Volume 13 - Issued March 2014
... At Solar Youth, we call our young people “Stewards.” We do this to nurture in them identities as caretakers – of New Haven’s communities and natural environment, certainly; but also of their peers, families and themselves. When we give our young people opportunities and encouragement to practice stewardship, they do not disappoint. They keep our neighborhoods clean and beautiful. They serve as mentors to young children. They learn to work as a team to solve important problems. They pick each other up. They work hard to develop the personal qualities and professional skills that will benefit them
in adulthood. They take care of the world around them, benefiting us all.
Solar Youth is very important to me and my neighborhood. We have had Solar Youth throughout our whole life offering us new friends, family, learning, and friendship. -Talizha Jones Our Stewards also take care of Solar Youth! One of Solar Youth’s core values is that youth should have a voice in who we are and what we do. Teenage Interns lead programs and deliver curriculum and younger Stewards design and implement service projects that address issues of importance to them. Youth also play an active role in Solar Youth’s governance; in fact youth representation on the board is a requirement of Solar Youth’s bylaws. In keeping with this tradition, in 2013 we added a new youth representative, Kenaya, to our Board of Directors! At 16, she and her family have been part of Solar Youth for over 8 years! And we will continue to nurture youth leadership within Solar Youth in 2014. We recent-
ly re-established our Leaders-in-Training program (LIT) for 7th and 8th graders, an alwaystough-to-reach age cohort. LIT is designed to provide leadership training and experience that will serve as a springboard for further service as youth enter high school and become eligible for Solar Youth’s paid Internship programs. LIT is also an opportunity for young people to gain experience making decisions about issues that impact the organization as a whole, including, potentially, as new board members.
Enjoy reading about all of the stewardship achievements of our youth inside!
Joanne Sciulli Executive Director
2013 was a year of preparing for Solar Youth’s future. We started our most recent strategic plan – focusing on refining and replicating our pipeline of programs, called the Cycle of Stewardship. It’s been a time to revisit some of the most fundamental questions about who were are and why our work is important, and then chart a new and improved course for the coming years.
Khadija Bshara Program Director
Gameliel Moses Senior Educator
Candace Jones Operations Manager
Jack Phillips Dir. of External Relations
What we have determined to date (we hope to finalize our plan this summer) is both heartening and humbling. The good news: we believe with every fiber of our being that Solar Youth has a profound impact on the lives of our young people. We learn this through formal evaluations of our programs, but also unsolicited feedback from Stewards, Interns, alumni and families. We have also concluded that there is much work to be done. In particular, we have come to believe that we must do more to serve our teens in our target communities. We must:
Program Staff
Lauren Dummich Brae Ferguson Katie Jones Josh Kelly Sarah Morrison Nicole Peruso Public Ally
Hawa Cisse 2013 Senior Interns
Emani Adams Danny Amir James Bethea Essence Dawson Niamke Ellis Rigoberto Escalera Royshon Ferguson Sascha Gould Quintaisja Harrison Mahogany Johnson Andy Juarez Tatiana Moreno Jasmine Peterson Ada'Jia Phillipe David Roman III Alexsandro Streater Xavier Taylor-Long Randall Wright, Jr.
1) Provide opportunities for more teens. Solar Youth currently cannot afford to run its Green Jobs program. The program, mostly dormant since 2012, has traditionally targeted our most at-risk teens. We know the need is great. Since the suspension of Green Jobs, several former participants have encountered serious legal troubles. We feel a deep responsibility to these teens to ensure they have constructive out-of-school opportunities to learn a variety of job and life skills while also earning a modest paycheck. We have received a commitment from the Housing Authority of New Haven, via the Boys and Girls Club, to help re-establish Green Jobs over the next three years. We are currently in the process of identifying other funding sources to help us close the remaining resource gap. 2) Be more intentional in our support of teens as they seek success after high school. Whether this means earning a high school diploma, gaining admission to college, securing financial aid or providing general guidance, we hope to play a more impactful role in helping our teens identify and achieve their goals in life. There’s much work to be done. But with your help, FOSY, and many others’, we promise to continue to get better at helping all of our young people achieve success in life. Thank YOU for all you do for Solar Youth and our amazing young people!
Joanne Sciulli Founder and Executive Director
, developed by founding youth and adults, is
to provide opportunities for young people to develop a to others through programs that incorporate and
Our
is for the youth of New Haven to be and own lives and
and , .
of their communities .
Youth served Paid Internships offered to teens Total stipend dollars paid to Interns Field trips and off-site explorations Steward-led Community Service Action Projects % of Stewards who said SY motivates them to do well in school % of Interns who said SY prepared them for future employment
% of Parents who would recommend SY to others
Westville Manor Public Housing Newhallville
476 60 47,926 109 30 97 100 100
Since 2011, when SY expanded to new neighborhoods...
...total enrollment has exceeded 2,100 youth ages 4 to 19! ...94% of 126 Intern respondents
West Hills
Barnard Environmental Science Magnet School (West River)
said SY encouraged them to continue their education! ...89% of Stewards believe that they can and should help solve problems in their environment and community!
Solar Youth ď‚˜ Page 3
Identifying Tinaejah’s positive qualities is no difficult feat. She takes her spare time to assist with the younger groups in Westville Manor. She enjoys helping educators in any way that she can, often making herself available for field trips and other season events. A true representative of a Solar Youth Steward, she mentors by example. After participating in Solar Youth for three years, she naturally took on more responsibilities and hopes to be an Intern right when she turns 14. Since 2011, Tinaejah has participated in 5 C-SAPS, not to mention all the other groups who she has assisted in her time with Solar Youth. Her willingness to volunteer and assist Educators has been a much appreciated addition to our team!
Taylor had her first experience with Solar Youth as a 4th and 5th grader, which she said helped define her experience as an Intern. She had a strong early memory of a Solar Youth exercise on poverty where she was put in the position of someone of lower income right next to someone who was very wealthy. She said that this made her see some of the realities and inequalities in the world which made her want to make a difference.
TJ has been participating in Solar Youth for two years now and he has grown so much! Some of his fondest memories are of Solar Youth Summer Camp. He recalls “We sang songs, played games and ate s’mores!” TJ has found that homework help assists him with “what I need to do.” His positive attitude and dedication to programs is an inspiration to staff and other youth. Watching him grow has been a pleasure for all of the Solar Youth community. Educators have found that TJ shows an enormous sense of compassion for other youth and often find him seeking to comfort others who are having trouble with program. We know that TJ will make a fine Solar Youth Intern one day!
“I have learned that there are a lot of environmental problems with our generation and I would like to help the future generation make the world a better place.” -Taylor teach me about my responsibilities as a young adult and about the responsibility of caring for someone else’s child. It has also taught me to manage my time and money.”
Highlighting Taylor as an Intern is no difficult feat, since her time as an Intern for the Fall 2013 Season, she has set a strong example of what Solar Taylor shared what her experience as Youth truly appreciates in an Intern: an Intern did for her as an individual: the authentic desire to motivate and “Being a Solar Youth Intern helped inspire through example!
2012 Solar Youth Page 5
Youth Teaching Youth!
itycology is many Stewards’ entry point into Solar Youth. Curriculum focuses heavily on social development (emotional self-control, rudimentary communication and conflict resolution skills). We also focus on introducing youth to the concept of appreciation and stewardship and the importance of caring for nature, each other and our ourselves. Many youth go on their first outdoor adventures in Citycology, and we focus much attention on getting youth to feel more comfortable in nature. 013 marked the start of one program site shifting from McConaughy Terrace to the West Hills Community Center during our fall season. There you can find Citycolo-
“Since joining Solar Youth, [my daughter] isn't scared to try new things. She has developed a sense of security in herself .” -Citycology Parent
uring spring, West Hills contributed to a multi-faceted clean-up at Pond Lily Nature Preserve (photo below) where they not only cleaned their neighborhood on the way, but also made Community Awareness Posters on brown grocery bags to inform local shoppers of littering problems near Pond Lily. all Westville Manor Stewards have also started practicing mindfulness training through their tree curriculum, adapting yoga poses for exercising non-violent communication and tree anatomy (photo left). he courage and initiative of Solar Youth’s young stewards amazes staff season after season. Way to go! gy’s extensive tree-tectives work where they learned to identify leaves and bark during hikes and off-site exploration. During their time outdoors, they discovered that homeless animals were an issue in their neighborhood. After this discovery, the West Hills Team made shelters and feeding stations for stray cats and donated them to a local stray cat advocate.
Kids Do!
Across the board, Westville Manor Citycology Stewards were concerned about the violence in their neighborhood. They talked about all types of violence from robberies, domestic violence, and shootings, to bullying and kids playing rough on the playground. After several discussions about violence it became clear these Stewards wanted to learn more about Anger and Anger Management. Thanks to “The Home Teacher” Blog, Citycology youth had a model for learning about Anger Management through an Angry Birds Curriculum that their Educator expanded on. After three weeks into the program, Stewards decided to base their C-SAP on reaching out to their community about Anger Management in the form of friendship bracelets and bookmarks. them! They then went around and passed them out to our neighbors! Great CSAP Stewards!
Youth Across the City Explore! Do! Teach! teward Teams are our after-school programs for 9 to 13 year olds. In 2013, Solar Youth offered a total of 9 programs at five different program sites!
Highlighted below are samples of our youth taking the world by storm through our Kids Explore! Kids Do! Kids Teach! Community Service Action Project model.
Newhallville Steward Song to the tune of “Royals”
Here, Ja’day spreads avocado on a whole wheat sandwich to serve her neighborhood healthy eating options. It was through this experience that Stewards shared healthy choices for families.
In Solar Youth, havin’ fun, doin’ CSAP Hiking, biking, drinking plenty water Cuz we care Kids explore Kids do Kids teach And everybody loves Playing games and going on adventures, Making new friends, working in the garden, Homework help. We are striving for excellence. And we’ll always be loyal (loyal) Loyal to community We sing and drum songs on the bus And you know we care for us. Cuz we are the rulers (ruler) Rulers of our destiny And baby we rule (We rule we rule we rule) This is youth empowerment.
Newhallville Stewards address violence in their community by adapting the song “Royals” to their own situation (see lyrics at left). They advocated peace through posters and a live performance at a season-end Public Education Forum.
Westville Manor Stewards take on a Neighborhood Beautification project by painting boarded up homes in the community. Blue and Yellow were the colors to brighten the atmosphere. Stewards received a warm response from families throughout their Manor! Stewards dedicated some time to notice the plants, mulch and garden decorations, as well!
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The Next Generation Of Interns! hat is it that makes someone a Leader in Training? Is it the way the walk? Is it the way they talk? Well, you could say that. eaders in Training often take extensive nature walks where they learn what it means to work as a team and explore new and challenging surroundings. Yes, they also talk, sometimes even at the State Capitol where they give speeches on their experiences as leaders in the community. IT prepares 7th and 8th graders with hands-on education in communication, problem-solving, and project management. Our program encourages our older and more experienced youth to take on larger responsibilities after having been participants in our programs. This transition of roles better equips them for the coming years when they become eligible to serve as Interns and earn their first paycheck! IT is a program for youth who have been with Solar Youth in earlier stages who are interested in becoming Interns once they reach high school. Curriculum focuses on preparing youth to be educators, engendering a sense of responsibility, building confidence in leadership abilities and prompting thinking about postsecondary life-planning.
"I am proud
of myself after being in this program because I got to work with amazing people and learned a lot about myself along the way." -Willy
hough Winter proves to be more of an indoor retreat for most, our Stewards continue to explore! January provides our teams with a whole new way to look at the outdoors. hether it be scouting for animal tracks in the snow, or learning the humane ways to go ice fishing through a workshop with Parks and Recreation, our Stewards are very busy! he Winter Explorers session is also when stewards have the enjoyment of performing at the Annual Peabody Museum MLK celebration. In 2013, Stewards did a drumming performance in front of all those attending the event.
n 2013, we ran Service Adventure in 2 neighborhoods in the spring, and just West Hills in the fall. main focus of Service/Adventure Stewards was cleaning their community and engaging deeper with their neighbors. In the fall, the West Hills Crew took on an awesome project in which they chose one neighbor a week to clean up
their yard. This yard work included trash pick-up, raking of leaves, and simple conversations. Stewards even used the Substation of 329 Valley St. as one of their neighbors, and cleaned and picked up the area for the police officers. The community and officers were so thankful for the simple action of helping a neighbor and taking care of one another.
he Stewards also completed many Adventure days. They hiked around West Rock and got to explore Judge’s Cave; they were pioneers discovering the Pond Lily Nature Preserve; and they became advocates for the West River. There was an amazing amount of care and compassion that the Stewards displayed for their environment and each other.
Solar Youth Stewards play central role in the restoration of Pond Lily Nature Preserve! ocated in West Hills, Pond Lily has such incredible potential as an outdoor learning laboratory, but due to neglect over the years, has become overgrown and littered with trash and is rarely visited. In partnership with New Haven Land Trust and Save the Sound, West Hills Stewards have worked hard to coordinate the removal of solid waste, cleer trails and mobilize community residents to ensure Pond Lily’s stewardship over the long term. Stewards will continue to contribute to the project until Pond Lily is once again a pristine oasis for all to enjoy! Thanks to all the volunteers who joined us on our Pond Lily CleanUps last year, including John Champion and Board Chair Joseph DeNicola!
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 2013 was EXTREME WEATHER! They played emergency preparedness games, made their own tornadoes and rotated stations on fires, volcanoes, earthquakes and extreme wind.
Solar Youth Page 9
Week One: Welcome to the Forest While exploring the woods around West Rock, Lake Wintergreen, and West River, Stewards learned about the parts of a tree, ecosystems, and how everything is connected. They also learned about the life cycle of cicadas and were able to hear their buzzing call almost every day!
source and non-point source pollution through interactive games such as Fred the Fish, where youth experience how water can become polluted from runoff and various forms of pollution as it travels downstream. They even had time to build their very own watersheds and be super heroes for a day!
pressure while learning the science behind each. Stewards also got the chance to Skype with meteorologist Quincy Vagell and explore a mobile weather lab! Youth were able to learn about weather tracking instruments and how they are used.
Week Five: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! The last week of camp youth learned about the 3 R’s through songs, games, crafts, and Week Two: Under Long Island Sound! relay races. They even had Cyril the SorcerStewards explored brackish water, tide er, a magician who teaches about recycling, pools, salt water, and sea life at Lighthouse come and visit!!! They finished the week off Park! They were also able to practice math with a Public Education Forum, a small carniwhile trying to measure out a life size whale! val on the last day, and a Talent One Educator even brought in some live Show!!! Overall everyone had a fantastic crabs for show and tell! Towards the end of the summer Stewards summer took a field trip to WTNH to visit the set durWeek Three: Mother Earth ing the noon news broadcast! Stewards Stewards learned about seeds, planting, were able to see behind the scenes of what germination, compost, weather, clouds, and it takes to put on the news. They learned rain. They first learned about germination Steward Team Summer Camp partnered about cameras, the set, the green screen, by making seed necklaces that sprout over with News Channel 8 and WXedge to learn and how things look differently on the TV time. At the end of the week our Stewards about extreme weather! As part of their than they do in the broadcasting room! joined forces with Friends of Edgewood Park daily routine, Stewards tracked the weather and their Summer Intern Crew to plant on their own weather tracker. They record- At the end of the summer Stewards took Daffodils around the West River Park! We ed humidity, temperature, precipitation, and over the New Haven Green to teach commucan’t wait to see them bloom this spring! nity members about acid rain, emergency Week Four: Urban Ecosystem Stewards explored the impact of humans and urban areas on the environment. They tackled challenging concepts such as point
“Lilly is more interested weather; she now watches the weather channel. She has also started a rock collection. She enjoyed learning about the clouds and visiting WTNH.” - Solar Youth parent
preparedness, and the importance of storm drains. They also raised money to buy flashlights/ponchos to donate for emergency preparedness. Great job Stewards!!!
A highlight on our..
Stewards are helping to revive the natural habitat of Pond Lily, including helping restore depleted American Eel populations, critical members of the West River’s ecosystem. In the spring, Solar Youth’s Service Adventure Crew released 20 American Eels into the West River at Pond Lily. With the help of Save the Sound, Stewards were able to contribute to a thriving ecosystem in their very own back yards! Mayor DeStefano greeting youth at ceremony
Everyone benefits when you eat at Shake Shack! It has been a pleasure to collaborate with Shake Shack, which donates 5% of their specialty "Elm City Coffee Break" frozen custard to support Solar Youth. Shake Shack has pitched in in other ways, too! Shake Shack staff supported a Intern -led painting project in Westville Manor, served tasty treats at our benefit party and donated awesome items for our annual auction. Thanks, Shake Shack!
Rock to Rock is an annual bike ride from East Rock to West Rock benefitting local environmental groups. In 2013, Solar Youth Stewards made their presence felt with a huge crew of riders decorated in Solar Youth paraphernalia! Many Stewards had never explores the City by bike before, and got to experience New Haven’s parks and neighborhoods on two wheels!
The Ivy Street Community Garden Greenhouse Project is currently underway! On Wednesday, October 16th, the Ivy Street Community Garden, located at the corner of Ivy Street and Shelton Avenue in Newhallville, was officially opened. The Greenhouse project is a collaborative effort involving local community gardeners, the City of New Haven’s Livable City Initiative, the New Haven Land Trust, Lincoln-Bassett School, SEEDnh, Common Ground High School, and Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven. And Solar Youth Stewards will be a special part of this project, too! Starting in March 2014, Solar Youth will have its own area in the garden, where they can practice growing their own fruits, vegetables and herbs! We can’t wait to see what our harvest produces!
Kids Teach!
At the conclusion of each season, all Stewards convene in a public setting to celebrate their accomplishments and present their PEPs to family, friends and community members at a Public Education Forum. In 2013, Stewards performed songs, recited skits, and handed out handmade bookmarks. Stewards found pride in their community initiatives as they wowed audiences with presentations on all their achievements!
Solar Youth Page 11
or many of our teens, a Solar Youth Internship is their first job. Curriculum focuses on preparing Interns to colead programs with adult staff. They learn Educator skills, like Nonviolent Communication (from our partners at Community Mediation), youth development, delivering a lesson plan, mentorship, group facilitation, as well as broadly-applied job skills, like workplace etiquette, timeliness, work ethic, etc. uch program time is dedicated to helping Interns plan for life after high-school (college prep, interviewing and resume writing, financial literacy, etc.). Internships are also meant to be an opportunity for teens to be themselves in ways they can’t in other settings, which creates strong conditions for staff to encourage self-reflection and safe risk-taking. nterns often have been involved with Solar Youth for many years, progressing through the Cycle of Stewardship, gaining leadership skills along the way. hile the role of an Intern is to motivate and offer a positive example to our youth, they also take on the major responsibilities of leading lesson plans and collaborating with Educators on behavior management strate-
gies. Fridays provide a time for Interns to receive additional professional training and meet with adult staff to plan their next week of programs. 013 highlights included a retreat at Noble View Camp in Russell, MA, where interns learned team building skills and prepared their own meals at this beautiful campsite (in partnership with the Appalacian Mountain Club’s Youth Opportunities Program); a poetry-writing workshop with local poet and activist, Aaron Jafferis; mindfulness training and Career Days in the spring and fall with local professionals. olar Youth offered a total of 50 Youth Educator Internships in 2013, providing power in numbers and more flexibility in the delivery of programs, and more time for one-on-one mentorship with younger Stewards. any 2013 Interns have returned in 2014, along with a new batch of promising young leaders!
Photos clockwise from top left: Interns learn communication and problem-solving through a challenge during staff training; Career Day: Fall 2013 with inventor Ian Appelgate and a SuperFOSY Bun Lai, owner of Miya’s Sushi; during the camping staff retreat in the fall, Interns became part of a couple’s wedding photo shoot at the Noble View camp; Keyshawn, Gammy and Corey show their professional style during Career Day.
n 2013 we were only able to offer one season of Green Jobs in one neighborhood due to funding constraints. But thanks to funding from the Housing Authority of New Haven and a Youth Violence Prevention Grant from the City of New Haven, ten teens from Westville Manor spent the summer implementing community service projects and learning leadership and job skills as part of Solar Youth’s Green Jobs Internship program. ver the course of five weeks, four young women and six young men participated in skill-building workshops and educational field trips – to Quinnipiac and Southern Connecticut State Universities for
Alex planting flowers donated by DeMatteo Farm
educe, Reuse, Recycle, Reduce using less is the best, Reuse-use it again with a friend, Recycle-put that can in a bin.” This is the three R’s chant we use to teach Barnard students about resource conservation and example of the many chants and songs we use to teach. OLA is Solar Youth’s in-school program in partnership with Barnard Environmental Science Magnet school. We have aligned our curriculum with CT Science Standards and teach the students with a hands-on, fun approach while fostering a connection to the West River Memorial Park.
college tours, the Yale farm to make pizza, Start Community Bank for its Loot Camp financial literacy workshop and New Haven Housing Services to learn about sustainable building. Interns finished the season with a celebration at Lake Compounce! nterns also developed beautification projects in the neighborhood over the course of the summer, including several flower planting sessions, a big litter cleanup and a community garden project. For their project finale, Interns decided to paint boards that cover up vacant houses in Westville Manor, with help from a team from Shake Shack. Check out this New Haven Register article on that exciting project!
Touring the grounds of Yale with landscaper
very student from 2nd to 5th grade participates in HOLA. Teachers are given follow up materials to reinforce concepts within the classrooms and then students also take home a family reflection which facilitates parent involvement and encourages the children to take pride in what they have learned and accomplished.
nterns “ Solar Youth received has helped prepare me a for life after high school by stipend making me responsible for for my actions because their efforts I'm becoming an adult” over the -Green Jobs Intern summer and reported that they learned a lot - about landscaping, about problem solving and about preparing for their futures! Great work, Green Jobs Interns!
Eating salad pizza at Yale Farm
which helps them to better remember all the information presented. The way the lessons are presented increase student engagement.” “Almost all the students were totally engaged and retained what was learned”
uote from teacher: “The students had a great time learning the songs
Solar Youth Page 13
Joe DeNicola Chair
Aviv Aviad Treasurer
Amanda Nugent Secretary
Shakila McKnight Youth Member
Jennifer Milikowsky Patrick Redding Joanne Sciulli Kenaya Streater Youth Member
Mariann Van Buren Steve Winkel
Cedar Tree Foundation City of New Haven Community Fnd. for Greater New Haven CT State Dept. of Social Services CT State Office of Policy and Mgmt. Dorr Foundation New Haven Public Schools Perrin Family Foundation Barnes Foundation Greater New Haven Green Fund Samuel & Helene Soref Foundation Anna F. Ardenghi Trust • Bishop’s Fund for Children • Blue State Coffee • Chapel Construction • Charter Oak Foundation • First Niagara • Housing Authority of New Haven • Liberty Bank Foundation • NEEEA • NewAlliance Foundation • Pincus Family Foundation • Lewis G. Schaeneman Foundation • Shake Shack • UIL Holdings Corp. • Watershed Fund • Whole Foods Market
SOLAR: Stratton Faxon LUNAR: Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
Mayor John DeStefano Thank you to our former Mayor for all of your support over the years, but especially for always agreeing to meet with our youth when they had issues they wanted to share with him, and for challenging THEM to be partners in addressing them.
EARTHLY: A-1 Toyota, Carmody and Torrance LLC, Chamber Insurance Trust, Higher One, Shake Shack, Start Community Bank, Svigals + Partners and Yale University And HUUUUGE THANK YOU to our volunteer Solar Jam committee: Aly Fox, Angel Gomez and Amanda Nugent!!
2013 Friends of Solar Youth BOLD=SUPERFOSY (gifts over $500) Underline=Best Friend FOSY (5+ years of Giving) LARGER FONT: Forever FOSY (10+ Years of giving)
Liz Acas, Sarah Aldrich, Joshua Allen, Vajra Alsop, Janet & Joe Ambrose, Michael Ames, Kelly Anastasio, Aquila Motors, Mark Aronson, Leela Atluru, Aviv & Corinne Aviad, Elizabeth Babalola, Kirk & Sandra Baird, Sherill Baldwin & Kimball Cartwright, Kenyetta Banks-Smith, Anna Bartow, Paul & Carole Bass, Ruth Beardsley & Tom Sansone, David & Kristen Bechtel, Tom Belviso, Eli Ben Haim, Drew Benard, Gale Bentley, Stephanie Bergman, Timothy Bethune, Tony Bialecki, Jon & Jackie Biller, Kate Biller, Lauren Biller, Biller, Sachs, Raio & Zito, Brian Blakeley & Terry Freeman, Leslie Blatteau, Barbara Bolles, Karen Bonanno, Edgar Bonilla, Kathryn Bowman, Mark & Fiona Bradford, Alice Bradley, Robert & Kati Bradley, Dean Bradshaw, Allan Brison & Betsy Goldberg, Beth & Ian Brooks, Bill Brown, Brenner, Saltzman & Wallman LLP, Gordon & Alisa Brown, Josiah Brown, Norman & Elaine Brown, Frank Bruckmann & Muffy Pendergast, James Bruno & William Gratz, Peter Butler, Diane Buxbaum, Thea Buxbaum & Gar Waterman, Lisa Cacioli, Café Nine, Guido & Anne Calabresi, Tylan Calcagni, Charles Cameron, Penny Canny, Colin Caplan, Sharon Cappetta, Donald Carson, Julie Carson & Mark Davenport, Derek Case, Alessandro Cavaliere, Brenda Cavanaugh, Chabaso Bakery, John Champion & Wendy Samberg, Sandra Chen, Marian Chertow & Matthew Nemerson, Star Childs, City Climb Gym, Ellen Cohen, Gloria Cohen, Robert Cole, J. Kieran Coleman, Thomas Collier, William Colwell, Community Mediation, Vincent Contrucci, Penrhyn Cook, Susanne Cook, David Coon, Suzanne Cooney, Peter & Diana Cooper, Casey Cordes & Kary Strickland, Liz Cox & David Gibson, Peter Crane, Claire Criscuolo, Simone Crowe, Lee Cruz & Sarah Miller, William Curran, Charlotte Currier, Gabriel & Inger Da Silva, Terry Dagradi, Mike Dauphin, Leslie Davenport, Cedric David, Joanne DeBernardo, Frank DeLeo, Barbara DeNicola, Joe DeNicola, Richard & Lorraine DeNicola, Design Monsters, Bo Detch, Devil's Gear Bike Shop, Nancy Dietman, Philip Diette, Pat Dillon & John Hughes, Maureen Dillon, Bruce Ditman, William Doheny, Lise Dondy, Gabriel Duncan-Roitman, William Dyson, Andy & Eileen Eder, Deborah Elkin, Elm City Market, Michael Endreny, Eric Epstein & Karyn Gilvarg, Mats Ericson & Lauri Robbins, Zeb Esselstyn, John Fallon, Jim Farnam, Mary Faulkner, Michael Felberbaum, Brae Ferguson, Augustine Filomena & Joan Saddler, Stephanie Fitzgerald, Bob Fitzgerald & Kristen Phelps, Alyson Fox, Jerome Fox, Thomas Frei, Daniel Fruin, Emily Gallagher, Kerry Gamble, Amanda Garbatini, Matt & Cass Garrett, Bryan Gates, Daphne Geismar, General Electric, Chris George, Sergei Gerasimenko, Chris & Toddie Getman, Dennis & Pat Getz-Preziosi, Heather Gilbert, Peter Gilbert & Annick Winokur, Mariah Gill, Pamela Giunti, Sally & Stephen Glick, Joe & Cindy Goldberg, Laura Goldblum, Maria Gomez & James Rhoades, Goodcopy Printing & Digital Graphics, Michelle Gottlieb, Bennett & Sharon Graff, Gratz Family Foundation, Rebecca Gratz, Bill & Jean Graustein, Meg Graustein, Timothy Gregoire, Sarah Greifenberger, Millie Grenough, Ben Griffin, Tom Griggs & Ed Bottomley, Netta & Tina Hadari, Ben Halperin, Elizabeth Halsey, Don Harvey & Nathalie Bonafe, Eliza Hatch, Whitney & Tiz Hatch, TJ Hauser, Douglas Hausladen, Kelly Hebrank, Stefanie Heid, East Coast Sensors, Inc., David Heiser, Chris Heitmann & Cyra Levenson, Ben Heller, Drew Hess, Lisa Heyl, Andrew Hicks, Matthew Higbee, Gary Holder-Winfield, Blaine Hudson, Alan Hurst, Charisse Hutton, International Festival of Arts & Ideas, George Jafferis, John Jessen, Dwight Johnson, Thom Johnson, Katie Jones, Lorie Jones, Timothy & Jaime Kane, Peter & Meg Kassen, Kelly Keefe, Jeffrey Kern, Lyn Kimberly, Amy Kirwan, Cami Kloster, Janet Kniffin, Valerie Knight-Di Gangi, Dan Knudsen, Karel Koenig, Stephanie Kollet, Karen Kraft, Daniel Krauss, Robert Kreitler, Jo Kremer, Eric Larson, Erin Larson, Julia Larson, LeeAnn Lassogna, Trina & David Learned (in honor of Martha Murray and John Campbell), Karen Lenehan, James & Kirsten Levinsohn, David Lewicki, Lipgloss Crisis, Chelsea Little, Susan Lodge, Keith Lomax (in honor of Tonisha Lomax), Jonathan London, Henry Lord, Henry Lowendorf, Michelle Maitland, Heather Maki, Elizabeth Manuel, Wendy Marans, Mark Massa, Steve Massey, Maureen McCarthy, Susan McCaslin & George Corsillo, Robert McGuire & Ilene Crawford, Erin McKenna, Cheryl McMahon, Bill Mickey, Scott Middleton, Matthew Milikowsky, Jennifer Milikowsky, Sharon & Daniel Milikowsky, Susan & David Millen, Alice Miller, Lisa Miller, G & Penelope Miller, Lesley Mills, Miya's Sushi, Janet Morrison, Beka Morrison, Sarah Morrison, Mutual Of America Foundation, Meg & David Myers, Charles Negaro, Netter Family Fund, New Haven Ecology Project, David Newton, Jordan Nodelman & Mark Orintas, Amanda & Daniel Nugent, Brian Nugent, Matthew O'Hare, Anne Olcott, Peg Oliveira, Maryann Ott, Ray Pagliaro, Susan Papa, Josefina Paredes, Charles & Melanie Payne, Judy Phelps, Jack & Jane Phillips, Arthur Phillips, Charlotte & John Phillips, Sam Phillips, Jerome & Nancy Pine, Ka'nijah Pouncey, Madeleine Ranges & Christine Malloy, Racquet Koop Of New Haven, Patrick Redding, Renee Regan, Tomás Reyes, Andrew Richardson & Ellen Denny, Samuel Ritzman, Enrique Roben & Robin Martin-Roben, Brian Robinson, David & Lisa Roger, Debbie & Dan Rosa, John Buell & Beth Rosen, Helen Rosenberg, Suzanne Rosenberg, Caroline Ross-Grossman, Harvey Ruben & Diane Daskal, David Salerno, Sandra Santy, Anne Schenck, Duncan Schmitt, Mike Schoen, Frank & Barbara Sciulli, Joanne Sciulli, Michael & Dina Secchiaroli, Marla Serapiglia, Sara Servin, Susan Servin, John Shea, Judi Sheiffele, Claire Shubik-Richards, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Ina Silverman, Mary Silvia, Kyle Skar, Nick Smith, Abbe Smith, Lynn Smith, Jeff Smithson, Jason Sobocinski, Greg Sokol, Heidi Sormaz, Soul De Cuba Café, Melissa Spear, Bill Spencer, Renee Stanczyk, Garrett & Andrea Stevens, Karen Stiles-Biller, Chuck Still, James Stirling, Natalie Stock, Michael & Suzanne Stringer, Barry & Diane Svigals, Tiffany Talley, The Study At Yale, Aisha Thompson & Gameliel Moses, Joel Tolman, Jeff Tomei, Lisa & David Totman, James Travers & Steve Marks, Maria Tupper, Justin Ucko, U-SAVE Auto Rental, Valley Community Foundation, Mariann & Robert Van Buren, Vesper Studios, Leila Virji, Janna Wagner, Nancy Walker, Toni Walker, Kate Walton, Sharon Wang, Yiting Wang, Mr. & Mrs. Richard Watert, Edmond Watters, Robert Wechsler & Emily Aber, Jennifer Weeks, Carla Weil, Sam Weiser, Glenn & Dotty WestonMurphy, West Rock Ridge Park Association, Melissa Whalen, Shelley Wheeler-Carreiro, JoAnne Wilcox, Winkle Bus, Dan Wolf, Mark Woloszyn, Candace & Robert Wright, Betsy Yagla, Yale Repertory Theatre, Kel Youngs, Joel Zackin & Celeste Suggs, Shoshana Zax & John Weiser, George Zdru
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“The thing I like about Solar Youth is that we can be able to show our talent and share our ideas!” - Tyran Britto Jr. "I am proud of myself after being in this program because I was able to demonstrate my talent and capabilities while making some friends “ -Calven Engstrom “My favorite part about solar youth is spending time outside.“ -Keyasia Driffin “Solar Youth is important to me, because it is like a home away from home. When I come here it’s family.” -Corey Bethea
“Solar Youth is a definite asset to this community and for all
children who are willing to learn about life” “Solar Youth also gave me my first Christmas tree. The kids and I were so happy, we put it outside of our window for everyone to enjoy it with us. I am so happy to have a place where kids of all ages can go and learn and be themselves.”
53 Wayfarer Street New Haven, CT 06515 (203) 387-4189 info@solaryouth.org
“"[After being in Solar Youth, my son] told me that we should try to keep the community clean and try to get along with people in the community" My son has grown so much since he started Solar Youth. He has improved dramatically in school, grades, and friends. Solar Youth is the best thing that has happened to him. He has learned to spread his wings and the best thing is he is now flying!"