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• Made possible through a large gift from Eleanore Woods Beals, '50, and her husband, Vaughn Beals
• Vision of improving academic achievement in Buffalo
• A team comprised of Buffalo State community engagement and education leaders translated this vision into the Community Academic Center
• Desire to further increase Buffalo State’s presence in its West Side neighborhood
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• Buffalo’s most diverse region with over 70 languages spoken
• 24% of all refugees that come into New York State settle in the Buffalo area
• In 2011 Buffalo resettled 1,600 refugees; the expected number in 2012 is over 2,000
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H• 42% of youth (ages 5-18) in the city of Buffalo live in poverty.
• The high school graduation rate for the city is 54%. Without a high school diploma, a young person is twice as likely to be unemployed.
• On the West Side 41.4% of the total population and 61.2% of youth under age 18 living below the poverty line. Both values are almost triple national averages.
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“Buffalo State is proud to build on strong partnerships with its West Side neighbors by establishing the Community Academic Center…The CAC will be a place for us to work with and serve the people of Buffalo by collaborating on outstanding cradle-to-career educational opportunities. We are enormously grateful to the Beals family for making this center possible.”
~ President Aaron Podolefsky, 2011
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The excitement generated by the new center has attracted many visitors. For example, SUNY Trustee Eunice Lewin, Assemblyperson Sean Ryan, and SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher listen as students from BPS International School #45 describe the importance of learning about science and going to college. CAC
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• The Buffalo State Community Academic Center (CAC) serves as a site where people from higher education and the local community meet to engage each other about matters of importance to children, families, and the West Side neighborhood. The center's mission is to coordinate and anchor cradle-to-career educational support programming for youth on Buffalo's West Side. Recognizing that the success of children is directly related to a viable social and economic infrastructure, the center also supports micro-enterprise development and partners with neighborhood revitalization efforts. With a special emphasis on the needs of refugee families, the center serves as a "hub" for work being done at various satellite locations in partnership with a variety of community-based organizations. CAC
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Unique by design
The CAC is unique by design
• geographically placing the college within the community
• pushing past the traditional boundaries between campus and community
• more than just its physical location, the CAC places itself in a distinctive space in terms of the services provided. CAC
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Direct Programming
Integrates Buffalo State students and volunteers into the West Side community in programs that support youth and families.
Support Programming
Brings Buffalo State students to community partner sites to support the good work that they are doing
Networking
Coordinating and collaborating with agencies that promote effect service provision
Using a three-pronged approach, the Center provides direct programming to youth and families, supports existing programs at partner organizations, and enhances the network between organizations supporting youth and families.
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Digital Storytelling Workshop
Buffalo State English Department
Visual Art Program Buffalo State Art Education Department
Explorations in Science Buffalo State Earth Science and Science Education Department
Dance Program
Buffalo State Theater Department
Girl Scouts Girl Scouts of WNY
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Buffalo Beginnings Journey’s End
MAC Beginnings
Journey’s End
US Citizenship Classes Jericho Road Ministries
Advanced Reading and Writing Jericho Road Ministries
Multilingual Parent Drop-in Centers Buffalo Public Schools
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