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Click here to view the November 2009 issue.
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Click here to view the November 2008 issue.
Click here to view the June 2008 issue.
Click here to view the November 2007 issue.
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Click here to view the November 2006 Issue.
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Click here to view the November 2005 Issue.
Click here to view the May 2005 Issue.
Click here to view the November 2004 Issue.
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Street School Results 2008 – 2009
Street School celebrated its 35 year anniversary as Tulsa’s high school of choice
Youth Received a Second Chance
- 126 teens, ages 14 to 19, enrolled in Street School rather than dropping out of school
- 9 teachers educated approximately 90 students daily
- grade point averages increased by 2.5 full letter grades
- proportion of classes passed increased by 84%
- absenteeism improved by 60%
Students Graduated
- 23 of our 29 seniors graduated – 79%; of the 6 remaining, 4 completed their education in other programs and 2 are returning to Street School
- 18 graduates enrolled in college – 78%; 4 were employed, and 1 entered vocational school
Teens Counseled
- 6 counselors provided individual, group, and family counseling in an effort to resolve problems which interfered with learning.
- Youth participated in substance abuse counseling as well as anger management, women’s issues, and team building sessions.
- 93% of 119 surveyed students reported getting along better with their school peers
- 98% of 119 surveyed students reported that they plan to work after they graduate
- 99% of 119 surveyed students reported that they would recommend Street School to other teenagers
- 100% of 119 surveyed students reported that Street School had a positive affect on their lives
Youth Mentored
- 31 students met weekly with their 29 mentors. Caring interested adults that directed and modeled leadership and community involvement
Real World Education – The World Is Our Classroom
- 6 Spanish Club students traveled to Spain thanks to a grant from the Hille Foundation.
- 10 teens participated in Wilderness Adventures Group which challenged them physically and mentally, but at the same time built leadership and communication skills, self-esteem, trust, and positive attitudes. Students were instructed and participated in camping, rock climbing, orienteering, ropes course, and other outdoor activities.
- 9 seniors participated in Student Internship program with 9 host companies
- Over 300 field trips were taken to places that included Oklahoma Capital building, Oklahoma City National Memorial, Tulsa Air & Space Museum, Cherokee Cultural Center, Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Keystone Lake, Greenleaf State Park, Tulsa University, Tulsa Community College, Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa Central Library, Margaret Hudson Program, Community Food Bank, Tulsa Zoo, Health Department, Braden Park, Woodward Park, Sam Noble Museum, Philbrook Museum, Recycling Center, and many, many more.
- 60 students volunteered through our Service Learning program helping others at The Little Light House and Hoover Elementary School numerous times throughout the year
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Pictured: Liz Murray (left) with Jennifer Dayton, student
Homeless to Harvard Speaker Inspires Students
Liz Murray was an inspiration to the Street School students she met and spoke to about the challenges she has faced in her life. Street School hosted the Young Presidents’ Organization of Tulsa’s meeting on October 9, 2007 for its members who brought Ms. Murray to Tulsa.
Murray was the child of drug addicts who she began supporting at age 10. She was homeless at 15 after the death of her mother, and living on the streets fending for her life. Determined not to be defined by her circumstances, she recognized education as the key to a fresh beginning and a whole new life. She earned her high school diploma in just two years, and won a scholarship to Harvard University that would turn a penniless girl into a well-educated young woman with a bright future.
Murray’s sincerity, maturity and grace amazed students. With her examples of hard work, determination and daily commitment to achievement, she inspired everyone. That same gutsy strength that pulled her from the streets now transforms the lives of others in need of inspiration to overcome their own obstacles.
Murray’s inspirational story was captured on Lifetime Television’s Emmy-nominated original film, Homeless to Harvard. She was also among the first people to receive Oprah Winfrey’s “Chutzpah Award.”