My college informational series is almost here! It starts Sept. 8 and runs the 15th, 22nd and 29th. It is presented by UCAN, UCC and the local Boys & Girls Club. Today we had a blurb in the News-Review under: "So you know...". I hope it goes well. We are providing free food. An iPod will be raffled off to someone who attends all 4 sessions.
Soon I will be starting on planning the Day of Sharing and the Homeless Count. On Monday, our AmeriCorps person starts. It's been insanely busy!
Another Vista and I have been trying to fund raise backpacks to donate to low-income and homeless children in the area. After going through the area's school supply lists, we decided to take a trip to a local one-stop shopping place, as a low-income family would to shop for supplies. We chose one list and shopped for a kindergartner, third grader and fifth grader. It came to a total of over $95 and that was being semi-efficient. In addition, you could not get all the supplies at the one store, so we had to go to another store because they required a specific brand of red pens. If you saw these lists, you would find them just, as ridiculous as we did. A ream of copy paper for a kindergartner? 16 glue sticks for ONE kindergartner...and Elmer's glue? Why are the 24 box of crayons cheaper than the 16, but the class requires no more than 16? We tried to write an editorial, but it didn't get published. Oh well. At least we will be fighting poverty with passion by educating middle & high school students and parents about college and other post-secondary opportunities.
The local community college financial aid officer will be presenting about funding college in the first session. We also have other presentations by the school's Education Talent Search, TOP/SSS program and College Now, as well as by the recruiter (a partner in the program) will present about community college. The school will also be sending presenters from various departments about their certificate and apprenticeship programs. An admissions officer from the University of Oregon will be tabling on behalf of the Oregon University System. Sarah, the AmeriCorps program director at UCAN, will be presenting about AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps NC3. We also have pamphlets from National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and Outward Bound. I think it should be a great program!! Now, I just hope people show up!
Sorry about the delay in postings. I am so busy, so I come home and don't want to type a bunch! :)
26.8.09
4.6.09
Middle School College Education Nights
I have pretty much finished everything for my Summer Activity Program. Wildlife Safari is going to come and present about smart pet choices. They will be bringing an alligator, bearded dragon, ferret and a snake, etc. Fish and Wildlife will be bring animal pelts and donating birdhouse kits. The Sheriff's department is supposed to send a deputy and the McGruff Crime Dog.
Right now, I'm working on getting my pocket resource guide out in our lobby and stocked up for the Day of Sharing and Homeless Count later this year/next year. I will be working on these two HUGE events, so pretty soon I will be slammed with work!
Until then, I will be developing informational sessions for parents and middle school (and high school) students about college as a viable option after graduation. I will also present about other options such as vocational schools, AmeriCorps, and non Bachelor degree options. My hope is that they will start to believe that college is an option, that they can get out of their situation. After all, 69% of those living below the poverty line have a HS education or less. Those with a bachelor's degree will make 316% more than those without a HS degree, and will make ~$2.1 million in their lifetime (in 2006 dollars based on 2005 data -- so probably much more).
My hope is to have my first session in late August, as a "Welcome Back" shindig. Hopefully we have some interest from the clients we serve.
Right now, I'm working on getting my pocket resource guide out in our lobby and stocked up for the Day of Sharing and Homeless Count later this year/next year. I will be working on these two HUGE events, so pretty soon I will be slammed with work!
Until then, I will be developing informational sessions for parents and middle school (and high school) students about college as a viable option after graduation. I will also present about other options such as vocational schools, AmeriCorps, and non Bachelor degree options. My hope is that they will start to believe that college is an option, that they can get out of their situation. After all, 69% of those living below the poverty line have a HS education or less. Those with a bachelor's degree will make 316% more than those without a HS degree, and will make ~$2.1 million in their lifetime (in 2006 dollars based on 2005 data -- so probably much more).
My hope is to have my first session in late August, as a "Welcome Back" shindig. Hopefully we have some interest from the clients we serve.
Frigi-Dare Jump of Death
This is what my co-workers do on the weekends. We were raising money for our Refrigerator Replacement Program, which offers low-income clients new energy efficient refrigerators at little or no cost. Half the proceeds from the event went to this cause.
18.5.09
SHOW ME THE MONEY!
Today, I received a letter from the Mercy Foundation's Tree of Hope Fund. I will be getting money to buy supplies for hygiene and nutrition activities! I'm very excited, though I will need some other funds for things unrelated to hygiene and nutrition, so I will leave that to my summer associates!
17.5.09
Northwest Service Symposium
Thursday-Friday, I was in Portland, OR at the 14th Annual Northwest National Service Symposium. It was a forum to learn what other AmeriCorps/AmeriCorps*VISTA/AmeriCoprs Learn & Serve members were doing. The Symposium is through the AmeriCorps Network Northwest that serves Washington and Oregon.
We're the only groups in the country who have a symposium and they've been doing it for 14 years. They ask for submissions of artwork -- poems, games, paintings, stories, etc. -- and they get collected and put into a book published for the attendees of the symposium. There are also different break out sessions put on by AmeriCorps and VISTA members about what they are doing at their sites. It was a really great forum to get new ideas, hear about other people's positions and network with other people, creating bridges between various organizations across the Northwest.
I learned about "Warm Socks for Cold Soles" started by a woman in Washington. She just started out small and it grew exponentially. She has now been asked to come to the White House to speek to a committee about making it into a national program. I am thinking about implementing it along with the Homeless Count. We collect blankets for the event to be passed out, but socks would be a really great thing to be able to give to the homeless as well. I also learned about a program at OSU (Extension, not to be mistaken for my biggest rival Ohio State, but Oregon State) that is a simulation that I could use instead of doing the Walk-a-Mile program. It was also a great place to meet up with PSO members and find out how their service was going and what issues/problems they had had already.
I've also learned that the UCAN VISTA Coalition is one of a kind. It has been a great help to have other Vistas as a support, as well as more senior (already been serving for several months) act as mentors to help me adjust to the area and find out about resources in the community for work and personal use. I couldn't do without it!
I should find out this week whether I got the money I requested from the Mercy Foundation for my summer activity program. I will also hopefully have picked my other Summer Associate!
We're the only groups in the country who have a symposium and they've been doing it for 14 years. They ask for submissions of artwork -- poems, games, paintings, stories, etc. -- and they get collected and put into a book published for the attendees of the symposium. There are also different break out sessions put on by AmeriCorps and VISTA members about what they are doing at their sites. It was a really great forum to get new ideas, hear about other people's positions and network with other people, creating bridges between various organizations across the Northwest.
I learned about "Warm Socks for Cold Soles" started by a woman in Washington. She just started out small and it grew exponentially. She has now been asked to come to the White House to speek to a committee about making it into a national program. I am thinking about implementing it along with the Homeless Count. We collect blankets for the event to be passed out, but socks would be a really great thing to be able to give to the homeless as well. I also learned about a program at OSU (Extension, not to be mistaken for my biggest rival Ohio State, but Oregon State) that is a simulation that I could use instead of doing the Walk-a-Mile program. It was also a great place to meet up with PSO members and find out how their service was going and what issues/problems they had had already.
I've also learned that the UCAN VISTA Coalition is one of a kind. It has been a great help to have other Vistas as a support, as well as more senior (already been serving for several months) act as mentors to help me adjust to the area and find out about resources in the community for work and personal use. I couldn't do without it!
I should find out this week whether I got the money I requested from the Mercy Foundation for my summer activity program. I will also hopefully have picked my other Summer Associate!
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