Hopeworks Summer Program a Great Success!!
The Hopeworks youth have been very busy these past 6 weeks. During the summer the youth have been training on the curriculum, working on a recycling project, keeping up their literacy skills, learning to type, and creating their own vision statements. Several trainees have worked as surveyors on a tree survey. During the summer Hopeworks served 56 youth who earned a total of 75 college credits, worked over 2,400 hours and were paid $23,800 in salaries. The youth have also attended conferences, made a video, visited the Aquarium, the National Liberty Museum and the Rutgers Center for the Arts. Congratulations to the staff and the trainees for making the summer program such a huge success! To learn more about the youth of Hopeworks read their accomplishments below:
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 GIS and the EPA Team Up
Hopeworks' GIS and the EPA have teamed up to survey the trees in North Camden. The purpose of this summer survey was to provide youth with an opportunity to learn about the importance of trees in our community, as well as to gather an environmental dataset for our neighborhood. The Hopeworks youth surveyors spent one week learning how to identify different species of trees and how to use the equipment needed to provide this information. Hopeworks is planning to share this data with other environmental agencies. Click here to view a news article about the EPA's visit to Hopeworks.
Symantec Days Approaching!!!!!
 On Wednesday and Thursday, August 23rd and 24th, Hopeworks and Symantec will team up to offer a technology extravaganza. There will be community training, a youth technology scavenger hunt, a night at the Camden Riversharks game, and an opportunity to visit Symantec's Philadelphia headquarters.
 Summer Program Website
Our summer web production trainees(Sade Coley and Francis Ayala) have designed and built a website about this year's summer program to help promote and fund future summer programs. Congratulations to them for their fantastic work.
Hopeworks Youth Make the Mark in Literacy 
Hopeworks youth have been busy in Literacy this summer. The goal of the summer literacy program was to give the youth a running start for September. The youth have worked on grade level Summer Math Skills Sharpeners, developed HSPA and SAT math skills, completed their summer reading assignments, and worked on various writing assignments. In addition to all of that many youth have mastered some hands-on critical thinking and strategy games. No summer brain drain here! Hopeworks is very proud of the effort the youth have put into their academics over the summer.
Vision Statements of Hopeworks Youth are on Display
Over the summer Kathleen Deitch, Formation Director for Hopeworks, worked with the youth to help them develop their own vision statements. The youth worked very hard to put into words and on paper the dreams they have for themselves. Hopeworks has the youth's vision statements on display for those who visit Hopeworks to see. All are welcome to stop by and read about the dreams of some of the youth in Camden.
Recycling is Coming to Hopeworks!
The Hope Through School youth spent the first two weeks in August researching and planning. HTS has been working on a Project Based Learning activity. The youth were given a task: teach Hopeworks about global warming. Maggie Lieb from the Camden County Division of Environmental Affairs came to Hopeworks on August 8th and spoke with them about recycling in Camden County.  They learned a lot and asked great questions! The youth began recycling that day. The youth also read articles on global warming and completed internet research on the topic. The youth presented their projects on August 18th. Stay tuned for the next newsletter to see their work. The youth are excited and working very hard. Good job Hope Through School!
Hopeworks Presents at CTCNet National Conference
Tarren Anderson, GIS Director, Todd Mariani, Web Director, Father Jeff, Executive Director, along with trainees Mario Ariola, Sabrina Gomez, Sade Coley and summer staff member Ed Figueroa presented Google Maps: Plotting a Course for At-Risk Youth at the CTCNet Conference in Washington, DC. Congratulations on a job well done!
CTCNet Video gets a Standing Ovation
Five young Hopeworks journalists worked together with staff members Sean Dougherty and Ed Figueroa to put together a video about the 2006 CTCNet National Conference.  The crew was led by Sabrina Gomez and included trainees Francis Ayala, Steven Barrientos and the on-camera talent of Dallion Wiggins and Charlie Gilliard. The video was shown to close out the entire convention and received a standing ovation! Thanks to everyone for all of their hard work! Click here to check out the video.
Hope Through School Youth Visit the Adventure Aquarium Thanks to the generosity of the Coopers Ferry Development Agency the Hope Through School trainees made a visit to the Adventure Aquarium. The youth had great fun walking under the shark tank, visiting the Aquarium's resident hippopotami and, of course, visiting the gift shop. A special thanks to Meishka Ruiz for her time and effort in making the trip possible.
Youth Visit the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia On Tuesday August 8, 2006 Hope Through School traveled to the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia.  There, the youth explored concepts of liberty and freedom through glass sculptures and interactive exhibits. The youth were exposed to the stories of "ordinary people" who've done "extraordinary things". They reflected on their experience by creating a sketch of one of the many glass sculptures that are on display in the museum. |
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