Spring 2015–Celebrating 107 Years of Serving Youth
Newsletter Date
PBC seeks to transform the lives of vulnerable young people through integrated experiential and adventure-based programming in schools and at our outdoor campus.
TRUE GRIT! Grit, persistence, determination and resilience – these terms are sometimes used interchangeably as shortcuts to describe one of the five core competencies of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) – self management: being able to stay in control and persevere through challenges. Dr. Angela Duckworth, a 2013 MacArthur Fellow and a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania coined the term "grit." Her studies indicate that grit is a better predictor of success than IQ. The question that is still being studied is how students learn to be “gritty.” Some researchers say that in order for students to learn grit you must create a learning culture with opportunities for struggle and healthy risk taking. According to Verena Roberts, Chief Innovation Officer of CANeLearn, “One of the best ways to learn about grit is to focus on outdoor education and go out into the wild. Grit is about not freaking out, taking a deep breath and moving on.’’ With the Princeton-Blairstown Center’s (PBC) Blairstown Campus and School-Based programs, young people have opportunities to take healthy risks and to “struggle” with the answers to complex questions while working cooperatively with and learning to trust others. When our School-Based students travel to Blairstown and climb high up a tree on metal spikes to a small platform on our ropes course, their biggest takeaway is that it’s okay to feel anxious about potential failure in new situations, yet if they stick with it and take the risk to try to meet the challenge, they can overcome their fears and achieve great things. Site Coordinator Jessica Keels, LMSW, talks about the transference of these lessons
back to Trenton Central High West, where students reference how a lesson learned at Blairstown can apply in school. A student who struggled to overcome his fear of climbing high up a tree, walking across a log or rappelling down a dam makes the link that he can overcome his challenges in algebra by “sticking with it, asking peers and his teacher for help and encouragement, and believing that he can master it.” Educators call this approach to learning a “growth mindset,” or the notion that success comes from effort and that students should not turn away from tasks that seem unapproachable. A growth mindset can be particularly powerful to vulnerable students from low income backgrounds who are labeled by teachers, parents or themselves as “failures.” In them, however, PBC staff reinforces the belief that with effort and encouragement students can accomplish their goals and improve their abilities. The work PBC’s staff does in schools and at our Blairstown Campus provides students with hands-on challenges to work together and struggle through, thereby increasing grit and the confidence that comes from trying, persevering and successfully problem solving. All of our work around grit and SEL is made possible by your continued support. Please be as generous as possible and help us to advance the work started 107 years ago – transforming the lives of vulnerable youth. Mark L. Antin, Esq. President, Board of Trustees
Pam Gregory Executive Director
School-Based Programs: An Insider’s View
By: Lisa LaGrande
When I first learned that I would be interning at a middle school, I thought, “This will be an experience.” When I learned it was a Trenton, NJ middle school, I thought, “This should really be an experience.” When I arrived on my first day, I realized, “This is so necessary.” I am a second year Masters of Social Work student from Rutgers University with the privilege of interning three days a week at Rivera Middle School, through PBC’s Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Program. The warm welcome that I felt from the 75 student clients that my supervisor, the Site Coordinator, serves on a weekly basis, was amazing. Middle school is a difficult time. The period of one’s life between 6th and 8th grade, with all of its changes can be very scary, yet also very exhilarating. Adolescence brings adjustments, with new relationships, new boundaries and new opportunities. It’s the first time in our lives that certain feelings and thoughts are processed. It is perhaps the very first time that we make challenging decisions on our own. Add to the mix new hormones, a new school, new rules and new behavioral expectations and imagine how tough school can be for some kids. Now, bring in fear of survival, concerns about hunger and shelter. Now include gangs, violence and murder to the picture. Poverty. Trauma. Welcome to the lives of many students who attend Rivera Middle School. Thus far, my supervisor and I have focused on teaching relaxation and calming techniques such as yoga, meditation and deep breathing. This helps students control their emotions. We have worked on job readiness and decision making skills, so that students have the skills needed to fill out an application and interview for a job. We have also spent time focused on SEL including building teamwork, critical thinking and decision making skills, and setting up behavioral plans, to help students succeed academically. In my experience, the most important support we provide, in addition to the time spent on SEL, is when a student comes into the beautiful PBC office and is able to “let go” of the daunting problems he or she faces. All day, students come in upset, angry or distraught, and can quickly work it through, or schedule an appointment if it is something that will need more time and dedication. The students have a safe haven in our office. They are able to have a safe and healthy relationship where they can be honest and vulnerable. We are able to set an example of appropriate boundaries and be role models for positive development. 2
Since January, I have worked alongside my supervisor with students traumatized by murder, rape, cutting, bullying and fighting. We have helped students cope with loss of family, whether through child protective services, death, alcohol, murder or homelessness. I am getting the best practice with real life problems that any social work student is likely to experience. When I tell people where I do my internship and give a brief description of the population, they often ask me why I would chose an area so dangerous. However, the families and students that reap the benefits of this program are so loving and grateful. This might be their first and only opportunity to receive a SEL program. Beyond that, many of our clients have never been outside of Trenton. The experiences that they have at the Blairstown Campus leaves them glowing and helps them grow. When meeting with a client and her mother last week, the mother realized that her daughter would have the opportunity to go to Blairstown. Her face lit up as she remembered going on the zip line herself as a student, and how she left with so many new friends. She recalled the teamwork established within her group. Then her eyes filled up with tears as she recognized that her daughter, who is a victim of severe bullying, would have the same empowering experiences. It is the daily reminders such as this that make me so happy to be a part of an organization like PBC. That kind of gratitude makes all our effort worthwhile. This is my fourth intern placement, and the third nonprofit organization with whom I’ve worked. I can truly say that by far, PBC achieves the greatest client outcomes I have seen in my five years of training. I can also say that through PBC, I have found my passion and quite possibly my calling. I would have never expected the immense needs of this population. I would also have never expected to be so welcomed into a community such as this. Outsiders looking in could probably never understand, and I may never fully grasp, how it feels living with the multitude of barriers these students face every day. However, PBC provides a cushion: love, hope, empowerment and a safe outlet for an underserved community.
WOODCUTTERS WEEKEND SAVE THE DATE Friday, October 23 – Sunday, October 25, 2015 Every year we appreciate the work volunteers do at our annual Woodcutters Weekend. Save the date and come join in the fun by helping us maintain our beautiful Blairstown Campus. Come for the day on Saturday or for the entire weekend. Bring the whole family and enjoy the fall foliage in our pristine rural setting. Projects range from splitting wood, to cleaning buildings, to raking leaves, to planting bulbs and much more. RSVP to pkarl@princetonblairstown.org.
PBC: Annual Financial Report: July 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014 Effective January 1, 2015, PBC will change from a fiscal year ending June 30th to a calendar year ending December 31st. In order to account for the six month "gap" beginning July 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014, PBC operated on a short, six-month period called the "Bridge Year". Fiscally, PBC completed a very successful six months. This exciting time not only marked the organization's anniversary of going from a support organization of Princeton University to an affiliate, but with a net increase in revenue and controlled operating expenses, PBC was able to report a positive, operating net income. These results provided resources for additional capital projects, including the purchase of 156 Millbrook Road, a residential property bordering PBC's Blairstown campus increasing its total acreage to 264. Furthermore, PBC continued its upward trend of serving more youth, which resulted in a 28% increase in program fees compared to the six months ending December 31, 2013. This trend is expected to continue in the year ahead. In spite of its good performance, the market experienced an economic downturn during the short bridge period, causing a loss in the organization's endowment investment value as of December 31, 2014. Nonetheless, the endowment continues to be managed by Princeton University's Investment Company who, despite the drop, continues to forecast a growth by the end of their fiscal year. Therefore, PBC does not expect a decrease in its endowment distribution. In order to continue to increase programming and enhance social and emotional learning services for underserved urban youth, diversifying and growing its donor pool and corporate partner base will remain at the forefront of PBC's organizational priorities. This, along with a positive financial planning strategy will continue to contribute to the organization's operational growth and success similar to the highly productive Bridge Year 2014. Chris Van Buren, Treasurer Grants 10%
Other 0%
In-Kind 3%
Blairstown Program Fees 35%
Annual Giving 4% Endowment IncomeReceived 48%
Chris Van Buren, Treasurer
Capital 17% Development 4%
Program S ervices & Facilities 61%
Administration 18%
Bridge Year 2014 (unaudited-six months)
Fiscal Year 2014 (audited-twelve months)
Income Blairstown Program Fees
$
441,253
$
517,863
School-Based Service Fees Endowment Income Received*
$
-
$
15,735
$
613,003
Annual Giving
$
51,465
$
99,280
Grants
$
130,230
$
212,371
In-Kind
$
31,320
$
62,640
Other
$
444
$
5,452
$ 1,167,734
Total Income
$1,267,715
$2,081,075
Expense Program Services & Facilities
$ 681,148
$ 1,444,349
Administration
$ 318,208
$
337,563
Development
$
30,579
$
24,889
Capital
$ 208,370
$
119,967
Transition From Princeton University
$
$
245,761
Total Expense
-
$1,238,305
$ 2,172,524
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OUR SUPPORTERS The Princeton-Blairstown Center is very grateful for the generous contributions to our annual campaign received from July 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014. The following names are listed in recognition of their loyal support and generosity.
$25,000 and up
Janssen Research & Development
$10,000 - $24,999 Mr. & Mrs. John Bogle Global Neighborhood Secondary School New York 21st Century Community Learning Centers Tiger Baron Foundation, Inc. United Way of Greater Mercer County The Walbridge Fund, LTD
$5,000 - $9,999 E.J. Grassmann Trust Curtis W. McGraw Foundation Union Foundation
$2,500 - $5,000 Mr. & Mrs. Everard Pinneo Mrs. Deborah Sands Gartenberg
$1,000 - $2,500 Mr. & Mrs. Mark L. Antin Mr. & Mrs. Peter Bailey Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Bolster, Jr. Mrs. Gwen Cogan-Brunelli Edison Properties Newark Foundation Pam Gregory & David Palladino Mr. & Mrs. George Hawke Mr. Alfred Kaemmerlen Colleen Kelly, Esq. C. Parker Family Foundation of the Community Foundation of New Jersey Gaylea Prichard-Silvers & Brant Silvers Princeton University Chapel Mr. Michael Protzel Mr. Winthrop A. Short Pamela & Derek Simpkins Mrs. Tamara Simpkins Franklin Dr. Sarah Tantillo Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Van Buren
$500 - $999 Mr. & Mrs. Fred Buechner Mrs. Charlotte Danielson Dr. Susan Danielson Mrs. Harriet Savage Twin Chimneys 4
Mr. Thomas Wertheimer
Up to $499 Mr. & Mrs. Robert Abernethy Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Adelson Mr. Richard Armstrong Dr. Joseph Atkinson Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan Baer Mr.& Mrs. Jacob Barlow, II Mr. John Berlinger Rev. Dr. Alison Boden & Rev. Walter Kerbel Rt. Rev. and Mrs. Frederick Borsch Mr. Thomas Broderick Dr. John Brodsky Mr. & Mrs. Edward Bromley, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Bruther Mr. Robert Carter, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Robert Casciola Mr. & Mrs. Charles Creesy Ms. Rebecca Cunningham Pyper Davis Mr. Joel Deitz Ms. Christine Desan Husson Ms. Janet Smith Dickerson Ms. Susan Dillon Mr. & Mrs. Ramesh Durvasula Ms. Doris Easton Mr. James Farrin Mr. Jeffrey Forde Mr. Gary Fox Mr. & Mrs. Schaen Fox Prof. Harrison Fraker, Jr. Ms. Jane Fremon Ms. Diana Gengos Ms. Sofia Gomez Mr. Jason Griffiths Mr. & Mrs. Max Habernickel, III Mr. Prentis Hall Ms. Althea Hamilton Mr. & Mrs. Hendrik Hartog Ms. Ellen D. Harvey Mr. & Mrs. John Hastings Mr. Michael Hollander Mrs. Joy Hoofer Mr. James Huffman Kirsten Hund-Blair & Bill Blair Dr. & Mrs. Eric Hyson Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Keller Mr. William T. Kimberly Mr. Arvind Kokatnur Ms. Susan Kurys Mrs. Debra Kushma
Mr. Leonard Lance Mr. & Mrs. Robert Laughlin Dr. Donald Maloney Mr. Henry Martin Mr. George McCauslan Dr. Robert McGinley Mr. & Mrs. John McGoldrick Mr. & Mrs. Lewis Meixler Mr. Ellis Moore, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. John Murrin Mr. & Mrs. Constantin Papastephanou Mr. Richard Peay Mr. & Mrs. Jason Pedraza Mr. Albert Perry, III Ms. Sandra Persichetti Mr. Charles Plohn, Jr. Princeton Area Community FoundationDavid Dobkin & Suzanne Gespass Fund PSE&G Mr. & Mrs. John P. Reiling Mr. & Mrs. Gregory Reilly Dr. & Mrs. Robert Rivers, Jr. Mr. Albert Robichaux Ms. Lori Robinson Ms. Erica Rodriguez Mr. Charles Savage, III Mr. Christopher Shephard Mr. & Mrs. Peter Smith The Honorable Sonia Sotomayor Ms. Sandra Sussman Dr. & Mrs. Charles Tantillo Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Tell Mr. James Varner, Sr. Mr. William Wild Ms. Eunice Wilkinson Dr. Andrew Zimmerman
In-Kind Donations Mr. & Mrs. Mark L. Antin Colonial Club Pam Gregory & David Palladino Mr. James Huffman Moondog Yoga Princeton Club of New York Princeton University Pamela & Derek Simpkins We apologize if we have misspelled or overlooked your name. If we have, please contact Sabrina Lopez at slopez@princetonblairstown.org or call 609-921-0070.
WINTER’S WONDERS perience like the student above described, in which the reward is high and the perceived risk is sufficient to make the heart beat a little faster, we find that most young people will respond with zest. Students want to feel confident in their abilities – to have positive self-esteem. One means to that end is through mastering a difficult challenge. The subsequent group reflection on the lake-crossing expedition and our guided discussion using the crossing over metaphor, gave the adventurers some perspective on the experience. Jessica Keels, LMSW, PBC’s Site Coordinator at Trenton West High School said, “Many Trenton students never leave their immediate neighborhood. These trips to Blairstown give them an opportunity to experience a new adventure and to get out of their comfort zone.” This past February, in the cold, dark heart of a mid-winter morning, two dozen high school and middle school students boarded a yellow bus in Trenton and made the journey north to PBC’s Blairstown Campus for a day of outdoor adventure. Making the decision to get on the bus that morning was a key turning point for these young adventurers. Once the wheels were rolling, they had committed to an exciting, out of the ordinary day. The students are participants in PBC’s Trenton Central High – West Campus and Rivera Middle School SEL programs, where PBC staff are located full-time in the schools facilitating social and emotional learning classes and providing individual and academic counseling. By that point in the winter, PBC had accumulated about two feet of snow cover and the ice on Bass Lake had been frozen solid for weeks. The students – sixth through ninth graders – got off the bus an hour and a half later and were confronted with an Arctic tableau. After a brief snack and welcome circle, they spent the day snowshoeing, playing initiative games to build teamwork and sledding down the hills. For some it was the first time they had been sledding, and none had ever donned snowshoes before. Just being outdoors was unusual – as it is for most young people these days, regardless of background. One ninth grader sent us the following message: “I did things that I’ve never done before. The thing I liked most was walking across the frozen lake in snow shoes. I was nervous, but then I saw that a lot of other people were too. I thought I may never get a chance to do that again and I could feel my adrenaline pumping. It was also fun to meet some of the other students I didn’t really know and actually talk to them. I want to go back for the spring overnight trip.” Taking healthy risks and having fun are two cornerstones of PBC programming. When we provide an authentic ex-
PBC is committed to expanding its winter programming. The Trenton students gave us the chance to use winter equipment – snowshoes, cross-country skis and sleds – and challenged us to keep winter participants safe, warm and fully engaged. Students accepted the responsibility to care for themselves, carrying wood for stoves and fireplaces, restoring the dining hall after hot meals in Egner Lodge and enjoying a mid-afternoon cocoa break. The Center is gorgeous during the winter months, with that special quiet and peace that snow cover provides. While the group was debriefing their experience, a fox trotted purposefully across the lake and, looking over its shoulder, disappeared into the woods. That’s a sight that none of the students had ever seen just as walking across a frozen lake, sledding and snowshoeing were experiences that were new and unforgettable.
REUNIONS 2015 Princeton University alumni, family and friends are invited to join PBC Trustees and staff members for: A panel on Race Relations and Diversity: Then and Now on Friday, May 29, 2015 from 3-5 p.m. at the Carl Fields Center. PBC is co-sponsoring this panel with 16 other Princeton University organizations and affiliates. A Reunions Brunch on Saturday, May 30, 2015 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Come learn about our Summer Bridge Pilot Program and changes to our School-Based Programs. Catch up with old friends like Ev Pinneo and Fred Borsch and meet some new ones. A continental breakfast will be served in Murray-Dodge Hall, West Room.
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BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Princeton-Blairstown Center 13 Roszel Road, Suite C204A Princeton, NJ 08540 (609) 921-0070 www.princetonblairstown.org
Princeton Office Executive Director Pam Gregory Director of Finance & Administration Betsy Castro, MBA Accounting Assistant Gina Grieco Administrative & Marketing Assistant Sabrina Lopez
School-Based Programs Site Coordinator - Global Neighborhood Secondary School Clarissa Ghazi, LMSW Site Coordinator – Rivera Middle School Lynn Jones-Sandler, LCSW Site Coordinator – Trenton High School, West Campus Jessica Keels, LMSW
Blairstown Campus Programs Director Roberto Gil, Jr., Esq. Assistant Directors Tom Arnold Adam Faller Coordinator, Special Programs Chris Trainor Office & Outreach Manager Pat Karl Facilities Director Jody Zengulis Facilities Assistants John Haney Tammy Porter-Leitner Food Services Manager Robert Buarotti Lead Cook Leo Bravo Experiential Education Facilitators Kiff Allen Tiffany Brown Terrell Gilkey Michael Hampton Travis Heilman Todd Raetzke Audrey Springer 6
President Mark L. Antin, Esq. Vice President Sarah Tantillo, Ed.D. ‘87 Secretary Rev. Alison Boden, Ph.D. Treasurer Christopher Van Buren ‘84 Trustees Jonathan Baer Christina Bailey Gwen Cogan Brunelli Susan G. Danielson, Psy.D. Timothy Downs Jim Farrin ‘58 Jane Fremon ‘75 Sofia Gomez ‘16 Jason K. Griffiths ‘97 James B. Huffman, P.E. ‘77 Daphne Thomas Jones ‘77 Praveena Joseph-de Saram *10 Richard J. Peay ‘17 Jason Pedraza ‘11 Bruce Petersen ‘79
Gaylea Prichard-Silvers Erica Rodriguez ‘16 Pamela L. Simpkins William Wild ‘14 Advisory Council Kathy Gordon, LCSW, DSW Al Kaemmerlen ‘62 Marina Murvandize Mitchell *98 Aida Lupe Pacheco ‘77 Everard K. Pinneo ‘48 Marta E. Santos, M.D. ‘98 Mark Washington Honorary Trustees Joseph L. Bolster, Jr. ‘52 Rt. Reverend Frederick Borsch ‘57 Joan N. Doig L. Jose Gonzalez David G. Rahr ‘60 Dr. Robert J. Rivers, Jr. ‘53 Winthrop A. Short ‘41 Executive Director Pam Gregory
Non-Profit Org US Postage Paid Princeton, NJ Permit No. 440 Address Correction Requested