Sobriety High Foundation
http://www.sobrietyweb.org/Foundation/foundation.htm
Background and Purpose
Sobriety High Foundation (Sobriety) was founded by parents and community members to support Sobriety High schools in Minnesota, the first of which opened in 1989.
Sobriety High schools (Schools), which operate by the Alcoholics Anonymous model, are designed to serve students who seek completion of their high school education in a chemically-free environment. The Schools are tuition-free and open to students who are committed to recovery from substance abuse.
Sobriety received public charity status in 2006 and has a mission "To provide funding and offer quality professional assistance to recovery high schools."
There are five Schools, four of which are located in the Twin Cities metropolitan area and operate under a charter; the fifth is a contract alternative school associated with Litchfield Public Schools. Twin Cities campuses are in Burnsville, Coon Rapids, Edina, and Maplewood. About 190 students are currently enrolled in Schools. A total of 61 students graduated from Schools in 2007.
Current Request
In 2006 Sobriety's Executive Director died after a year-long period of disability due to illness. The organization struggled during this period and in the year following his death because insufficient attention was paid to financial and management matters. Sobriety has since improved the organization's position, and three strategic goals have been identified for the organization:
- stabilization of Sobriety's finances, operations and fundraising strategies;
- expanding Sobriety's relationship with communities connected to its mission to enhance Schools' reputations as recognized academic recovery schools; and
- researching and documenting the Sobriety High model so it can be replicated in the future.
Proposed grant activities relate specifically to supporting the outreach and awareness activities identified in the second goal. Four of Schools' Program Directors will be trained and then assisted by Sobriety's Executive Director in developing and implementing a focused community education and outreach plan. Tentative strategies for implementing the plans include holding meetings and undertaking follow-up activities to build relationships with community leaders; developing presentations and materials for community events to be hosted by Schools; and speaking at youth-serving agencies to provide information about Schools.