18 Months in Review

Welcome. This annual report covers January 2022 to June 2023 to align with our new fiscal year which now starts on July 1st.

New Normal: Turbulence & Disruption

In 2022, the world witnessed a whirlwind of global events that left an indelible mark on history. As war ensued globally, nations grappled with a complex web of challenges and opportunities as navigating a mixture of hope and despair, progress and setbacks became a way of life. 

In our tiny corner of the world, we started 2022 with great hopes of strengthening family access to fresh, affordable nutrition through a new farm partnership. In January, we hosted our first farmer-to-school market at SouthTech Preparatory which sold out! Just as new families rushed to reserve their orders for next month's market, our hardworking farm partner announced the need to take the rest of the season off to rest and recharge their change-making batteries. 

We could relate; So could the teachers and administrators we worked with. 

Thankfully, Palm Beach County was spared the massive destruction of Hurricane Ian in September 2022. However, this Category 4 hurricane still impacted some of our biggest plans for the 22/23 school year. We had a big volunteer day scheduled with Home Depot’s volunteer corps to conclude our outdoor learning classroom at SouthTech Preparatory Academy the same week Ian made landfall. It wasn't until late Spring in 2023 that we were able to reschedule Home Depot’s volunteer efforts because their focus turned exclusively to supporting the residents of the Gulf Coast and southwest coast of Florida to rebuild their lives. This hurricane also caused additional supply chain shortages, a curveball we thought was behind us.  

The biggest obstacles facing everyone in education were youth learning loss, mental health, and increasingly chaotic school environments. STEM was intended to be foundational to the outdoor learning classroom so that students could experience learning science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in an innovative setting via hands-on learning activities. However, given the level of learning loss facing middle school students, it was clear that our STEM plans were too ambitious. 

The foundation that made the outdoor learning classroom possible, Impact 100 Men PBC, understood our challenges and agreed to revise this project, with the well-being of youth, educators, and families as the foundation.

Wellness of Getting Youth Outside!

Highlights on the Last 18 Months

With your support, WiseTribe accomplished a lot:

  • Opportunities for students and staff to get outside to learn, teach, relax, reflect, and connect with nature were made possible by completing The Outdoor Learning Classroom at SouthTech Preparatory Academy. Big thanks to Impact 100 Men PBC and Home Depot for helping to transform dead space on SouthTech's campus into a vibrant outdoor learning space. 
  • Over XX hours were spent with 56 6th grade Medical Academy Holistic Health Practices. 
  • We partnered with Love, Hope & Healing, a local non-profit, for their summer camp b providing youth and family food learning activities.

  • Wisdom Exchange on Mental Health  - the charlie fund

  • Resumed food production efforts with Carver Middle School

  • SouthTech Preparatory Academy Parent joins our team for youth well-being.

We are grateful to you — all of our generous supporters, volunteers and partners — for your commitment to a shared vision of a healthy, wise future.
Read on to discover some of the incredible highlights you helped accomplish this year!

Food Citizenship

WiseTribe, united for a healthy and wise food future

We help schools build capacity for Food Citizenship, a focus on food to solve significant challenges facing our future.

Our youth-led programming focuses on sustainable food production and building a healthy future through food.

Hands-on experiences link to academic standards for science, math and civics, nurturing students as future leaders.

Check out just some of our successes: 

  • 3400 lbs of food distributed to SouthTech Preparatory Academy & Carver Middle School
  • 1024 lbs of food waste composted, bringing our total to over 27,000 lbs of food rescued to date
  • 220 youth educated on healthy eating, sustainable diets, and regenerative agriculture 
  • 16 sustainable youth culinary adventures addressing the environmental impacts of animal agriculture and benefits of plant-based meals
  • 8 sustainable good community partnerships formed
  • 1 construction began on one Outdoor Learning Lab for agri-STEM at SouthTech Preparatory Academy

Learning: Jr. WiseTribers Unite

WiseTribe - United for a healthy and wise Learning future

We support youth, schools & volunteers who seek personal growth.

WiseTribers receive forward-thinking learning experiences that lead us toward a sustainable future.

Check out (some) of our results: 

  • $10,000 first-ever scholarship awarded to a graduating Jr. WiseTriber. The teenage Haitian immigrant heading to Middlebury College said our programs help "define her values system." 
  • 413 hours from 42 volunteers to support youth training & education. Topics included: Financial literacy and mindfulness-based relaxation practices, Wisdom Exchange events, and more.
  • 16 Wisdom Exchanges (community-based conversations and visioning sessions). 
  • One 8-week virtual robotics club for 15 students who discovered the fundamentals of Arduino boards and regenerative agriculture.
  • 6-week virtual, volunteer-led "Walking With Nature" camp collaboration with Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge to help youth connect nature with well-being.
  • 4 educator visioning sessions addressing work/life balance for greater school well-being.

Well-being

WiseTribe - United for a healthy and wise Well-Being future

We support schools, students and personal growth-oriented volunteers.

We provide experiential learning opportunities to support the growth of wellness practices. Activities address various concerns, issues and challenges to well-being, including the role our environments play in it.

Our science-backed practices, tips and techniques provide actionable resources that aid participants in increasing total health and well-being at home, in the office, and beyond.

Check out (some) of our results:

  • 4 professionally led yoga Nidra sessions for 57 educator participants. 
  • 6-week nature-based learning series and pollinator garden creation. 
  • 4-week Camp for a Health Future for 22 middle and high-school-aged students from low-income backgrounds. 
  • 1 handful of lifelong well-being skills taught: mindfulness, cooking, journaling, and more.
  • 22 "investor" pitches from students as they built leadership skills and selected projects to commit to progressing during camp.

Community, Fueling a Healthy & Wise World

WiseTribe is a small and expanding nonprofit organization that pledges growth and transparency. 

We are always examining our organizational and operational excellence and remain committed to continually learning. The following financial details reflect what was recorded in 2021, and we anticipate continued — and even greater — transparency in 2022.

Operating Income Events - $5419 Donations - $146,114 Grants - $60,986
Operating Expenses Administration - $21,862 Fundraising - $45,611 Programs/Grants - $73,206
In-Kind Services & Contributions Volunteer Services - 5.5% Food/Supplies - 7.3% Professional Services - 87.2%

 

 

2021 Financials

Covers 12 months ending 12/31/21

Besides cash donations received by our donors, WiseTribe also received in-kind contributions for professional and volunteer services, food, and supplies. Receiving these needed resources in kind allows us to use our cash to implement program services. Although these in-kind donations are not shown in our financials, they add significant value to the organization.

Our Future Leaders: Jr. WiseTribers

Meet Jr. WiseTriber, Dina, who matriculated to Middlebury College, Vermont, on a full scholarship. Congratulations, Dina! 

Meet Jr. WiseTriber, Dina, who matriculated to Middlebury College, Vermont, on a full scholarship. Congratulations, Dina! 

Junior WiseTribers is a subset of students who participate in in-school educational programming—those whose leadership potential is catalyzed as they build grassroots change.

As Junior WiseTribers become experienced in project management, mindfulness, financial literacy, and other subjects, they gain foundational competence in teamwork and resilience.

These and other transferrable skills are known to drive overall health and success. And from children to families and schools to communities, Junior WiseTribers make a difference.

They count on WiseTribe to help them build aptitude for bright futures. And WiseTribe depends on them to be great leaders when they get there.

Our Community Brings Learning to Life

 

Right now, things feel uncertain. It's hard to envision that the future can be positive, healthy and wise. But we're already on the way. 

We are bringing a healthy, wise future to life. 

The power of community in this moment in time.

WiseTribe is not a single-issue nonprofit. We address systems, which requires examining challenges thoughtfully and thoroughly. We aim to produce solutions that aren't linear but are circular, ensuring that they will continue to evolve as future needs require.

Sometimes, the time or complexity of our projects can make our impact more difficult to feel. But it only takes a spark to get a fire going. 

You can get involved and help us doing this work.

  1. Become a leader: Reach out for information about joining our board as it strives to increase impact. 
  2. Support our work: Become a WiseTriber for $5 per month. WiseTribers volunteer on a project basis to produce impact over a 90-day period.
  3. Become a mentor: Provide friendly, trusted input as a role model for youth implementing WiseTribe projects. 

Thank you again for your involvement and engagement with WiseTribe. Together, we are making a difference in building a healthy, wise world.

Celebrating 2021 volunteers

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