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Girls in Science Camp Reflection – “Draw a Scientist Revelation”

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We had three amazing college students work with us to deliver the Girls in Science Camp at Green Street and serve as role models for the campers. This year, those young women were Stacy Uchendu, Anna Redgrave, and Mikaela Carty. In this five-part series, they share their experiences and favorite moments of the week.

Girls in Science Camp Reflection Series – “Draw a Scientist Revelation”

by Stacy Uchendu

A really cool moment in the Girls in Science Camp is the revelation of how drastically the girls’ perceptions of scientists change from the beginning to the end of the week. At the beginning of the week, the girls were asked to draw a picture of a scientist and many of them drew “mad scientist” with hair standing on end, long lab coats and bright colored potions. By the end of the week, they were asked to draw a scientist again and this time all of the girls drew women in traditional lab settings, at home, with pets and children, doing their favorite hobbies, etc.IMG_1928

Their pictures showed how their perception of a scientist expanded from the male, mad scientist and diversified into intelligent, multi-faceted women with many interests and real lives. Their realization came as a result of interacting with a diverse range of women scientists and learning about their lives in and outside of lab, and I believe this change in perception will allow these girls to imagine themselves as future scientists as well.

Girls in Science Camp Reflection – “Why I Wanted to Be a Part of the Camp”

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We had three amazing college students work with us to deliver the Girls in Science Camp at Green Street and serve as role models for the campers. This year, those young women were Stacy Uchendu, Anna Redgrave, and Mikaela Carty. In this five-part series, they share their experiences and favorite moments of the week.

Girls in Science Camp Reflection – “Why I Wanted to Be a Part of the Camp”

P1160481by Anna Redgrave

I’m a fairly stubborn person. When someone tells me I should like something, it tends to make me more resistant to liking it. It isn’t until much later, sometimes years later, when I’m working hands-on with that same subject and coming up with all my own ideas about it that I think “hey, they were right!”

This has been my experience with education in general, but more specifically with science. Science was presented to me early in school as a subject that I should like. I got to formulate all my own questions and do my own experiments. The only trouble was that the questions and experiments we worked with in school were all given to us. There was no room to really think about anything, it was all just following directions and recording observations.

P1160267When I heard about the Girls in Science Camp I was thrilled because to me it represented a space outside of the often overwhelming school-in-session environment where girls could really delve into issues and ask their own questions. That kind of opportunity is something I could really have used as a kid, and I was excited to have a chance to help other girls develop an appreciation for science.

 

Support Green Street AND Eat Frozen Yogurt

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Believe it or not, Green Street is 10 years old this year. Instead of cake, we’re celebrating with froyo and pizza!

Visit FroyoWorld on Main Street in Middletown on Friday, April 17th between 5:00-8:00pm and 20% of sales come directly to Green Street to support our youth programs. Come out to enjoy dessert and say Happy Birthday to Green Street.

froyo

Our Discovery AfterSchool Program serves primarily children in Grades 1-5 from all corners of Middletown, many from our neighborhood here in the North End. We also have a unique middle school class offering on Fridays called Wesleyan Bound where students are exposed to a college campus. They get to participate in workshops with student leaders, talk to professors, tour galleries and laboratories, and more.

Registration for next fall’s classes will open in May. Stay tuned for more information or call us (860-685-7871) to be put on a notification list and we’ll let you know when registration is open.

Thank You Petit Family Foundation!

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The Petit Family Foundation supports girls in science and they just awarded Green Street a $12,500 grant to grow their Girls in Science Summer Camp. Our Director, Sara MacSorley, got the chance to meet Dr. Petit and talk about the variety of their science support throughout the state.

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The Green Street Girls in Science Camp will take place from August 3-7, 2015 and we’ll be recruiting girls entering grades 4, 5, and 6 from the area soon. We’ll be working with Wesleyan Professors Erika Taylor, Ruth Johnson, and Christina Othon to cover topics from biochemistry to physics. The week cumulates in a science showcase event to share all we’ve learned with family and friends.

Scholarships will be available for families that qualify. More information coming soon.

Support Green Street AND Eat Pizza

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Believe it or not, Green Street is 10 years old this year. Instead of cake, we’re celebrating with pizza and froyo!

Visit Bertucci’s on the Berlin Turnpike in Newington, CT on Tuesday, April 7th between 11:00am-10:00pm, present the coupon pictured below, and 15% of sales come directly to Green Street! Come out to enjoy a pizza and say Happy Birthday to Green Street.

bertuccis

Our Discovery AfterSchool Program serves primarily children in Grades 1-5 from all corners of Middletown, many from our neighborhood here in the North End. We also have a unique middle school class offering on Fridays called Wesleyan Bound where students are exposed to a college campus. They get to participate in workshops with student leaders, talk to professors, tour galleries and laboratories, and more.

Registration for next fall’s classes will open in May. Stay tuned for more information or call us (860-685-7871) to be put on a notification list and we’ll let you know when registration is open.

Spring 2015 Discovery AfterSchool Registration OPEN until Thursday 2/5

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Its that time of year, time to sign up for Discovery AfterSchool! We are accepting registration appointments for the Spring 2015 Semester of our Discovery AfterSchool Program. Please call us today to set up your appointment: 860-685-7871.

Registration is almost over, we’ll sign up kids until Thursday, February 5th! We specifically have slots available for elementary students in the red classes below – Capoeira, Art Around the World, Choreography, and Sign Language. We also have space in the unique college experience class for middle school students, Wesleyan Bound. 

The Spring Semester runs from January 26 – May 8, 2015.

AfterSchool

Here is the diverse list of available classes for the spring. Don’t forget to sign up for homework help Mondays-Thursdays too.

  • African Drumming (Grades 3-8 on Thursdays)
  • Art and Food (Grades 1-3 on Fridays)
  • Art and Science (Grades 6-8 on Mondays, Grades 1-3 on Tuesdays)
  • Art Around the World (Grades 1-3 on Thursdays, Grades 3-5 on Fridays)
  • Beginning Breakdance (Grades 1-3 on Mondays)
  • Beginning Hip Hop (Grades 1-3 on Fridays)
  • Capoeira (Grades 1-3 on Thursdays, Grades 3-5 on Wednesdays)
  • Choreography (Grades 3-5 on Thursdays)
  • Chorus (Grades 1-5 on Fridays)
  • Computer Art (Grades 1-3 on Wednesdays, Grades 3-5 on Thursdays)
  • Environmental Art (Grades 1-3 on Wednesdays)
  • Exploring the River (Grades 3-5 on Fridays)
  • Improv Theater (Grades 3-8 on Wednesdays)
  • Intermediate Breakdance (Grades 3-8 on Wednesdays)
  • Intermediate Hip Hop (Grades 3-8 on Tuesdays)
  • Kids in the Kitchen (Grades 6-8 on Thursdays)
  • Multimedia Art (Grades 6-8 on Mondays)
  • Musical Mentoring (Grades 1-5 on Mondays and Tuesdays): During these lessons with a Wesleyan University student musician (often on a one-on-one basis), children will study a musical instrument. Students will be allowed to borrow an instrument to practice at home– at no extra cost! After a rich, semester-long musical experience, many students will participate in a recital performance.
  • Picasso and Math (Grades 3-5 on Tuesdays)
  • Science Club (Grades 1-3 on Thursdays)
  • Simple Stylin’ Fashion Design (Grades 3-5 on Mondays, Grades 6-8 on Wednesdays)
  • Sign Language (Grades 1-3 on Tuesdays)
  • Wesleyan Bound (Grade 6-8 on Fridays): This class exposes students to the college experience via weekly visits to Wesleyan University. Students meet student leaders, tour science labs and art galleries, and more.
  • Yoga (Grades 1-3 on Mondays)

There is a non-refundable $25 registration fee. For program fees, we do have financial assistance for those who qualify. For any questions, please call our front desk.

Free Yoga at Green Street

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Green Street is hosting a free 8-week yoga class starting on February 20th with teaching artist Meg Geyser. We’ll meet on Fridays from 12-1pm, come on your lunch break. Pre-registration is required, please call us today to sign up 860-685-7871.

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Guest Post – My Buddy

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Kiene was one of our Middlesex Community College interns last semester and we asked him to share some of his experience with us. It has been great watching him learn more about working kids and learn more about himself. Here is his third guest post.

If you’re interested in signing your child up for Discovery AfterSchool classes, our spring semester registration is open and we have slots available for many of our classes in art, math, and science. Classes start the week of January 26th. Call us today to set up an appointment.

My Buddy

Many great bonds have formed since my start at Green Street. Everyone from the staff to the kids are amazing to work with, but there has been one person in particular that has managed to easily secure a special place in my heart. Her name is Skye and after meeting her for the first time, I knew we would be the best of buds.

In a short amount of time, Skye has managed to make a very big and unexpected impact on me. She was born with Downs Syndrome and possess the rare ability to light up any room that she enters with her contagious energy and spirit. I think that has a lot to do with what initially brought us together.

Being new to Green Street was very nerve wracking at first, but the second I met Skye, that all went away. She was so happy to sit down and introduce herself and started talking up a storm. Before I knew it, I had made a friend in a very unfamiliar place and it helped me a lot with adjusting to my new surroundings. That is not the only thing Skye has helped me with this semester. Before my time at Green Street, I didn’t have much experience working with people who have disabilities and I wasn’t sure that it would be something I could handle. But Skye has shown me that there is absolutely nothing to fear or worry about. This little girl has single-handedly shot down all preconceived notions and stereotypes that I ignorantly came into my internship with, all by just being herself.

I’m not sure if Skye is even aware of the impact she’s had on me, but it is something that I’ll forever be grateful for and cherish. My time with Skye has really gone to show me that life lessons come in all different shapes and sizes and the best ones are usually disguised in the most mysterious ways.

As my time at Green Street slows down, I am saddened to know that my daily routine of meeting Skye at the door with a smile and a hug and personally escorting her to snack time is coming to an end. But I can take great pride in knowing that I was able to connect with her on such a special level and that with each day our bond grows stronger. Even though I still have a long life to live, I’m almost 100% positive that I’ll never have a buddy that is quite as amazing as Skye has been these past couple months. She has a friend in me, forever.

From the Director: Introducing the Green Street Teaching and Learning Center

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Hello Friends of Green Street,

Today I’m excited to announce that Green Street has become the Green Street Teaching and Learning Center–Green Street TLC. This structure better represents the work we do in Middletown and also allows us to grow our programs in the arts, math, and sciences for kids, teachers, and our broader community.

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The arts are still very much at the heart of what we do at Green Street. We want to make sure our friends understand that this name change does not change what we’re already doing, it simply better reflects our full scope of work and also opens up new ways for us to grow.

We will continue our Discovery AfterSchool Program, which serves 80 Middletown students in Grades 1-8 each year with diverse classes in the arts, sciences, and math; our Private Lessons Program, and our Green Street-to-Go Residency Program that brings teaching artists into community organizations to engage their clients and residents.

We will build on our programming with the Project to Increase Mastery of Mathematics and Science (PIMMS) who has lived at Green Street for two years now and the CT Higher Order Thinking (HOT) Schools who are approaching their fourth year with Green Street. Science safety workshops, which have served over 200 teachers since my arrival nearly two years ago, and the Intel Math Institute that prepares K-8 teachers for Common Core implementation will continue.

We have linked Wesleyan to the local community for ten years and look forward to an even more rewarding collaboration in the years to come. We want to make sure you know about all the opportunities awaiting you at the Teaching and Learning Center.

For more information on any of our programs, please explore our updated website at  www.wesleyan.edu/greenstreet or come visit us.

Thank you and we look forward to working more with you in the future.

Sara MacSorley
Director, Green Street Teaching and Learning Center

P.S. – It may take a little while to make sure our name is updated everywhere, please be patience as we make the switch and feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have in the meantime.

Guest Post – The Kids of Green Street

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Kiene is one of our Middlesex Community College interns this semester and we asked him to share some of his experience with us. It has been great watching him learn more about working kids and learn more about himself. Here is his second guest post.

If you’re interested in signing your child up for Discovery AfterSchool classes, our spring semester registration will open the week of December 8th. Call us today to set up an appointment.

The Kids of Green Street

Green Street definitely helps serve as a getaway for the kids that are part of the Discovery AfterSchool Program. With such a wide variety of classes offered, there is truly something for everyone to do. That is one of the great benefits of having a place like Green Street in Middletown. It gives each individual kid the opportunity to find a class that best suits them and provides a safe place for self-expression.

After watching the kids participate in these classes for weeks, I thought it would be an awesome idea to give the kids in the program a platform to share their favorite things about Green Street. The middle school kids are what I like to call program “veterans”. Most of them have essentially grown up in the program and really gotten the chance to experience a lot of what Green Street has to offer. One of the students I talked with made mention of her love for the Musical Mentoring Program. She spoke to me about how much she loved the step-by-step approach to learning to play the piano and that she feels like she is beginning to master the instrument. Another one of the sixth grade students beamed with excitement as she told me about the Wesleyan Bound Program she attends as one of her AfterSchool classes. Going to classes on the Wesleyan campus and getting to learn with her friends were just a few of the many things that made this particular student so enthused about the class.

Getting to have fun and learn amongst the company of friends was a reoccurring theme in my conversations with the kids. A fifth grade student shared these feelings along with a love for his the Computer-Aided Art class. He mentioned who much he enjoys getting to learn about computers – how they work and all the different things you can do with them.

Even the littlest members of the Green Street family have very specific opinions about what makes Green Street an awesome place. Dancing and Art topped the list for one of the first graders. He highlighted that drawing fish in Art class is he area of expertise but made sure to mention that his artistic ability stretches way beyond that.

As many rounds of interviewing came to an end, one thing was very clear about how the kids of Green Street felt about the Discovery AfterSchool Program. Not only do they appreciate it, but they genuinely love the time they spend at Green Street. Hearing all these kids proudly explain their answers to my questions reconfirmed to me how great of a place Green Street is for the youth of Middletown. Knowing that the kids are taking away such great things from AfterSchool, makes it all the better working with them. After hearing about all the fun things the kids do on a daily basis, I know that the sky is the limit for every single one of the kids involved at Green Street.