2011 DREAM MAKER AWARD WINNERS
The Ann Bancroft Awards, to be held Thursday, April 28, 2011 at the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Minneapolis, will recognize four recipients for their accomplishments and support of girls and women. The 14th annual awards are hosted by the Ann Bancroft Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to support girls and women in realizing their highest dreams and potential. The Foundation endeavors to recognize individual achievement and promotes initiatives that inspire courage, risk-taking, integrity and individuality in girls and women.

The four winners are: Shawnnise Watkins, Susan McCormick Hadley, Pam Borton and the Women’s Advocates. (bios of winners below)

Proceeds from the event will further the efforts of the Ann Bancroft Foundation. Event sponsors include Best Buy Women’s Leadership Forum, Imation, Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, KARE 11 and Minnesota Women’s Press. For ticket information contact www.annbancroftfoundation.org or call Tracy Adams at 763 479-4499. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner and the awards program.

Winners of the 14th annual 2011 Ann Bancroft Awards

– Shawnnise Watkins
Category: “Girl – Leadership and Achievement”
When Shawnnise Watkins came to the YWCA of Minneapolis in 2007, she had just turned 14 and had recently been in a fight that was serious enough that the police got involved. She was told to complete Girls Resolution and Prevention (RAP), an all-girl youth intervention program for first-time offenders, in order to have a disorderly conduct offense removed from her record.

“At that time, Shawnnise was a strong, vibrant girl who stood up for herself and her friends and tried to solve all of her problems with a smart mouth and quick fists,” recalled Kyanna Wright a counselor at the YWCA of Minneapolis. “She didn’t like school and she wasn’t doing well at all. She felt all she ever heard was, ‘you’ll never be anything; you’ll never do anything.’ She even recalls a teacher telling her she was never going to make it. Shawnnise loved to write, but mostly kept her talents to herself and used her smarts outside the classroom.”

Today Shawnnise, a 16-year-old junior at Minnesota Transitions Charter High School in Minneapolis, remains a steadfast defender of herself, her dreams, and other young women of her community. When she now fights against the many difficult challenges facing her (and far too many other young black women), she uses her rechanneled strong personality and the hard-won wisdom of a girl who has seen poverty, abuse and violence. She has become a changemaker and a leader.

From failing grades and street fights to becoming a youth worker and planning for college, Shawnnise has not only taken charge of her own life – and future – but has positively influenced and inspired other young girls whose lives have fallen through the cracks.

The RAP program at the YWCA surrounded Shawnnise with adult role models. They convinced Shawnnise she had potential and positively encouraged her to believe in herself. As the first step in her journey, she made a personal commitment to change her approach to school. The process was seemingly simple…but the results were astounding! Changing her attitude resulted in improved grades that convinced Shawnnise that college was real and achievable. Her life has forever changed.

In 2010, Shawnnise raised enough money to sign up for a tour of the black colleges and universities. She fell in love with North Carolina Central University. Upon her return to Minnesota, she shared with her friends and family about how important it is to go on to college.

“I have practically every girl in the RAP program asking me about the college tour and what it takes to get into college,” said Wright. “Even girls as young as 12 and 13 are now getting excited about college.”

When Shawnnise talks about her vision for the future, she talks about completing college and going into law or social work. Her goal is to be able to help support girls like herself in working to end problems like racism, sexism, violence and poverty. She wants to work on problems that lead to situations where girls think they must fight to retain their self respect but instead just end up getting kicked out of school; she wants to work with schools that don’t know how to help many girls of color learn; and she wants to work with girls who choose to get involved with drugs or violence, or who end up raising babies they never planned for instead of following their dreams. However, Shawnnise is not waiting to finish college before she starts creating the future she wants to see.

After completing the RAP program in 2007, Shawnnise became involved in the program’s graduate group, completing a Junior Youth Counselor internship where she learned to lead groups for girls. She has been involved in planning and completing seven community service projects, writing countless newsletters and in leading numerous discussion groups on topics ranging from pregnancy prevention, to healthy relationships, to ending violence, to building job skills.

“I have a little sister and cousins and friends,” said Shawnnise. “Things like bullying, abuse, sexual harassment, having babies too young, fighting, dropping out of school – that has to stop! I mean, I’ve had my share of fights and parties, but that’s not the answer. I hate watching people get hurt. If I don’t do anything, it makes me as bad as the people doing it.”

And Shawnnise is doing something. She held a Youth News Initiative Internship in 2008 at KFAI, developing a radio show on teen pregnancy and its impact on young women. She also is a Girls Resolution and Prevention volunteer at the YWCA, inspiring young girls through her experiences. Shawnnise was recognized last year at Patrick Henry High School with a Star Student Award for remarkably improving her otherwise failing grades. Shawnnise also plans and coordinates field trips, activities and summer retreats for the YWCA. And she continues share her story with girls ages 11-17 who had been in the juvenile justice system.

For many young people who have experienced violence, truancy or illegal, high-risk activities, part of the healing process is to separate themselves from the people they were involved with when they made those choices. While Shawnnise has had to end some of those relationships, she has remarkably brought some others forward with her.

“Because they all look up to her, what she does really works,” says Erica Sallander, the RAP program coordinator at the YWCA. “It’s like having a youth counselor out there — on the streets 24/7 — doing what all of us only wish we could do. I believe she has literally saved lives by saying something when she knew it had to be said.”

– Susan McCormick Hadley
Category: “Woman – Leadership and Achievement”

Revolutionary program supports battered and abused women
through the medical system

Susan Hadley’s vision since early adulthood was to help girls and women in abusive situations by changing the systems that interact with women by establishing a model within the medical system to respond to domestic violence. In 1986, she created WomanKind, a revolutionary, integrated program based in heath care that provides support and information, and helps ensure safety to thousands of battered and abused women. Today, the WomanKind concept has become national model of 24-hour health response to domestic violence.

Hadley of Prior Lake, Minn. overcame a difficult childhood and turned her life toward helping others safely regain their own self esteem and build the courage to take the risks to live a life free of violence and abuse. Back in the ‘80s, when domestic violence was still talked about in hushed tones – and never in health care – Hadley was raising awareness of the criminal nature of abuse and working to train the medical and public health communities to respond more effectively. She saw an opportunity to engage and provide valuable support to women through the health care system. In those days, health systems were not interested in integrating a domestic violence program into their hospitals and clinics but Hadley persevered, insisting that the health system offered an ideal opportunity to intervene with victims who came there for medical care.

Hadley persistently reached out to health care systems in Minnesota, insisting they had a responsibility to address this issue with their patients. With no financial support, Hadley trained health care professionals to ask appropriate questions and direct women in need of these services. A caring bridge was needed between the health setting and available community resources. The result was WomanKind, the uniquely integrated domestic violence program that originated in the Fairview Health System, one of the largest health care systems in the state. The premier model program of its kind in the country, WomanKind has brought about revolutionary change in the medical system’s response to victims of domestic abuse. Through Hadley’s tireless efforts, the WomanKind Model today is the national prototype for providing integrated, structured services and resources for victims of domestic violence with education and consultation with health care professionals, along with awareness of the dynamics of abuse for the community.

One of the cornerstones of Hadley’s work is to reach women when they come to the health system for medical care with appropriate, validating messages and support. She understands that each woman will make decisions about her own circumstances when she is ready. In most cases, support, information and empowering messaging is what is needed in a respectful, non-judgmental atmosphere. And when ready, WomanKind facilitates the woman’s connection to the most appropriate community resource.

Hadley is a role model to many in her continual efforts to challenge the systems that disrespect women through minimizing the violence with euphemistic and inaccurate news reporting. She is currently completing her Ph.D. and focusing on how media portray domestic violence and the impact of media messaging on prevention, intervention and personal healing.

Hadley’s contributions as author, educator, and nationally recognized expert on health care intervention for domestic abuse are extensive. She continues to donate thousands of volunteer hours each year to dozens of organizations, including the U of M’s Center for Violence Prevention and Control, University of Minnesota Medical School, Sheila Wellstone Institute, American Public Health Association and Family Violence Prevention Fund. In addition, Hadley has participated in the Lifetime Women’s Summit, a national invitational meeting of 100 outstanding women from across the country in Washington, D.C. She is also a consultant to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, American Medical Association and Minnesota Medical Association, and adjunct faculty of the U of M Medical School.

Susan Hadley’s tireless, pioneering work has brought about change in the medical system’s response to victims of domestic abuse, so that health professionals treat more than just the presenting physical problem, and also address the underlying causes of the medical or mental health problems. Her dream is for each and every woman to live violence-free in a place of safety and security on their way to achieve their own dreams.

– Pam Borton
Category: “Individual – Support for Girls and Women”

Many studies have shown that participation in sports by girls and women has a profound effect on their development. Sports help young women develop life skills, form friendships and expand social networks. Sports also promote freedom of expression and movement, build leadership skills and present new citizenship opportunities. Affiliation with a team or group provides girls with a sense of belonging, which can offer a new sense of identity beyond the domestic realm. And participation in sports programs also helps draw girls into a network of institutions, programs and mentors to which they would otherwise not have access.

Like students that need good teachers to help them prepare for their futures, student-athletes need good coaches to help them succeed on and off the court. Pam Borton, head coach of the University of Minnesota women’s basketball team, understands this all too well. Throughout her coaching career, she has gone beyond the fundamentals of basketball to teach her players life skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives.

In the world of sports, a coach’s success is measured by wins and losses…and Borton has a strong scorecard. Under Borton, Minnesota has enjoyed three seasons with 25 or more wins, six NCAA Tournament appearances, three trips to the Sweet Sixteen and a magical ride to the Final Four in 2004. She is a three-time finalist for the Naismith Award, recognizing the nation’s top collegiate coach. And she has coached two players to the WNBA (Lindsay Whalen in 2004, Janel McCarville in 2005).

But Borton’s true success is measured long after her players collegiate careers are over.

Borton instills in her players the ethics of hard work on the court and in the classroom. During her tenure at the U of M, Borton’s program has graduated 22 of 23 students who have exhausted their eligibility. Her players have also collected the most Academic All-Big 10 honorees (51) in the conference and have posted a GPA above 3.0 in every semester she has coached.

Borton’s mentoring of her players goes beyond the university. Knowing how important it is to regularly involve her student-athletes in civic service and giving back to the community that supports them, she influences her players through volunteerism, by visiting families at Fairview Children’s Hospital; assisting the Prevent Child Abuse Annual Walk; participating in the Pancreatic Cancer Bike Ride, Rondo Days celebrations and Urban Ventures Basketball Clinic for inner city girls; working for Feed My Starving Children; sponsoring blood drives and working at Hope Day Festival, which provides support for children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

“As a young girl growing up in Hutchinson, Minn., playing basketball at the college and professional level was always a dream of mine,” said former Golden Gopher standout and current Minnesota Lynx guard, Lindsay Whalen. “Coach Borton was instrumental in helping me realize those dreams – she’s a great leader on the sidelines and embodies the spirit of giving back to the community as well. She opened a lot of doors for me and still to this day we keep in touch, which I think says a lot about the kind of person that Coach Borton is. She’s very deserving of this honor and I am really happy for her.”

In addition to her student-athletes at the U of M, Borton’s mentoring affects the lives of many young girls through her summer basketball camps and the Urban Ventures Basketball Clinics. She not only teaches them the fundamentals of basketball, but lessons that will stay with these young players well into their future, even if sports are not a part of their lives when they get older.

Coach Borton is also accessible to her fans, eager to meet and talk, taking a sincere interest in their lives. Leading by example, her engagement with people teaches her players the importance of being personable, friendly and gracious.

“Pam Borton is the personification of leadership,” says Dr. Mary Jo Kane, professor and director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport at the U of M. “Her impact on the lives of the numerous young women she has coached over the years, not mention their families and communities, is the stuff of legends.”

– Women’s Advocates
Category: “Organization – Support for Girls and Women”

First shelter for family violence in U.S. helps
move women and children back into the community

St. Paul-based Women’s Advocates, the first shelter for family violence victims in the United States, provides emergency shelter and support services to women and their children who reside in the greater Twin Cities area. In its remarkable 36-year-history, Women’s Advocates has served over 33,000 women and children, aiming to break the cycle of domestic violence. The organization moves families who have suffered domestic abuse to independence, stability and self-sufficiency, demonstrating a measurable impact on their lives as they enter the community from the shelter.

“Every year we field more than 16,000 crisis calls,” says Raeone Loscalzo, executive director of Women’s Advocates. “Our 24-hour crisis line is the initial point of contact for many domestic violence victims, who are offered the basic necessities of safe, comfortable shelter, three meals a day, personal care items, clothing and most importantly, an opportunity to think, talk, learn, heal and grow.”

Women’s Advocates focuses on several core programs designed to respond to the immediate needs and to address plans to avoid violence in the future. Women’s Advocates is one of twelve domestic violence shelters for women and children in the greater Twin Cities. During 2010, the organization served 326 women and 486 children for a total of 812 people. Each year, it provides over 17,000 shelter days as women and families seek life-saving help and support.

The Women’s Program begins with the premise that the woman has come to the shelter to escape domestic violence but may not have the tools to change or have access to the services that are available. The victim’s family advocate helps to provide job assistance, skills analysis, education prospects, training opportunities, and numerous other essential and supportive services. Mental health services (including culturally responsive mental healthcare) help women individually or the family as a whole. Of the women served in the past 12 months, 88 percent did not return to their former lives and left Women’s Advocates with their families to move to a safe new environment. In addition, 95 percent of the women reported that the knowledge they learned about domestic violence changed the type of relationship they have chosen or will choose in the future.

The Children’s Program staff works as a team to help share responsibilities for the family, including on-site childcare, one-on-one counseling, and appointments with judicial, health and social service agencies. In order to break the cycle of violence in families, Women’s Advocates focuses on both intervention and prevention with all the children who come into the shelter. While treated as a whole family, it is also important to ensure that the children who have experienced the effects of domestic violence are provided with the individual skills necessary to keep them safe and to help them live a violent-free life. Each child receives an age-appropriate safety plan with instructions on how to protect him or herself from violence. The program also includes mental health services and therapy, and has recently added a creative and “magical” initiative called “Paws 4 Peace” that incorporates therapy dogs to teach children non-violent communications tools.

In addition, Women’s Advocates operates a 24-hour crisis line and a number of outreach programs to raise the general public’s awareness for violence prevention, including presentations with 17 different junior and senior high schools in the Twin Cities metro area.

Aiming to eliminate violence in the lives of women and children of all backgrounds and cultures is a formidable mission. But Women’s Advocates, the first shelter in the nation for battered women and their children, has dedicated its successful and creative programming to provide a safe place where victims and their children can escape domestic violence. In addition to providing shelter, Women’s Advocates provides advocacy, personalized support, education and resources for nearly 1,000 women and children every year.