News and Events

PARENTS IN WARD 8 COME TOGETHER THROUGH NON-PROFIT TO SERVE ON MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY OF SERVICE

Parents from Three D.C. Public Schools in Ward 8 Plan Service Project to Benefit Seniors

Washington, D.C. – Three D.C. public school parents from different schools in Ward 8 came together through Turning the Page (TTP), an education and parent engagement non-profit organization, and are now working to make a difference in their community. In honor of Martin Luther King Day of Service on January 16th, the parents have coordinated a donation drive at each of their schools to create care packages for senior citizens. On January 11th, families from the three schools will meet to assemble the care packages and to make personalized cards for the seniors. On MLK Day, the group will present the packages to seniors at Knox Hill Residence in Ward 8, and spend the day reading to and playing games with seniors. Though many families in Ward 8 may not have the economic resources of other areas of Washington, D.C., they are still happy to serve their community members. An AmeriCorps*VISTA Volunteer for Turning the Page said of the group, “It is great to see parents from across several schools collaborate on projects and support each other. Their continuous commitment to their families, schools, and community and hard work in the face of adversity is a daily inspiration.”

Through Turning the Page’s Parent Leadership program, Keena Bass, Donna Stewart, and Jamie Mayo met and have worked with the TTP staff to create a Ward 8 Collaborative group called the Alliance of Parent Leaders United in Southeast (A-PLUS). The goal of the group is to create a supportive place for parents in Ward 8 to meet, share ideas for in-school projects, and to collaborate on large-scale service projects that impact the Ward. When asked her hopes for the group, Keena Bass responded, “I hope for better strength in our community and awareness in the school.”

TTP is mentioned in Page by Page blog of Reading Rockets

Click here to read more from the September 24th blog entry entitled "Common sense confirmed: books + access = young readers," and see Turning the Page's mention.

TTP is honored by the Washington SmartCEO Journal

TTP Program Spotlighted in the HillRag June 2010 Issue

Read more about the culmination of Turning the Page's Literacy Through Photography program at Payne Elementary on page 5 of this link.

From Our June Newsletter

Local Authors Make Big Impressions
TTP Author Visits bring together families and authors

Through TTP’s Community Nights – Author Visits program, our partner schools host two local children’s authors each year. This past school year, nine different authors volunteered their time to share their stories with TTP families. From singing about the American Constitution to tasting mangos and nori (dried seaweed) these visits were a big hit! Each visit consists of a family read-aloud of the author’s most recent work and a question/answer session for the parents. At the end of the evening, TTP provides each family with a personalized autographed copy of the author’s book. 

Click here to read more about TTP Author Visits, and our other June spotlights on Venable, LLP and our Community Visions Program.

From Our May Newsletter

Payne's PTA President Shares With DC City Council
“We need to bring these issues to their attention” 

Years ago, the playground at Payne Elementary was badly damaged by arson. Since then, it has remained in disrepair, posing a safety hazard to children and an eyesore to the public. One parent has decided to do something about it.

Phyllis Johnson-Dunham, concerned about the playground as the school's PTA president and mother of two Payne students, recently attended a TTP workshop on “City-Level Advocacy.” At the workshop, participants were encouraged to select a topic or issue of concern to them, develop a short speech on the subject, and prepare to testify before the DC City Council. Ms. Johnson-Dunham wrote a passionate appeal on behalf of her daughters’ school, citing the safety, behavior, and health issues presented by the damaged playground facility. She went on to deliver her testimony at an April 22 hearing of the council’s Committee of the Whole, requesting that the council hold DCPS and the Office of Public Education Facilities Management accountable to reasonable standards of repair.

Click here to read more about Ms. Johnson's testimony, and our other May spotlights on Cafritz and the Browne Earth Day Community Service Project.

TTP Documents

Reports:
Open Doors Report. TTP presented the Turning the Page report "OPEN DOORS: How DCPS Can Harness the Power of Parents for Student Success" to the DC Community, including the Mayor, DC City Council, the Chancellor, and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, on December 27, 2007.  We based this report on our experiences supporting DC public school parents' efforts on behalf of their children since 1998 and our observations and experiences providing advice to the D.C. Parent Resource Center initiative from January 2007 through the end of the summer of 2007. Read the Open Door Report (.pdf) here.

Annual Reports:   
2005-2006 Annual Report
2006-2007 Annual Report
2007-2008 Annual Report
2008-2009 Annual Report

Newsletters:
May 2011 (.pdf)
March 2011 (.pdf)
January 2011 (.pdf)
December 2010 (.pdf)
November 2010 (.pdf)
September 2010 (.pdf)
August 2010 (.pdf)
July 2010 (.pdf)
June 2010 (.pdf)
May 2010 (.pdf)
April 2010 (.pdf)
March 2010 (.pdf)
February 2010 (.pdf)
January 2010 (.pdf)
December 2009 (.pdf)
November 2009 (.pdf)
October 2009 (.pdf)
September 2009 (.pdf)
August 2009 (.pdf)
January 2008 (.pdf)
May 2007 (.pdf)

IRS Form 990s
2006 Form 990
2007 Form 990
2008 Form 990

Financial Statements
July 1, 2009-June 30,2010