Alumni Programming

Open Doors graduates frequently attend different high schools and struggle to maintain the deep friendships they started at Open Doors.  In response, Open Doors established the Alumni Club which has grown significantly over the last five years.  As of June, 2009, Open Doors had 81 active alumni, continuing to participating in programming at different levels:

Monthly Alumni Dinners

Each month the alumni select a restaurant in the community to meet and engage in dinner and conversation.  On average 25 to 30 alumni attend these dinners.  

Volunteering

Open Doors Alumni look forward to the opportunity to return to Open Doors upon graduation to serve as a mentor to those who follow them.  On average, alumni contribute three hours a week to the organization.  Those who are unable to make a weekly commitment will help out with special events, help with administrative work over the summer, share their story with stakeholders, or simply help with the daily operations when available. 

Harlan Service Learning Trip

Each year 30 Open Doors Alumni give up a week of their summer to travel down to Harlan, Kentucky in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains.  While in Harlan the students spend 5 days from 7:30am to 3:30pm helping to build or repair a home for a family in need.  While in Harlan, the students leave behind many of the comforts of home, including television, cell phones, video games, not to mention family and friends.  Over the years, the alumni have created traditions which are carried down from one class to the next, including the Walmart Scavengerhunt, the Mountain Run for Pizza, and the daily visit to Dairy Queen.  For many of our students, this trip is their favorite week of the year, so much that many of them have traveled down and back for  5 straight years.  This trip has come to be seen as a rite of passage for our students.  Many of them anticipate this opportunity starting in the 6th grade. 

 

College Preparation

Open Doors seeks to ensure that every student who has a desire to go to college has the opportunity to do so.  As our alumni age increases and we find more of our students in need of support, Open Doors intends to further strengthen our college preparation programming, by helping establish scholarships, college tours, assistance with applications, understanding financial aid, and helping students obtain summer internships to support their future careers.