Will Spotts, Assistant Director, EMU BF

(Eastern Michigan University - Bright Futures)

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As a valued staff member at multiple afterschool programming sites in the EMU BF network, Carissa has had to wear many hats; no two days are alike, especially during the pandemic. A flexible and adaptable collaborator, Carissa designed, led and supported academic, post-graduation, recreational and social activities for K-12 students in a virtual/remote learning environments at multiple programming sites in two low-income school districts.

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She has worked both hard and smart to        develop and sustain meaningful personal relationships with students and their families, both virtually and in-person. She took initiative to develop and facilitate          student engagement and leadership opportunities, consistently exceeding            expectations. Most recently Carissa has provided vital support  during a staffing shortage; she’s able to adapt her skills across different grade levels (K-1st, 2 - 5,

6-8, 9-12) at multiple sites.

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Carissa also excels in the administrative capacity of the Site Coordinator position. She maintains site budget and program supplies and collected and reported all data required by our federal grants. She helped hire and manage other staff members, further developing their skills and putting them in positions to succeed. She used positive youth development metrics to assess and report on the progress of the overall program with staff and administration and developing program improvement plans.