CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/KEVIN KING Two youngsters dance to Franz Schubert’s “Lachen und Weinen,” part of an Ojai Youth Opera production.

Thirteen artists and arts groups have been awarded grants by the city of Ojai for 2016.

“The goal of the Art Commission’s Art Grants program is to promote the artistic enrichment of the citizens of Ojai and encourage a vibrant arts community,” Arts Commissioner Roger Conrad said in a news release announcing the grants. Ojai Performing Arts Theater Foundation for its upcoming production of “Baby,” a Broadway musical, as a fundraiser for local causes, $2,000.

Some people live to give, while others might need a gentle nudge.

Introducing the idea of philanthropy and supporting higher education on any financial level, even as modest as the cost of a cup of coffee is what Sun Devil Giving Day is all about.

On Friday, thousands of Sun Devil alumni, families, faculty, staff and students will celebrate the fourth annual event by supporting the university’s education initiatives and research ventures with a goal of solving some of the most pressing issues facing society.

“We are young in regards to our philanthropic arm, but I like to say that this is a return to our roots because ASU was founded on a gift of land from George and Martha Wilson,” said Tiffany Antor, director of Sun Devil Giving, a division of the ASU Foundation for a New American University.

“It’s not about what have you done, but what could you do if you had the money to pledge? ASU programs include developing a jet pack to help soldiers in war enhance their speed and agility to outpace the enemy; developing devices for use in NASA missions, including the Mastcam-Z camera, which will provide eyes for the Mars 2020 mission rover; and awarding almost 8,000 scholarships to students in 2014.

ASU student Rachel Williams (with her kids, Aiden, 9, and Makayla, 15) says philanthropy can be life-changing, as was the ASU Sun Devil Family Association Scholarship she received. Photo courtesy Rachel Williams

In the case of Rachel Williams, the generosity of others has not only changed the trajectory of her career, but will improve her overall quality of life.

The 34-year-old student and mother of two attended cosmetology school in the early 2000s and had an $18,000 debt by the time she graduated. Paying for tuition and textbooks continued to be a challenge until she learned of the ASU Sun Devil Family Association Scholarship, which offers students up to $5,000 annually.

“I cried when I received the letter in the mail notifying me of the scholarship. It’s not just important to me but will improve my children’s lives and our overall well-being.”

Industrial Design major Margaret Marcinkowski was one of 1,600 people who donated a gift to the university during Sun Devil Giving Day last year. This and top photo by Felipe Ruiz/ASU Foundation

There are three ways to participate on Sun Devil Giving Day:

Join the discussion on social media by following the ASU Foundation on Facebook and Twitter.

Share a story using the hashtag #SunDevilGiving and encourage family and friends to do the same.

Make an online gift on March 18 to any area of ASU including a school, unit, program or scholarship account.

To raise awareness, the ASU Foundation will set up tables from 8 a.m. The tables will include Sun Devil Giving Day cards, on which students can write which areas of the university they would like to see supported.

For more information, visit givingday.asu.edu.

MDT March 17, 2016Deming Public Schools applies for grant to boost STEM programs

DEMING a The Deming Public Schools will be applying for a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant to fund a district-wide after-school STEM program for the upcoming school year.

aWe are partnering with the New Mexico State University STEM Outreach Center to provide a more rigorous after-school program to students in grades K-12,a said Fred Parker, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction.

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Parker stated that the district has been working with the Rio Grande Educational Collaborative, the City of Deming, and Luna County to provide after-school opportunities for students during the past four years.

aWe have had a good after-school program; however, our plan with the 21st CCLC grant is to take the after-school program to a higher level through a partnership with NMSU,a Parker said.

The federally-stated goals for the 21st CCLC program is to asupport student academic growth in meeting the Common Core State Standards in core academic subjects, such as language arts and mathematics.a

STEM programs use science, technology, engineering and mathematics as the lens for teaching other subjects.

aThe [NMSU program] includes professional development for teachers, workshops for families, programs for NMSU STEM majors to teach, educational resources [the schools get to keep], and other initiatives designed to align and encourage the K-12 pipeline in the STEM fields,a explained Dr.

ATO was positioned to be the first fraternity to successfully garner such widespread cooperation in recent years.

Evan Ditty, coordinator of Greek life and student leadership, said the heart of this inter-organizational disconnect lies not only with the organizations, but the on-campus rivalries and competition that develop between them.

“I do think that the root of the problem is that fraternities are so used to competing with each other,” Ditty said. He said fraternities are routinely pitted against each other over a week to see who can win competitions or raise the most money, with the inclusion of events like “spirit point” competitions or change wars.

Michael Mann, president of IFC, said the competition aspect is not only a role in philanthropy, but imperative in the IFC’s goals of furthering inter-fraternity participation.

“If we can somehow swing that [competitiveness] to make that the new competition for fraternity events, [ ] I think that would be great,” Mann said. “There is a sense of rivalry, but I think women when it comes down to those rivalries coming down to a head are not as physical about it, which is the big difference.”

While the separation between fraternities is one issue, Ditty said he would like to see the divide between Greeks and non-Greeks narrowed in philanthropic work.

“There’s kind of like this exclusivity idea when it comes to philanthropy events that we need to start moving away from,” Ditty said. “Things like cancer, mental health awareness things like that are not exclusive to Greek organizations.”

As for reaching out to non-Greeks, Cameron said his organization had in fact considered also taking that first step of outreach onto the residential side of campus, but plans never came through.

“I think, personally, that it is a good idea to get them involved, because you build relations with non-Greek people, potentially and that would just get people more involved in Greek life,” Cameron said.

However, Mann said that divide was a bit harder to bridge, as many philanthropy events tend to edge the line between regular and social event.

Grant funds free admission to sites
Grant funds free admission to sites

“We have been proud to support these wonderful facilities with grants to the foundation since its inception 20 years ago and happy to make possible free admission for their most vital visitors, students and youngsters,” said MDU Resources Foundation president Cynthia Norland.

The grant will be used by the foundation to purchase admissions through North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department, which operates the facilities at Washburn, N.D.

aIt provides an excellent job-training opportunity for residents, who might then become employed in a landscaping business or garden center.a

The experience will also give residents a chance to learn more about the health-related value of fresh produce, encourage them to get exercise outdoors and promote social interaction, Hollowell said.

Ray Shanklin, a retired executive, volunteered to help organize the project, having recruited a team of volunteers including nursery workers and master gardeners from around the area.

He said the garden will be open to anyone who is interested in coming in to help or learn more about gardening. George Mayor Jon Pike, who said SwitchPoint has been considered a success because of all the volunteer hours and community involvement.

For residents, the garden will provide another avenue to learn and grow, he said.

aWhatas better than fresh vegetables and fruits that you get to grow and be a part of,a he said.

The Healthy Dixie Council, a group of residents who work to promote healthy habits in Washington County, established its grant program to help establish more community gardens in the area, said Arthur LeBaron, the organizationas chairman.

aIt was apparent to the HDC that SwitchPoint and its volunteers had put considerable effort into its plan for a community garden,a he said.

Education

March 17, 2016 7:31 PM

Committees recommend new attendance zones to take students out of Orange Ridge-Bullock Elementary

BRADENTON — Three committees, assigned to change attendance zones to move students out of Orange Ridge-Bullock Elementary School into nearby schools, didn’t come up with vastly different mockups.

“The maps were all pretty similar when we sat down,” said Danny Lundeen, Manatee County School District director of student assignment.

The committee meetings, with administrators, teachers and parents from all affected schools, are required by Manatee County School Board policy whenever the district wants to redistrict. It hasn’t been used in the last 10 years or so.

Under a current proposal, Rogers Garden Elementary School will pick up most Orange Ridge students, but Ballard, Daughtrey, Oneco and Samoset elementary schools will also be affected.

Last week, the school board approved a public hearing date and board vote in April to approve the redrawn attendance zones.

With the preliminary map, the district has already done a lot of the legwork, but needs community help to make sure the zones don’t break up neighborhoods in strange ways.

A group of about 40 people, split into three smaller committees, met over the last week to pore over the district proposal and suggest changes.

All three groups moved a similar geographic group of students out of original Samoset zone and into the new Rogers Garden zone, taking a different geographic subsection into Samoset.

“Everybody kind of has this part for Samoset,” Superintendent Diana Greene said looking over the maps Thursday.

One committee also recommended moving a small subsection of students near the DeSoto Mall from a proposed Rogers Garden zone into Oneco.

“We wanted to ship that to Oneco so we wouldn’t have to worry about students now or in the future crossing that thoroughfare,” said Melanie Newhall, a committee member and teacher at Orange Ridge.

The same presentations will be made to the school board during a yet to be scheduled workshop.

Along with the Fundraising and Events Coordinator, develop and execute FARE’s Philanthropy Strategy (including a Bequest Strategy); andManage private grant applications.

Major Gifts & Foundations

Identify, cultivate and solicit major gifts from prospective donors.Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward major donors, building long-lasting and strong relationships with the Foundation.Work closely with the FARE Chair, Chief Executive, Chief Financial Officer and Policy and Research to create and implement FARE’s major gift strategy.Identify and apply to charitable trusts, foundations and the like to secure funding for FARE initiatives.With the support of the Director of Policy and Research, lead the identification prospective major donors to support FARE’s research program.Work closely to support the FARE Chair to execute major gift strategies, including events.Ensure the effective use of fundraising databases to drive philanthropic giving.Represent FARE at meetings, functions and events as required.

Management & Collaboration with other Departments

Oversee the day to day operations of the Philanthropy Department to ensure that the staff are enthusiastic, productive, committed to achieving FARE’s objectives and meeting key revenue targets; including recruitment /selection performance management, training & development of staff.Create annual budgets and projections for consideration and approval by the FARE executive and Board.Effectively manage the net financial returns of the Philanthropy Department and ensure all philanthropic financial targets are being met.Prepare accurate financial reconciliations and reports on a quarterly basis or as required including reporting to the Board of Management and FARE Board.Adhere to all the requirements of the Worth Health & Safety Act and Regulations, both personally and in relation to the Philanthropy department staff and the company in general.Member of Management Team

Skills and Attributes

Ability to foster and environment of creativity and professional growth.Expert knowledge of current and evolving trends in major-gifts giving and solicitation and fundraising campaigns.Proven success in asking for and closing major gifts and building long-term relationships with major individual donors, foundations and corporations.A track record of strong organisational skills including planning, budgeting and record-keeping.Self-motivated and driven.Able to manage multiple and demanding tasks, prioritising as necessary.Experience working under strict time and other pressures.Team player who enjoys working in a collaborative environment.Demonstrated ability to build effective and collaborative relationships with a wide set of constituencies.Demonstrated knowledge and/or experience in all phases of philanthropy work.Demonstrated track record of solid accomplishment in fundraising

Requirements

The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation working to stop the harm caused by alcohol.

FARE has been working since 2001 with communities, governments, health professionals and police across the country to stop alcohol harms by supporting world-leading research, raising public awareness and advocating for changes to alcohol policy.

Eddie Goodall, left, helps design a poster with fellow Circle of Friends Member Samantha Taylor and group adviser Monica Grant.

Eddie Goodall, left, helps design a poster with fellow Circle of Friends Member Samantha Taylor and group adviser Monica Grant. When she saw students at the school struggling with the same challenges, she took it upon herself to reach out and help them.

So at the beginning of the 2015 school year, Grant became the leader of Mark Twain Elementaryas Circle of Friends. The program is one of approximately 200 chapters at schools in seven states that seek to help grade school children make friends with their peers.

Thirteen Mark Twain students are currently involved in Grantas Circle of Friends group. The program helps seventh- and eighth-grade non-disabled students how to connect with and form bonds with isolated peers.

Grantas Circle of Friends group gets together during lunch period to play games like two truths and a lie, eat lunch together and participate in arts and crafts activities. On Friday, the group members made a poster for the school yearbook photo in recognition of Circle of Friendas recently-obtained status as an official student club.

The poster includes flowers drawn by each Circle of Friends member, with an inscription in the middle which reads agrowing our garden of friendship.a

Circle of Friends was formed in 1999 at Santa Monica High School campus by speech pathologist Barbara Palilis. The program is designed to help students with disabilities find an inclusive space on school campuses where they can socialize and build relationships with their general education peers.

Grant said that this year no special education students or students with disabilities have signed up for Circle of Friends, although all Mark Twain students are welcome.

Calaveras County Office of Education Program Specialist Joan Perry, who oversees the training for the Circle of Friends program in Calaveras County, said that the Circle of Friends program has been active in Calaveras County for four years, beginning at the junior high and high school levels. Other schools with Circle of Friends groups include Copperopolis, Jenny Lind and San Andreas elementary schools and Calaveras and Bret Harte high schools.

aTheyare shy and keep to themselves until they get into this room,a Grant said. And now theyare not only friends inside aCircle of Friends,a but outside as well.a

One such student is Samantha Taylor, 12, a seventh-grader at Mark Twain Elementary School who attends Circle of Friends meetings. Samantha said that she joined Circle of Friends to develop deeper friendships with her fellow students.

aYou get to know them better in this place,a Samantha said.

Samantha said she plans to continue to be a member of Circle of Friends next year, to help introduce aall the shy little tadpoles that join.a