Open Book Adventures Fall 2018: Tall Tales

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How might we improve literacy skills in first and second graders?

Open Book Adventures (OBA) is One Stone’s longest running program aimed at bringing a love of literacy to first and second graders in the greater Boise area. OBA connects learning with fun for participants and provides high schoolers an opportunity to expand their skills in leadership, problem-solving, and empathy.

Every Monday for six weeks, 30 young learners engaged one-on-one with a high school “Adventure Guide” for reading, writing, storytelling and games. While building meaningful connections with their buddies, pairs explored the session’s theme, “Tall Tales,” by imagining adventures of mythical creatures, knights, princesses, giants, wizards and dragons. Participants and their high school mentors spent time practicing vocabulary, dressing up as storybook characters, and taking turns reading books from the OBA rolling bookshelf.

At the end of the six-week session, families gathered to celebrate their young learners’ growth at an excitement-filled graduation ceremony. Each student received a book to take home and a certificate of accomplishment for completing the program. Guides shared fond memories of the fun times spent with their buddies and invited everyone to return for the next session of OBA.

Outcomes:

  • There was an average of 57% improvement in minute reading scores of participants from week one to week six.

  • After the event, 80% of Adventure Guides reported feeling extremely comfortable in their ability to act with empathy.

Parent reflections:

  • “I love the idea of having older kids work with and mentor younger. Very powerful!”

  • “The guide had good eye contact with my child. I really appreciated that! Isaac felt empowered and valuable.”

  • “My daughter is very enthusiastic about reading all the time now.”

  • “I can see my daughter’s confidence growing by leaps and bounds!”

  • “My son’s scores at school have improved, and he has been reading more at home.”

  • “He's much more happy to take part in reading. It's less of a battle to get him to read to me. He even chimes in, asking to try reading!”

Adventure Guide reflections:

“I learned how to communicate better with kids and use different methods for teaching.”

“I got better at being able to see things from my buddy’s perspective – to see what he sees and make it fun.”

Summer Liftoff

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How might we invigorate our community during a day of service?

Summer Liftoff was a culminating summer experience incorporating several projects in one giant full-day service extravaganza. Teams of students coordinated several experiences meant to turn back-to-school time into a fun, healthy celebration. Students were inspired to work over the summer in the topic areas of music, reading, back to school supplies, and healthy living. 

The day began with a world premiere of the City Light Jams music video, highlighting the musical abilities of the kids at the City Light shelter. Next, young children were invited to the “Little Reader Pillow Party.” High school students were paired one-on-one with a child ranging from kindergarteners to fifth graders to sew a special pillowcase with a pocket for a book. Research shows that children who read books with family have higher literacy rates and continue to enjoy reading as they grow. Students sewed pillowcases and shared their favorite books with young readers. 

The next portion of Summer Liftoff was, “Gear for the Year.” One of the most exciting parts of back to school time is getting new school supplies, but some families can’t afford new school supplies. The Project Good team coordinated with the Morley Nelson and Grace Jordan Community Centers to pack Gear For the Year bags of supplies specific to each grade level. Project Good students decorated and packed over 100 bags for the community centers to share with kids in need. Once the bags were packed, the Project Good team hopped on buses and traveled to the community centers to share in the good.

At each community center, the Chow Now team took half the Project Good students and all the kids at the community center to play the Chow Now relay – an interactive, high energy game that helps kids learn about the importance of each food group and how healthy eating fits into an active life. The Chow Now relay was a hit! 

While half the team worked with the Chow Now Relay, the other half went to work sprucing up each community center to prepare it for the school year by sweeping, organizing, cleaning, stocking, and finding lots of missing checkers pieces. No problem is too big or too small for the capable Project Good crew! 

Summer Liftoff ended with a reflection and well deserved snack at One Stone HQ – after a full day of turning the back-to-school-blues into an uplifting and revitalizing day of service. 

Outcomes:

  • More than 75 high school students joined in the Summer Liftoff day of service. 

  • Over 40 books and book pocket pillowcases were sewn and given to families.

  • More than 100 Gear for the Year bags were packed and distributed to community centers.

  • Summer Liftoff participants dedicated 20 work hours to cleaning community centers in preparation for the school year. 

  • The Chow Now relay race included more than 50 participants from Grace Jordan and Morley Nelson community centers.

City Light Jams

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How might we help youth at City Light foster new musical interests and skills in a fun, safe, and supportive setting?

During the summer of 2018, One Stone members began exploring the role music plays in so many peoples’ lives. From playing instruments and writing original songs to singing out loud with the radio or your latest playlist, music connects people to others and provides an outlet for self expression. After reflecting on their own musical journeys, the team began their project by interviewing Ryan Peck, the co-founder and managing director of Boise Rock School. Ryan spoke passionately about “finding the thing that moves you” in music regardless of what people might think, bringing more equity to music education, and how many people are afraid to be seen as “beginners” when it comes to learning a new skill. From there, the team decided they wanted to help young people who might not have access to music education foster new skills and explore passions in a safe setting and created City Light Jams.

The team worked with the Boise Rescue Mission’s City Light Home for Women and Children and invited youth to participate in a full-day of music exploration. Participants gathered at the True Hope Youth Center (aka The Hub) and began by engaging in a musical instrument “petting zoo.” Kids could interact with, pick up, and even play various instruments including guitars, keyboards, violins, xylophones, and more. After learning to create their own percussion instruments using everyday items, the group split into two to begin practicing songs they would be performing at an end-of-the-day finale. Participants chose which instruments they’d like to learn and engaged in discussions about what makes a good bandmate and how all roles are important for a cohesive band. Everyone was excited to have a part in the show and got to work learning their parts.

At the end of the day, the younger kids performed “You’re Welcome” from the movie Moana and the older kids performed “Geronimo” by Sheppard. Check out the music videos below:

Outcomes:

29 children ages 5 to 14 participated in City Light Jams.

“I had the opportunity to use my music skills in such a way that would actually make a positive impact in someone's life.” –Sam Humrichouse, One Stone member

“During this project I learned and grew as a musician and person. The final implementation of spending the day with kids from City Light playing instruments and recording songs to share with their families helped me to realize the importance of connecting people through music. It meant a lot to me to be able to take something I was passionate about and share it with kids who didn’t have a lot of opportunity for creative activities.” - Edie Johnson, One Stone member

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Empow[HER] Summit 2018

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How might we empower young women to use their voice to create a better world for themselves and others?

Coming off the heels of a successful overnight event in the spring, the Empow[HER] team turned their attention toward creating a full-day summer experience for 7th-12th grade girls to practice using their voice. During their research, the team was shocked by statistics found in The Girls’ Index, a national survey on the lives of young girls conducted by the independent non-profit Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX), including:

  • “The percentage of girls who would describe themselves as confident declines more than 25% throughout the middle school years, from 86% to 60%. Girls reported confidence does not return to pre-middle school levels for the remainder of high school.” 

  • “Most girls say that they like being in charge, but fewer aspire to be leaders because they fear that they will be perceived as bossy.”

  • “By the time girls are in high school, 86% report that most girls are in competition with one another and 41% say they do not trust other girls.”

Unwilling to let these unsettling numbers grow, the team set out to create a relevant and engaging opportunity for young women to join together to gain the skills needed to 1) self-advocate, 2) create change in the world, and 3) support other women. 

On August 8th, 2018, the all-female planning team welcomed over 85 young women from 29 different middle and high schools across the Treasure Valley to the first ever Empow[HER] Summer Summit. After an impromptu dance party, participants began their summit experience by rotating through activity stations including a self-defense lesson with Jay Beecham from Streetwise Self Defense, physically stomping out stereotypes written on balloons, and a teamwork challenge using the board game Mancala facilitated by Laura Meyer from Idaho Department of Transportation. Next, the girls sat down to hear a keynote presentation from 2018 Idaho gubernatorial candidate Paulette Jordan. Girls listened intently as Paulette spoke of her early life and the need for a young girl to have confidence in herself and her dreams. Afterwards, many lined up to meet Paulette, eager to shake her hand and snap a quick picture.

Throughout the afternoon, participants engaged in a “mentorship lunch” with local women who were excited to become a lasting source of support and wisdom for the young women in attendance as well as engaged in a discussion about diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality with local consultant and business-owner Angela Taylor. To cap off the day, girls engaged in an “Action Fair” to explore local organizations where they could get more involved and create change. Over 15 non-profits and businesses were represented including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Wild Hearts Idaho, and Girls on the Run. Overall, the first Empow[HER] Summit was a smashing success, and the team couldn’t wait to begin planning their next big project!

Outcomes:

85+ 7th-12th grade girls from 29 schools across the Treasure Valley 

13+ community organizations represented at the Action Fair including Girl Scouts of Silver Sage, the YMCA, Sisters in Songwriting, the ACLU of Idaho, Planned Parenthood, Streetwise Self Defense, Idaho Women in STEM, Idaho Women in Transportation, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Wild Hearts Idaho, and Girls on the Run.

Participant reflections:

What does empowerment mean to you?

“Empowerment means feeling the confidence that enables one to make a difference.”

“Empowerment allows someone to learn to love themselves and then they can share their gifts.”

“It means I don't have to be scared to be me: a strong, independent woman who knows how important she is.”

“Recognizing your power and making your voice heard”

“Using the power inside me to affect change.”

How did this summit help you grow?

“It helped me believe that all women can do anything.”

“Now I feel heard and like I'm not alone.”

“This event helped me learn how to take charge but still be humble… not to mention some awesome self defense skills!”

“It inspired me to want to be a part of changing the community.”

Tinker Camp 2018

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How might we magnify third and fourth graders' passion for STEM through an interactive camp created by high school mentors?

In Summer 2018, One Stone students led the very first iteration of TINKER: A One Stone STEM Camp. A free mentoring program for underserved youth across the Treasure Valley, 35 third through fourth grade “Seedlings” were paired with high school “Mad STEMmists” for four full days of exploration, experiments, field trips, and connection related to science, technology, engineering and math.

The One Stone student planning team reclaimed the letters in STEM to plan engaging activities around the daily themes of Space (stars and planets), “True or false” (busting common STEM myths), Earth (animals and the environment), and Messy (wet, gooey, and untidy fun). Each day included a field trip exposing STEMmists and Seedlings to STEM community resources such as the TC Bird Planetarium at Capital High School, the Boise Watershed, Zoo Boise, the Reuseum, and Quinn’s Pond. 

The week was jam-packed with design challenges and opportunities for young students to research and engage with new topics while building positive relationships with a high school mentor. Pairs worked together to create homemade planispheres to track the locations of stars in the night sky, learn the basics of binary coding using sidewalk chalk and dominoes, test which fruits and vegetables best conduct electricity, practice physics-in-motion with DIY marble runs, construct suitable habitats for imaginary animals, explore ecology near the Boise River, engineer robots out of items often banished to the “junk drawer,” design duct-tape boats that could withstand the weight of heavy stones, and build water balloon slingshots to measure force and distance. 

By the end of camp, Seedlings were beaming with a newfound love of science, technology, engineering, and math, and eager to get their hands dirty with student-led projects at home. 

Outcomes

Parent feedback:

“My daughter always loves anything that deals with learning... but working alongside an adventure buddy to problem solve and experiment taught her that it’s ok to be confused, to ask questions, to fail.”

Guide feedback: 

“This camp helped me learn that there are always multiple approaches to solving a problem.”

“Tinker taught me how to work with children from all walks of life.”

“The camp was for 3rd and 4th graders but even I learned things like how to use binary code and find constellations in the sky! I also learned how to embrace creativity during all the S.T.E.M. activities.”

After Tinker Camp, high school guides reported higher levels of competency in resilience, patience, communication, flexibility, leadership, and optimism.

Open Book Adventures Camp 2018

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How might we help reverse the ‘summer slide’ in literacy skills of first and second graders?

Open Book Adventures Summer Camp is a free, three-day long literacy mentorship camp experience for underserved youth in the greater Boise area. 30 little buddies were paired one-on-one with a high school Adventure Guide for a jam packed camp exploring the outside world and practicing skills of reading, writing, penmanship, phonetics, and building a love of stories. 

Campers enjoyed field trips to the Boise Watershed, JUMP, the Library! and Zoo Boise. Each field trip corresponded to vocabulary building activities and the practice of finding words “in the wild.” 

One Stone Adventure Guides gained skills in problem solving, leadership, creativity, and all gained valuable mentorship experience. The Open Book Adventures Camp planning team learned how to manage themselves and their peers, how to engage young learners in literacy activities, and why literacy is such an important area of growth. Mostly, high school Adventure Guides remembered what it was like to fall in love with reading and stories, by spending afternoons sprawled out on blankets surrounded by books and dreaming up their own creative spin on classic fairy tales. 

Outcomes:

  • 100% of parents said they would recommend OBA Summer Camp to a friend or family member

  • 100% of parents reported their child’s favorite activity was spending time with their high school Adventure Guide

From OBA Adventure Guides:

“I learned that every kid is different so I'll take that with me. The knowledge that you just have to be patient because different kids can be at different levels.”

“I learned from my buddy to stick with hard things. She had a really hard time with reading and writing but she put a lot of effort into improving.”

The top skills OBA Guides reported practicing during OBA Camp: being a leader, communicating with children, and acting with empathy.

From OBA Parents:

“Greta loved her one-to-one experience with Franny. She really enjoyed the friendship she established with her, which is very special and positively enriched the entire experience and all the activities.”

“My son enjoyed teaching his adventure guide, Adam, all about his love for reptiles when they were at the zoo.”

“I didn’t know much about One Stone before, but am thoroughly grateful for the opportunity to learn more about it through our daughter’s experience with Open Book Adventure Camp. Having lunch and snacks provided and that there was no cost is wonderful for so many in our community. It was a great experience for our daughter, who is the youngest of three kids with two older brothers, to have ‘her own thing’ and a positive role model.”

Take a Lap

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How might we empower fourth through sixth graders at the Boys and Girls Club to independently address social conflicts?

The Take A Lap: Don’t Be A Drama Llama teamed up with the Boys and Girls Club to solve a real problem for their staff and kids. Anne Westfall, Program Director for the Boys and Girls Club of Ada County, came to the team with a problem: “Kids need healthy methods of conflict resolution, and staff aren’t always available to help them.” To understand and empathize with the problem, the team conducted interviews and multiple site visits at the Boys and Girls Club to gain insight into the issues of students in fourth through sixth grades. The team further researched the problem. During the ideation phase, in which the student team developed multiple solutions, the team solidified their solution into a plan called, “Take A Lap.” 

Take a Lap is a four step process which fourth, fifth, and sixth graders can use to independently resolve conflicts without seeking a staff member’s help. The four steps are stored in a mobile cart that kids can easily access when needed. The four steps are:

  • Take a Breath – kids take a moment to think and reflect on the conflict.

  • I Feel – kids identify the way they feel and why, AND think about how the other person might feel.

  • Cup It Out – kids communicate their feelings and discuss the conflict through a cup phone.

  • Solutions – kids work together to come up with a final solution that they agree on to present to one of the staff members. 

Each step in Take A Lap was prototyped with the Take A Lap team as well as a focus group of fourth through sixth graders. 

Outcomes

Take A Lap was first implemented in the spring of 2018 by training the Boys and Girls Club staff on how and when to use the Take A Lap cart. The team then showed the kids at the Boys and Girls Club how to use the Take A Lap cart with success. Students and staff members were evenly engaged and excited to see it function in their space, and apply it to themselves!

A Lot of Hope

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How might we use the outdoor space at the Good Samaritan Home to build community amongst residents?

The Lot of Hope team initially set out to work with a local assisted living home, but due to circumstances beyond their control, had to look elsewhere. After focusing in on the Good Samaritan Home as a project partner, the team set out to understand the issues at the home and empathize with the residents. Moving through the design thinking process, the team hosted a Family Feud game with the residents and shared a meal to foster a relationship and understand what the residents wanted the outdoor space to be.

The team was able to develop a list of projects that would build community using outdoor space. These projects included cleaning and revamping the smoking shed(s), removing weeds, painting flowers and veggies in the previously donated and unused planter boxes, sanding and painting the deck, making and painting new benches, planting flowers around the building, and removing trash/recycling. The two months leading up to the implementation consisted of refining which projects were most important, planning out the implementation day, and constructing benches in the Foundry. 

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On May 20, 2018, the team successfully implemented the space renovation at the Good Samaritan Home. Despite inclement weather, the team was able to complete all desired projects requested by residents and staff members. Both the residents at the Good Samaritan Home and the staff have expressed gratitude for the work done by the One Stone team. 

Outcomes:

  • Two benches built, sanded and finished by students.

  • 10 gallons of paint used to refinish the deck.

  • Four truck bed loads of recycling taken to the recycling center, all proceeds went back to the Good Samaritan Home.

  • Four raised planter beds were built and filled with veggies and flowers.

    “You made our day and redesigned the outside areas into clean, neat wonderful spaces that encourages the residents to want to enjoy and even want to participate in gardening chores.” –Peg Richards, Executive Director of the Good Samaritan Home

    “I’m so proud of all the change we did in one day – even when it rained.” –One Stone member Maeve Pierson



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Boise, ID 83702
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208-451-3825
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