Elizabeth Warmington Garcia, chief clinical officer of The Children’s Guild Alliance, received the 2020 Professional Achievement Award from Case Western Reserve University and was inducted into the Mandel School Hall of Achievement, which recognizes “outstanding alumni, faculty, partners and friends who have greatly impacted the school and the fields of social work and nonprofit management,” according to the school website.

 “Garcia has dedicated her career to serving children and families. She contributes a valuable perspective, having developed skills in both the micro and the macro aspects of the social work field,” according to the website.

 As chief clinical officer of The Children’s Guild Alliance, Garcia works with the clinical leadership throughout the organization, including the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, Expanded School-Based Mental Health program, Treatment Foster Care program, residential treatment and the schools. Garcia implements program models and best practice interventions to ensure the continued success of treatment outcomes for children and families.

 As a licensed clinical social worker, Garcia brings more than 25 years of experience providing clinical services as well as managing behavioral health and out-of-home care for children and families.

 Garcia joined The Children’s Guild Alliance in 2011 as director of behavioral health services. She has spearheaded the growth of school-based mental health services into six counties and 90 schools. Additionally, she serves on the board of the Community Behavioral Health Association of Maryland and chairs the Clinical Learning Community. Before joining The Children’s Guild Alliance, Garcia was division director for Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau in Cleveland, Ohio.

 Garcia holds two master’s degrees in social work and nonprofit management from Case Western Reserve University. She received her bachelor’s degree from Kenyon College.

Monarch Academy Annapolis, a public contract school with Anne Arundel County Public Schools, received a $50,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Maryland Nonprofit Recovery Initiative to fund healthy meal distributions free to school families and Annapolis residents. The school partners with the Maryland Food Bank and Bridge Church of Annapolis to provide meals.

 As part of the effort and in recognition of Thanksgiving, Monarch Academy Annapolis and volunteers distributed 325 turkeys totaling 6,000 pounds to 295 families in Annapolis on Thursday, Nov. 19.

 “Monarch Academy Annapolis values the whole child and looks beyond test scores,” said Rachel Amstutz, principal of Monarch Academy Annapolis. “This is evident in our individualized learning models, our mental health services for students and our efforts to ensure all students get healthy meals, have clean clothes to wear and are productive members of their communities.”

 Monarch Academy Annapolis distributes about 250 meals per week. Meals include fresh produce and are funded through The Children’s Guild Alliance which includes monetary contributions from donors. They are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

 “Fresh produce is especially important in food insecure areas and often hard for people to access, yet so important for good health,” said Kathy Lane, chief of educational services for The Children’s Guild Alliance, which operates Monarch Academy Annapolis. “During these challenging COVID-19 times, Monarch Academy Annapolis wants to ensure not just that our children are still learning but that they continue to be well fed.”

 The grant source, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Maryland Nonprofit Recovery Initiative, received $50 million allocated by Gov. Larry Hogan to help nonprofit organizations with critical operations that have been financially affected by COVID-19 and Maryland’s state of emergency.

Monarch Academy Annapolis, a public contract school with Anne Arundel County Public Schools, named Miguel Vicente as bilingual student recruitment and community engagement liaison and Keith Rowel as family and student support specialist. Vicente and Rowel will work to support families and contribute to the building of an inclusive school culture. 

Keith Rowel

Monarch Academy Annapolis, a public contract school with Anne Arundel County Public Schools, named Miguel Vicente as bilingual student recruitment and community engagement liaison and Keith Rowel as family and student support specialist. Vicente and Rowel will work to support families and contribute to the building of an inclusive school culture.

Monarch Academy Annapolis restructured and expanded its staffing model to increase proactive supports for students and families and to grow family partnerships.

“In order to ensure maximum success for our students we must educate their hearts and minds, attend to their social-emotional wellness and authentically collaborate with families and our community,” said Principal Rachel Amstutz. “With a richly diverse student body, we are honored to have Miguel and Keith join our team. They each bring years of experience and a deep passion for the work in which we are engaged. They will help us serve all of our students and families, celebrate diversity, build bridges within our community, provide a high level of targeted support and to connect with and engage our families in their child’s education and development.”

As bilingual student recruitment and community engagement liaison, Vicente will work to build an inclusive and culturally informed support network for school families, encouraging family advocacy and facilitating a sense of community. With over 10 years of experience working with Latino nonprofit organizations, Vicente was executive director of Education Based Latino Outreach in Baltimore and previously served with Baltimore County Public Library, Maryland Relay and Morgan State University.

“We’re transforming Monarch Academy Annapolis into an inclusive hub within the community for the Hispanic families of Annapolis,” Vicente said. “As a Spanish speaker, I have the privilege of reaching out to Spanish-speaking families, making them feel welcome at Monarch Academy Annapolis and working toward the success of all of our children, families, teachers and administrators.”

As family and student support specialist, Rowel will support students and families through the school’s Student Support Center and collaborate with the staff to recommend interventions and strategies to help students learn and grow. Previously, Rowel taught for the Anne Arundel County Health Department’s Strengthening Families program for which he received a citation from the county executive. He brings nearly 15 years of experience with Head Start supporting children from low-income families. He also directs music at First Baptist Church of Annapolis and volunteers in the Annapolis community.

“I consider it to be an absolute honor to have this unique opportunity to pour back into the Monarch Academy Annapolis families and communities,” Rowel said. “MAA has a spirit of unity that is driven from the heart of diversity. Having cultural differences is what makes learning so awesome. It is because of diversity that we get to have a bird’s eye view of a whole different world in which we live.”

The Children’s Guild Alliance experienced a year like no other in its 67-year history. Our amazing team responded to the COVID-19 crisis with extraordinary compassion, energy, creativity, and commitment. Through these difficult and challenging times, we pulled together and accomplished more than we ever could have imagined.

We invite you to take a moment to read this year’s annual report and celebrate the many ways The Children’s Guild Alliance supported children this year.

ANNUAL REPORT 2020
 

Annual report highlights:

• The heroic efforts of our staff members during the pandemic.
• Our rapid transition to distance learning through the distribution of more than 1,000 Chromebooks so our students could continue learning even though in-person teaching stopped on March 13, 2020.
• The opening of food distribution centers in our schools and the delivery of more than 10,000 pounds of food to our students and their families in Annapolis, Washington, D.C., and the surrounding communities.
• Our launch of teletherapy to provide social and emotional support for 2,550 students and their families in more than 90 schools.
• An agreement with Steve Wozinak’s Woz U and Infosys, the seventh largest tech employer in the U.S., to provide nontraditional apprenticeships as an alternative to college.

This is just a sampling of the milestones achieved in 2019-2020. We could not be more grateful to our students, families, staff, and friends for making this school year a success. Together we are transforming the way America cares for educates its children.

Grants fund school’s new pre-K, resources for virtual learning

Monarch Academy Annapolis received two competitive grants from the state of Maryland: a $600,000 Prekindergarten Expansion Grant funding the school’s new full-day pre-K and a $173,997 Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund grant supporting the school’s efforts to reach students and families and build community during virtual learning.

 “We’re excited to make the most of these grants. Launching a pre-K is vital to Annapolis families and creates access and opportunity for student learning for our youngest learners during this challenging time,” said Rachel Amstutz, principal of Monarch Academy Annapolis. “The grants help us ensure our students continue to receive a strong education and essential social-emotional supports, while our teachers receive training and preparation for implementing distance learning.”

 The Prekindergarten Expansion Grant, awarded by the Maryland State Department of Education, funds 60 income-eligible seats for 4-year-old students. The program launched in September. Students may apply for available seats. The program will equip children with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for success in kindergarten and beyond. Monarch Academy Annapolis offers an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, which challenges students to think critically and take responsibility for their learning as they explore local and global issues.

 The Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund grant supports resources and activities benefiting students, families and educators at Monarch Academy Annapolis during distance learning. Funding allows the school to purchase supplies for students and additional tools and training for teachers and administrators, including staff attending a Harvard University course this summer on teaching and learning in a distance learning environment. It also supports projects promoting collaboration between teachers, school counselors, and families.

 Awarded by the Maryland State Department of Education, the grant channels federal CARES Act funds to schools “that demonstrate unique strategies to address academic accessibility as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Grant recipients have presented creative strategies to support disengaged students, students with disabilities, teachers, and families in need,” according to a press release from Gov. Larry Hogan’s office.