Prior to 2009, a program designated ‘The Club’ — a weekly after-school life skills mentoring program for middle school students (Grades 6-8) — was underway in a cooperative relationship with City Care. Community Advance, Inc. was established in 2009 to provide an organizational vehicle for further development of this and other ongoing community programs, as well as to facilitate the addition of new initiatives designed to respond to unmet needs in our community. Our current programs continue to be focused primarily on student development. A partnership has been developed with nearby area Oklahoma City Public Schools, including seven elementary schools (Buchanan, Cleveland, Gatewood, Kaiser, Linwood, Putnam Heights, Sequoyah), Taft Middle School, and Northwest Classen High School. The Club curriculum has been significantly expanded and now includes an emphasis in each year’s curriculum on career development. Enrollment now exceeds 100 students. Each student is encouraged to participate in the weekly after-school Club program for up to the three middle school years, to maximize the meaningful life skills that will be gained. The Summer Club — offered during the summer school recess —provides six weeks of structured half-day sessions, five days weekly. Sessions include an emphasis on life-skills topics and career development, along with an expanded activities program. A Computer Learning Center has been equipped and provides valuable resources to the career development program, as well as in other program activities.
Community Advance, Inc. programs and activities are accommodated in facilities provided by a partnership with Northwest Baptist Church. These facilities include a gymnasium (high-school regulation playing surface) and activities center, meeting rooms, and staff offices. In addition, a number of volunteer mentors and other personnel assist in these programs.
Community Advance, Inc. annually awards two Kent Humphreys Scholarships to Northwest Classen High School graduates. The awards provide financial assistance for the recipients to enroll for four consecutive years in any institution of higher learning in the State of Oklahoma.
– STAFF –
SENIOR STAFF
Allen R. Marks, Sr.
Executive Director
EDUCATION: B.A., Huston-Tillotson University, Austin, TX; Master’s of Divinity graduate study, Temple Baptist Seminary, Chattanooga, TN. Certified Instructor of Nonviolent Intervention, International Association of Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Certified Instructors.
FORMER EMPLOYMENT: Director of Youth Ministry, New Scholar Avenue Baptist Church, Chattanooga, TN; Volunteer Director of Community Outreach, then Director of Christian Education, Central Baptist Church, Chattanooga, TN
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Extensive mental health treatment experience as Program Coordinator, Counselor, Supervisor & Lead Psychiatric Technician in adolescent & adult in-patient treatment & home based case management for children & adults. Also served as Director of Quality Improvement for a 250-bed residential adolescent treatment center & Monitor and Research Coordinator in Clinical Research projects.
PERSONAL MINISTRY/SERVICE PASSION: “I believe that I am especially equipped to minister cross-culturally & among diverse ethnicities.”
PHONE: 405.595.2741
Natalie Legg-Jack
Program Director
EDUCATION: B.S. in Education, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK
FORMER EMPLOYMENT: Teacher (Fifth Grade), Guthrie (OK) Public Schools, then Putnam City (OK) Public Schools
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Volunteered for numerous childrens’ & youth ministries, including mission trips over 10 years to a Romanian gypsy village, mentoring students in THE CLUB (2 years), Youth summer program team leader (4 years) & team leader coordinator (9 years), Director of Community Outreach at Northwest Baptist Church (3 years).
PERSONAL MINISTRY/SERVICE PASSION: “To see students grow academically, socially & spiritually is my continued hope & prayer.”
PHONE: 405.595.2745
Tiffany Taylor
Career Development Coordinator & Program Assistant
EDUCATION: B.S., University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK
PRIOR EXPERIENCE: Tiffany worked for Oklahoma City Public School as an attendance clerk, classroom assistant, and 5th grade teacher. She served as an AmeriCorps VISTA with an emphasis in mentoring and tutoring for 4 years.
CURRENT RESPONSIBILITIES WITH THE CLUB: Facilitate appropriate working relationships between students participating in THE CLUB activities & Taft Middle School, & assist in weekly meetings of THE CLUB. Coordinate the Career Development Curriculum and the quarterly meetings with The Club graduates.
PHONE: 405.595.2714
Larrissa Lockwood
Director of Development
EDUCATION: B.S. of Public Relations, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR. Certified Mastery Coach, International Coaching Federation
FORMER EMPLOYMENT: Communications Specialist, Yukon Public Schools, Yukon, OK; Life and Business Coach, Oklahoma City, OK.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Formerly serving as VP of Programs for Oklahoma School Public Relations Association, Larrissa expands both reach and resources for community-centered organizations. Through technical writing, creative brand development and media management, she has helped grow business in industries such as healthcare, education, wellness, real estate and more. After nearly a decade of connecting with audiences, she began serving mission-centered leaders directly through retreats, public speaking and coaching to empower the achievement of both their professional and personal goals.
PERSONAL MINISTRY/SERVICE PASSION: to shine light on people actively serving their community so they can continue loving their neighbors well
PHONE: 405.595.2745
– OUR COMMUNITY –
OUR COMMUNITY
– RESIDENTIAL DEMOGRAPHICS –
RESIDENTIAL DEMOGRAPHICS
The residents within a three-mile radius of our facilities include:
ETHNICITY
- Caucasian 65%
- Hispanic 18%
- African-American 11%
- Asian 6%
- Native American 3%
- Other 14%
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
- Less than $25,000 36%
- $25,000 – $49,999 18%
- $50,000 – $74,999 18%
- $75,000 – $99,999 8%
- $100,000 + 8%
PROPERTY
- Property owned 42%
- Property rented 42%
- Property vacant 16%
– ACADEMIC DEMOGRAPHICS –
ACADEMIC DEMOGRAPHICS
Approximately 4,300 students are enrolled in the Oklahoma City Public Schools we serve, including:
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
- Caucasian 24%
- Hispanic 46%
- African-American 14%
- Asian 9%
- Native American 7%
- Multi 12%
MIDDLE SCHOOL
- Caucasian 20%
- Hispanic 46%
- African-American 22%
- Asian 5%
- Native American 6%
- Multi 1%
HIGH SCHOOL
- Caucasian 17%
- Hispanic 47%
- African-American 21%
- Asian 8%
- Native American 4%
- Multi 2%
ADDITIONAL STATISTICS
- Dropout Rate (2009) 24.5%
- Single-parent Families 44%
– OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS –
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jim King
(Chairperson)
• Attorney at Law
Randy Foraker
(Vice-Chairperson)
Dr. Brent R. Brown
• Professor of Medicine,
OU School of Medicine
Rob Lindley
• Lead Pastor, Northwest Baptist Church
Dr. C. Herman Reece
• Metro Director Emeritus,
CBMC
• Oral Surgeon (retired)
Debbie Smith
• Commercial Real Estate Investor/Manager
Benton Brown
(Corporate Treasurer)
• Marketing Manager (retired)
Dr. Enrique R. Cepeda
(Corporate Secretary)
• Executive Director,Thomas School of Int’l. Studies
• Mid-America Christian University
Milford J. Clayton
• Veterans Affairs Director (retired),
US Veterans Administration
Community Advance, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization incorporated in the State of Oklahoma. The Internal Revenue Service has determined that Community Advance is exempt from Federal Income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to Community Advance are deductible under section 170 of the Code.
– OUR FUTURE –
OUR FUTURE
Celebrate Recovery is a biblical & balanced program that helps us overcome our hurts, hang-ups, & habits. It is based on the actual words of Jesus rather than psychological theory. 20 years ago, Saddleback Church launched Celebrate Recovery with 43 people. It was designed as a program to help those struggling with hurts, habits & hang-ups by showing them the loving power of Jesus Christ through a recovery process. Celebrate Recovery has helped more than 17000 people at Saddleback, attracting over 70% of its members from outside the church. Eighty-five percent of the people who go through the program stay with the church & nearly half serve as church volunteers.
Celebrate Recovery is now in over 20,000 churches worldwide!
(…from CelebrateRecovery.com)
Rosetta Stone Inc. is a global education technology software company that develops language, literacy and brain-fitness software solutions that are used by millions of individuals and thousands of schools, businesses, government organizations around the world. Community Advance will provide access to online ESL training for our non-English Speaking constituents.