We are excited to share the Crittenton Chronicle, our new monthly Newsletter!
September 2022 Newsletter
September Newsletter
A REUNION TO REMEMBER
Our Current and Former Leadership Honorees came together to help us kick-off our Celebration of 134 years of championing young women! We are so grateful to our Honorees for their ongoing support, and for inspiring and reminding our remarkable Crittenton girls of the boundless possibilities for their futures.
Left to right: Meredith Attwell-Baker, President & CEO CTIA, Gloria Blackwell, CEO AAUW, Jan Adams, Founder & CEO of JMA Solutions, LaTara Harris, Director External Affairs, AT&T, Crittenton Board Chair, Karima Woods, Commissioner, DC Department of Insurance, Securities & Banking, Kathleen Ham, Senior VP, Government Affairs, T-Mobile, Mignon Clyburn, President, MLC Strategies, Former Commissioner Federal Communications Commission, Narda Jones, Chief of Staff Federal Communications Commission, Meedie Bardonille, Nursing Director, Surgical Oncology MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Chair of DC Board of Nursing, Founder Black Nurse Collaborative.
We’re back and better than ever! This month, our Program Leaders are excited to start recruiting participants for this year. Our team reported a big turn out of new & familiar faces, eager to be in our youth development groups and join our Sisterhood.
When you support Crittenton programs, you’re supporting more than 1,000 teen girls in 39 schools across the region to:
set & reach their academic, personal, and relationship goals
have a caring, and trusted adult in their corner
build their self confidence and belief in their abilities
learn to advocate for themselves & their communities
“I didn’t know I was going to be a pilot when I was a kid growing up. I just happened into it, and it’s the best thing that has ever happened to me. So don’t limit yourself.”
In this episode, Naomi Conteh, Senior and four year SNEAKERS girl, sits down with Colonel Jennifer Aupke to discuss her experiences growing up in a military family, overcoming challenges in male-dominated fields, how her organization, The Milieux Project, helps young ladies fly high, and so much more.
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IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN
134 years! This year’s theme is “A Time To Thrive,” as we celebrate the incredible resilience of our girls.Want to learn more about how Crittenton girls are rising above and beating the odds?
Hear the voices of teen girls at our birthday celebration!
Register below!
WHAT’S DIFFERENT NOW?
The data is in, and it shows the need for Crittenton programs is greater than ever. According to The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, more than 1 million students have gone missing from higher education in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
HOW CRITTENTON RESPONDS!
Here’s the good news,95% of Crittenton’s graduating seniors are:
Attending a two-year college (55%)
Attending a four-year college (35%)
Attending a technical school (5%)
This year, we are expanding to 6 new schools in MCPS and have a projected 1,100 teen girls across the region joining Crittenton programs! We’ve added four new Program Coordinators to our team to align with this anticipated increase.
Lastly, we’re excited to announce our partnership with the newRe-Connect Re-Engagement Center in Montgomery County to launch a program for parenting young women to get back on track with their education.
FROM CRITTENTON GIRLS TO ENTREPRENEURS
“Thank you so much for the support! Forever a SNEAKERS girl!
So grateful for my experiences with Crittenton.”
Je T’aime Fadlin, SNEAKERS Alumna, Owner of SHEccentric Skin, channeled her experiences as a Crittenton girl to build her organic skin care line.
“I am just so grateful for the experience and sense of community SNEAKERS gave me. As a teenage girl, trying to figure out who I was and navigating the challenges of high school, I craved community with people who were going through some of the things I was going through and could understand.”
Anieyah Lewsey, SNEAKERS Alumna, CEO of Exceptionally Slayed,created a strongcommunity and support for her business from the relationship building skills learned at Crittenton.
“I really appreciated the sisterhood that developed while I was in PEARLS. I was made aware of very helpful programs for teen mothers, and had a safe place to vent. It’s validating seeing one another’s accomplishments, and showing other young mothers they are still capable of achieving so much.”
Mia-Michelle, AKA Elmo, PEARLS Alumna, Owner of Stylez By Elmo, discovered how to turn her challenges into blessings and pursue her dreams as a Crittenton girl.
DID YOU KNOW…
in 1887 Crittenton started as a home for single mothers in Washington, D.C.? Our original mission of keeping mothers and children together is kept alive today in our PEARLS program, as well as our goal of educating young women in life and work skills.
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We are very excited to share the great things we’ve been up to with our Crittenton family. We are expanding our reach and support of our participants by actively recruiting Mental Health Professionals to our team. We are also unveiling our 2022 Crittenton Yearbook, and our newest YouTube series, Talk With A Teen Girl Today! Last but certainly not least, our President & CEO, Aaron Myers, has an important message to share with our supporters.
Let’s get into it!
WE’RE SEEKING A MENTAL HEALTH MANAGER & MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS
Crittenton Services of Greater Washington (Crittenton) is recruiting a full-time staff person or consultant to deliver fifteen hours of individual or group therapy per week and supervise the mental health services team, including up to four social work interns per semester. We are also actively looking for part-time consultants to deliver a total of twenty hours of individual or group therapy per week and supervise up to three social work interns per semester. The clients will be predominately Black, Latina, and Asian teen girls with presenting problems such as anxiety, depression, relationship problems, and emotion management, among others. They will be participants in Crittenton programs at twenty-one middle and high schools in Montgomery County, MD (Burtonsville, Clarksburg, Gaithersburg, Germantown, and Silver Spring), and Washington, DC (Wards 5, 7, and 8). To learn more on the requirements, evaluations, the application process for these positions and more, please visit our website.
CRITTENTON’S 2022 YEARBOOK
Our class of 2022 is moving on, and as they enter their new life stages we look forward to the extraordinary things they will do. This yearbook is not only for us to remember the great years we had with them, but to commemorate their academic achievements and their ins growth into the remarkable young ladies they are today. We wish them the absolute best in life and all things!
Click below to view our 2022 Yearbook!
TALK WITH A TEEN GIRL TODAY
We are excited to welcome you to our first episode of Talk With A Teen Girl Today, our newest YouTube series where Crittenton girls have an opportunity to interview different powerhouse women and role models in their community! We are excited to begin this series with our very own SNEAKERS girl and rising Dunbar High School Senior, Iman Bangura, and joining her is the incredible Dr.Evelyn Boyd Granville, Dunbar’s class of 1941 Valedictorian and the second African American woman to receive a Doctoral Degree in Mathematics.
Iman and Dr. Granville discuss life at Dunbar, what to expect when entering college and what it was like for Dr. Granville attending Smith College during WWII, her career as one of the first Black women in STEM, and more.
It has officially been one month since Aaron became our Interim President & CEO! Although some things are changing, what remains the same is our gratitude for your support of our teen girls and staying beside us on this journey. Click the image below to hear some special words from Aaron, and to learn more about what we have in store for the rest of the year!
Crittenton’s program team will be working hard to maintain strong connections with our participants throughout the summer, and ensure they have the support they need in any situation.
Friendly Reminder:
It is never too late to start making gifts in support of teen girls.
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This month we celebrated our incredible Crittenton girls as we closed out the school year. We are so proud of all of their achievements as students and participants in our programs. We also have some very important Crittenton updates to share with you. Let’s get started!
SENIOR PORTRAITS EVENT
SPONSORED BY THE V&S FOUNDATION!
Our Class of 2022 Seniors have shown so much resilience and courage. Between long months of quarantining during the pandemic, an entire year of virtual learning, and then returning back to in person learning for their senior year, we are amazed by their strength and determination. To show our appreciation for all their hard work, we hosted a Senior Portraits Event at our office in Silver Spring. We are so grateful to The V&S Foundation for their very generous donation that allowed us to hire Washington Talent to take photos and provide printed photo packages to be mailed to each of our Seniors. We were also able to cater Chipotle, supply custom goodie bags, and arrange any necessary Uber rides for our girls. This was certainly a day to remember for all of us, and we know our girls will take their photos with them to college, share them with their loved ones, and cherish them forever.
Look out for our 2022 Yearbook… Coming Soon!
FOUR CRITTENTON JUNIORS GRADUATE EARLY!
What can happen when a teen girl has the tools, sisterhood, and support system she needs? In Montgomery County, it equipped four of our Junior girls with the power and motivation to graduate ahead of schedule! We are so proud of each of them, and know they will go on to do amazing things after graduation. Their program leader Isabella Wise took them to Fogo de Chão to celebrate their incredible achievements.
TWO CRITTENTON SENIORS RECIEVE ACADEMIC AWARDS!
We are so excited for our Gaithersburg Seniors Yanica Mejias and Ana Lazo Raymundo. They were invited to attend their school’s Academic Achievement Awards Ceremony, where they received certificates for their career courses they enrolled in on top of attending regular school classes. Yanica obtained her certification as a Nursing Assistant, and Ana successfully completed all requirements and courses for Accounting & Finance. We are so proud of Ana and Yanica, who have both been Crittenton girls for years. We wish them the best in their future academics and careers!
END OF YEAR PICNICS FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL GOAL SETTING GIRLS
Our Goal Setting Girls at Forest Oak and Briggs Chaney Middle School had a blast at their end of year picnics! They played games, had their favorite foods, and closed out the school year by bonding with their Crittenton sisters. A huge thank you to our Program Leader, Isabella Wise, and our Program Consultant, Kahlil Kuykendall, for hosting these fun days for our awesome girls.
CRITTENTON CUPBOARD CAMPAIGN
SURPASSES STRETCH GOAL!
Thanks to the generosity of our Cupboard Campaign supporters, our emergency funding is overflowing! We surpassed our $20,000 stretch goal, and have raised $25,000 in total! A special thank you to our incredible Campaign Committee for helping us achieve this important goal.
With gas prices continually rising, diminishing affordable housing, and inflation, budgets are being squeezed more than ever. Our emergency funding ensures our ability to support our teen girls and their families when they need it most.
CRITTENTON SPOTLIGHT
Siobhan Davenport
Please join us in thanking Siobhan for her many contributions over the past 3 years. Siobhan has been integral in expanding the delivery of programs that empower teen girls in the Greater Washington area, securing both local & national grants, evolving our communication approach while mentoring both staff and girls. Siobhan has stepped down from her role as President & CEO as of June 30, 2022. We currently are in the process of identifying a new President & CEO, and welcome long-time Board Member Aaron Meyers as our interim President & CEO in the meantime. The Board of Directors as well as Crittenton’s program team thanks Siobhan for her service and wishes her the best of luck in all her future endeavors.
Crittenton’s program team will be working hard to maintain strong connections with our participants throughout the summer, and ensure they have the support they need in any situation.
Friendly Reminder:
It is never too late to start making gifts in support of teen girls.
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May was both Mental Health Awareness & Teen Self Esteem Month. We hosted several events to help our teens lean into their feelings, build self-confidence, and grow a supportive sisterhood. Keep scrolling to read more about what we accomplished this month!
ENGAGING CONVERSATIONS AT OUR ANNUAL HIGH TEA TALK WITH A TEEN GIRL
Our annual Talk with a Teen Girl High Tea is an evening for transparent discussions on topics chosen by our teen girls. This year, our girls focused on self-confidence and mental and emotional health. Our incredible host and Emmy-winning news anchor, Shawn Yancy, and moderator, Dr. Sabrina J. Curtis, guided our girls through a conversation about how adults can best support teens. Relive the powerful evening and watch the replay on our YouTube channel.
EMPOWERING TEEN GIRLS AT OUR ANNUAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
Our Crittenton sisterhood is sacred, and we love opportunities like our Leadership Summit to bring all of our sisters together. This year’s leadership summit was extra special because it was finally in person after two years! The girls made special crafts, went on scavenger hunts, and had mini dance parties and heartfelt talks. At the end of the day, our girls felt more confident in themselves and even closer to one another. We are so grateful to our program leaders and guest speakers for making this day so special. A huge thank you to all of our supporters for making events like this possible.
7TH GRADE GOAL SETTING GIRLS TAKE A TRIP TO SHADY GROVE UNIVERSITY
Field trip! A group of girls in our Goal Setting Girls program in Montgomery County toured The Universities of Shady Grove. For many of our girls, visiting a local university is exciting because it helps them envision their futures, and encourages them to pursue college. We believe that middle school is the perfect time to plant the seeds of college preparation. This experience showed them the doors that open when you further your education. Thank you to our Program Leaders, Isabella Wise & Jessica Majano-Arriaza, for being fabulous and taking the girls on this important trip!
CRITTENTON IN THE NEWS
We teach our teen girls is how to build authentic relationships. Our organization prides itself on our long-standing relationships with the families we serve, community leaders, and our supporters. Our President & CEO, Siobhan Davenport, sat down with Dr. Patton McDowell of ‘Your Path To Nonprofit Leadership’ to discuss the importance of relationships between communities and their local organizations. You won’t want to miss this discussion, sotune in to learn more about creating strong community relationships!
CRITTENTON SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Sabrina J. Curtis
Dr. Sabrina J. Curtis is a community-engaged scholar experienced in community-based and afterschool youth leadership development organizations. Most recently, she served as a policy and advocacy consultant for Crittenton Services of Greater Washington where she provided a range of support related to policy advising and youth advocacy training. In addition, she is an adjunct professor at George Washington University, co-founder of The Pyramid Project, a nonprofit mentorship organization serving youth in rural communities, and a former political appointee in the Obama Administration Department of Justice. Sabrina has been a huge inspiration for many, especially our Teen Advocates For Equity. We asked her a few important questions about her impactful work in youth development.
What lead you to Crittenton?
A good friend and colleague of mine told me about the incredible work Crittenton Services of Greater Washington is doing to provide wraparound support, leadership development, and skills-based programming for youth. Around the same time, I had been conducting research on Black girls’ civic identity development and civic engagement, and I was focused on learning more about what it means to create and implement culturally relevant civic education in community-based education spaces. So, when the opportunity presented itself to bring some of that knowledge to supporting policy development and youth advocacy work through Crittenton’s Advocates for Equity program, I did not hesitate for a moment on deciding to be part of this powerful community.
Who inspired you to do your impactful work of uplifting youth voices through Advocacy Education?
My work was initially inspired by my mother who, when I was growing up, was very active in supporting young people in our community. After first teaching English and literature, and then working in politics and government and seeing how the voices and ideas of Black women and many women of color were going unheard in these spaces, I wanted to create new pathways that would elevate the critical perspectives of girls and women of color bring to thinking about how we build a more just and equitable society. I’ve learned how to utilize storytelling as a starting point for generating dialogue about our experiences, fostering our critical consciousness and awareness of how our world is structured, and identifying and implementing strategies for transforming those aspects of our society that make it very difficult and challenging for many of us to live.
STOCK CRITTENTON’S CUPBOARD
CAMPAIGN
The Crittenton Cupboard Campaign stocks our virtual pantry with basic necessities and emergency funding to help our girls and their families when they need it most.
98% of Crittenton girls live in economically challenged communities. Over the years, when they had nowhere else to turn, we’ve stepped in, providing computers for school, safe rides home, feminine products, and school uniforms. During the pandemic, we supported our girls’ families with groceries, car repairs, funeral expenses, and in rare cases, rent. Our aim is to prevent unanticipated financial hardships from snowballing into insurmountable challenges.
Goal: $15,000
When: June 6-17, 2022
Help us fill our Cupboard with a gift of $125 or more!
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We’ve been very busy this month, and we’re excited to share what we’ve been up to with you!
S.T.E.A.M PROJECTS WITH OUR SNEAKERS AND GOAL SETTING GIRLS
We built S.T.E.A.M (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics) projects into our curriculum to introduce our girls to the many ways science is present in our everyday lives and spur an interest in these lucrative fields. This year, our SNEAKERS and Goal Setting Girls created hand-made molded chocolate hearts and hand-made lip glosses. The girls enjoyed learning these new skills and making products they see and use on a daily basis.
SHOE DONATION FROM VICTIMS’ RIGHTS FOUNDATION
Earlier this month, Greg Wims and The Victims’ Rights Foundation donated more sneakers to our girls at Banneker Middle School. Our girls were so excited and thankful for this unexpected gift. Simple things like new shoes fill our girls with confidence as they re-acclimate to school life.
EASTER FOOD DRIVE WITH WOMEN WHO CARE MINISTRIES AND VICTIMS’ RIGHTS FOUNDATION
Crittenton girls get involved in their community. Over the Easter weekend, our Crittenton girls joined our President & CEO, Siobhan Davenport, and volunteered with the Women Who Care Ministries and The Victims’ Rights Foundation for an Easter Food Drive in Gaithersburg, MD. Over 300 families received groceries, i.e. whole rotisserie chickens, fresh vegetables, and other baked goods for a warm meal. Thank you to Judith Clark and Greg Wims for bringing our communities together for such a great cause.
CRITTENTON IN THE NEWS
Can you imagine what our world would be like if entire communities stepped up together to support and raise future leaders? Our President & CEO, Siobhan Davenport and Built For Impact Host, Amanda Bocik, discussed this powerful vision on the podcast Built for Impact. Listen to this important conversation here.
CRITTENTON SPOTLIGHT
Candice Pal
Crittenton’s First College & Career Readiness Counselor
Goldman Sach’s One Million Black Woman Initiative awarded Crittenton a grant to expand our gender equity work. We hired Candice Pal as our first College & Career Readiness Counselor. Candice facilitates monthly sessions with our 11th and 12th-grade participants to help them plan for successful futures. She has earned a bachelor’s degree in Social Science from the University of Maryland, Global Campus, and a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Washington Adventist University. Prior to Crittenton, Mrs. Pal worked as a PGCPS Teacher, and a College Career Counselor. In her undergraduate years, she worked within the healthcare field, specifically focused on women’s health. Candice also interned at DeMatha Catholic High School as a College Counselor, and currently volunteers as an Online College and Career Advisor for CareerVillage.org, providing online college and career advice for underserved youths. Candice is passionate about counseling and coaching students to prepare them to transition into young adulthood.
LAST CALL
CRITTENTON’S
2022 VIRTUAL HIGH TEA
Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 6:00pm
At Crittenton, we believe that inter-generational conversations can be a powerful catalyst for positive change. Our annual High Tea is a cornerstone tradition that brings Crittenton teens together with community leaders from the corporate, government, higher education, nonprofit, and social advocacy sectors. Once again we will gather virtually to give teen girls opportunities to share their views on issues impacting their lives and showcase their leadership and advocacy skills.
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Happy Women’s History Month! From Crittenton’s Advocates for Equity to our partnerships with powerful and impactful women making a difference, we celebrated women who are transforming their community — at every age.
A TOWNHALL WITH OUR ADVOCATES
& MOCO’S COUNCIL PRESIDENT
We kicked off the month with a town hall with Montgomery County Council President and Chair of The Health & Human Services Committee, Gabe Albornoz. Mr. Albornoz met with our Advocates for Equity girls and held a thoughtful discussion on everything from COVID recovery and racial discrimination to how to improve youth mental health services in schools. We see brighter and better days ahead where teens and local government work together to make our communities better and stronger.
BLACK GIRL SUMMIT AT SENECA VALLEY HS
Meanwhile, at Seneca Valley High School we hosted a Black Girl Summit led by our Program Consultant, Kahlil Kuykendall, in partnership with the MCPS Equity Initiatives Unit team. The mission of the summit was to educate and empower Black girls to heal themselves and change their school, their community, and the world. Girls started the summit with questions about how to engage their peers effectively. They left with a better understanding of their inner power and equipped with proper communication tools and a desire to connect better with their peers and community.
Crystal is an experienced President & CEO with a demonstrated history of working in the philanthropy, government, and nonprofit sectors for transformative community development. She has over 20 years of workforce experience in Nonprofit Management and Development, Community Outreach and Planning, Government, Team, and Coalition Building, Strategic Planning and Advancement, Program and Policy Analysis and Evaluation, Advocacy, and Public Speaking. She is a strong community development professional focused on racial and social justice and holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) focused on International Development from Rutgers University.
We want to take this time to give a huge thank you to Crystal and her team at HIF for all the incredible work they’re doing in Montgomery County, MD. We also want to share our immense gratitude for the grant they’ve awarded us to support our newest developments in mental health support for our teen girls.
We sat down with Crystal and asked her a few important questions about her philanthropic and nonprofit work and the partnering of HIF with CSGW.
What leads your organization, HIF, to support and partner with the work of Crittenton Services?
HIF believes that mentoring is an essential strategy for community wellness as part of a multi-prong approach to delivering accessible behavioral health and wellness services in the community. We know that trusted individuals are guiding posts for our youth, supporting them on their social-emotional and educational journeys to reach their dreams.
What advice or a memorable experience as a teen girl would you share with teens girls today?
Mistakes and setbacks happen to us all and are essential to the journey that forms us. These supposed failures do not define who we are or who we are going to be, but rather teach us lessons about who we are and what we value, build our resiliency, and ensure that we surround ourselves with supportive networks that are the gentle hands of support along our journey.
What inspires you to do the impactful work you’re doing in Montgomery County?
Through the Foundation, we support and seed innovation for impactful and actionable change that is transformative at the individual, organizational, and community levels. Creating the vital Foundation through our investments and convenings and enabling our leaders and nonprofits to address the challenges is genuinely inspirational. We stay motivated through the essential work of cultivating the change we want to see. We don’t just see the challenges, but have the utmost privilege to be apart of the community solutions. Truly grateful.
Save The Date!
CRITTENTON’S
2022 VIRTUAL HIGH TEA
Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 6:00pm
At Crittenton, we believe that inter-generational conversations can be a powerful catalyst for positive change. Our annual High Tea is a cornerstone tradition that brings Crittenton teens together with community leaders from the corporate, government, higher education, nonprofit, and social advocacy sectors. Once again we will gather virtually to give teen girls opportunities to share their views on issues impacting their lives and showcase their leadership and advocacy skills.
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In February, our programs celebrated love, sisterhood, and Black History Month!
A SNEAKERS AND GOAL SETTING GIRLS DAY OUT
Erin Jackson recently made history as the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in speed skating for the United States. Our SNEAKERS & Goal Setting Girls in Montgomery County celebrated the occasion and went ice skating at the Silver Spring Ice Skating Rink with their fabulous program leader Kahlil Kuykendall. Later, they grabbed some pizza, hot cocoa, and special Crittenton t-shirts.
THE SISTERHOOD CELEBRATES GALENTINE’S DAY
Our SNEAKERS girls at White Oak Middle School kept the festivities going and hosted a Galentine’s Day-themed lunch complete with gift baskets, food, candy, and even a BFF (best friends forever) proposal!
Meanwhile, at Briggs Chaney Middle School, Siobhan Davenport, our President & CEO, met with our SNEAKERS & Goal Setting Girls for a festive Galentine’s Party. Thank you, to Principal Robinson, and Greg and Rachel Wims of The Victim’s Rights Foundation, for a generous donation of stylish Puma sneakers, and for supporting our girls.
“I’m happy to be in partnership with Crittenton over the years. The programs – SNEAKERS and GSG – have made an impact in the lives of the girls, especially during COVID.” -Principal Robinson
TEAM SPOTLIGHT:
THE INCREDIBLE BLACK WOMEN
ON OUR PRORGRAM TEAM
At Crittenton, we make Black History by supporting teen girls in the DMV. We couldn’t do it without our program coordinators and their dedication to advocating for and uplifting youth voices across the region. Each of our leaders has unique abilities and strengths they bring to our team, to their sessions with the teen girls they serve, and to their communities. We’re proud to shine a special light on the excellence of the Black women on our team during Black History Month.
We have immense gratitude for all of our supporters that stood with us and provided their support during the tumultuous times of living in a pandemic.
Will you continue to join us in supporting teen girls that are in need?
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2021 was about resilience. Take a look at some of our favorite moments from last year and see how our girls persevered despite the pandemic.
JANUARY – MARCH
The first quarter of the year was all about Montgomery County. Our Montgomery County Teen Advocates kicked off the new year with an important community conversation with Councilmember Nancy Navarro and Antonio Tijerino, CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation about how to overcome obstacles as teens of color. Then, Siobhan Davenport, our President & CEO, sat down with the one and only Harold Fisher of WHUR-FM, to discuss how to keep teen girls from sliding into crisis situations. Finally, Siobhan spoke with Kim Jones of Montgomery County Media’s Studio 501c3 to highlight our work empowering teen girls to overcome obstacles and make positive choices in their lives.
APRIL- JUNE
The spring brought two of our signature events. First, the Talk with A Teen Girl High Tea is a cornerstone tradition in which our teens meet with community leaders from the corporate, government, higher education, nonprofit, and social advocacy sectors to showcase their advocacy skills and share their views on issues impacting their lives. This year’s event was hosted by Juliana Valencia of NBC 4, and we honored, Catherine Leggett, a longtime Crittenton supporter and First Lady of Montgomery County. We also hosted a virtual Teen Leadership Summit. The day was filled with fun and sisterhood as our girls discussed topics like Taking Back My Crown, Empowering My Community, Manifesting My Dream, My Voice Matters, and Yoga & Mindfulness.
Thanks to the generous support of the Tikun Olam Foundation,12 Crittenton girls also participated in an Advocates for Equity spring training. Over the course of 10 weeks, the girls learned the fundamentals of civic engagement, governance, community building, and advocacy campaigns.
JULY – SEPTEMBER
During the summer we made MAJOR headlines. July was Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Siobhan shared her best tips for parents to support their children’s mental health with Successful Black Parent Magazine. Then, she had an inspiring conversation with Daniel Bauers, Chief Ruckus Maker of Better Leaders Better Schools, the #1 leading podcast for educators who think out-of-the-box and make change happen. Siobhan and Daniel reflected on the school year and the need to increase trauma-informed care in our schools.
Last, but certainly not least, we made The New York Times! For four months, Alisha Hardistani Gupta, a gender reporter at the New York Times, followed several Crittenton girls to capture the impact of the pandemic on their lives. We could not be prouder of Yanica and Jamese, two of our brave and brilliant Crittenton girls, who participated in the story.
OCTOBER- DECEMBER
We end 2021 full of gratitude. Although teen girls today face many challenges, we’re proud to report that Crittenton girls are beating the odds!
100% graduation rate
99% grade advancement
83% of graduates are moving on to higher education or job programs
None of this would be possible without you!
Thank you for supporting and sustaining us in our 133rd year of service to DC and Maryland. Because of you, we were able to show up when our girls needed us the most.
We look forward to sharing more success stories in 2022.
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The holiday season is filled with magic, love, and memories. So we’ve been busy spreading love and cheer to our Crittenton girls in Montgomery County & D.C.
PEARLS Moms & Babies Christmas Drive-By
We partnered with the fabulous Shawn Yancy and her organization, Girl’s Night Out, to host a beautiful gift-giving party for our PEARLs moms and their children. Our girls received everything from clothes, groceries, and toys to put smiles on their faces and get them through the holidays.
Spreading Holiday Cheer In The Classroom
School may have looked different this year, but our support for teen girls remained the same. We hosted holiday parties for the girls in our SNEAKERs and Goal Setting Girls programs. The holiday bags were filled with books, scrunchies, candy, games, and even Crittenton branded cups!
BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:
LaTara Harris
Our final Board Member spotlight of the year belongs to LaTara Harris. LaTara serves as regional director of external & legislative affairs for AT&T in the Mid Atlantic with a focus is on local legislative and regulatory affairs in Maryland, and in D.C. She is also on the board of the District of Columbia’s Workforce Investment Council, the DC Chamber of Commerce, the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce, Maryland Free, The Faunteroy Community Enrichment Center, Youth Leaders In Training, and is the Chairman of the Board of Crittenton Services of Greater Washington. Talk about dedication to her community! She has been recognized for her contributions to her community, and for her professional success by being named the 2017 Washington Business Journal – Minority Business Leader Award winner, the 2015 Maryland Daily Record – Maryland Top 100 Women Award winner, and a host of others. Harris earned her undergraduate degree from Bowie State University and her MBA from the University of Maryland. We appreciate you, LaTara!
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We’re full of gratitude for our Crittenton community. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of our amazing girls.
CELEBRATING MOMENTS THAT MATTER
We had an incredible Anniversary Celebration! Our theme was ‘Moments that Matter,’ and you created an evening that mattered. Thank you for joining us and renewing your commitment to transforming the lives of teen girls.
Your support will help us remain a stabilizing force in the lives of our girls and their families.
If you missed this special night, don’t worry, we captured the whole evening. View the replay on our Youtube channel to celebrate our girls and community champions. Just click the image below.
CSGW IN THE NEWS
Adultification bias is a serious issue that impacts the well-being of Black and Brown students across the country. According to a study conducted by Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality, Black girls as young as 5 years old are seen as less innocent and more adult-like, compared to their white peers. During the ‘Our Girls, Our World’ webinar, Siobhan Davenport, our President & CEO, joined other thought-leaders and experts to discuss why we must combat adultification bias and allow girls to experience their youth without fear or shame. Click the image to watch this important conversation on our YouTube Channel.
BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:
AARON L. MEYERS II
First, we want to thank Aaron for all of his hard work in making our Anniversary Celebration spectacular! Secondly, when it comes to how he serves his community, Aaron is a jack of all trades. He is a DC-based entertainer, activist, and entrepreneur. Aaron is a veteran of the United States Army and attended Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas majoring in business and theater. When he’s not busy empowering teen girls, he serves as the Resident Artist at Mr. Henry’s Lounge in Washington, DC, and Minister of Music at Covenant Baptist Church of Christ. Aaron chairs the board of directors for the Capitol Hill Jazz Foundation and sits as a member of the board of directors for CTE Vision Foundation and Covenant Full Potential Development Center.
We are delighted that he is serving his second term as Crittenton’s Secretary of the Board, and member of the annual event task force. For some extra holiday cheer, click his photo above to visit his website and learn about his fourth jazz album, The Pride Album.
Halloween Edition: Do You Know What’s Really Scary?
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Black and Brown teen girls are still recovering from the nightmare of the last year, but our Crittenton groups are saving the day.
GROUPS ARE BACK! HOW SPOOK-TACULAR!
We are overjoyed to see our Crittenton programs back in person. Our girls have made it clear that our organization’s support and weekly group meetings are vital to their well-being. That’s why we need your help more than ever to sustain our programs, our girls, and their families through this ever-evolving pandemic. Join us on November 18 for our anniversary celebration. You will hear directly from our girls about what your support has meant to them, and why it’s important to preserve Crittenton’s sacred sisterhood.
CSGW’S SPINE-CHILLING NEWS STORIES
This month, we were honored to be featured not once but twice in The Washington City Paper.
Our girls regularly tell us how caregiving responsibilities have weighed on them during this pandemic. More work at home on top of uncertainty at school has led to increased stress and poor mental health. This is not exclusive to DC. A 2020 World Economic Forum report further confirmed that COVID contributed to gender inequities among women and girls.Click here or on the image above to read about how young girls are holding our city together.
Girls in DC are waking up empty fridges and going to bed wondering whether they can continue to live in their homes. As an organization, we work diligently to support Black and Brown teen girls in managing the disproportionate effects of the pandemic. We know first-hand that, normal wasn’t always great for everyone, and it certainly has been hard for teen girls. Read this powerful story about how the pandemic has triggered a housing and food insecurity crisis in DC.
BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: KYMBER LOVETT-MENKITTI
We are screaming for Kymber. She is the Co-Chair of our 133rd celebration and serves as the Regional Director for the Maryland/DC Region for Keller Williams Realty International. In that role, Kymber leads the growth of 19 offices with close to 5,000 real estate professionals across the region. She is one of the youngest female executives named to the role in the company’s history. In addition, Kymber was the President of Sales for The Menkiti Group and Keller Williams Capital Properties (KWCP), two companies recognized for growth, innovation, and demonstrated success and achievement in the residential real estate industry. She led strategy for the MG Residential sales team and built a local team of real estate professionals who have brokered the sale of over $1 billion in residential real estate, representing over 2,300 homes sold. Kymber is also Chair of the CPMG Foundation, a joint project of The Menkiti Group and KWCP created to support the housing, education, and youth needs in the DC Metro area.
THIS YEARS CELEBRATION IS A REAL TREAT!
NOVEMBER 18, 2021 @ 6:30PM
Get Ready For A Night To Remember!
Transformational moments: We’ve all experienced them. Those moments—some big, some small—ultimately have an enormous impact on our lives. This year’s Crittenton Celebration theme is “Moments that Matter”—and we’ll be highlighting some of those moments in the lives of our girls and the distinguished community leaders we will be recognizing. Join us as we applaud the amazing girls of Crittenton Services of Greater Washington at this crucial annual fundraising event that powers our organization’s vital work. By attending our Anniversary Celebration, you too can create a Moment that Matters for hundreds of teen girls. Register for the event HERE.
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School is back in full swing and so are we. All of our groups are back and better than ever. Here’s how…
NEW CRITTENTON PROGRAM COORDINATORS
We’re excited to announce that our program team is growing. We’ve brought on four new program coordinators to support our girls in the new year. Each coordinator is certified in trauma-informed care and their invaluable skills and experience will help teen girls achieve any and every goal they set their mind to! Without further ado, meet our new program coordinators and read their bios on our website.
CRITTENTON PROGRAMS ARE BACK
The last year has been so difficult for our girls, so we are over the moon to be back in the classroom. We start each year off with team-building exercises so that girls can make new friends and feel comfortable joining our sacred sisterhood. Over the next 22 weeks, girls will learn how to take control of their mental, physical, and emotional health, and also how to set positive goals and create healthy relationships. We can’t wait to share their journey with you. Visit our website to learn the schools we’re currently present in and how you can enroll your teen girl.
CRITTENTON IN THE NEWS
This was a big month in the news for Crittenton. Read about some of our biggest media moments yet.
HOW TO DEAL WITH BACK TO SCHOOL STRESS
At the beginning of the month, our President & CEO, Siobhan Davenport, sat down with Jeanette Reyes, an anchor at FOX5 DC, to share tips for dealing with back-to-school stress. According to recent Center for Disease Control data, there was a 50.6% increase in suicide ideation among teen girls. Siobhan connects with parents of teen girls in this segment and lends some helpful advice on connecting with your daughter and supporting her this school year. Listen to this important conversation here!
Crittenton Girl Yanica Mejias, 17, Gaithersburg High School
Crittenton Girl Jamese Logan, 15, DuVal High School
“No Time To Be A Child,” discusses how teen girls, especially Black and Brown girls, took on extra responsibilities during the pandemic like caring for younger siblings, working additional jobs to contribute to the financial stability of their families, and even fighting for dignity and racial justice— all while struggling with young adulthood and virtual school. We could not be prouder of Yanica and Jamese, two of our brave and brilliant Crittenton girls, who participated in the story. We are also grateful to our program coordinators who serve as that trusted caring adult and support system to Crittenton girls in need.
BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:
ANTONIO TIJERINO
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are delighted to share that Antonio Tijerino is this month’s board member spotlight. Antonio is the President and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, an organization that identifies, inspires, prepares, and positions Latino leaders in the classroom, community, and workforce. He has also served as the director of public relations in the communications department for the Fannie Mae Foundation, a manager for corporate communications and spokesperson for Nike, and an account supervisor for the Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolf public relations firms in Washington. Antonio’s commitment to Crittenton’scommunications task force and the governance committee make him a major contribution to the work we do and the vital connections we have in our community. We are proud and honored to have a powerhouse like Antonio on our team.
SAVE THE DATE: NOVEMBER 18, 2021 @ 6:30PM
Get Ready For A Night To Remember!
Transformational moments: We’ve all experienced them. Those moments—some big, some small—ultimately have an enormous impact on our lives. This year’s Crittenton Celebration theme is “Moments that Matter”—and we’ll be highlighting some of those moments in the lives of our girls and the distinguished community leaders we will be recognizing. Join us as we applaud the amazing girls of Crittenton Services of Greater Washington at this crucial annual fundraising event that powers our organization’s vital work. By attending our Anniversary Celebration, you too can create a Moment that Matters for hundreds of teen girls. Register for the event HERE.
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Summer is in full swing and we are helping our girls RISE and reach BEYOND the pandemic. Here’s how…
RISE Summer Program
Helping Girls RISE Above The Pandemic.
In Montgomery County, we are hosting the RISE Summer Program– a four-week internship and career development opportunity for rising juniors and seniors. Our Crittenton girls engage in hands-on learning in potential career fields while also learning about employer expectations, professional and transferable technical skills, and various career options.
BEYOND Summer Program
Meeting Our Girls Where They Are, Empowering Them To Move Beyond
In DC, we launched the BEYOND Summer Learning program in response to COVID’s impact on our girls’ grades and emotional wellbeing. For six weeks, our girls will work alongside our phenomenal team of positive youth specialists and have a safe, nurturing, and supportive environment that is focused on building their literacy skills, social-emotional learning, and trauma response. Our girls will also participate in mindfulness activities, and field trips, cooking lessons, and more to relieve some of the stress from this past school year.
CRITTENTON IN THE NEWS
July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Siobhan Davenport, recently sat down with Janice Robinson (JR) Celeste, Founder & Publisher of Successful Black Parent Magazine to share tips for parents to support their children’s mental health.
During our spring needs assessment, 63% of our girls reported feeling more stressed than usual. That is not surprising when you consider that our youth suddenly took on additional caregiving responsibilities at home, lost loved ones to COVID-19, and were thrown into a completely virtual learning environment without all of the tools or resources needed to succeed.
This month, we are proud to spotlight our phenomenal Board Member, Natali Fani-Gonzalez. We cannot say enough positive things about her. She co-chaired our Crittenton Cupboard Campaign which raised over $5,000 to for the emergency fund to support our girls this summer.
Her impact doesn’t stop there. She’s a social, economic, and environmental justice advocate who is leading change in Maryland. She currently works as the Vice-Chair of the Montgomery County Planning Board and serves as Commissioner for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, a bi-county agency established by state law that regulates real estate development, plans transportation infrastructure, and manages the park systems in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.
Save the date for our 2021 Anniversary Celebration
Thursday, November 18, 2021 @ 6:30 PM
Join us as we applaud the amazing girls of Crittenton Services of Greater Washington and honor distinguished community leaders, at this crucial annual fundraising event that powers our organization’s vital work. By attending our Anniversary Celebration, you can make a fundamental difference for hundreds of teen girls. Invite to follow but save the date on your calendar today!
