Pass the tea, please!

I had the pleasure of working with Rachelle on our Purposeful Play. Together we agreed on creating an activity that not only allowed the classroom to interact with one another but also getting the body moving and occupied.
We implemented music as a way to keep our YDEV actively engaged and motivated in the activity. I believe the sound of music can bring excitement and joy, especially in a classroom setting.
Based on our feedback (+/-/delta), Rachelle and I did a fair job. Our presentation was well thought and organized.
I think the only change that I would make is possibly having more time for Purposeful Play. The class seemed to enjoy and would have been nice for everyone to have a turn.

Playbox Game: Pass the tea, please!

Instructions:
1. Students will gather in a circle.
2. As music plays, students will pass the squishy "tea" around.
3. Once the music is paused, the student holding the "tea" will have to pick a colored bear item out of the container.

The following color represents:
Yellow: share a time when you gave to others
Blue: Share a time when others gave to you
Green: One word that describes "giving to others"
Red: An example of giving to others

SPECIAL GUEST: Karisa Tashjian

On Wednesday, March 28th, NPST 404 had the sincere pleasure of meeting Karisa Tashjian as the special guest classroom speaker. Tashjian occupies as the Education Director at the Providence Public Library located in the heart of downtown Providence (corner of Washington and Empire Streets). Prior to her visit, I made a few visits to this particular library. However, I was not fully aware of the educational services provided for all ages. Karisa introduced the class few of the courses that the library offers (for FREE): Coding for Adults and Learning Lounge.

What fascinated me is how devoted and truthful she spoke about the works being made at the library. Tashjian shared passionately about her job role and how the library makes a positive impact in those who take advantage of the free services. She mentioned adults who completed coding classes were very likely to increase their chances of landing a well-paid job.

One important aspect that stood out to me is when Karisa highlighted the fact about the number of attendees isn't everything. The Education Director stated it is not always about the number but more about the impact that is being made. When I heard these words, it reminded of my current position for the Walking School Bus at William D'Abate. I sometimes worry about getting more student sign-up as oppose to reflecting on the difference we are making with our current students.

Karisa Tashjian allowed the classroom to get a sense of the library community. The Providence Public Library's purpose is: to help one another. This similar concept is adopted in the Youth Development Program. We, as a community, come together to empower and help one on another particularly in reaching our academic goals in order to continue empowering others.

Special Event for PV Library

The following story is totally made up (I was a paid tutor and summer volunteer/intern for Dorcas in the past, and had a similar experience- how I miss it!! ☹️):

Dorcas International Institute of RI and the Providence Public Library have recently collaborated this past year in an effort to empower refugee youth by providing academic tutoring services during after-school hours. The program is called 'Be the Change' where participants are paired with a tutor and together explore the benefits of reading and creative writing. Both organizations hope to expand their services and possibly accept more participants.
Dorcas and PV library has thrown public mini-fundraisers but were not successful enough to meet the goal. This time, staff and I plan to host a private house gathering with donors (and potential donors) who give regularly. The party will be located at one of the board member's very fancy abode. Together the organizations mutually decided the amount of money be raised at the event would be $3,500. We ensured to raise this particular amount by all expenses.

Here is our listing of all the expenses that will be required to be held the event: 
Staff: All unpaid volunteers (Dorcas and PV Lib Staff)
Invitations: E-invitation (FREE) 25 guests to be expected
Space rental: FREE (courtesy of Providence Public Library board member)
Catering:$350 (appetizers followed by an entree and non-alcoholic beverages prepared by AS220 Kitchen)
Transportation: None
Unforeseen costs: $250 (in case we run out of food)
Send thank-you notes to everyone who is involved in the event: $50 (cards created by MOO)
Total expense: ~$650

"Direct Mail"

Downcity Design, International Rescue Committee, and United We Dream, and Youth in Action are generously asking for donations.  Each of these non-profit organizations has implemented their experiences, accomplishments, and real-life stories in order to capture reader's attention. These particular letters establish a sense of what needs to be done within the organization and how can it be completed.

Downcity Design begins by being grateful for the community and recognizing the hard work and accomplishments. I did admire the several pictures that demonstrate the organization's projects and successes. For instance, Downcity Design has successfully built 11 new public structures for the public. This show the reader where their $$$ might be going towards, which is, of course, a great cause. The accomplishment also reassures the reader that the organization is doing what they are supposed to be doing- sticking to their mission/vision statement!
International Rescue Committee (I am actually signed up for this organization's e-mailing listing) right away addresses the reader with, "Dear..." I'm not a huge fan of this introduction because it immediately loses my attention and focus. According to The Anatomy of an Effective Fundraising Letter, introductions need to be both powerful and personable. As a lister to this organization, I sometimes just quickly glance at their letters due to lack of strong introduction and not enough of pictures. I strongly believe images bring a true meaning to letters especially when attempting to get readers to donate.
United We Dream Action begins by sharing current events that impact their organizations. They give an example of recent positive outcomes.
Youth in Action certainly captured my attention by their beautiful and colorful image. However, I do believe darker font color and bigger size could have been a great way to keep reader's interested in learning about the organization.

If you had $50.00 to donate to one of these organizations, which one would you choose and WHY?
I would generously donate to the Downcity Design. Their letter captivated what the organization is all about by including pictures that demonstrate what population they are working with and gives a preview of what kind of services are provided.

HSLI

Hasbro Summer Learning Initiative (HSLI) is a program that offers out-of-school programs during summer vacation to youth. HSLI believes in providing academic activities and skillfull games in order for little humans to continue to stimulate their brains during the summer time. It is a significant way to keep their skills over school break and have fun exploring outside the classroom.

"The program aims to adress the academic slide during the summer months with activties that are a cross between school and camp." The program strives to bridge the achievement gap. According to Impact of Summer Learning, students lose 2 months in math and reading in the summer.