In 2008, Edwin was about to enter the 6^th grade and his parents were very concerned about his emotional, social, and academic skills. Lisa Perry, Edwin’s mother, knew that Edwin “couldn’t handle a regular classroom” due to the number of students and the lack of individual attention. Lisa and her husband decided to call Positive Tomorrows, hoping that they might enroll Edwin for the 2008-2009 school year.

 One of the criteria for enrollment at Positive Tomorrows is that a student is struggling  academically and/or socially as an outcome of homelessness, and staff determined that Edwin’s situation was directly related to that issue. At Positive Tomorrows, Edwin received much needed individual attention with reading and math, but also benefitted from counseling and diagnosis of medical issues that had previously gone untreated.

At the end of the school year, Edwin was transitioned to Roosevelt Middle School entering on grade level as a 7^th grader.  Halfway through the school year, Edwin’s teachers believed his maturity, effort and skills indicated he was ready for the 8th grade. At the end of that school year, Edwin’s teachers agreed he would be an excellent candidate for Oklahoma’s Promise, a scholarship that awards students, upon high school graduation, college tuition for up to 5 years.  For students to qualify, they must exemplify leadership qualities in both academics and behavior and attend school regularly.  The teachers submitted his application and he was awarded the scholarship! 

 Edwin is considering the culinary arts as a career, or perhaps studying video game design. Edwin said his time at Positive Tomorrows helped prepare him for public school. “Being in a small classroom, receiving individual help, and making friends easier helped me focus and gain confidence,” he said.

 Lisa Perry said sometimes “kids get lost” and that the commitment   Positive Tomorrows has to helping the whole child, both emotionally and academically, helped Edwin realize his own potential. School is still not easy for Edwin, but he understands that he is capable of success and has the ability to overcome obstacles.

 “We’re so proud of Edwin and his success,” said Positive Tomorrows President Susan Agel.  “We’re also very grateful to our donors and friends who make successes like this possible.”

It is hard to imagine children who do not look forward to summer break, however, as Positive Tomorrows’ school year ended, our students were not as thrilled as one would think.  At first thought, the idea of not having school work was exciting to them but as they began to realize their only source of stability was going away, anxiety took over.  One child, Cecilia, said, “I wish school could go on forever.”  Chris, a 4^th grade boy, said, “I think school is the best part of my day.”  These are not sentiments often expressed by 3^rd and 4^th grade students.

 It is important to recognize what Positive Tomorrows provides for our students.  Many of these children live in constantly changing home environments.  Those who live in shelters find unsettled conditions with new individuals coming in and out.  The children who lack even the stability of a shelter are constantly moving themselves.  They aren’t certain where they will settle down and because of the constant change, they learn not to attach to any other children or adults. 

 But these children do find stability at Positive Tomorrows.  Regardless of how often they move, they always have friends, familiar faces and a schoolhouse that does not change.  They know food is there when they feel hungry and that clothing will be provided if they need it.  They count on the care and stability we provide in their lives, so we make certain to be available year-round. 

 Positive Tomorrows partners with Camp Fire USA to provide 7 weeks of summer adventure.  Campers have breakfast, lunch and many activities that inspire and educate young minds.  They go to museums, go swimming, go ice skating, visit the outdoors, learn about theater and participate in character building.  More importantly, they have a familiar place to be each day that does not change, has structure and rules where they fit in and flourish. 

 “Positive Tomorrows provides homeless children activities they traditionally miss out on like field trips, family experiences and summer vacation,” said Susan Agel, president of Positive Tomorrows.  “It is a wonderful thing to provide—a summer adventure they will remember for the rest of their lives.”

Since camping and fishing tend to be structured family outings, it is generally one of the experiences that homeless children miss.  Here at Positive Tomorrows, we attempt to re-create these experiences so our students have the same access to knowledge and information as other children.  Inevitably, they become inspired by something as miraculous and breath-taking as a caterpillar turning into a chrysalis, then turning into a butterfly.

At the end of their day at outdoor school, the children filed back down the hall, worn out but content from their outdoor adventures.  The kindergarten students were not immune from telling fish stories.  One kindergartner told us his fish weighed 100 pounds.  When asked how many fish they caught, stories ranged from 1 to 100 fish.  Even the quietest student, Isaac, cracked a smile when his classmate yelled, “I caught the biggest fish of all!”

Mrs. Strobel had a similar idea for our 1st and 2nd graders.  Her students created beautiful paper flowers out of tissue to brighten our halls.  As they were learning to make their flowers, the children also learned a wonderful poem, which begins “Five spring flowers, all in a row, the first one said, ‘we need rain to grow…’”  As they continue saying this poem together, the children get more and more excited to reach the end when the flowers reach success with the help of the sun.  

For our students, Positive Tomorrows acts as stable soil, thirst-quenching water and energizing sunshine.  We help them grow into the beautiful flowers hidden deep inside their young personalities.  For some of them, dreaming big is difficult and they most desperately need someone to believe in their possibilities.  Other children need additional structure and guidance.  We provide that too.  We teach them they are important and can make a difference. 

Each day, along with the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. flag, our students say a pledge to themselves.  It begins “I am a Positive Tomorrows Star.  Who I am makes a difference…”   

So how do homeless children participate in science fairs?  Homeless children don’t have a place to work where they’re staying, no crayons or scissors, and no money to spend on project materials.  The science fair is just another example of the many childhood experiences homeless children miss or fail in due to their transitional, impoverished lifestyle.  Children who have the best motivation and innovation find little resources and support to help them succeed.    

Here at Positive Tomorrows, we provide homeless children with diverse experiences where they can participate regardless of money, space at home or time.  Mrs. Ferguson created a terrific opportunity this year for our 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th grade students to implement a science experiment, adjust variables and create a final presentation. 

These students taught their pet rats, Francis and Shadow, to maneuver through a labyrinth.  They built the mazes themselves and watched as food stimuli motivated the rats through the labyrinth.  Shadow learned really quickly but Francis was not catching on.  The students adjusted her motivation but still she could not finish.  It finally took Shadow leading Francis through the maze for her to finish. 

After their experiment ended, the students were divided into teams to create a poster presentation for a Professor from the University of Central Oklahoma to review.  He plans to teach them about scientific method and provide feedback on their work.  This is a fantastic way for them to experience competition appropriately, feel proud of their work and learn scientific methods in the process.

The tooth fairy often misses homeless children. 

When you ask a child who has nothing what he’s thankful for, oftentimes you get a blank stare.  Many of them are totally unfamiliar with the concept of big family dinners, full of love and plenty of turkey and pumpkin pie.

Going to Grandma’s house? Some families have no contact with extended family, while others see grandma’s house as a place to sleep on the floor for a few nights in-between other transitional living arrangments.  It’s just more chaos in already tumultuous lives.

But at Positive Tomorrows, we do work on teaching our students about this very important holiday.  We talk about the history–about Pilgrims and Indians and when the holiday began.  We talk about the concept of working together for survival and how difficult it can be to get along all by yourself.

Thanks to the assistance of Executive Women International (EWI), we have our own family dinner, complete with turkey and stuffing.  Family members are invited and we all celebrate the holiday as the big Positive Tomorrows family.

We help children who have few material possessions to think about what they can be thankful for.  They have parents who love them and who are trying their best to survive.  They have a place to go to school where people will go the extra mile to teach them and advocate for them.  They’re thankful for their mentors who come in every week to work with them and build a strong relationship.

We’re thankful at Positive Tomorrow, too, for all of our friends—especially the donors who provide the funding and the volunteers who spend their time on our behalf.  Thank you so much for your assistance in our important mission.

On Wednesday, August 19^th, the students attended the Blue Cross Blue Shield Carnival. The kids played in a moon jump and moon slide jump. Chester the Clown was also part of the entertainment. He delighted the children with making them balloon hats.  A special treat were the Oklahoma City Firemen who showed them the fire truck and equipment. Stuffed animals and goodies bags were given to each child. A great time for all!

At school, Mrs. Hooper’s Kindergarten class is learning the daily routine, writing their names, identifying capital and lowercase letters. How to work with partners, as well as working independently at the learning centers, is also part of their introduction to Kindergarten.

Throughout the year, Mrs. Strobel and Ms Barrie were concerned that he was not making enough progress to accomplish first grade and move on to the second grade. Often, getting him to finish his work was very time consuming because his attention was constantly wandering and he was so frequently called back to focus on his schoolwork. It was difficult to assess whether he was really learning the materials, or if he would be able to remember the lesson the next time it was reviewed.

As the end of the year approached, Mrs. Strobel considered the option of keeping him at Positive Tomorrows so that he could receive instruction in a small classroom setting and perhaps help him progress to his appropriate grade level. There was a concern that he might even need to be held back a grade. In late April he was tested and the results were astonishing. Not only had he advanced far beyond Kindergarten level, he had mastered enough skills to allow him to enter a public school at the second grade level, with a recommendation for a tutor. He essentially completed two grades (Kindergarten and first grade) in the school year.