Rams Know-H.O.W. Mobile Care Unit

Rams Know-H.O.W. Mobile Care Unit

Since many historically black colleges and universities like Winston-Salem State University are located in low economic neighborhoods where the rates of poverty, unemployment and the uninsured are higher than average, many residents have

limited access to health care services. Mobile clinics can provide vital health services right in the convenience of the neighbor-

hood when transportation may not be readily available and can reduce the use of emergency rooms when illnesses are identified

and treated early. The Rams Know H.O.W. mobile clinic has been funded by Forsyth Medical Center since fall 2010. Nursing

and Allied Health Faculty, staff and students provide quality, accessible and integrated wellness services at no charge to underinsured and uninsured residents in the East Winston neighborhood which surrounds the university campus. These services include blood pressure screenings, height and weight measurements, glucose and cholesterol screenings, health education and referral for treatment as needed. Through a strong referral and network base and supporting free clinics, the university is able to advance its teaching, service and research mission through excellent community outreach in the local neighborhood. Over 3,000 local residents living 200% below the federal poverty line have received free health care services. Over 70% of residents are overweight or obese, over 60% are hypertensive, over 25% are living with diabetes, some identified for the first time. Education

has been provided on how to reduce weight and control blood pressure. Glucometers have been provided to local residents to

track blood glucose levels. To date, over $90,000 in free health care services have been rendered, the risk of strokes and

myocardial infarctions have been reduced, thus reducing the strain on local emergency departments and reducing theamount

of uncompensated care to local hospitals. Research has shown that for every $1 spent in mobile clinic care, there is a $30 savings

in health care costs. Using this formula, WSSU has reduced health care costs by $2,700,000 in two years.

The Center for Community Safety

Project Safe Neighborhoods: A Comprehensive Response to Gun Violence

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reduce violent crime in America. PSN, started in 2001, is made up of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies working in partnership with local practitioners and grassroots agencies that address violent gun and gang crime. The Center for Community Safety (CCS) serves as the training and outreach partner to the Middle District of North Carolina and delivers training and technical assistance for communities on the PSN strategy, community justice issues, gang violence, prisoner reentry, and in building community capacity to reduce crime and build stable neighborhoods.

Weed and Seed Reentry Employment Initiative

Through funding and support from the U. S. Department of Justice Community Capacity Development Office (CCDO), The Center for Community Safety (CCS) is currently leading a technical assistance project for eight cities to improve public safety by implementing or strengthening workforce development initiatives and strategies. This project seeks to reduce recidivism by helping ex-offenders gain employment and take ownership of their communities as productive and law abiding citizens. The customized technical assistance will focus on coordinating programs and policies and strengthening existing labor and employment services to help ex-offenders overcome employment barriers they face upon reentry from prison.

Weed and Seed Juvenile Crime Prevention Initiative

The U.S. Department of Justice Community Capacity Development Office (CCDO) and The Center for Community Safety (CCS) invited Weed and Seed sites to apply for a 13-month technical assistance program designed to help establish and/or enhance juvenile reentry and anti-gang initiatives. Since 2009, CCS and expert consultants have been providing assistance to eight Weed and Seed to address juveniles returning to the community from secured confinement and juvenile involvement in gangs. CCS team and consultants visited each site to explore local priorities and opportunities in reentry and anti-gang efforts and is assisting each site in developing a strategic plan.

The Center of Excellence in Financial Services

During the 2011-2012 academic year, the Center of Excellence in Financial Services (CEFS) wasengaged in a wide variety

of activities, in addition to maintaining annual registration of the financecurriculum with the Certified Financial Planner

Board of Standards. The CEFS sponsored attendance of four students from the School of Business and Economics (SBC)

at the National Financial LiteracyConference in Washington DC. This was an opportunity for the students to network with

industryprofessionals and serve as program moderators. The CEFS guided the activities of SBC students as theyprepared

and delivered a two-hour seminar for clients of Family Services, Inc., a local non-profitorganization. The topic was how to

finance a college education with grants, loans, scholarships, andpersonal savings. In attendance were twenty-two parents of

Head Start students. The Finance TradingRoom, a new facility of the SBE, was supervised during its construction by the

Director of the CEFS,supervised during its construction by the Director of the CEFS, Mr. Nick Daves. In addition, he

negotiated the contract with Morningstar Direct for access to world-wide financial data to be usedin the Trading Room and

by finance and economics professors in their classes. When completed, itwill serve as the venue for offering financial literacy

and economic enhancement sessions for theWinston-Salem community. The director of the CEFS, Mr. Nick Daves, co-

authored with Drs.Alex Kondeas and David Stewart, a textbook entitled Personal Financial Planning-A PracticalApproach

which is used in undergraduate classes taught at WSSU.

Economic and Community Development Through

Entrepreneurship and New Venture Incubation

July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012

WSSU – Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE)

Mission Statement (founded fall 2006):

To operate as a catalyst in the creation and dissemination of entrepreneurial knowledge through education, research, and community outreach programs. We contribute to the economic transformation of the broader region, especially focusing on the needs and circumstances of urban, minority, and economically disadvantaged populations. We accomplish our mission by encouraging and supporting aspiring entrepreneurs to become successful, ethical, and socially conscientious business leaders.

This mission statement alone captures and establishes the critical presence of WSSU as an institution with impact well beyond its physical boundaries. It began as a sanctuary for aspiring African American teachers, and developed to a beacon of hope and pride for the community and the region.

The wall breaking ceremony of the Enterprise Center (EC) at 1922 South Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive in Winston-Salem

by the S. G. Atkins Community Development Corporation (CDC) in the fall of 2010 could be perceived as a symbolic gesture toward breaking the virtual walls that have racially divided the two sides of Winston-Salem

for decades. The former Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club since July of 2011 serves as a

business incubator or, more accurately, a nursery. In addition, it provides space to accommodate community needs, to include arts, a computer lab, a health resource center, on-site job training

and language classes, faith-based initiatives, athletic events, gardening, and many others.

The initial phase of the renovations focused on reaching silver LEED certification while

developing space to support new and emerging companies, especially those with a “green” focus. This means energy efficiency and environmentally friendly materials and equipment as well as consulting support of start-up businesses. The three census tracks around WSSU form our target “corridor” as outlined in the comprehensive strategic master plan for the area between U.S. Highway 52 and Waughtown Street.

In there one could argue that we provide a “laboratory” for business projects that sustain and grow our community by utilizing

the tremendous energy and resourcefulness of WSSU undergraduate and graduate students.

The mixed-use facility under the guidance of the WSSU Center for Entrepreneurship blends educational programs while it

supports new ventures by becoming a hub for networking, training, supporting

and counseling for approximately twenty tenant offices with rents starting at

$150 a month. Tenants began to move in as of early fall, and while typical

incubators enjoy 65-80% occupancy rates, ours is full with a significant waiting

list.

This project has attracted extensive media attention from the original announcement ( to a more recent article with the very interesting title: Joint venture in learning (

Since inception, tenants include such businesses as a green building product, iPhone/iPad applications, computer technician,

two home care operations (one of which grew 400% in its first 6 months), a wellness clinic, renewable energy project management, disadvantaged youth center, music studio and entertainment, energy business consulting, a graphic design company, two non-profit entities, skin care products, etc. They are sole proprietors, often with “day jobs” while aspiring to be fully self-employed and to employ others. The Center for Entrepreneurship runs the incubator and educational programs within it, with a three-year lease

for space to provide workshops and mentoring to entrepreneurs, in addition to covering the leasing costs of aspiring ventures

with scholarships provided by the DataMax Foundation.

The Enterprise Center accommodates two additional facilities—

the WSSU School of Health Sciences “Virtual Hospital” in the middle floor, and a “virtual justice” center with support from the North Carolina Central University (NCCU). Both of these facilities train hundreds of university students. The NCCU center also provides via

high definition video conferencing legal services to community

residents. Other service providers associated with this project that

provide workshops on site include the MicroEnterprise Loan Program,

the Small Business & Technology Development Center, and the

Wake Forest University Community Law and Business Clinic. As a small business development project, the Enterprise Center is supported by numerous partners, including WSSU, the U. S. Department

of Housing and Urban Development, the City of Winston-Salem, Golden LEAF Foundation, Duke Energy, Truliant Federal Credit Union and the Winston-Salem Community Development Support Collaborative.

Finally, the four acres of “backyard” that used to host Pop Warner football games in the 1950s has been converted to an organic garden. In its first brief half-season (fall 2011),

not only it has produced over 2000 lbs of fresh and healthy food, but it actively serves

as a learning tool to local high schools and WSSU students. Classes of botanology and rehabilitation services for wounded veterans are regularly held at the garden, enhancing

the quality of life for both providers and clients.

In addition to this major building acquisition and conversion of an iconic community monument, the CFE has offered the seminars "Tru-Opportunity Builder" in partnership with the Goler Family Enrichment Center and Truliant Federal Credit Union. The program

has connected 23 business students with 43 aspiring, local entrepreneurs to enhance their capabilities of venture creation with mentoring and hands-on applied research. With Wake Forest University colleagues, we collaborate in the "Frameworks" program, where we have trained 28 small business participants in refining marketing strategies

by incorporating inexpensive social media tools. The yearly business plan competition workshops accommodated 89 participants.

During the inaugural 2011 Jumpstart Honors Summer Program, from August 6-10, the university introduced 50 Chancellor's Scholars to the research that teams of our students complete for small businesses that want to develop a marketing or a business plan. The program immerses talented WSSU students to the demanding research and scholarly activities required to create and manage new ventures in a very dynamic and risky environment.

In addition to the incubator, the CFE created Teens Engaged in Aspiring Mentorships, an Uplifting Partnership (TEAMUP),

an annual foster youth program designed to teach career and life skills to one of the most vulnerable populations in our communities. The CFE has hosted in June 2012 43 youth in foster care at the WSSU campus for a week at a time. The participants come from

five counties, ages 16-18 and are juniors and seniors in high school. This weeklong, custom-designed project immerses youth in foster care in aspects of the broader community that will positively influence their decisions to finish school, pursue a productive career and carefully examine life options. The intentional blend of educational and social activities enhances awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of what it takes to succeed within the free enterprise system. Major funding for the project is provided by BB&T, DataMax Foundation, Forsyth, Guilford, and Durham Counties’ Social Services LINKS programs, the WSSU School of Business and Economics, the WSSU Center for Entrepreneurship, and in-kind contributions by numerous volunteer teams and partner organizations, including the student group Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE). Program organizers invite and welcome caring WSSU students and members of the communities that support these youth to become mentors, teachers, role models, parents, peers, and buddies for life.

Youth complete pre & post session activities, which include individual research projects toward their desired profession/career,

or pursuance of higher education, or an entrepreneurial venture. Criteria for selecting youth include level of participation in local LINKS programs/services, age, maturity, availability to participate in pre & post educational week activities, and “investment”

into the program reflected in a multi-part essay to justify final selection. The program was covered multiple times by local media, the UNC General Administration (governing all 17 UNC campuses), and the

2009 Global Conference of Entrepreneurship Centers. It was also the recipient

of a “Best Practice” award for community collaborations from the N. C. Association ofCounty Directors of Social Services (NCACDSS). TEAM-UP was recognized by NCACDSS for the partnership that brings together the resources necessary to implement that plan, as well as for its innovation. The program is tailored to meet the local needs of children and blends learning and fun, simulates real life experiences by allowing room for mistakes, and gives participants clear choices

and consequences for their action.

The cumulative effect of all of these exciting and meaningful projects not only directly “touched” the groups above, but a

much broader audience (in the many thousands) through the wonderful publicity of multiple television news segments, newspaper articles and community engagement projects. Even in our most daring dreams, we would not have anticipated such meaningful impact. For illustrative purposes, during one year alone, the CFE inspired the following partners and sponsors:

Awarded a sponsored programs grant in the amount of $21,880 from the Piedmont Triad Partnership (PTP) and its federally supported WIRED program.

Collaborated with SBE faculty and PI-Dean Bailey in earning $25,000 per year from the $125,000 annual BB&T grant specifically designated for entrepreneurial projects for youth.

Raised $5,000 from the S.G. Atkins CDC to supplement the cost of acquiring laptops to each TEAMUP participant.

Recurring annual funds of $10,000 from Southern Community Bank and Trust (Capital Bank now) to hold annual Business Plan Competition on campus.

One third from DataMax Foundation grant of $50,000 (approximately $17,000).

CFE Director personal contribution of $1,000 per year.

BestBuy contribution of $11,000 in product discounts and gifts to TEAMUP.

Raised $4,750 from the NC Department of Social Services to support TEAMUP operations.

Utilized $8,000 from Title III funds to support scholarship and community outreach.