Meranda Romero

Ms. Alapin
English 220.23
December 2015

Youth Development Incorporated-Elev8

What is Youth Development Incorporated?
Youth Development Incorporated, also known as YDI, is a non-profit
charitable organization founded in 1971. YDI , a nationally recognized
youth service organization that provides educational, developmental
and humanitarian assistance to children, youth and families in central
and northern New Mexico. (Youth Development, Inc.)
What is Elev8?
While volunteering for YDI, I had the pleasure of working closely
with Program Manager of Elev8, Arnold Ontiveros. Upon working with
Mr. Ontiveros, I was able to inquire information on this program he is
responsible for supervising. In 2007, the Atlantic Philanthropies
awarded the New Mexico Community foundation $20 million to conduct
the Elev8 initiative. The Elev8 initiative was to implement their
strategies amongst five sites throughout New Mexico (as well as other
sites throughout Baltimore, Chicago, and Oakland). The five sites in
New Mexico being Gadsen Middle School, Anthony; Laguna Middle
School, Laguna; NACA, Albuquerque; Grant Middle School, Albuquerque

and Wilson Middle School, Albuquerque. In 2010 the New Mexico

Community Foundation approached YDI to administer the Elev8
program. Since 2010, YDI has been overseeing the program initiative
at three sites: Grant Middle School, Wilson Middle School and West
Mesa High School.
The Elev8 program strategy is based on four pillars: school based
health, family engagement, family support, and extended day learning.
Within the pillar of school-based health, West Mesa High School is the
only site that does not have a school-based health center but partners
up with surrounding clinics that offer health services. A school based
health center contains a physician, nurse, medicate enroller, licensed
therapist, and dentist. Physical and behavioral services are also
available to all students at Grant and Wilson Middle School. The
second pillar, family engagement, is lead by an AmeriCorps VISTA who
responsible for family involvement within childrens education. Wilson
Middle School being located in the international district where 27
languages are spoken, VISTAs are to focus on removing language
barriers in order to help families understand the importance of their
childs education. A Community Engagement Coordinator leads the
third pillar, family support. The Community Engagement Coordinator is
responsible for removing barriers that tackle poverty, which includes
providing clothing, food and social services. The final pillar, extended

day learning, is ran by a few programs that offer before and after
school programs.
Homework Diner
While volunteering with YDI-Elev8, I was able to observe and gain a
hands-on experience with how the program works. During the event I
participated in, Homework Diner, I was able to analyze how each pillar
intertwines with one another for the success of the students
education. One of the aspects that I found important within this
program was the emphasis on the students family, considering family
plays a major role in each students daily lives.
Homework Diner is a weekly event held at Wilson Middle School, which tackles each
of the four pillars Elev8s program has set in place. Homework Diner is an after-school
event that provides tutoring for students (extended learning), parent education (family
engagement), resources for families (family support), and a representative from the
School Based Health Center scheduling appointments (school-based health). During the
event, meals are prepared by volunteers and distributed to those who have attended. The
purpose of Homework Diner is to alleviate the daily stress that many families encounter
on a regular basis.
Elev8 is an anti-poverty initiative that is aimed to help remove barriers in order for
families to achieve their full potential. Homework Dine is one event conducted by Elev8
in hopes to increase family participation within their students education. Many schools
have a parent liaison that does minor family outreach but what Elev8 has to offer, a single
parent liaison cannot perform. With that being said, Elev8s funding will be diminished

by the end of the 2017 academic year. How can this beneficial program continue if there
is no funding?
Elev8 has served roughly 10,000 students in the past eight years and would love to
continue to serve another ten years. What Elev8 sites are able to accomplish other
schools manage to do without the program, but schools do not uphold the four pillars that
make Elev8 successful. Some may suggest that by removing one pillar in order to
prolong funding of the initiative is an option, but seeing that all pillars are intertwined it
would not be the most beneficial (Homework Diner would be an example). For example,
if a child is facing issues transitioning from elementary school to middle school they can
see a counselor but a therapist would be able to dig deeper into the issue. If the therapist
were to discover that this issue derives from the childs home life, a therapist would be
able to write a referral to the community engagement coordinator. The community
engagement coordinator could then provide service to help the child and their family
tackle the problems they are facing.
Elev8 has changed my view on schools and how they can become more successful in
bettering a students education and increasing family involvement, but the program needs
more funding to continue their initiative. The Program Manager, Arnold Ontiveros, and
his team are constantly looking for funding opportunities, which they have been
successful to receive $140,000 each school year that will last for the next 4 years. The
program will also need to fund the positions that are able to make the initiative possible.
Team Elev8 will be looking for funding during the legislature session, which I am in the
process to help them advocate at as well. What Elev8 has been able to accomplished

should be kept in mind; the program can only grow and continue to help students and
their families.

Contact Information:
YDI-Elev8 Program Manager
Arnold Ontiveros
(505) 508-9753
aontiveros@ydinm.org

YDI Mission. YDInm. Youth Development Inc. Web. 2 Jan. 2016