooperating with your program

All of this, while you’re worrying about the financial sustainability of your organization.

“Will 21st CCLC Funding get cut?”

“Will my local funder continue funding my program next year? If not, will I be able to keep Mr./Mrs. ________ on payroll?”

“How will this affect my students?”

“How will this affect my job?”

We’ve seen this play out over the last 10 years working with thousands of students and hundreds of organizations across the country.

So if you’d love to stop worrying about funding, empower your staff and generate long-term outcomes for your students, then stick around.

You’re in the right place if:

You want to grow your programming and funding opportunities for high school students (without constantly applying for grants)
You want to create a standout program recognized by funders and partners
You want to stop worrying about hitting your regularly attending participants (RAPs)
You want your program to produce powerful, sustainable outcomes for your students
You want to help students who are struggling, disengaged, and/or overcoming trauma
You want to standardize the quality of your staff without spending a fortune or your own time on training
You want to reduce your dependency on individual staff while increasing the quality of your program and outcomes
You want to stop feeling burned out, get some work life balance and find more joy in your daily work
You want to be seen as a leader and innovator in your community and leave a lasting legacy with your organization

That being said, you’re probably not in the right place if:

You’re not an Afterschool/21st CCLC Program Leader
You predominantly serve elementary school students
You’re just trying to maintain your current funding, staff and programs or make incremental improvements
You believe the current education system is producing the outcomes we need
You believe college is the only way to succeed
You’re on your way out and aren’t looking to shake things up
You don’t want to have an amazing impact on your students and communities

But if this is NOT you, stick with us.

Here’s the truth: You can triple your impact and increase your funding by using an online program experience.

However, most organizations don’t know how to build online programs or where to start. So they’re stuck using what they already have.

This leads to ineffective outcomes, endless grant writing and staff burnout.

We are the only 100% intentionally designed afterschool online platform that focuses on giving your entire organization ready-to-implement programs to reduce staff burnout, increase student engagement and expand funding opportunities.

We’re Matthew & Joseph Moheban brothers and the co-founders of 220.

We’re a former banker and consultant turned education entrepreneurs.

Why? When? And how, you might ask?

Our dad introduced us to entrepreneurship in high school. We were hooked. Becoming entrepreneurs felt like our destiny.

But we felt pressure from our education system to follow the traditional path: high school to college to career.

So we did that and experienced success, getting hired out of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business at a bank and consulting firm, both in Chicago.

We had achieved “success” as defined by our education system. But we were both left asking ourselves, “is this all there is?”

We had been told (implicitly and explicitly) to put our dreams of entrepreneurship on hold because they weren't “practical”. They didn’t fit into the available education at our high school. And this led us to jobs we didn’t love, which means we were never going to be great at them. We would always be wondering what else was out there.

As we reflected on our journey, we realized way too many students were suffering from more serious problems:

Our one-size-fits-all education system is leaving students behind. Especially students who:

have suffered trauma
don’t have family/home support
have different learning styles
aren’t wired to sit at a desk and memorize information they won’t use again
wish they could explore their passions, discover their purpose and create their own version of success

And unfortunately it’s showing:

74%

of young adults felt school failed to fully prepare them for the real world.

^{According to the Adecco Group}

> 50%

of Black and Hispanic students will not graduate from college in 6 years

^{According to npr.org}

70%

of employers think recent graduates are underprepared for the workplace

^{According to insidehighered.com}

2x

Increase in the wealth gap between America's richest and poorest from 1989 to 2016

^{According to Pew Research Center}

35%

Increase in the US suicide rate
since 1999
^{According to USA Today}

$38,300+

Average total tuition for a 4-year public college
^{According to Google and Inc.}

(Since you’re a professional in afterschool, we’re preaching to the choir regarding the issues with our education system.)

We wanted to create a solution that helped students avoid our path; encouraged them to pursue work that leveraged their unique strengths and passions; and helped them build the transferable skills they need to get there.

We left our jobs in 2015 and started teaching these concepts with workshops.

It was not easy. We didn’t pay ourselves for the first 1.5 years in business. Schools were, of course, very resistant to work with us.

But you know who was willing to give us a chance?

Afterschool Programs.

And that’s when our programs started to take off.

Because while some people still have the misconception of afterschool as “babysitting”, you know and we know afterschool is filling the gaps education has left behind.

After refining our content with programs across the country and experiencing exciting results, we decided we wanted to be able to help more students and organizations than our workshops would allow.

We also realized through this work how stretched the people and resources are in afterschool. We learned how dependent your organizations are on continuously renewing its funding.

You’re trying to create a high-quality experience while constantly applying for money, dealing with staff turnover and burnout, and working relentlessly to hit your RAP goals.

So instead of limiting ourselves to the organizations we could work with in-person, we dove headfirst into the world of online learning. We created a platform with turnkey courses to help organizations install these same programs with their students. In turn, these organizations would be able to empower their students with the leadership, career-readiness, entrepreneurship and personal finance skills they need to carve their own path and thrive in the 21st century.

The results? Organizations all over the country are using this method to:

Generate new funding streams or increase existing sources
Reduce staff prep time and burnout
Produce standout student outcomes

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The process to triple your impact and increase your funding in 90 days

Want to apply this method to your organization and see similar or better results?

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Set long-term program goals before writing new grants

THE OLD WAY

Typically, organizations:

can’t plan long-term because they’re constantly responding to urgent demands
can plan long-term, but do so limited by historical funding levels, current budget, or lack of available resources
set realistic program goals they and funders think they can achieve

THE OLD RESULTS

Incremental program improvements or just maintaining the status quo.

But in the competitive world of 21CCLC funding, incremental or the status quo puts you at risk of losing your funding. And incremental doesn’t engage students or produce the outcomes you’re looking for.

THE NEW WAY

Set “unrealistic” 5-year program goals (without the limitations of historical funding levels or currently available resources).

The key as a leader of your organization is to ask yourself:

“If I had no limits on my program budget, the quality of my staff, or the outcomes I could generate for my students, what would that program look like?”

Old Way: 65% of our students will have set a goal about their future.
New Way: 100% of our students will secure college acceptance or job placement before graduation in Year 5.

THE NEW RESULT

Generate better outcomes and get more funding.

You are a visionary. Which is why you’re so passionate about the possibilities in afterschool. Don’t get bogged down by the limits of what is. Plan based on what could be.

Applying a compelling long-term approach allows you more time to produce meaningful results for your students, and is more enticing for funders because you’re showing them you have a continuity plan. Bigger goals are easier and more exciting to get behind. And they help you stand out in the competitive world of 21st CCLC funding.

AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESS

The Missouri AfterSchool Network (MASN) wanted to transform the quality of their statewide high school program offerings. They applied for and received $150,000 of new College and Career Readiness (CCR) funding through a National Foundation.

They used this funding to establish partnerships with national programs, and were invited to apply for a second round of this funding based on the impact of this new program.

QUESTIONS

I’m worried about setting “unrealistic” goals I’m not confident we can achieve. How do I account for this?

We teach students how to set “unrealistic goals” as a foundational concept in our courses.

For students, unrealistic goals are when:

Other people might call you crazy or your goals impossible
Your passions are connected to your goals
You do work you absolutely love
You don’t put limits on what you go after
You have awesome, fulfilling relationships
You create a life you’re proud of

For 21CCLC organizations, this means setting goals other programs aren’t willing to set because they’re afraid of failure.

The key to success is to first, set the ambitious goals and don’t limit your vision. Then figure out how to get there by being creative and flexible.

There are 2 ways to make your goals unrealistic:

Increase the target: Take your metric and make it more audacious. Instead of serving 25 students, serve 100 students.
Shorten the timeline: Challenge your organization to accomplish the goal faster. Instead of starting your new program next year, start it in the next 90 days.

If you goal passes these two tests, you’ve set an unrealistic goal:

Do I get that butterfly feeling in your gut because you know it’s going to be challenging?
Is my excitement a 10 out of 10 when I imagine accomplishing the goal and the journey it will take to get there?

The benefit of setting unrealistic goals is that they have the same two outcomes as realistic goals: success or failure.

If you succeed, you’ll be better off than if you achieved a realistic goal.

If you fail, but set your goal high enough, you’ll still be better off than if you achieved a realistic goal. You are a visionary. Which is why you’re so passionate about the possibilities in afterschool. Don’t get bogged down by the limits of what is. Plan based on what could be.

Which goals need to be unrealistic? Which metrics are the ones that will help me get more funding?

As you know, there are two categories of metrics you need to measure and meet for 21CCLC funding:

Metrics ALL 21CCLC programs have to achieve
Unique metrics for your site

It’s this second category where you get to stand out in your proposals.

The exact metrics will be unique to the types of programs you’re running, how many students you serve and the current metrics and activities of your programs.

But when you include “unrealistic” metrics and have a plan to achieve them (see below), the people reviewing your application will have a tough time ignoring you.

Your Action Items

Map out your long-term vision for your program, students and community. What do you want your program to look like in 10 years?
Conduct a SWOT Analysis of your program as it stands today. What are your program’s current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats?
Use your 10-year vision and your SWOT Analysis to set “unrealistic” 5-year program goals without limitations. Which 5-year goals would most people consider “unrealistic” for your program?

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