How We Help
Changing Behaviors by Changing Mindsets
The Marine Nunn Educational Fund was established to help bring about awareness of the benefits of education, as well as provide individuals with supportive encouragement and the required information to achieve educational success. We are a non-profit, 501c3 organization.
Persistence, goal-setting, self-discipline, work habits and ethics, learning strategies, homework completion and study skills, among others are non-cognitive characteristics and concepts that have been a focus for school counselors, as well as a large component for a student’s foundational standards. (Factors not measured by IQ tests or academic exams) These are factors beyond content knowledge and academic skills. However, such instinctive reasoning factors have a direct impact on student performance. This alternative thinking, to which MNEF’s about is also the main component for changing mindsets and behaviors in a child’s potential for success.
MNEF Defying Statistics
The Marine Nunn Education Fund (MNEF) has successfully invested in the community and has been a part of accelerating growth educationally, as well as culturally. MNEF is planted in and built around a decision to reach those persons who may not have previously had the means to further their education and yet display an aspiration to reach their academic goals. We believe and have case proven when given the means and structured direction “anyone” can achieve their goals, and therefore defying general statistics.
Tests have proven how the primary stages – such as K-level schools, extended day programs and alternative summer learning courses in a child’s early learning steps can better help children achieve their potential. This is a child’s most crucial discovering and development stage, as their minds are fresh and hungry to absorb and learn. The following implementations will explain the developing stages of MNEF’s extended program regiment:
Primary School
Basic Pre-K Studies
Getting parents interested in their children’s learning stages early on in life;
Start-up programs for ages 9 months to 9 years that will teach children the basic tools needed to be successful at whatever they put their mind and hands to.
Alternative Studies
Alternative summer programs which will involve teaching children at an early age a second language (outside of English), in conjunction with innovatively fun and creative math and science studies.
GPA
Although there are many possible routes to a child’s learning stages, we believe that shaping and teaching adolescents to become learners and then leaders begins at the beginning for any demographic class. Under MNEF’s process and at end of each session, students will be required to reach a set GPA point to show all they’ve learned – and to reveal how alternative thinking and alternative studies makes for stronger test scoring and exceled class ranking.
Middle School
Expand on Basics
At this stage, we will begin to super-charge each student’s college and career readiness level, as based on the specific areas they are already outshining under.
Key-in on Areas of Interest
Based on the areas in which each child has shown advancement, and to improve individual outcomes, we will begin to focus on the ways in which each student is academically unique and extraordinary. These are the elements that will contribute to the student’s postsecondary education (i.e., education needed to improve their chances for better job opportunities, income, health-wellness, and for the national good of maintaining a globally competitive workforce in the United States.
High School
Decide on Focus
The workforce is divided into ten fields that help us find the career that outlines the major activity we will be paid to do. Focusing on, determining and isolating those arenas per child early on in life will confidently encourage them to pursue their focus in college and as employment.
Identify Career Path
Each career path reflects a life path… a way to move through the world surrounded by the features of that path. Our students will be directed to identify the areas they are exceling in as potential and promising career tracks.
College Preps
College preparatory classes are the means by which MNEF students will be better able to meet stringent scholastic requirements for entry into a college or university. The GPA for college-prep courses could carry more value for college entry programs than regular courses. They will help provide the academic background needed to succeed in a college/university level degree program.
GPA/SAT/ACT
The GPA Basics – While on average, a college will accept a GPA of 3.0 from freshmen and transfer students, it is a good idea for students to know what the average GPA for acceptance is for the colleges they will be applying for. GPA’s can be a primary factor that determines whether or not one gains admittance into a reputable college or not. In order to determine what type of GPA each student will need, MNEF will begin preparing them in their early stages. Our job will be to thoroughly explain “The GPA Basics” to all MNEF students, as well as give them added assistance where it may be needed.
SAT and ACT. – MNEF will help students adequately prepare for these tests by two means:
Students will be test-prepped for the SAT and ACT tests ahead of time. We will prepare each student to take practice tests during the Summer months;
Students will be encouraged to take the practice tests at home, as monitored under specific conditions. After taking each test, and based on the SAT/ACT concordance table, it will be determined which test shows the highest score and the student will be directed to focus on efforts for that specific test.
College
Business/Community Networking
Engaging Business/Community Partners – Outreach to all community sectors is important for success. They are the perfect vehicle to help produce change and empowerment for today’s youth, to help them achieve their dreams. And, the programs that business and community divisions invest in are often successful at bridging the gaps between economic classes. As a means to engage community partners from all sectors for our youth development efforts, MNEF leaders will articulate to partners what’s in it for them, and also the benefits from thinking through issues related to community collaboration.
Youth Development Program – MNEF has established a successful development effort for our students. Each development level is geared toward improving both the student’s business and social skills for today’s world, as well as coach students on how to maintain and utilize such communications throughout their lives.
Additionally, by solidifying business/community networking connections, our students will be in better position for internships and long-term employment opportunities under their academic fields.
GPA
While students who are preparing to enter college have a plethora of important questions they want answered, this will likely be the most primary, as one’s GPA results to the number of individuals who are accepted into the college from which they are seeking admission. MNEF counselors will reiterate over the process which was established while during the GPA high school preparations. (See the above, GPA/SAT/ACT information).
All recipients will be required to present their tests scores (GPA, SAT, ACT) to the Marine Nunn Education Fund. These records will help reveal to MNEF, the fruits of our labor; how our efforts have helped each recipient, their lives and others.
Life
Give Back
Your time – At MNEF we believe everyone's time is valuable, and giving back to those who have helped us help others accomplish their goals is just as valuable. This is why our recipients have agreed to "give back" a portion of their time at some level under the MNEF organization.
Your skills – Tutor a class or share your knowledge with others under MNEF
Your donation – We ask that you donate a certain amount into the MNEF endeavors
Continual Learning Process
Remain Teachable – We encourage our recipients to become good stewards by “remaining teachable.” Staying relevant in a rapidly changing workforce will require familiarity and facility with technology, as well as increased skills in successfully navigating online. MNEF has promised to keep in contact with all our recipients to see how they are doing; we will further offer our services to them, as well as lend business and technical advice, encouragement and guidance.
Success
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary describes success as being “The accomplishment of an aim or purpose; a favorable or desired outcome”. In order for our students to gain success, we know we must implement and support promising practices and strategies to improve state and community college retention and graduation rates. MNEF spells Success by targeting in on and implementing four vital practices: Focus, Relationships, Friends and Family. MNEF’s approach to helping students is identifying these key areas which could pose as a determent, and then our goal will be to facilitate a means to remove any such blockades to help in aiding a student’s roadway to success in business and in life.
Some youth may have a problem with gaining access to technology (i.e., computers/the internet). And yet, statistics have shown that more than 70% of students today must rely on computers and the internet to complete homework assignments. This places students without access to technical machinery at a disadvantage on a number of academic platforms. MNEF helps in closing this technology gap by providing computers to students.
Others may lack the grassroots support system needed in getting started. We have established a social stratagem of support and business help systems that are geared toward helping students receive unlimited, on-tap assistance throughout the U.S. and abroad, as well as throughout each students’ MNEF-connected timespan.
And of course, there are those who do not have the funds required to attend higher or advanced education. Throughout each process, MNEF has centered itself on closing the gaps by providing a wealth of trustworthy educational and business resources. Therefore, making a students’ dream to succeed accessible.
How we spell “SUCCESS”
FOCUS – RELATIONSHIPS – FRIENDS – FAMILY
Focus
The Scholar, the Parents/Guardians – It is important to maintain a bird’s eye view on your goals and the stratagem that works under your skill base. MNEF has devised a failsafe stratagem to help both, our scholars and alumni stay on their outlined course. In addition to this, MNEF has cross-based a similar system, which will help parents and guardians be an instrument in helping their students’ maintain their academic outlook.
Relationships
Established Mentorships – “It is Not Just Programs that Help People, but Relationships” – Teachers (i.e., connections whether via class rooms or businesses) are often our youths’ most unrecognized advocates. Oftentimes, we may feel as though we’re fighting against the tide, but the work teachers do is invaluable. MNEF has instituted a fortified program which will help our students establish, build and maintain this valuable source of information and gateways.
Friends
Summer Bridge and Early College Enrollments – Exposing students to college and college-level courses early helps them increase their college-readiness and develop both the academic and non-academic skills necessary for postsecondary success. Students, while taking such courses will at same time be exposed to other students who are like-minded in terms of educational pursuits.
Summer bridge enrollment or other early college programs, such as dual enrollment exposes students to college while they are still enrolled in high school. This process is an effective practice that increases their chances of attending college, persisting in their studies, forming friendships between like-minded students and ultimately obtaining a degree.
We have found that dual enrollment participants were significantly more likely to persist in college and earn an associate’s degree or higher. In fact, the more dual enrollment courses a student took, the more likely he/she were to enroll in and complete college, with the greatest benefit stemming from the early completion of a math or English course. These results were found to be consistent across economic and racial groups. Low income students were especially likely to benefit from dual and summer bridge enrollments, and attend a 4-year college after high school.
This process has increased develops on two amazing levels: Students will begin to form relationships and alliances early on between their academic peers, and; in some cases, the same early college students have been known to (via their ‘do better’ actions) encourage other people in their community to begin educational pursuits.
Family
A Scholars Home-Base Support System – The economic and social benefits of a college degree are enormous, yet students enrolled in college continue to drop out at a tremendously high rate. Whether it is due to competing family/work obligations, inadequate academic preparation or financial aid issues, college students need help to stay on track. However, when students receive the base or ground support they need, they will ultimately succeed, and experience the economic and social benefits that comes with college graduation.
Work and family life demands are conceivably the most influential among the challenges that students face. Because many students have jobs, children, and may have to commute to school, they are more likely to have poor academic outcomes and, ultimately, drop out. It is therefore, critical that students feel connected and have a support group of family and a school-related environment in order to combat these competing obligations and persist in the face of obstacles that threaten to derail their success.
MNEF’s From-Home-to-School Parenting Program encourages parents, guardians and enthusiastic family members to get involved in their students life and academic plans early on in their lives. We know that our students success rides on their family’s direct focus on their students target learning, and; their home support will help the student to avoid potential obstacles. Set in stages of progression, our from-home-to-school program in twofold works support our MNEF students, as well as the parent/guardian/family grid.