Friday’s Suggestion – TBOC

Posted on April 27, 2012 by CHCA

At April’s Crow Hill meeting we introduced TBOC: Take Back Our Community – an initiative for neighborhoods to work block by block to identify problem areas and work to clear them. The spirit behind TBOC is to create safe and vibrant communities through neighbors working together on shared problems. You can think of it as a network of block associations that support each other and have a common administrative focal point.

CHCA has divided the area bounded by Franklin to Atlantic and Bedford to Classon into 33 blocks. We are hoping that you will want to help to get your block involved by getting the word out about this program. It’s easy, we will provide you with fliers to distribute to see if your neighbors want to participate.

Can you help us take this first step?

Once a block has a few interested people we will meet with the group to explain the next steps.

You can download this presentation to learn about the program in it’s entirety, but right now we want to focus on getting the word out to see who is interested.

Please contact nina@crowhillcommunity.org to get involved.

Thursday’s Suggestion: 5th Annual Kid’s Day Event

Posted on April 26, 2012 by CHCA

SUMMER’S COMING
AND THAT MEANS SO IS
THE 5th ANNUAL ABOUT TIME KIDS DAY
SPONSORED BY ABOUT TIME BOUTIQUE,
CROW HILL COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION AND FAM
Started in 2008, by Kevin Phillip of About Time Boutique (and The Candy Rush), Kids Day on Franklin Avenue is a fun filled day of laughter and fun, rides and games, cotton candy and prizes for the kids in our community, AND IT’S ALL FREE!!!
Watch the video from 2010

But, it does take money and a lot of hard work to pull it off.
And that’s where YOU come in.

Kevin, Garnett and Daylon (youth co-ordinator) need help with 2 things:
Fundraising and volunteers on the day of the event.

Franklin Avenue Merchants do their part in contributing to the event but a bulk of the money is raised through bake sales on Franklin Avenue run by the kids themselves.

Will you commit to baking for the sale?
Will you commit to a Saturday morning with the kids on Franklin Avenue monitoring the bake sale?
Will you commit to volunteering at the event?

If so, please contact Garnett: garnett@socialmediaforkids.com

And PLEASE support this incredible community event by buying from the bakes sale, Remember ALL money raised goes directly to the KIDS DAY, the rides, the food, the games & the prizes!!!

Wednesday’s Suggestion: Franklin Avenue Planting

Posted on April 25, 2012 by CHCA

IT’S TIME TO SPRUCE UP OUR PLANTER BOXES ON FRANKLIN AVENUE
AND WE NEED YOUR HELP
Please join us on May 5th, if we have enough people we will do a Franklin Avenue clean up as well
AND
HELP US GET THE WORD OUT
Please print this flyer and post it in your building/laundromat/coffee house/etc.

Tuesday’s Suggestion: Art Not Arrests Summer Program

Posted on April 23, 2012 by CHCA

The Art Not Arrests (ANA) structure in our garden is looking gorgeous and now we want to start planning for the next portion of the project: creating free summer arts programming for youth in our community.

There are 4 ways you can help us.
(more details about each option below)

Donate to the cuff campaign to fund the art classes
Teach a class in the garden this summer
Parents, helps us get the word out about the classes to the community at large
VOUNTEER: we need a couple of community members to help coordinate the project

More information about the project can be found on the Art Not Arrests website

1. Donate to the cuff campaign to fund the art classes

The Art Not Arrests’sponsorship displays are currently located within many of the local businesses along Franklin Ave -Please help Ground Up Designers and the Crow Hill Community Association raise money for the Art Not Arrests summer art program, by personally sponsoring one of the zip-cuffs used in the installation.

If you make the suggested $3 sponsorship donation, you are welcomed to leave your name in (or written directly on) the donation box to have a piece of the installation added with your name on it. If you would rather, you are also welcome to visit the garden to choose a zip-cuff and sign your name on it personally.

Some of the donation boxes may not be immediately visible due to space constraints — If you don’t see the donation box, please ask the person at the counter how you can make a donation & leave your name. They will happily point you in the right direction.

100% of the money raised through these donations will go toward the Art Not Arrests summer art classes, hosted in the Crow Hill Community Garden, by the Crow Hill Community Association. Any money raised above and beyond what is required by the CHCA to host the summer art classes will be used toward individual scholarships for selected students – allowing them to continue their art education after the summer classes are over. Any additional funding will be donated to other arts related anti-violence initiatives in Crown Heights Brooklyn.

You can find donation boxes and flyers at the following businesses along Franklin Ave:

Guero’s Brooklyn
Owl & Thistle
Rosebud Vintage
The Candy Rush
Chavela’s Restaurant
Bella Greens
Little Zelda’s
739 Franklin
Stork
Dutch Boy Burger
Franklin Park
Pine Tree
Veggies
Wino(t)
PeteZaaz (Classon Ave)
Winey Neighbor (Washington Ave)

2. Teach a class in the garden this summer

Calling all artists, musicians, writers, crafters, anyone who would like to teach a class in the CHCA garden this summer to the youth in our community.

if you have an idea for a class you would like to teach we want to hear from you.
Please send the following information to artnotarrests@gmail.com with “art class” in the subject line:

Class description: a few lines about what parents and children can expect from the class
Age range for the class
Class size
Duration: is this 1 one day workshop, a class that will meet more than once, let us know
Schedule: dates(s): your availability for teaching and the hours
A short bio about yourself
Picture of yourself (optional)

3. Parents, helps us get the word out

Once we have a class schedule, we will need to sign kids up.If you are a parent in the community please contact us with ways we can reach out: we need contacts at schools, daycares, after school groups, etc.

Please send complete information to artnotarrests@gmail.com : with “outreach info” in the subject line

Organization name
Contact name
Contact info (phone, email)

And
if you are willing to help distribute flyers at your child’s school/daycare please send an email to artnotarrests@gmail.com with your contact info and “flyer volunteer” in the subject

4. VOLUNTEER!!!

Can you commit some time to help make this project a success?

We need a couple of people who will have time this spring/summer to help us make this project as good as it can be.

If you are good with on-line communication, GREAT
If you are good with phone outreach/follow-up: FABULOUS
if you can help get flyers distributed: DYNAMITE
if you can help monitor in the garden: MARVELOUS
if you want to help the kids in this community: WE WANT YOU

Please contact Nina: CHCA Project Manager nina@crowhillcommunity.org to volunteer

Monday’s Suggestion – Roger That! Garden Project

Posted on April 23, 2012 by CHCA

While this is not a Crow Hill Community Association project, it will bring more green and more garden and more comunity to our area.

Nature, Food, Community – these are the central tenents of the Roger That! Garden Project.

Please visit the project’s KICKSTARTER campaign to help fund a garden on the corner of Rogers Avenue and Park Place. The lot has been tended to for years by Richard Green of the Crown Heights Youth Collective and they will be providing the water for the garden.

The Roger That! Garden Project also has a lovely tumblr where you can follow their progress.

Young Scholars Program

Posted on April 18, 2012 by CHCA

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Young Scholars Program was founded on the idea that if you give high-achieving students with financial need the guidance and resources necessary for them to excel during high school, college and beyond, their greatness will emerge. The Foundation works closely with recipients and their families to construct a tailored educational program that can include support for summer programs, distance learning courses, and music and art instruction.

Approximately 60 students are selected for the program each year. All Young Scholars have demonstrated excellence in academic endeavors and extracurricular activities, a strong will to succeed and financial need. For those entering the program, the average family income is approximately $25,000, and more than 90 percent have incomes under $60,000.

For more information, and for instructions on how to apply, visit the Young Scholars Program webpage »

Summer Youth Employment Program

Posted on April 18, 2012 by CHCA

The Summer Youth Employment Program provides New York City youth between the ages of 14 and 24 with summer employment and educational opportunities. Participants work in a variety of entry-level jobs at government agencies, hospitals, summer camps, nonprofits, small businesses, law firms, museums, sports enterprises and retail organizations.

The Summer Youth Employment Program is designed to emphasize real-world labor expectations, increase awareness of services offered by local community-based organizations, and provide opportunities for career instruction, financial literacy training, academic improvement and social growth. The deadline to submit an application is Friday, May 18. If you have further questions about the program, contact NYC Youth Connect at 800-246-4646.

Apply online »

Volunteer Opportunity for Teens: NY Aquarium

Posted on April 17, 2012 by CHCA

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium is welcoming new applications for its Teen Docent Program , where people ages 15 and up help staff exhibits and teach visitors about marine conservation.

Docent responsibilities include:

Speaking with aquarium visitors and giving exhibit chats using biological artifacts and other visual aids
Assisting with the development and implementation of special events
Staffing information and craft tables during special events on-site and off-site
Assisting Education Department instructors with school and family programs
Teaching visitors how to interact with horseshoe crabs, sea stars, and other animals at our touch pools
Conducting short marine conservation programs on the Coney Island Boardwalk outside of the aquarium entrance

Admission to the aquarium docent program is competitive. After an interview and orientation, accepted candidates must complete an intensive training course. The training includes sessions on marine science and public speaking skills.

Applicants under age 18 must have a teacher fill out the recommendation form and a parent must sign it. Applications are accepted between March 15 and May 18. An interview is mandatory.

Applications received after the May 18^th deadline will not be considered. Once accepted into the docent program, you will be required to attend one of the following two 7-day training courses this summer, taking place from 10:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.:

Summer Training Course For summer and year-long docents	Fall Training Course For academic-year and year-long docents
Saturday, June 23, 2012	Saturday, August 18, 2012
Sunday, June 24, 2012	Sunday, August 19, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012	Saturday, August 25, 2012
Friday, June 29, 2012	Sunday, August 26, 2012
Saturday, June 30, 2012	Saturday, September 1, 2012
Sunday, July 1, 2012	Saturday, September 8, 2012
Monday, July 2nd, 2012	Sunday, September 9, 2012

If you have any questions, call 718-265-3450, Monday – Friday, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30p.m. or email nyadocent@wcs.org.

Student Loan Foregivness

Posted on April 17, 2012 by CHCA

Below is an email from Robert Applebaum, a MoveOn member who created a petition at SignOn.org that is getting a lot of attention and may be of interest to people in your area. If you have concerns or feedback about this petition, click here.

Since 1999, average student loan debt has increased by a shameful 511%. In 2010, total outstanding student loan debt exceeded total outstanding credit card debt in America for the first time ever. In 2012, total outstanding student loan debt is expected to exceed $1 trillion.

In response to this crisis, U.S. Representative Hansen Clarke of Michigan has just introduced H.R. 4170, the Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012, which would extend a helping hand to those struggling under massive amounts of student loan debt.

That’s why I created a petition to Rep. John Kline, Chairman of the House Education and the Workplace Committee; the United States House of Representatives and Senate; and President Barack Obama on SignOn.org, which says:

Total outstanding student loan debt in America is expected to exceed $1 TRILLION this year. Millions of hardworking, taxpaying, educated Americans are being crushed under the weight of their educational debts, while the economy continues to sputter. Support a REAL economic stimulus and jobs plan. Support the Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012 (H.R. 4170).

Will you sign the petition? Click here to add your name, and then pass it along to your friends: http://www.moveon.org/r?r=272847&id=39566-7863625-gGX_Nhx&t=2

Brooklyn Networks is NOW Recruiting for its June Cycle

Posted on April 17, 2012 by CHCA

Brooklyn Networks helps unemployed and low-income New Yorkers start careers in high-speed data and voice transmission cable installation. After intensive training in our custom-built lab, Brooklyn Networks graduates are placed in jobs as technicians with companies installing voice and data lines, security systems, broadcast cable and audio/video systems.

Job Training AND Placement

Brooklyn Networks is an exciting and challenging program that allows its students to earn an internationally recognized certificate with hands-on training that will enable them to install cable lines for computers, telephones, security systems, A/V equipment and broadcast cable at NO COST TO THE STUDENT!

Once our students have completed the required 5-week course we provide job placement services to get them working in the field

Minimum Requirements:

MUST be a NYC Resident
21 years or older
MUST have a valid NYS driver’s license
Eligible to work in the U.S.
Qualify as low income OR receiving public assistance
MUST pass a drug test
MUST pass a reading & math test at the 8th grade level

Orientations are held every Tuesday at 10:00 AM sharp

(No RSVP required)

621 Degraw Street

Brooklyn, NY 11217

LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE for each class.

Attend orientation NOW to increase your chances of enrollment in the upcoming class!

Still have questions?
Please feel free to contact us at: 718-237-2017 ext. 149 or ext. 182.

To learn more please visit:
http://bwiny.org/pages/programs/brooklynnetworksa.html

To learn more please visit: http://bwiny.org/pages/programs/brooklynnetworksa.html

To learn more please visit:
http://bwiny.org/pages/programs/brooklynnetworksa.html