Youth Accept Check From Ron and Liz Jaworski

Angel Rodriguez, Davida Kirkland and Eileen Cornwall (Hopeworks Web Director) traveled to Atlantic City to receive a generous $5,000 grant from Ron and Liz Jaworski.  Davida reports that, "Meeting Ron Jaworski was fun and exciting because he was nice to me and I love the Eagles!"

The Jaws Youth Fund is a partnership between The United Way of Camden County (N.J.) and the Ron Jaworski Family. Jaws Youth Fund supports innovative youth programs serviced throughout Camden County and the country. To find out more, click here.

Hopeworks To Offer Summer Corporate Internships

Through a partnership with Veritas Software beginning this summer, Hopeworks will begin to offer corporate internships to our college graduates.  This is an exciting new program intended to allow Hopeworks youths to gain valuable work experience, develop networking skills and expand their horizons.  We are grateful for this new endeavor!

Big Things Cooking This Summer At Hopeworks

There are major plans afoot this summer at Hopeworks.  On the GIS side, a major survey is planned for the North Camden section of our city.  The survey will be led by our GIS team and will employ 12 youths.  The youths will be collecting information on existing conditions of the neighborhood and creating a photographic record of selected parcel types.  These photos, along with the collected information, will allow for a detailed and accurate mapping of the resources of the Hopeworks neighborhood.

The Hope Through School (HTS) Program will be in full swing with 15 youths acquiring training during an initial six-week training program.  The program will be led by two Hopeworks youth trainers and coordinated by a college intern.

This summer, Hopeworks will venture into new territory by creating an advanced youth Web trainee team. Five Hopeworks youths who have been working all year in the HTS program will be working on client projects daily.  

Hopeworks will also be introducing Podcasting this summer.  Our goal is to produce at least four Podcasts throughout the summer.  Stay tuned!

Welcome Monica D'Antonio--Hopeworks New Literacy Director

Monica D'Antonio has joined the Hopeworks staff as our new Literacy Director.  Monica has just completed her masters in English from Rutgers University.  She has worked in the Rutgers writing center, tutored youth in SAT preparation and taught school.  Monica will be replacing Jim Bopp, SJ, who will be moving to Phoenix to begin teaching high school physics.

Want To Help Hopeworks?  Wish List!!!!

Many have been asking how they can help contribute to all the good things happening here at Hopeworks.  Click here to see the Hopeworks Wish List.

Hopeworks Is Cleveland Bound:  CTC Conference

Hopeworks will be heading to Cleveland in mid-June to attend the national Community Technology Center (CTC) Conference.  Eileen Cornwall, Mark Ford and Father Jeff will accompany 8 Hopeworks youth to the conference where they will present a presentation titled "Learning to Learn: Urban Youth, Technology Literacy and Youth Development."

Hopeworks Graduates

Ed Figueroa is finishing up his first year at Rutgers University in New Brunswick...Kyle Herz-Lane has finished his first semester at the Philadelphia Restaurant School....Danny Castellan will be graduating from LEAP Academy in May and is hoping to attend Rutgers University...Juan Ayala continues his studies at Camden County College...Mark Ford (Hopeworks Lead Trainer) will need only four more classes to complete his Associates Degree in Literature, Philosophy and the Arts Concentration...Lilliana Quintones is finishing freshman year at Rutgers Camden and reports that she will be "resting for the summer!"

Tiana Davis finishes her first semester
Tiana Davis, a Web production trainee, just completed her first semester at Camden County College. She did well and will be taking a few more classes this summer.  Tiana is planning on becoming a nurse.

Poetry By Hopeworks Youth

Hopeworks trainee, Samantha Mojica, has written a poem about Camden.  Click here to read it.

Trainees and Staff Meet the South Philadelphia Lions Club
On April 19, HTS trainees Nicole Reyes and Jovanni Hernandez, Web production trainee Marcus Ford, and staff members Father Jeff and Eileen joined the South Philadelphia Lions Club for their annual meeting. The event was hosted by Web clients Nick and Anna Marie Montone of Italian-cookies.com. Trainees and staff talked about experiences at Hopeworks and showed club members our videos.

Father Jeff Awarded MIT Fellowship
Father Jeff has been awarded an MIT Fellowship to study at the IDEAS Institute this June.  Father Jeff was one of only 20 people who were chosen from 350 worldwide applicants.  The IDEAS Institute is an innovative leadership program for people dedicated to helping youth learn to express themselves creatively with new technology. The 20 international fellows selected for the 2005 IDEAS Institute will embark on a five-day learning journey involving hands-on engagement with new technologies, discussions on youth development and learning, and time to develop individual program ideas. IDEAS fellows will have the opportunity to:

• Engage in creative design experiences using Scratch, a new creative tool being developed by the MIT Media Lab
• Exchange ideas with others from around the world working with youth and technology
• Identify and develop strategies to address specific learning challenges that young people are facing in the community
• Join a community of experienced after-school technology and learning professionals

Congratulations to Father Jeff and to everyone at Hopeworks.  To learn more about the IDEAS Institute click here. 

Hopeworks Recent Grants

Hopeworks is grateful to the support that we receive, both from our individual donors and from our grantors.  Recently, the following have made generous grants/donations to Hopeworks:

• Bank Of America
• JAWS Youth Fund
• Juvenile Justice Commission
• Philadelphia Foundation
• Danielle Foundation
• CPAC
• Loyola College Jesuit Community

We also want to thank J2 Printing of Kansas City, MO for their generous services in printing our new color brochure.