Thread (non-profit organization)
{{cleanup press release|date=May 2011}}
{{Infobox school
|name= Thread
|image= Imp camp wall.jpg
|imagesize= 300px
|motto= Mentors and students develop teamwork and problem-solving skills on a Challenging Outdoor Physical Experience (COPE) course
|streetaddress= PO Box 1584
|city= Baltimore
|state= MD, 21203
|url= {{URL|thread.org}}
}}
Thread (formerly known as Incentive Mentoring Program or IMP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was founded by Sarah and Ryan Hemminger as a partnership between students at Johns Hopkins University and two Baltimore City High Schools: Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (Baltimore, Maryland) and the Academy for College and Career Exploration . The goal of Thread is to transform teenagers who are failing high school into Baltimore City's most valuable role models. Thread extends a school-based tutoring program to the home, providing both academic and social support to youth struggling with poverty, drugs, and violence. Mentoring teams, called "Thread Families" not only support teenagers in overcoming their own adversity, but also encourage them to help others do the same. The first group of Thread students achieved a 100% graduation{{Cite journal| last =Grienzi| first =Greg| title =A Remarkable Partnership Sets High-Schoolers on New Path| journal =The JHU Gazette| date = 11 June 2007|url=http://www.jhu.edu/~gazette/2007/11jun07/11mentor.html}} and 100% college enrollment rate.{{cite web|url = http://thread.org/|title = The New Social Fabric|access-date = 2020-03-20|publisher =Thread, Inc.}}
Target participants
Thread's philosophy is that its mentors should learn just as much from the high-school students as these teenagers learn from them.
=Teenagers=
High School freshman who have failed at least 50% of their courses and face one of the following psychosocial challenges are selected to join Thread and receive support through college graduation.
- School Suspension
- Substance Abuse
- Gang Violence
- Sexual Assault
- Poverty
- Temporary Homelessness
- Burdensome Financial Obligation to Household
- Learning Disability
- Depression
- Incarcerated Parent
=Health professionals in training=
Thread's mentors are medical, public health, and nursing students who personally witness the challenges teenagers face. These future health professionals develop experience with urban health issues and promoting behavior change.
Mentoring model
Thread has a "family style" mentoring, in which a team of 5-6 mentors is matched with each child and is responsible for adapting to his/her unique needs.
Thread Families coach life skills through activities based on 3 elements: academic assistance, community service, and team-building. As needed, these teams connect students and their families with rehabilitation and other social services. This model was designed to meet the comprehensive needs of the students without overburdening volunteers.{{cite web|url = https://www.thread.org/who-we-are/|title = Who We Are|access-date = 2022-03-20|publisher =Thread, Inc.}}
=Academic assistance=
Mentors serve as tutors, advocates, and counselors for students. Johns Hopkins graduate students hold 1-on-1 after-school tutoring sessions twice weekly. Volunteers also coach organizational skills, seek regular feedback from teachers, and navigate the college application and financial aid processes.
=Community service=
=Team-building=
Thread encourages students to rely on each other as well as their network of mentors. Field trips such as camping and high-ropes courses are designed to develop trust, communication skills, and problem solving ability.
Community service awards
Thread has received service awards from both local and national organizations.
- Echoing Green Fellowship Semifinalist 2008{{cite web|url = http://incentivementoringprogram.org/node/101|title = Recognition and Awards|access-date = 2008-11-06|publisher =Incentive Mentoring Program, Inc.}}
- Baltimore Albert Schweitzer Fellowship 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008{{cite web|url = http://www.schweitzerfellowship.org/features/us/bal/bal_fellows.aspx|title = Fellows & Projects|access-date = 2008-03-20|publisher = Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, Inc.|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071217221537/http://www.schweitzerfellowship.org/features/us/bal/bal_fellows.aspx|archive-date = 2007-12-17}}
- SOURCE School of Medicine Individual Community Service Award presented to mentors in 2005, 2007{{cite web|url = http://www.jhsph.edu/source/Newsletter/SOURCENewsMay07.pdf|format=PDF|title = Straight from the SOURCE|access-date = 2008-03-20|publisher =Student OUtreach Resource CEnter}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}
- Martin Luther King Junior Community Service Award 2006{{Cite journal| last =Grienzi| first =Greg| title =James Early Jones to Lead MLK Tribute| journal =The JHU Gazette| date = 9 January 2006|url=http://www.jhu.edu/~gazette/2006/09jan06/09mlk.html}}
- Boy Scouts of America, Scoutreach Whitney M Young Jr. National Service Award{{Cite journal| title =Partnership Spotlight: Dunbar Mentoring Project| journal =Schools Monthly| date =1 January 2008| page =21| url =http://dunbar-imp.org/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/schools_monthly_0108.pdf| format =PDF}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- Spirit of Scouting Leadership Award 2007
Community service partnerships
Thread mentors and students participate side-by-side in monthly community service projects benefiting organizations throughout Maryland.{{cite web
|url=http://dunbar-imp.org/id34.html
|title=Partners
|access-date=2008-03-20
|publisher=Incentive Mentoring Program, Inc.
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130073826/http://www.dunbar-imp.org/id34.html
|archive-date=2008-01-30
|url-status=dead
}}
- {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080310011004/http://www.mdfoodbank.org/site/pp.asp?c=ahKKI2PKIsE&b=218104 Maryland Food Bank]}}
- [http://www.newlifeforgirls.org/ New Life for Girls]
- {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080512085323/http://www.ecsm.org/club.html The Club at Collington Square Middle School]}}
- {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20081204233703/http://www.bdjacademy.org/index.html Bluford Drew Jemison Academy]}}
- [http://www.sfacademy.org/ St. Francis Academy Community Center]
- [http://www.jhsph.edu/source/ Johns Hopkins SOURCE (Student Outreach Resource Center)]
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://incentivementoringprogram.org Incentive Mentoring Program]