OUR IMPACT
Our Impact Overview
Hundreds of children have had their lives positively impacted by the Watoto program. The program has had a positive impact of children and youth from under resourced communities in areas like Social Behavior and Emotion Development, Low Self – Esteem/Self- Image, Low Academic Performance, Health and Wellness, Parental Involvement and Community Engagement. The results of the program are impressive: drawing on a largely African American student population, all program graduates have successfully finished high school; many have gone on to college and post-graduate study. Students are instructed to think critically, encouraged to explore/research, motivated to discover their latent talents/abilities and to develop their own path in life.
Proof That it Works: Watoto Program Academic Growth
After the results of an assessment conducted by the University of Memphis revealed the positive impact on student academic performance, organizers of the Watoto Academy curriculum were given their first opportunity as a full – time arts program for several school districts. In 2012, a partnership with the Achievement School District (ASD) granted the opportunity to positively impact the lives nearly 1100 students weekly. In 2014, a partnership with the Shelby County Schools I Zone School District enabled an additional 400 students K- 8 (see charts below).
With the support of the Cummins Foundation and endorsement from Hollywood movie and television mogul, Debbie Allen, the WatotoAcademy established 11 additional chapters to improve the social and academic development of children and youth across the mid-south (see map below).
