The first stop on the delivery route was Val’s Daycare, run by Valorie Gabbard.  “Promise Neighborhood has brought me 50 books, and I appreciate it, and they will be used,” she said.  “I love reading to my children that I keep, and it’s good for them, so I’m excited.”

The other delivery went to Pat’s Daycare, where Patricia Cox looked on as the children crowded around the box and pulled out books about subjects that ranged from dinosaurs, to farm animals to a steam shovel.  “They all love to be read to,” she said.  “And they all sit and pretend to read books.”

Tonya Huff, the Promise Neighborhood Academic Specialist for McKee Elementary, said that reading is key to a child’s development.  “Reading is very important, especially being read to at that early of an age, because it helps their communication skills, which helps in their language development.”

Huff also shared a message for parents who want to learn more about the 50 books children should read before kindergarten.  “If parents are interested in starting to read the 50 books with their children, they should know where they are accessible,” she said.  In addition to donating sets of the books to the daycares, Promise Neighborhood donated sets to libraries and reading programs.  “Anyone in Jackson County can check them out at the Jackson County Public Library,” she said.  “And any school-aged kids or preschool kids can get them through Early Steps to School Success, through Save the Children, or the schools’ libraries.”

The Promise Neighborhood is a partnership between Berea College and Clay, Jackson and Owsley counties that is designed to help every young person travel from cradle to career through an educational pipeline supported by family and community.  To find out more about the Promise Neighborhood, visit www.berea.edu/esp.

VIEW PHOTO GALLERY

“Today we are visiting an agriculture farm in Berea and we are learning about the processes of it and how students can get involved with it,” said Bailey Wright, of GMS.  “I’m kind of interested in agriculture because my parents have a history of working on farms and selling tractors, so I’m kind of doing a little research for myself,” she said.

Bob Harned, Berea College’s Educational Farm Manager, said that even though these students are years away from attending college, there is much to learn from a trip to a campus.  “Whether they’re middle-schoolers or high-schoolers, the big picture here is to encourage them to further their education in some form or fashion.”  Of course, Harned hopes the students liked what they saw on the farm.  “We want to inform these prospective college students that there is a lot more opportunity here than cows and plows.”  But he also knows that one subject can often spark an interest in another, and any motivation to excel in education makes the trip worthwhile.  “They might say, ‘Maybe I’m kind of interested in agriculture or a related science, so when I hit high school, I need the math and science course that will prepare me to go on to maybe Berea College or somewhere else.’”

Wright agrees that seventh-graders should be visiting college campuses and learning more.  “It’s important to be thinking about colleges early in the seventh-grade, because it helps you get a feel for what you want,” she said.  “I can get ready for college by preparing myself by researching, making good grades and taking these trips to gain more information.”

Braxton Allen, Wright’s classmate, has already seen the value of a GEAR UP trip, as well as the program’s other activities in his school.  “GEAR UP helps get us prepared for college by bringing us to field trips like this,” he said.  “And they also helped us get the EXPLORE test early in seventh grade instead of eighth, and I scored the highest in my grade that year.”

For more information about GEAR UP in Garrard County, contact Angie Fielder at (859) 792-2108 or angie.fielder@garrard.kyschools.us.

Student groups began their training by defining leadership themselves.  Using brightly colored markers on large sheets of paper, participants brainstormed and then presented their ideas to the group.  Ideas like bravery, choices and being an example made it onto the papers, which were posted up on the wall for all the groups to see.  When all the groups’ concepts were put together, they showed just how deep and complex leadership could be.

“We had a fun day,” said Caroline Coguer, 14, from Rockcastle Middle School. “We were able to learn things that we may not have been able to learn just sitting in the classroom about leadership and how to become a leader in the community and not just be another knot on the log and actually stand out.”

Jordan Griffin, 14, from Garrard County Middle School said he felt like he was joining a bigger team.  “We found other people from different schools who are doing the same things as us,” he said.  “We learned all kinds of service lessons, like things we should do in our community and how to help our community.”  He said he was encouraged by the group effort.  “Even if you do fail, at least you tried.”

Linda Stone, GEAR UP Service Coordinator for Garrard and Rockcastle counties, says that this is the first meeting of the groups, but certainly not the last.  “These students will see each other a lot over the next four years,” Stone said.  They will continue to meet both at their school during club day, but also at regional events like the one Thursday.  When they come together as a region, the students will be ambassadors from their school. “Our idea is, they’ll take back the three core practices of CFES: college pathways, mentoring and leadership through service.”

The Leadership Summit is especially effective at encouraging mentoring and leadership through service.  “We know that peer mentoring and the posse mentality is much more effective at getting kids to college,” Stone said.  “If their best friend is going to college, then they’re going to college.”

“So if we can create an environment where all of the students have the same goal and the same vision and are on the same path, they’re much more likely to continue on and complete school.”

For more information about GEAR UP, CFES or the Scholar Leadership program in Garrard County, contact Angie Fielder at (859) 792-2108 or angela.fielder@garrard.kyschools.us.  For more information in Rockcastle County, contact Cayci Mahaffey at (606) 256-2622 or cayci.mahaffey@rockcastle.kyschools.us.

Check out a profile on our Promise Neighborhood program over at KYForward:

Promise Neighborhood Leading ‘New Charge’ in Clay, Jackson and Owsley School Districts

To find out more about Promise Neighborhood, visit our program page, or look through our staff directory to find a representative near you.

Check out the profile of our Promise Neighborhood Director, Ginny Ann Blackson, in the latest edition of the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center newsletter.  On page 8, Ginny tells the story of how she returned to her mountain home.

Promises Coming Home

To find out more about Promise Neighborhood, visit our program page.  To learn about the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center, check out their website, including news and upcoming events.

Check out Terry Wilson’s guest blog post for Kentucky Youth Advocates. There, you can find out all about GEAR UP students meeting with college mentors via Skype!

You Can Make a Difference

Kentucky Youth Advocates is an organization dedicated to improving child well-being and public policies.

Terry Wilson is the GEAR UP Service Coordinator for Clay, Jackson and Owsley Counties.  To find out more about mentoring in these counties, contact Terry at (606) 568-0484 or terry_wilson@berea.edu.

The winning team, from left to right: Jackson Cromer, 7th grade, Cameron Coy, 8th grade, Caleb Ballinger, 8th grade, and Ryan Martin, 8th grade.

The team competed with 160 students from 45 schools invited by EKU’s STEM-H Institute, an organization that focuses on college-readiness in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and health.  Dr. Jaleh Rezaie, Associate Dean of Graduate Education and Research and Executive Director of EKU’s STEM-H Institute, said all the participants succeeded.  “Every one of them was proud, and should be proud, of their projects,” she said.

According to Rezaie, research shows that the number of students who could pursue STEM-H careers shrinks as they age, and that middle-school students are at a crucial crossroads.  “It’s very important to reach them and make sure that they realize the importance of these fields,” she said, “no matter what area they want to get into when they get to college.”  Indeed, she explained, a strong grasp of these fields of study opens doors for students, regardless of their chosen field.  “A lot of students when they come to college, they don’t have as many choices because they didn’t take appropriate courses in high school,” she said.  “That’s why we try to reach them as early as possible so they are prepared when they come to college.”

Caleb Ballinger, Cameron Coy, Jackson Cromer and Ryan Martin smiled as they demonstrated the way their crane worked.  A crank pulled fishing line over three pulleys, a spool, and a stationary peg, to raise and lower a cup filled with pennies.  Key ingredients included cardboard, pencils, duct tape, and 40 D batteries taped together to act as a counterweight. The materials they were allowed to use were determined by the competition’s rules, but that did not deter the team. “I feel like the limitations made us get a bit more creative than we would be otherwise,” Coy said.  Cromer agreed.  “It could’ve been easier, but we like a challenge.  And this was definitely a challenge.”

The competition was part of a day filled with activities that related to STEM-H fields.  The morning schedule centered around a NASA Downlink, where Tom Marshburn, M.D., an astronaut aboard the International Space Station, participated in a live video chat with students in EKU’s Hummel Planetarium.  The downlink was one of only six such conferences in the nation.

Cameron Coy, 8th grade, is considering a career that could take him to space.

Coy was chosen to ask a question based on his research and the essay he wrote.  “I’m very interested in space,” he said.  “I had a lot of prior knowledge about physics, and science in general, especially space.”  He appreciated Mashburn’s explanations, but also the way he answered students’ questions in zero gravity.  “He would flip the microphone,” Coy said. “And a coworker of his came through and did a flip through the camera actually, which was really neat to see.”  Coy predicts that he and his fellow students at the event might get their own chance to venture into space. “I especially think for the time I’m living in and growing up in, it’ll be a lot more common to be able to go into space regardless of your job as long as it’s something in science or mathematics, which is something I have a great interest in.”

Berea College’s GEAR UP Program partnered with several participating school districts to provide assistance with the event.  The program contributed supplies, staff for project supervision, and transportation to EKU.  GEAR UP works with school districts to ensure that students graduate from high school college-ready and prepared for college and career success.

The team from RCMS may not be ready for college just yet, but they had already overcome some adversity to win their competition.  They built their crane in the office of Cayci Mahaffey, GEAR UP Academic Specialist for RCMS, where an early design left its mark on the room.  “We initially had a lawnmower battery in here,” Coy said. “However, that spilled and destroyed our first box.”

“Battery acid is not good for cardboard,” said Comer. “It tends to eat away at it and destroy it.”

“And carpet,” Martin added.

“You should see Ms. Cayci’s floor,” said Comer.

“It took two science teachers and three janitors to help us clean that up,” Coy said.  The team persevered, though, and won first place.  “Our hearts were with this,” Coy said.

Berea (Ky.) — The Eastern Kentucky Asset Building Coalition, in partnership with Berea College’s Office of Externally Sponsored Programs, will operate a free tax preparation site on Berea College’s campus and Eastern Kentucky University’s Manchester campus for families with income up to $50,000.  The Berea site will be open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. starting January 28.  The Manchester site will be open February 12 and 26, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

IRS-certified volunteers will file taxes in Berea at the Bruce-Trades Building in room 226, and in Manchester in room 304. Appointments are required and can be made for the Berea location by calling Tracy Featherly at (859) 985-3276.  Appointments for Manchester should be made by calling Sylvester Lynn at (606) 598-1810 or (859) 358-5577.

The Eastern Kentucky Asset Building Coalition is part of the Kentucky Asset Success Initiative (KASI). KASI is a coalition of agencies and organizations seeking to empower low- and moderate-income Kentuckians through a variety of asset-building programs. In 2012, KASI-operated sites helped 11,471 working families claim tax refunds totaling $16.9 million, generating $27.3 million of economic activity in their communities. KASI’s member coalitions will host more than 75 sites in 2013.

This year, working families with three or more children and an income less than $50,270 (if married and filing a joint return) may be eligible for a maximum Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) of $5,891. “The goal of the free tax preparation sites is to ensure that more eligible households claim EITC and receive their full refunds rather than paying preparation fees or being tempted by high interest refund-anticipation loans,” said Vickie Johnson, a tax site coordinator through KASI.  “For many families, a tax refund is the largest one-time influx of money all year, and the economic boost for individuals and communities is significant.”  The IRS estimates that as many as twenty percent of taxpayers who are eligible for the EITC do not claim it.

Filers must bring the following documents to their appointment:

-photo ID and social security card for each person on the return

-all W-2 and/or 1099 forms

-payments for child care expenses (plus name, address, EIN, or SSN of child care provider)

-Form 1098-T (if applicable)

-student loan interest paid in 2011

-mortgage and property tax information

-routing and account information for direct deposit

-and a copy of your 2010 tax return (if available)

Front row left to right: Ashley Flynn, Whitney Innis, Brittney Viars, Jonica Davis. Back row left to right: Kristina Baker, Aleeza Costantino, James Enrique Strange, Sharon Niece.

Ashley Flynn is the AmeriCorps Kentucky College Coach for Estill County High School and one of the event coordinators.  She said the trip was a success.  “Students who participated used their day off from school to help others,” she said. “It was a very fun day.”

The event was the result of a partnership between the Kentucky River Foothills Youth Investment Project and Kentucky College Coaches.  Sharon Niece, the Youth Coordinator for the Youth Investment Project, provided transportation for the event, and participants from her project also attended.

The bakers were students from Agriculture and Consumer Family Sciences classes, led by the instructor for the day, Chef Jim Whaley.  Whaley is the Chef Consultant for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Farm-to-School Program, the Kentucky School Nutrition Association, and Jefferson County Public Schools.  He also teaches community-based cooking classes, working with partners like the YMCA and the Boy Scouts of America.  “As a chef, I love getting to take the passion and love for cooking that I have and getting to share it, working side by side with students and teaching them skills that they might use on into their adult lives.”

Whaley came to OCHS as part of a range of projects with the Berea College Promise Neighborhood Initiative.  In the fall, elementary students attended food tastings in their school cafeterias, where they tried kale soup.  In the spring, Whaley will work with a student team as they create a recipe to enter into Kentucky’s Junior Iron Chef competition. “I love coming to Owsley County Schools because they have such a wonderful Farm-to-School Program working with their FFA and with the Ag classes,” he says.  “They bring in a wonderful variety of fresh fruits and vegetables from their garden. Then I can come in and work with the students on how to take those wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables that they’re already seeing, they’re already familiar with, because they’ve been working with these in the garden, through the farm-to-school program, or seeing them served in their cafeteria, and just add to that, and we can continue building on the notion of eating more fresh, healthy food. “

The first recipe was for fresh, fall-winter butternut squash muffins.  “We take butternut squash puree and add it into a muffin recipe, so the students have been learning about properly mixing dry and wet ingredients, learning a little bit about healthy eating, healthy recipes,” Whaley said. “The muffin recipe also has olive oil in it instead of butter or regular oil.”

While one side of the classroom was reserved for baking, the other side sizzled.

“We’ve also been making a garden marinara,” Whaley explained.  “The students have been chopping fresh garlic, chopping onion, chopping fresh broccoli, and then I’ve shown them how to sauté. I brought my food mill, and we’ve been milling the tomatoes, and then they put the milled tomato juice in, and, with fresh basil, we’re cooking up a really nice marinara sauce.”

Estridge was happy watching his chefs-in-training.  “The reaction has been great.  The students have been like, ‘Mr. Estridge, you have to eat this, this is so good.’  Kids don’t care if it’s healthy, or not healthy.  Kids care about what it tastes like,” he said.   “And Chef Whaley is helping us come up with healthy ways to utilize some of the fresh vegetables we’re using to basically entice our students to eat healthy, so I think it’s wonderful, I really do.”

Noah Shelby, 17, is an 11th-grader at OCHS.  He decided to take Agriculture with no prior experience in the field and would recommend it to other students.  “It’s not a real working-class—you enjoy it, you get out and you have fun. You get outside, you get hands-on with it, you get to feel the experience of what you do.”  As for the two recipes, he is confident he can recreate them for any of the students who smelled the class projects but missed out on tasting them.  “Oh yeah, I could just make it right up for them,” he said.  “I might just do that.”

COOKING CLASS PHOTO GALLERY