This year, Avenue Scholars received a generous $10,000 grant from Cox Communications to support two programs that have become cornerstones of our Scholar development work: Flourish and Men of Standard.
These groups give Scholars something every young person deserves — a place to have fun, make friends, and build new skills they can carry into adulthood.
The two programs typically host two separate events and two joint events per year. The goal of these optional events is to give Scholars a chance to meet peers in the program from other schools and to learn new skills in a fun, less-structured setting. The dual programs are designed to create space for different affinity groups while also bringing Scholars together through shared experiences.
“It’s a great opportunity to connect and create meaningful experiences with fellow Scholars,” said Bayly Wise, business outreach coordinator at Avenue Scholars, who leads planning for Flourish.
Learning, Growing, Giving Back
Many events involve an element of community engagement as well.
At the most recent Flourish event, held in late February, Scholars heard a presentation on healthy relationships from a representative from Omaha’s Women’s Center for Advancement (WCA). They learned about the different ways relationship violence can manifest and discussed strategies and resources available to those who find themselves in an unhealthy relationship.
At the event, Scholars also assembled care packages – containing essential items like diapers, toothbrushes, and other toiletries – for women served by the WCA. At another station, Scholars created floral arrangements, which were later donated to Avenue Scholars business partner, QLI.
Other events focus on building everyday life skills and awareness of new career possibilities.
At the most recent Men of Standard event in March, Scholars met representatives from Mad Hatter Auto Repair who demonstrated the use of vehicle diagnostic tools and discussed how technology is changing the automotive repair industry.
And, of course, there was pizza.
“These functions get them out of their shells,” said Career Services Coach Tom Robertson, who leads planning for Men of Standard. “Their feedback is that they attend because they know that, even though they may not know Scholars from other schools yet, they will have something in common because they’re all part of Avenue Scholars.”
Teaching More Than Career Readiness
Flourish and Men of Standard remind us that preparing young people for the future is not only about academics and career training. It’s about nurturing the whole person, building their confidence, critical thinking, and community.
Avenue Scholars aims to do just this with our Career Coaching model. But these two programs supplement that support, giving Scholars a place to build those skills themselves while they make new friends and expand their network of support.
Thanks to the support of Cox Communications in this grant, and with collaboration from our other valued business partners, we can continue strengthening these programs and expanding opportunities for Scholars.
