Monday, November 8, 2010

Child Health Play details!

The Child Health Players proudly present

Tying the Knot

a musical comedy about love and marriage with some very Sewickley twists.

Tickets for performances on Thursday, November 18 and Friday, November 19 go on sale to the general public on Friday, November 5 at the Edgeworth Club. Reserved seat tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for children 12 and under.

The performance begins at 7:30 pm at the Edgeworth Club. Tickets may be purchased at the Edgeworth Club Front Desk daily from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm. Cash or check only; no Club charges or credit card sales.

The play will also be performed at the Child Health Ball on Saturday, November 20. A portion of the proceeds of the Play and Ball will benefit Youth Connect and help fund our community youth worker.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Lots of great events in the very near future....

Tuesday, November 2: Sewickley Academy welcomes back psychologist, consultant, and best-selling author Michael Thompson. In light of the issues raised by the recent film screening of "Race To Nowhere", Dr. Thompson will continue the conversation about “American’s Achievement Culture” by drawing from his book The Pressured Child: Helping Your Child Find Success in School and Life. He will address America’s performance-driven obsession with the accomplishments of its kids and how to best support our children. The event will be held in the Senior School Commons, Sewickley Academy. There will be a light reception and book signing at 6:00 pm, and the presentation will begin at 6:30 pm. This event is free and open to the public.

Thursday, November 4: If you missed Race to Nowhere, or want to view it again: On Thursday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m., Shady Side Academy will host a free screening of the documentary. The screening is free and open to the public and will be held in the Richard E. Rauh Theater of the Hillman Center for Performing Arts on the SSA Senior School campus, 423 Fox Chapel Road, Fox Chapel. The film is 85 minutes long, and guests are invited to stay after the screening for a reception and discussion.

Tuesday, November 9: A follow-up “call to action” meeting will be held to discuss Race to Nowhere, and identify what we might do to make a difference in our community. The meeting will be held at Montessori Children’s Community, 474 Chadwick Street, 7 – 8:30 pm. This discussion is a open to the community. Please join us!

Please forward this message to anyone who might be interested!

SVCF joins supporters of Youth Connect and Youth Worker!

Youth Connect is pleased to announce that the Sewickley Valley Community Fund (SVCF) has pledged a two-year, $5000/year matching grant in support of the Community Youth Worker program. For every two dollars that Youth Connect is able to raise, SVCF will contribute one dollar.

The Community Youth Worker position was piloted over the past year, with great success. Funding is now being assembled to cover the next three years. Floyd Faulkner, hired in August 2009, has had significant impact in this position, from taking yoga classes with middle schoolers to counseling students caught in the judicial system. Youth Connect has already received funding commitments from a number of community foundations and individuals who have first-hand experience with the value of having a Community Youth Worker.

As Marnie Haines, a director of SVCF said, “ Youth Connect, acting within the eleven municipalities, and with the backing of the Quaker Valley School District and other local organizations, is an organization and a program that SVCF believes deserves our support.”

One of the key drivers for this position was the realization that while this community is rich in resources, many of the youth cannot easily access them. The Youth Worker position was designed with the plan to better connect our youth to these resources. The position is administered by Quaker Valley School District, housed at Laughlin Center, and advised by a committee consisting of representatives from the community. This spirit of collaboration is consistent with the values of Sewickley Valley Community Fund.

Individuals interested in making a donation or pledge of support to continue the work of Mr. Faulkner are encouraged to contact Susan Kaminski at 412-741-1430, or youthconnect@hotmail.com. Each gift made in the next two years will help Youth Connect access the matching grant of the Sewickley Valley Community Fund.