Later on that afternoon, I reflected on my conversation with Didi and realized that four years of intentionality and gracious (and at times firm and loving) conversations, have been well worth it. Both Erica and Quita are young ladies who have potential, and although they are not always walking in wisdom or living in light of their potential, God encouraged me to continue to pray for them and their families and to live wisely among them, making the most of every opportunity that I have to invest in their lives. My ultimate prayer for Quita and Erica is the prayer the DayBreak team has for each of the youth we serve: that they would one day be Christ-centered community leaders.

Quita's high school graduation day

Erica's high school graduation day

     How old are you?

     I am 10.

     What grade are you in?

     5^th grade

     What is your favorite subject in school?

     Science

     How long have you been at DayBreak?

     For 3 years.

What do you like to do when you aren’t here?

I like playing video games, especially Mario vs. Sonic.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A Policeman

If you had 3 wishes what would they be?

To have more video games, laser vision and to be able to fly.

If you could live in another place beside DC where would you live?

North Carolina

Well, check out their April newsletter and see whose smiling face is highlighted in the “Site Leader Spotlight” on page 4…  

Thanks to the Food Bank and Deirdre O’Connor, DC Kids Cafe Coordinator, for a great partnership for our DC Kids!!

Click April Newsletter to read about our partnership.

Find out more about the Capital Area Food Bank on their website: Click Here

Summer Learning Loss

By: Keara Davis, DayBreak Intern

 For most kids, they are looking forward to the end of the school year and the beginning of summer vacation. They are looking forward to sleeping late into the morning and staying up late into the night; summer camp and family vacations; barbeques and ice cream cones; fireworks and fireflies. In fact, about the only thing that is not on a child’s mind during the summertime is school and the schoolwork. Yet, school and schoolwork should be on every child’s mind in order to get them accumulated for the upcoming school year.

According to the National Summer Learning Loss Association and their website, all adolescents will experience some type of summer learning loss. Furthermore, the website goes on to explain, most of the learning loss is in mathematics that can equal up to almost 2 and half months of schooling. Those children who are in the inner-city will experience an even greater lose than the average. “More than half of the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities. As a result, low-income youth are less likely to graduate from high school or enter college” (Alexander et al, 2007).

We cannot sit around and allow this to happen! Being that, the children in Washington, D.C. are already behind the curve, we must engage them in the thought of education during this time. We have to encourage the thought of learning and stimulate their summer with education enrichment activities. Even if we do not enroll our children in a summer camp that encourages bookwork learning and/or summer school, we can stimulate their minds in other creative ways. For example, a simple trip to an amusement park can become a great math lesson. By having them learn the rate that a roller coaster can travel or the probabilities of certain amusement park games, easily changes a day of leisure into a day of learning while the child still has fun. 

Let’s make sure that we join together in being proactive about combating summer learning loss. Below are links that provide more information and suggestion to prevent summer learning loss. Let us not have the gap get bigger!

Click on the links below for additional resources:

Summer Learning

Preventing Summer Learning Loss

Know the Facts: Summer Learning Loss  

Students read together during DayBreak's 2011 Summer Camp

How old are you, Bernard?

I’m eleven years old.

What grade are you in?

I am in the 5^th grade.

What is your favorite subject in school?

Math.

How long have you been at DayBreak?

I don’t know…..

Umm. well, haven’t you known Mr. Jeremy before he was your teacher so….

Oh yea, I been here for like 3 years.

What your favorite things to do beside come to DayBreak?

I like to play basketball.  I like being the point guard.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I want to be a basketball player. I want to play for the Miami Heat.

If you had 3 wishes what would they be?

I wish to climb walls, be super strong and to tell the future.

If you can go anyway outside of DC where would you go?

To Miami.

Thanks to all who so generously give their time, resources and prayers to share Christ’s love with the children and families in Lincoln Heights!

 Click here to view report.

            “To be on the radio, I was a nervous wreck, yet I found it to be an enjoyable experience. It was easier than I expected. I thought there would be a lot of equipment and people coming to my house, but it was just a nice journalist lady and her microphone. We had a great conversation.  I believe that it was effective on my end, because it helped to send a bit of awareness about what changes are happening in the community. But I am not sure if it helped or not.”

(Then an important injection by Ms. Andrea) “Well, I believe that it did. Ms. Tiff did a good job to help break a lot of the stereotypes that people have about Lincoln Heights. There are some wonderful people in the community, and we are glad Ms. Tiff got the opportunity to represent something good in Lincoln Heights.” Andrea Coleman

            You can hear the interview here.

            A couple of thank you’s are in order for the wonderful event:

• To Ray’s for opening up their doors to our mentoring program.
• To the mentors for their continued commitment to our DayBreak Kids.
• To the parents that attended and for partnering with us to impact their kids.
• To the kids who make the events fun for all of us!
• To Mr. Jeremy for organizing the social.
• And, to the Lord for bringing these relationships together for His glory! We love how the Lord is working in our mentors, the children and the families!

Here are some photos from the night!

            Well, hello! It is my turn to address all of you and in doing so it will be my pleasure. My name is Keara Davis. A native of New Jersey, I am currently a senior at Howard University; moreover, I am the new intern at DayBreak Ministry. This is hard for me to talk about myself because I do not like to be put on stage about anything.  But if I had to describe myself in three words, I would say that I am funny, sensitive, and hard worker.

            I enjoy making other laugh. It pleases me to see someone smiling not only outwardly but inside as well.  One of my favorite scriptures in the Bible says that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and they that love it will eat thereof” Proverbs 18:21. I take that scripture to mean that if we say something in where we are killing the spirit of others than our spirit is reap death but if we speak life, if we speak joy until other person than our spirit will in turn have life. So making someone laugh is being able to bring joy unto that person for me.

            Most people would not admit that they are sensitive but I do. It makes me human. To others, it could appear as though I have the “Superman” complex. But to be honest, I have flaws just like everyone else. Being sensitive, I am able to connect with a lot people and show them who I really am. Although I would not necessarily say that I wear my heart on my sleeve, I would say that my sensitivity allows me be conscious of others and their feelings.

            Whatever I do, I try to do it in the name of Lord and wholeheartedly give my all.  I do not know if I will ever be earthly rich nor am I trying to be famous. However, I believe that if a man does not work he does not eat and for that I continue to work hard and make it a point to reach all of my goals.

            As far as DayBreak goes, I absolutely love it. I know, I know. You all are probably like she is just saying that because she is the intern. But I am serious! I absolutely love it. I have been working trying to find grants for the programs at DayBreak as well as working with the social media outlets. Since I have been here, everyone has been extremely nice to me, which makes coming here easier. It also makes me want to work hard at the job that I have been assigned.  I enjoy when the children come to DayBreak for the after-school program. Since they only see me twice a week, it seems like each one of them has to tell me everything that has happen with them and DayBreak since our last time together.  I love it! They are like my little news reporters! (Most of the time, I already know. I probably know more behind the scenes things than they do but I don’t want to ruin their time with me so I never say anything. ) But the best part about DayBreak is the fact that you can pray here, any day all day. Some people go to jobs where they have to hide their faith from their coworkers, but here faith is encouraged! I love that; moreover, it is quite refreshing when nowadays young people are turning further and further away from God.

In the BreakRoom, we sit down with one of our own as they share their feelings about Daybreak. Today, we hear from Mike Burriss, House Coordinator, on how DayBreak is reaching the kids in Lincoln Heights.

                 Here at Daybreak, we strive to reach every child in Lincoln Height’s by changing their heart and using Christ to guide us. We give them ways to see that the streets are not the way to go by offering them opportunities other than violence and crime, such as basketball, baseball, art and fun learning activities. These are some of the things we offer our 4th and 5th graders (the class I work directly with) to give them the way out of the negative life they are used to when they are not here with us. Over the last 5 years, I’ve seen a lot drastic changes in a lot of the youth’s lives because of what DayBreak has offered them.

                 When I was younger I lost my father at the age of 11. It was a really hard time for me. I began to act out for a while, but I got myself together through the help of the Lord.  If a program like DayBreak was around when my father passed, I believe that it would have prevented me from making mistakes when I was younger.  However, being that I am a big kid, myself (lol), I feel as though my past experiences help me relate to younger people in the program. I help them learn that if we must bear arms, let us bear the armor of Christ in order to make a difference with the people around us.

- Mike

Mr. Mike helps Bernard and Larry with homework.