WINGS for Kids

Our Theory of Change states:

When kids get WINGS for just two years:
• They develop strong social and emotional skills
• They improve behavior and school attendance in elementary school
• They have better behavior and school attachment in middle school
• They graduate from high school and avoid teenage pregnancy and jail

When our college-aged staff serve as WINGSLeaders for a year or more:
• They strengthen their own social and emotional skills
• They gain success professionally as educators, youth leaders, and business leaders
• They gain success personally as partners, parents, and youth mentors.

WINGS is the only U.S. organization focused solely on developing and improving social and emotional skills within after school programming. We see the hours after school as a tremendous opportunity to fortify our kids with the skills they need to stay in school and stay out of trouble. We provide direct service to low-income, at risk elementary school kids and their families.

The core WINGS program runs 3-hours per day, 5-days per week (not on a drop-in basis) and students receive more than 500 hours of direct programming per year. Using our research-based curriculum, we incorporate 30 learning objectives and the WINGS Creed (which is recited by staff and kids daily) into every activity we teach in order to develop the five core competencies of social and emotional learning (SEL): self-awareness, relationship skills, social awareness, self-management, and responsible decision making skills.

Our organization offers a number of relative advantages over other education and after school programs. We use a codified, research-based curriculum that requires we enter data on a daily basis to track our kids' progress and to ensure we are able to deliver on our documented outcomes--that we are proving our effectiveness at increasing social and emotional skills, behavior, attendance, and academic performance.

Organizationally, we have a documented history of financial solvency, strong leadership, an active Board of Directors, and the WINGS program offers high compatibility and support from our clients and customers. We've experienced a high level of parental involvement during our first year in Atlanta and have taken advantage of the opportunity to enhance our parent component to meet this new demand. Parents are highly supportive of programs that improve the well-being of their kids, and kids want to return day after day to WINGS. Even if the social and emotional learning (SEL) components of WINGS were removed, the high-quality, free childcare being provided is valued by our families. By proving positive effects on attendance and academics, we are aligned with the organizational objectives of school districts and we continue to receive district support year after year.

WINGS kid continue to demonstrate lower rates of chronic absenteeism compared to their counterparts. Around 9%* of kids in the WINGS Programs are chronically absent compared to the national average, 13.4%**, of the same population (African-American, Elementary students). There are Regions that WINGS serves whose kids attending the WINGS Programs have chronic absenteeism rates around 5-6%*.

· External evaluations show WINGS kids have greater executive function skills, applied problem solving skills, better classroom behavior, improved school attendance, reported higher self-esteem and less anxiety than non-WINGS students. Increases in these areas are predictors for positive long-term outcomes, such as improved academic achievement, positive high-school graduation rates, and reduced rates of criminal behavior.

Both executive function skills improved and applied problem solving skills improved for WINGS students. Increases in these areas are predictors for positive long-term outcomes, such as improved academic achievement, positive high-school graduation rates, higher income, and reduced rates of criminal behavior.

Positive external evaluation results led to a four-year, $2.8 million impact study or randomized control trial (RCT) study - the gold standard in program evaluation. The RCT will not be finalized until 2017, but there are positive trends emerging:

· WINGS kids received higher ratings from their teachers across all SEL competencies

· WINGS kids were rated as having better classroom relationships and behaviors by their teachers

· WINGS kids performed better on a measure of executive functions

*2015-2016 school attendance data provided by school districts affiliated with the WINGS for kids Programs.

** Chronic Absenteeism in The Nation's Schools. (2016, 9/30). Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/datastory/chronicabsenteeism.html.