Volume 12 - Issued June 2013

iewing youth as assets to their com-munities is a core principle of positive

youth development – they are problem solvers, not problems to be fixed. And when given opportunities to create change, youth also develop the skills and motivation to bring success to their own lives.

A core element of every Solar Youth pro-gram is the C-SAP (Community Service Ac-tion Project) Cycle. After exploring their communities as a team, youth identify and research issues in their environment, choose a solution, develop an action plan, take action and then evaluate the results (see steps page 7). Through this process, which they repeat season after season, year after year, SY Stewards become skilled problem solvers.

In 2012, youth initiated 37 unique C-SAPs, including 13 neighborhood, river and park clean-ups, 6 beautification projects and 7 advocacy projects. For example, youth in Leaders-in-Training (Solar Youth’s leader-ship program for 7th and 8th graders) at John S. Martinez School in Fair Haven were concerned with rising violence in their com-

munity. LITs decided to take action to re-claim their streets. They canvassed the neighborhood and discovered that busi-nesses and home owners couldn’t afford security lights. LITs decided to raise money through a bake sale and car wash and bought solar-powered security lights to do-nate to businesses in the neighborhood, lighting up the streets and making their neighborhood safer.

n Westville Manor, the public housing development where Solar Youth’s office

is located, evidence of youth-led change is everywhere – garden beds, a park trail, signs welcoming visitors to the neighbor-hood, and once drab plywood covering the windows of empty units painted vibrant colors. In 2012, youth also worked to revi-

talize the community garden so that resi-dents could grow their own healthy food.

These types of projects have multiple bene-fits – they provide the opportunity for youth to develop problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership skills, while also contributing to a safer, healthier more positive New Haven.

They also help change the image of youth in their own communities. A Westville Manor resident, while taking a tour of the youth-constructed Solar Youth Trail and Bridge in West Rock Ridge State Park, said it best – “People always say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, in Westville Manor, the chil-dren are raising the village!”

“People always say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, in Westville Manor,

the children are raising the village”

...through youth-led Community Service Action Projects

2012 was a year for reflection at Solar Youth. As we began our second Strategic Plan process (still in

the works!), we stepped back to look at the broader picture of our work and how it affects the com-

munities we serve. We are grateful for the amazing families and youth that allow us to be part of

their lives. We are proud of the work we’ve done, but also recognize how much there is left to do.

In 2012, gun shootings occurred in two of our neighborhoods, within yards of staff as they waited for

youth. While there have always been shootings in the neighborhoods we serve (we target those with

the fewest resources and greatest need), we have NEVER seen them occur as kids are getting home

from school. This is a change that caused us to have difficult conversations about issues of safety for

staff and if a neighborhood is ever “too dangerous,” and also create emergency response and “post-

shooting” protocols. Living with not just the fear of violence, but in fact witnessing it time and again,

is part of growing up in many of New Haven’s neighborhoods and has become part of the challenge

we face as an organization.

But above this and many other challenges, we are more moved by the tremendous value in the work

of Solar Youth and its young Stewards, as I hope you will be while turning the pages of this newsletter.

Solar Youth staff work tirelessly to guide our youth to a future in which THEY play a pivotal role in

creating communities that are safer, greener, and healthier, while also building brighter futures for

themselves.

We are so grateful to you, our FOSY, as partners in this work. As you read through these pages, we

hope that you, too, will reflect on the amazing things that YOU help make happen. I hope we can con-

tinue to count on you as partners in this shared mission.

Sincerely,

Joanne Sciulli

Founder and Executive Director

Joanne Sciulli Executive Director

Kenyétta Banks-Smith Program Director

Gameliel Moses Senior Educator

Candace Jones Operations Manager

Jack Phillips Dir. of External Relations

Program Staff

Chisom Amaechi Amanda Bancroft

Kate Biller Josh Danis

Nicole Dunnaville* Robert Goehrke Dominique Hart Jamika Henry*

Hallie Martenson Shakila McKnight* Benjamin Michalak

Sarah Morrison Sara Servin Troy Smith* Sam Weiser

Rodnesha Williams*

(*=SY alum)

Public AllY

Julie Carson

Yale University Summer Fellows

Lucy Arthur-Paratley Maya Torain

Senior Youth Program Interns

Malik Burress Cristina Cavalliery

Niamke Ellis Rigoberto Escalera Royshon Ferguson Quintaisja Harrison

Jorell James Montrell Johnson

Odessa Little Martineesha Parker Rashawna Peterson Marangely Quezada

David Roman III Paulina Rosario Alers

Jamesha Rumley Kayla Sanders

Norman Edward Smith-Harrison, III

Naomy Velez Natasha Velez

Randall Wright, Jr.

, developed by founding youth and adults, is

to provide opportunities for young people to develop a and to others through programs that incorporate ,

and .

Our is for the youth of New Haven to be of their own lives and

communities, .

Youth Served 313

Internships Offered 66

Field Trips and Off-site Explorations 135

Steward-led Community Service Action Projects 37

Steward-led Public Education Projects 25

% of Parents who would recommend SY 99

...and who want their child to attend SY again 99

Between 2009 and 2012…

...the number of youth served has increased by 28%!

...the number of C-SAPs com-pleted has grown by 48%!!

...and the number of internships offered

more than tripled!!!

Solar Youth Page 3

Westville Manor Public Housing

West Hills

Newhallville

Barnard Environmental Science Magnet School

(West River)

John S. Martinez School (Fair Haven)

According to one of her educators, Curtisy is “polite, re-spectful, a great listener, and always eager to learn more about the world. Best of all, she is ALWAYS a role model for others.” Curtisy has been a role model since she joined Solar Youth in 2009, at just 4 years old. Since then, she has partici-pated in over 20 C-SAPs including a Friendship Campaign to encourage friendship among her peers, flower plantings all over her neighborhood, several community clean ups, and raised money for issues she believes in like homelessness and animal rights. In February, Curtisy visited the Capitol in Hartford to advocate for including youth programs like Solar Youth in the state budget. In front of a room full of legisla-tors, Curtisy confidently proclaimed, “Solar Youth is important to me because if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t get the word

out about littering and I wouldn’t be having fun with all these people.” Hats off to you, Curtisy!

Once you meet Julio, you’ll never forget him. A confident ball of joy and energy, Julio brings unlimited enthusiasm to every program! Solar Youth staff know that if there’s someone who wants to learn more about Solar Youth, send Julio to them and they’ll learn everything! He constantly demonstrates skills like public speaking, network-

ing, and relationship building – talents that have grown stronger over his time in Solar Youth. Since joining SY in 2011, Julio has helped lead 16 C-SAPS. He led his team in the construction of a trail bridge in West Rock Park, enthusiastically cleaned up his neighborhood, and planted perennials in the Solar Youth front yard. In the Fall of 2012, Julio had an idea – to start a campaign against what he called “verbal violence” and to encourage his peers to speak more kindly to each other. He led his team in making posters and fliers, and handed them out in the neighbor-hood. When asked why he loves Solar Youth so much, Julio responded, “It helped me learn more and do well in school.”

Way to go, Julio!

Rigo has impressed us time and time again since he joined Solar Youth Summer Camp as a partici-pant in 2009. In 2011, Rigo joined our staff as a Youth Educator. It only took a few days for everyone to forget that he was the youngest one in the bunch. Rigo showed that he was a dedicated, responsi-ble worker, committed to being the very best Educator he could be. By the end of his second sea-son, he was designing his own en-vironmental education curriculum, a responsibility usually assigned to

Senior Interns. It became clear very early on that the hardest thing about working with Rigo was finding new challenges for him to tackle! Only having interned with Citycology programs for our young-est Stewards, Rigo requested working with an older age group. We granted his request, but with the stipulation that he treat the program like his own. He has more than conquered that task! “It’s like having another adult educator in the room!” says his current adult Educator partner.

Solar Youth Page 5

2009 2013

2009 2011

2012

“Because of Solar Youth, I’m becoming a

better friend and a better employee.”

-Rigo

ITYCOLOGY is Solar Youth’s year-round program for 4 to 8 year olds,

taught by trained teenage Youth Educators (many who grew up in Solar Youth). Citycology Stewards learn about local ecol-ogy through outdoor exploration, partici-pate in adventures to parks and museums and design and implement their first Com-munity Service Action Projects (C-SAPs) and Public Education Projects (PEPs). Citycology is held in all three of Solar Youth’s target neighborhoods during the school year and as a camp in summer.

2012 was a year of change and fantastic achievement from our youngest cohort of youth. In the Spring, Citycology was piloted in our new neighborhood, Newhallville, in partnership with Faith Temple Deliverance Center.

Citycology youth spent the summer going on adventures, learning about their ecosys-tem, and putting together their very first stage play (see below)! In the Fall, new Coordinator Sarah Morrison brought her passion for school readiness and added amazing new curriculum like “word of the day” and other lessons that focused on building grade-level core competencies.

Each season was capped with a Community Service Action Project. In the Spring, youth decided to raise money through bake sales and used proceeds to help sick children at the Connecticut Medical Center, buy trash barrels for their neighborhood to reduce litter, and to plant flower bulbs. In the Fall, despite the cold weather, snowstorms, and hurricane Sandy, youth did two neigh-borhood cleanups, and raised money for

toys and formula for homeless animals at a local shelter.

As always, their caring and helpful attitudes blew everyone away!

Youth Teaching Youth

During 2012 Citycology Summer Camp, thanks to a grant from the Mayor’s Community Arts Grant Program, our youngest Stewards created and performed their very own play - Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax - a tale about the dangers of consumption to the environment and the importance of conservation. Youth worked with Solar Youth Educator Hallie Martenson to adapt it to the stage. The goal was to promote literacy, environmental awareness and confidence through performance. For our youngest participants (4 and 5 year olds), it meant developing animal noises and movements for the creatures Dr. Seuss imagined in his fantastical tale, and for older participants ( 6 to 8 year olds), it meant memorizing lines and acting for the very first time! It was a youth-led production from the beginning. Youth wrote the play, made the costumes, and even voted on who would be cast in the title role! The performance was a huge success, with over 60 people in attendance! Way to go cast and crew of The Lorax!

“Since joining Solar Youth, [my son] is getting

along with other kids better, sharing more, and

fighting less with other kids.”

-Citycology Parent

Spring: While walking home from a scaven-ger hunt, youth saw that the West River near their home was full of trash, so orga-nized a river cleanup. Donning water shoes, Stewards waded into the stream to fish out litter blocking the waterway! Fall: Youth noticed that the trail near their houses was full of litter. They organized themselves into a Clean Up Team, and collected 6 giant bags of trash!

Spring: Stewards recognized offensive graffiti as a problem in their neighborhood, especially on their playground. They con-structed a large graffiti wall and invited the community to write positive and encourag-ing messages! Fall: Youth noticed the lack of color and beauty in their neighborhood, so they planted bulbs all around the neigh-borhood. When they bloomed the next Spring the area looked more beautiful and welcoming to visitors.

Spring: Newhallville Steward Team’s very first opportunity to plan a service project! They wished their neighborhood had more flowers and plants, and made it happen! They planted 20 perennials along the road in front of the Faith Temple Deliverance Center (our amazing host for the year!) to bring beauty and cheer to their surround-

ings. Fall: Stewards grew concerned for stray animals who didn’t have a warm home to escape the cold. They chose to support local animal shelters by baking organic dog biscuits to donate to hungry homeless ani-mals!

Spring: The 4th grade Steward Team decid-ed to put a creative spin on the classic litter clean up – they made it a competition! They handed out decorated t-shirts as prizes to the 10 people that picked up the most trash! 5th and 6th grade Stewards educated people on the dangers of drunk driving with a video PSA! Fall: Concerned about youth who experience violent trauma, youth edu-

cated their peers about staying safe and reporting abuse through fliers, posters, and brochures!

Spring: The 5th grade Team decided to clean-up the West River near their school, while the 6th grade did a clean-up of trails in Edgewood Park and hung homemade signs along the trail reminding hikers that keeping the environment clean is up to everyone that enjoys it! Fall: Like the Newhallville Team, Barnard Stewards grew concerned for stray animals as the weather grew cold-er. They made a video PSA to educate peo-ple about the causes of and solutions for the homeless animal population in New Haven!

teward Teams are our after-school programs for 9 to 13 year olds. In 2012, Solar Youth offered Teams in two

schools and 3 neighborhoods. Following the Kids Explore!

Kids Do! Kids Teach! program model, adult educators work in partnership with teenage Youth Educators. Below are some highlights from C-SAP’s this past year!

Youth Across the City

Explore! Do! Teach!

Solar Youth Page 7

n January, while most New Haven kids hibernate, Solar

Youth Stewards continue to ex-plore! The Winter of 2012 was one of the most exciting yet!

Winter Explorers is designed to get kids outside during the win-ter as much as possible. It’s all made possible through a part-nership with the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Youth Oppor-tunities Program. They supply our youth with cold weather gear so they can hit the trails and still stay warm and toasty.

The mild Winter of 2013 al-lowed our explorers to spend more time outside than ever!

For the first time, Winter Ex-plorers came to West Hills, and youth from that neighborhood were able to experience winter Solar Youth style. They went on several hikes in nearby West Rock Ridge State Park, learned about hibernation and migra-tion, and participated in an age-old Solar Youth tradition: Hot Cocoa Talk!

Moving through the Cycle,

Stepping Up to lead!

eaders-in-Training is bigger than ever! LIT provides 7th and 8th graders who

have come up through the Cycle of Stew-ardship with advanced leadership training, situating them as role models for the first time. In 2012, LIT was offered at 4 of 5 So-lar Youth’s program sites.

In the Spring, Leaders in Training was offered in just Westville Manor. As veteran Stewards, LITs decided that it was most important that they begin to act as mentors to younger youth and help educators and interns run programs. So youth became official helpers in programs once a week. They spent another day planning their C-SAP and the “Solar Star“ trip— a Saturday adventure for youth with perfect attend-ance.

In the Fall , LIT expanded to Solar Youth’s two school-based sites: John Martinez School and Barnard Environmental Magnet School. These Stewards were thrilled to have the opportunity to graduate to a new program with more responsibility! And Educators were excited to have these amaz-ing youth, who they witnessed mature into amazing leaders, in program once a week as helpers.

LITs also designed and implemented C-SAPs over the course of the school year. At Bar-nard, LITs were concerned about children who were undergoing painful treatments at Smilow Cancer Hospital – so they decided to brighten their holidays with a toy drive! They collected over 40 toys, wrapped them in colorful paper, and delivered them to the treatment center downtown.

At John Martinez, youth chose to address street violence that plagues parts of their Fair Haven neighborhood. After speaking with community residents and doing re-search, they raised over $100 to buy solar-powered motion-activated security lights to install on the most dangerous corners of their neighborhood!

In Westville Manor, while researching how to address violence in their community, LITs

discovered that children who read at the appropriate level by the time they are in the third grade are 90% less likely to ever be incarcerated for a violent crime. They responded by collecting and organizing over 150 books, and making plans to distribute them to their community this spring. Now that’s leadership!

LIT trip to the top of East Rock Park

Westville Manor LITs and Coordinator Robbie

ervice/Adventure Crew allows youth to take full leadership over explorations

of their neighborhood and surrounding environment. At the beginning of each season, youth do a giant brainstorm, listing service projects they would like to perform in their neighborhood, and adventures they want to take. Educators then facilitate the creation of a program timeline and BOOM!, a season of Service/Adventure is born.

In the Spring, youth kicked the season off with a massive litter cleanup, collecting 7 giant bags of trash in just over an hour! In response to his Stewards’ service project idea, Miguel, our rock star Service Adven-ture Intern, used what he had learned about gardening from school, and helped youth construct a raised garden bed. Youth started seeds of herbs, tomatoes, and peas, and replanted them once they sprouted at

the end of the season! Their season was full of adventure, too. Youth hiked to Judge’s Cave, explored the nearby Pond Lily Preserve, and performed scavenger hunts. On one very special rainy day, they made their own ice cream in plastic bags!

In the Fall, youth spent every day outside, creating a trail from their neighborhood into the Pond Lily Preserve. They also went on regular hikes in the nearby West Rock Ridge State Park, using headlamps to light the way in the dark!

Nearly every day saw Stewards hitting the trail to perform service projects and explore their local environment. Stewards were also bitten by the gardening bug, and decid-ed to completely revamp the Solar Youth office’s backyard, turning the soil, building raised beds, and planting flowers and vege-tables. They also re-cleared the Solar Youth trail, prepping it for the hiking season, re-

painted the Solar Youth bridge, and did several trash cleanups in their neighbor-hood. They also held a bake sale, raising money for children born with heart defects. Youth were also concerned about bullying in their neighborhood and started a cam-paign to end verbal violence, going door to door to ask neighbors to sign an agreement to speak kindly to other people. For adven-tures, Stewards trekked up to Judge’s Cave and Lake Wintergreen, and practiced ori-enteering near the West Rock Nature Cen-ter and Wintergreen Brook!

In 2012 we piloted a Service Adventure Summer program, designed to serve the youth who cannot go to camp because they have summer school. Led by Sam Weiser and Solar Youth’s Volunteer of the Year Joshua Danis, every afternoon youth were given the opportunity to have adventures, learn and explore!

Solar Youth Page 9

During every Spring Break, Solar Youth runs a three-day program where Stewards focus on one theme as they Explore! Do! and Teach! The theme in 2012 was BIG FOOD! They made ice cream, visited the Peabody Museum, and shared what they learned.

Lighthouse State Park Stewards spent the day exploring the beach, identifying different creatures they found, playing large group games, and enjoying the scenery. The day concluded with a short visit to the splash park to cool off!

Outer Island This highly eventful day starting with a ferry ride to Outer Island. Once on the island, Stewards completed a scavenger hunt to look for local critters, and learned about the effects of invasive species, specifically the Asian Shore Crabs!

Biking at Edgewood Park During this highly-anticipated biking adven-ture, Stewards demonstrated their capacity for kindness and support. While biking through Edgewood Park, youth shared bicy-cles with one another.

New Britain Rock Cats Game On this very special trip, Stewards got the chance to watch the New Britain Rock Cats play the Binghamton Mets. Most of our Stewards had never seen a live professional sporting event before, and by the end of the day, baseball chants and Solar Youth songs were sung side by side!

Camping at Devil’s Hopyard in East Haddam The eagerly anticipated overnight to East Haddam was complete with tent-building, night hikes, stories by a campfire, and a hike to the river. This camping trip highlighted all the interpersonal skills that Stewards prac-ticed all season.

For our Stewards, summer is also a time for service! Below are the C-SAPs that youth performed in their environments and com-munities over the summer.

C-SAP: Hunting in Connecticut Stewards decided to research the different

opinions that surround both legal and illegal hunting in the state of Connecticut. They were touched by the plight of the White Tailed Deer, which is currently legally hunt-ed in the United States. Youth set out to form their own opinions about the issue, and made a movie about their journey.

C-SAP: Litter Clean-up at Edgewood Park Focusing on the problem of littering in their community, Stewards decided to spend a day cleaning up one of their beloved local parks. With the hope that leading by exam-ple would encourage others to stop littering in their community, youth cleaned their lo-cal park with energy and spirit! By the end of the day, they had four full bags of trash to show for their hard work!

C-SAP: Effects of Oil Spills on Oceans After hearing several news stories through-out the year, Stewards chose to address the impact of oil spills as an issue that was im-portant to them. After researching the issue, they realized that oil spills not only harm animal and plant life in the oceans, but also can harm humans! While completing re-search, they also learned the many ways oil spills can be avoided, and decided to inform their friends, family and legislators to pre-vent oil spills from ever happening again!

Citycology Summer Camp, for youth ages 4-8, was offered once again at Clarence Rogers Elementary School in West Rock (see page 3). But in 2012, Steward Camp (for 9 to 13 year olds) moved to Barnard Environmental Magnet School in the West River neighborhood. Below are some of the summer’s highlights!

"At first my thought of camp was him not learning any-

thing or he was going to take it as a joke. I was wrong. He

learned so much. I've seen progress every day.

I'm so proud and thankful for the Solar Youth program. I would recommend this pro-

gram to every mom."

-Solar Youth Parent

At the end of each program season, Stewards gather to present what they learned and accomplished with Solar Youth at a Public Educa-tion Forum (PEF). In front of their peers, families and community members, Stewards, with guidance from their Youth Educator Interns, sing songs, recite poems, perform skits and give presentations on the community and environmental issues they tackled during the season. A special thanks to our PEF hosts in 2012: the Yale Afro-American Cultural Center, City Hall, the New Haven Public Library and Catherine Brennan School! One of our long-term youth, TJ (bottom left), was too nervous to go onstage during the Citycology Summer Camp’s production of the Lorax. A natural-ly shy person, he opted to hand out programs to audience members as they filtered in instead. After camp was over, he confided in his educator that he regretted not going on stage and performing. So when it came time to ask for volunteers to give a speech at Solar Youth’s Public Education Forum, TJ’s hand shot up! Not only did he give a speech, but he did a fantastic job, overcoming his fear of public speaking.

Way to go, TJ!

Our end-of-season celebrations are a time for youth and staff to “let loose.” Outdoors in May and indoors in December, youth and adult staff put on a carnival-like field day full of games, costumes, karaoke, face-painting and more. Solar Youth is not all hiking and clean-ups...We are great dancers too!

And occasionally we throw in a little friend-ly BOYS versus GIRLS competition. Who do you think won this tug-of-war?

Solar Youth Page 11

s youth move through the Cycle of Stewardship, the highest achievement of their Solar Youth journey is the Youth Educa-

tor Internship. Teens, almost all past Solar Youth participants, are intensively trained to co-lead either Citycology, Steward Team or Service/Adventure programs.

In Citycology, Interns are the primary educators for our youngest cohort – they learn and eventually develop their own curriculum and lead games that teach both social skills and environmental con-cepts. In Steward Teams and Service/Adventure, Youth Educators work in partnership with adult educators to lead youth through cur-riculum, service projects, and adventures in nearby parks and wil-derness.

Each season, youth spend 2 to 3 weeks participating in an intensive training to learn best practices for working with youth, build relationships with each other, and have a whole lot of fun! Trainings include visits from outside facilitators, such as Joe Brummer from Community Mediation, who teaches Nonviolent Communication. Also, for years Lynn Smith from START Community Bank has delivered her wildly popular Loot Camp training about financial management and responsibility.

Pre-season training includes a camping retreat to learn outdoor skills and build trust as a team. Interns spent their retreat at Joe Dodge Lodge in New Hampshire in the spring and Noble View Outdoor Center in Massachusetts in the fall.

They used a map and compass to lead their own hike and navigate through the woods; participated in outdoor workshops

about Leave No Trace principals; and roasted marsh-mallows and sang songs around an open fire.

Every day our interns blow us away with their creativity, sense of caring, and can-do attitude. We have no doubt that these young people will go on to do incredible things with their lives!

*(% who responded that they agreed or significantly agreed)

My work ethic has improved ....................... 85%

I’m better prepared for future employment 93%

I’m motivated to continue my education .... 88%

I’m committed to living a healthier lifestyle 88%

I’m more sensitive to the impact of my actions on the environment ...................... 94%

Tubing during Spring Staff Training Retreat in New Hampshire Hiking near Noble View Camp during Fall Staff Training Retreat

"I am more prompt and know what is ap-

propriate and not in the work place. I am also a better people person."

-Youth Educator

olar Youth’s in school pro-gram, Hands-On Outdoor

Learning Adventure, utilizes an experiential approach to learn-ing science. Our curriculum is aligned with Connecticut Sci-ence Standards and offers Stewards an opportunity to learn through hands-on activi-ties including songs, games and movement. HOLA reinforces concepts learned in the class-room using different strategies

to appeal to multiple intelli-gences.

n partnership with the Bar-nard Environmental Magnet

School, every 2nd to 5th grade student (a total of 220 kids!) participates in the program. Ses-sions are held at Barnard Nature Center and the West River Me-morial Park, giving students an opportunity to learn about the wildlife and habitats in their school’s backyard.

Solar Youth Page 13

reen Jobs Youth Development is a paid internship program in which teenagers develop their job and leadership skills and

learn about the Green Jobs industry while executing stewardship projects that improve their communities. A Spring 2012 highlight was a trip to New York City to learn about the city’s history and sus-tainability initiatives. They visited the Highline, the Central Park Zoo and took a boat ride around Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty. At the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) youth saw exhibits that exam-ined how design responds to pressing contemporary needs, like food security in developing countries and sustainable practices in an urban setting in everyday life. Service projects included an anti-hunger campaign in which Interns developed packets with infor-mation on food resources in New Haven, which they then distribut-ed throughout McConaughy Terrace; and designing and distributing

pins that ad-dressed issues of violence, racism, and drug use throughout Westville Manor.

Unfortunately, due to funding challenges, we have not been able to run Green Jobs since the spring of 2012. But we are working hard to bring it back because having opportunities for youth in the teen years, along with supports and relationships, is critical to their journey towards success.

Green Jobs Interns at MOMA in New York City Landscaping a yard in Westville Manor

“I have learned many new things, met

many good people, and gained many skills I

can use in the future.”

-Green Jobs Intern

Solar Youth depends on partnerships to provide wrap-around services for our youth and support for explorations and Com-munity Service Action projects. We couldn't do our work without them!!

Appalachian Mountain Club’s Youth Opportuni-ties Program: gear, outdoor training and wilderness accommodations

Clifford Beers Clinic: mental health services and staff trainings

Common Ground High School: program space, com-post & soil and wonderful neighborliness

Community Mediation: conflict resolution and non-violent communication training

DataHaven.org: help with all sorts of data needs

Faith Temple Deliverance Center: in-kind program space in Newhallville

Housing Authority of Greater New Haven: in-kind space at two program sites

New Haven Dept of Parks, Recreation and Trees: canoe and kayak rentals and local facilities

New Haven Land Trust: facilitating youth engagement in Pond Lily restoration

New Haven Public Schools: hosts of two program sites

Shake Shack: public promotion and in-kind treats

Southern Connecticut State University Service Team: hosting college tours, painting the SY office and helping Stewards during C-SAPs

Start Community Bank: financial literacy workshops

Youth Development Training & Resource Center: youth development training for new SY staff

Cedar Tree Foundation Community Fnd. for Greater New Haven

Connecticut State Dept. of Social Services New Haven Public Schools Perrin Family Foundation

Barnes Foundation Dorr Foundation

Greater New Haven Green Fund Samuel & Helene Soref Foundation

Tauck Foundation Anna F. Ardenghi Trust • Bank of America Charitable

Foundation • CEIO • Charter Oak Foundation • City of

New Haven • First Niagara • George A. & Grace L. Long

Foundation • NewAlliance Foundation • Lewis G.

Schaeneman Foundation • Scott’s Miracle Grow

Company • Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation • Morris

Wessel Fund • United Illuminating • Valley Community

Foundation • Watershed Fund

SOLAR: Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, First Niagara Bank, Stratton Faxon

LUNAR: Annie E. Casey Fnd, Citizens Bank, Svigals + Partners

EARTHLY: A-1 Toyota, Carmody & Torrance LLP, Design Monsters, Higher One, Jack Hughes, IKEA, Southern Connecticut State Universi-

ty, Start Community Bank, Sunlight Solar Energy

Joe DeNicola, Chair

Aviv Aviad, Treasurer

Amanda Nugent, Secretary

Shakila McKnight, Youth Member

Jennifer Milikowsky

Patrick Redding

Joanne Sciulli

Mariann Van Buren

2012 Friends of Solar Youth BOLD=SUPERFOSY (gifts over $200) Underline=Best Friend FOSY (5+ years of Giving) LARGER FONT: Forever FOSY (10+ Years of giving)

Mark Abraham • Elia Alexiades • Chisom Amaechi • Joseph & Janet Ambrose • Joseph & Jana Ambrose • Carol Anastasio • Patrick Anderson •

Anonymous • Nicole Ardoin • Mark Aronson • Aviv & Corinne Aviad • Katharine Bacon • Joanne Badr • Sherill Baldwin & Kimball Cartwright • Padraig

Barry • Anna Bartow • Paul & Carole Bass •Ruth & Tom Beardsley-Sansone • David & Kristen Bechtel • Cordalie Benoit • Sonja Berggren & Patrick

Seaver • Nicole Berube • Timothy Bethune • Beyond Diversity 101 • Anthony & Marjorie Bialecki • Bethany Biller • Jon & Jackie Biller • Kate Biller •

Lauren Biller • Sandra Biller • Brian Blakeley & Terry Freeman • Leslie Blatteau • Hugh Blodgett • Meredith Blodget • Edgar Bonilla • Mark & Fiona

Bradford • Dean Bradshaw • Brenner, Saltzman & Wallman, LLP • Allan Brison • Norman & Elaine Brown • Bill Brown • Gordon & Alisa Brown •

Josiah Brown • Zach Brown • Frank Bruckmann & Muffy Pendergast • James Bruno & William Gratz • John Buell & Beth Rosen • Ralph

Buonocore • William & Judith Burch • Mike Burns • Peter Butler • Thea Buxbaum & Gar Waterman • Guido & Anne Calabresi • Marc Campbell • Vincent Cangiano • Priscilla Canny • Mary Elizabeth Carr • Julie Carson • David Casagrande • Derek Case • Judith Case • John Cavaliere • Brenda Cavanaugh •

John Champion & Wendy Samberg • Peter Chenot • Star Childs • Laura Clarke • Jeremiah Coffey • Robert Cole • J. Kieran Coleman • Cora Col-

lins • William Colwell • Claire Corcoran & Will Murphy • Casey Cordes & Kary Strickland • Kathleen Crisafi • Chris Crockett • Charlotte Currier •

Gabriel & Inger Da Silva • Terry Dagradi • Diane Daskal & Harvey Ruben • Mark Dellavalle • Anthony DeNicola • Barbara DeNicola • Jenna DeNicola • Joseph DeNicola • Richard & Lorraine DeNicola • Design Monsters • Mark Davenport • Melissa Diamond • Valerie Knight-Di Gang • Patricia Dillon •

Megan Doherty • William Doheny • Marjorie & Gary Drucker • Karen DuBois-Walton • Barbara Duncan • William Dyson • Andy & Eileen Eder • Keith

Eisenstadt • Christopher Engstrom • Susan Epstein • Eric Epstein & Karyn Gilvarg • Mats Ericson & Lauri Robbins • Jim Farnam • Kathy Fay • Serena Feliciano • Augustine Filomena & Joan Saddler • Bob Fitzgerald & Kristen Phelps • Haley Fletcher • Alyson Fox • Becky Fox • Jerome Fox • Emily

Gallagher • Kelley Gargano • Matt & Cass Garrett • Daphne Geismar • Chris George • Chris & Toddie Getman • Dennis Getz & Pat Preziosi • Liz Cox •

Heather Gilbert • Peter Gilbert & Annick Winokur • Pamela Giunti • Stephen & Sally Glick • Betsy Goldberg • Laura Goldblum • Robin Golden • Maria

Gomez • Michelle Gottlieb • Bennett & Sharon Graff • Rebecca Gratz • Gratz Family Foundation • Bill & Jean Graustein • Meg Graustein • Mille

Grenough • Albert Guerrera • Jared Hardner • Gilda Hardy • Javaughn Harris • Whitney & Tiz Hatch • Nora Hawkins • John Hayward • Barbara Healy • David Heiser • Yehoshua Hershberg • Drew Hess • Karen Hirsch • Jules Hopkinson • Housing Authority of New Haven • Blaine Hudson • John Hughes & Pat Dillon • Hull's Art Supply & Framing • Alan Hurst • Charisse Hutton • Joan Huwiler • Jack's Concessions • Shirley Jackson • Aaron Jafferis • George

Jafferis • Leroy Jenkins • Jay Johnson • Thom Johnson • Jonathan London • Candace Jones • Cathy Jones • Emily & Garard Jones • Adriana Joseph • John Julien • Junta for Progressive Action • Peter & Meg Kassen • Kelly Keefe • Sarah Kingston • Mary Kirkpatrick • Robert Klee • Cami Kloster • Margot

Kohorn • Emily Kouterick • Daniel Krauss • Robert Kreitler • Jo Kremer • William Kurtz • Erin Labulis • Jenny & Isadora Laden • Angela Lakomski • Lorna Lamoureux • Miles Lasater • David & Trina Learned • Alex Leary • Marcia Leonard • Kia Levey • Dan Levinson • Elizabeth Libby • Gina & Scott Little •

Henry Lodge • J.R. Logan • Richard LoPresti •Henry Lord •Henry Lowendorf • Mokshay Madiman • Michelle Maitland • Christine Malloy • Janice Mansi • Edward Martenson • Hallie Martenson • Janet Martone • Charlie Mason • Maureen McCarthy • Susan McCaslin & George Corsillo • Leslie McClashie •

Marie McDaniel • Emily & Benjamin McGalliard • Robert McGuire & Ilene Crawford • Paul Mckenzie • Peggy & Dick McKie • Alexandra Meier • Andrew & Lucy Meigs • Damian Mendel • Jane Merkel • Sara Michalak • Marjorie Micklos • Jen & Alex MikoLevine • Jennifer Milikowsky • Sharon & Daniel Milikowsky • G & Penelope Miller • Rebecca Miller • Sarah Miller & Lee Cruz • Kathleen & John Millerick • Kayla Millerick • Lesley Mills • Michael

Minardi • WM Mitchell • Janet Morrison • Rebecca Morrison • Sarah Morrison • Mutual Of America Foundation • Binta Mwando • Meg & David Myers • Ginger Nash • Netter Family Fund • Margarita Nieves • Jordan Nodelman & Mark Orintas • Magdalina Novakova • Amanda & Daniel Nugent • Brian

Nugent • Matthew O’Hare •Sara Ohly • Anne Olcott • Maryann Ott • Luis Pagan • Carmel Paleski • Susan Papa • Josefina Paredes • Ali Parmelee •

Charles & Melanie Payne •Rosalind & Stephen Pendergast • Peterson Brothers, LLC •Darren Peterson • Liza Petra •Jack & Jane Phillips •

Arthur Phillips •Caroline Phillips • John & Charlotte Phillips • Danielle Piazza • James & Elayn Ponet •Stephen Press • Richard Remnick & Lisa Fernandez • James Rhoades • Andrew Richardson & Ellen Denny • Nikisha Riley • Jackel Robinson • David & Lisa Roger • Cynthia Rojas • Helen

Rosenberg • Suzanne Rosenberg • Judy Rosenthal • Marjorie Rosenthal • Caroline Ross Grossman • Andy Ross • Jeffrey Rubin • Paul Sabin • Shelly

Saczynski • Elisa Sananman • Amy Sananman & Mauricio Trenard • Gudrun Scheffler & Francesca Martin • Beth Scherer • Frank & Barbara Sciulli •

Joanne Sciulli • Michael Sesko • James Shea • Claire Shubik-Richards • Ina Silverman • Mary Silvia • Steven Sitrin • Donald & Cheryl Smith • Candice

Smith • Don & Melanie Smith • Lynn Smith • Richard & Kerala Snyder • Peter Sparks • Ken Stacey • Anthony Stephens • Garrett & Andrea Stevens • Karen Stiles-Biller • Anne & Arthur Stiles • Louis & Susan Stone • Michael & Suzanne Stringer • Tiffany Talley • Think Creative Group • Joel Tolman •

Jeff Tomei • Aisha Thompson & Gameliel Moses • James Travers & Steve Marks • Karen Townsend • Sandra Trevino • Maria Tupper • United Technologies • Mariann Van Buren • Jennifer Vickery • Rika Visser • Janna Wagner • Nancy Walker • Kate Walton • Robert Wechsler & Emily Aber • Jennifer Weeks • Carla Weil • Sam Weiser • Susan Weisselberg • West Rock Ridge Park Association • Glenn & Dotty Weston-Murphy • Harry Wexler • Melissa Whalen • JoAnne Wilcox • Amanda Winalski • Winkle Bus • Dan Wolf • Marlene Woodman • Robert Wright • Betsy Yagla • Yale University •

George Zdru • Bridget Zerner • Margaret Zhang

Solar Youth Page 15

Learn more, or DONATE, at

At Right: Women In Wilderness Trip—Spring 2012 Funded by Women & Girls Fund of Community Fnd for Greater New Haven

53 Wayfarer Street New Haven, CT 06515

(203) 387-4189

info@solaryouth.org

“Solar Youth has helped me become a better person in school, home, and in the community.” -Isa, Solar Youth Intern

“The hike up East Rock was the best day of my life! Solar Youth is the best after-school program ever!”

-Jaylin, age 9

“I learned that we should not underestimate whether or not a kid can make a change.”

-Andy, Solar Youth Intern

“[My son] has come a long way since he came to Solar Youth because he was going through so much at home. Solar Youth helped him stay focused and not worry all

the time. He's much happier.”

“Since joining Solar Youth, my child is more active with community ac-tivities. She's more social with others and improved in her social skills

and is learning quite a few things about nature. She really loves it.”

Solar Youth Stewards spend day after day, week after week, and year after year on their Solar Youth Journey! Cherish and Romell are just two examples, of many!