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Each One Reach One (EORO) began in 1997, as an advocacy organization to divert incarcerated kids and kids on probation from a life in prison. As a long time community activist and former actress, Robin Sohnen saw a need to serve her San Mateo County community. Her strong urge to address issues with the juvenile justice system and her meeting of a young incarcerated young writer, Mario Rocha, were the inspiration for the founding of Each One Reach One.
Over the past decade, EORO has evolved into a unique non-profit that organizes the community to participate in diversion programs serving incarcerated youth. EORO conducts artistic, literacy and post-release services programs inside juvenile detention facilities that annually engage over 100 community members in the juvenile justice system as individual mentors, educational tutors and actors while promoting cooperation and collaboration among the systems various components.
In 1998, EORO began exploring the potential use of experiential arts programs as an intervention strategy for teenagers at the highest risk of spending their adult lives in prison and conducted our first Playwriting program in May, 2008. In 2000, EORO formed a Board of Directors and secured non-profit status. In 2002, EORO formed ADAPT (A Dream and A Plan for Tomorrow), a partnership that currently includes representatives of the San Mateo County Office of Education, the San Mateo Juvenile Probation Department, Youth Service Center staff, and JobTrain.
In 2002, San Francisco's primary juvenile detention facility--the Juvenile Justice Center (JJC), contracted with EORO to conduct playwriting workshops. Soon afterwards, EORO began exploring ways to replicate ADAPT in San Francisco County. In 2004, EORO built a partnership with the San Francisco County Office of Education's Woodside Learning Center, the San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department, the University of San Francisco, JJC staff, City Youth, and the Focus Program, which conducts an extensive post-release GED program. In 2005, we began conducting ADAPT at JJC's maximum-security boy's unit.
Since 1998, EORO's programs have served almost 900 high-risk youth. Each One Reach One received the New American Community Award from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency in 1999 for our work to reduce crime in our communities. The National Endowment for the Arts has recognized EORO's Playwriting Workshop as one of the nation’s outstanding arts education programs serving incarcerated youth. Each One Reach One was recently chosen as one of thirty-six "extraordinary organizations that transform lives and strengthen communities" by The San Francisco Foundation's new Impact Campaign for 2007.
EORO's Board of Directors would like to acknowledge and give special thanks to Thomas Dean Kellogg for his commitment and dedication in the development and conducting of playwriting programs in the EORO founding years. The Board would also like to acknowledge Daniel Judah Sklar, the creator of "Playmaking™," and Lauren Creamer and Alyson Clennon for their contributions to the history of the project. EORO's playwriting program incorporates many of the basic principles of Daniel's technique with a strong emphasis on the mentoring component. Mr. Sklar wrote the acclaimed book, Playmaking, Children Writing and Performing Their Own Plays, http://www.hallsculptors.com/theater/521.shtml, which won the American Alliance for Theater and Education's Distinguished Book Award.
Since 1997, EORO has offered artistic and educational opportunities inside juvenile detention facilities, pre-release and post-release planning, organized community participation in the juvenile justice system, and promoted collaboration among the system's various components.
1997: EORO Founded to explore the use of arts programs as an intervention strategy for youth at-risk of spending their adult lives in prison
1998: First Playwright Program Show was on May 1, at College of San Mateo
1999: Received the National Council on Crime and Delinquency's New Community Award for our efforts to reduce crime in our community.
2002: Launched an after-school ADAPT GED tutoring program at Youth Service Center in San Mateo called A Dream and a Plan for Tomorrow, (ADAPT).
2004: Launched ADAPT's Post-Release Services program at Youth Service Center through a partnership with the JobTrain (formerly known as OICW) in East Menlo Park to provide post-release services for ADAPT participants departing the facility.
2005: Launched ADAPT GED tutoring program in San Francisco's Juvenile Justice Center without State GED testing available.
2006: Secured contracts with two San Francisco governmental agencies totaling $230,000. The National Endowment for the Arts has recognized EORO's Playwriting Workshop as one of the Nation's outstanding arts education programs serving incarcerated youth.
2007: State GED testing began on January 28, 2008 at the Juvenile Justice Center. Testing has not been available inside this facility for over a decade.
Expanded programming to four (4) new facilities: Camp Kemp for Girls, Camp Glenwood for Boys, San Mateo County Adolescent Services Foster Youth program, and Log Cabin Ranch for Boys in San Francisco County.
Recognized as one of 36 extraordinary Bay Area organization that transforms lives and strengthens communities by The San Francisco Foundation
2008: Supported Bill AB 622, authored by Assemblyman Gene Mullin lower GED age for institutionalized youth.
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