Nonprofit Aggregator: Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington

This post is a reprint of a post that originally appeared at Art Enables's Facebook Wall.

Out with the old, and in with the new - floor, that is! Our holiday construction is finished, and the upgraded concrete floor is sealed and ready for action. We will reopen January 2nd and start rehanging artwork. Happy 2013 from everyone at Art Enables, and thank you for your support!

This post is a reprint of a post that originally appeared at Art Enables's Facebook Wall.

Out with the old, and in with the new - floor, that is! Our holiday construction is finished, and the upgraded concrete floor is sealed and ready for action. We will reopen January 2nd and start rehanging artwork. Happy 2013 from everyone at Art Enables, and thank you for your support!

This post is a reprint of a post that originally appeared at Accokeek Foundation.

The Accokeek Foundation, a nonprofit educational organization involved in land stewardship, historical preservation and sustainable agriculture, is seeking a part-time site interpreter to work with our interpretation and education staff. The position calls for a motivated individual to help work and maintain a recreated 18^th century small tobacco farm. The interpreter will be available to portray members of our interpretive family for school children and the visiting public. They will also be required to learn and present programs which demonstrate cooking, historic agriculture, and sustainable agriculture. Museum theater is a large component of our programs, so applicants must be willing to perform.

Job requirements:

• Willing and able to work outside in period clothing and in ALL types of weather.
• Able to lift 50 pounds.
• Comfortable around large and small animals.
• Excellent communication skills (theater experience a plus) and a willingness to learn.
• Experience working with children .
• Applicant will be required to complete a background check prior to employment

This position is part-time, requiring a commitment of three (3) days a week, including weekends. Pay is $10/hour.

To Apply: Email cover letter and resume to: accofound@accokeek.org, with “Site Interpreter” in the subject line.

The Accokeek Foundation conducts background checks in order to insure the safety and well-being of the organization’s staff and visitors. This position is open until filled. The Accokeek Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

 

 

This post is a reprint of a post that originally appeared at Accokeek Foundation.

Living History Interpreter in African American History – one-year contract

The Accokeek Foundation, a nonprofit educational organization involved in land stewardship, historical preservation and sustainable agriculture, is seeking a Living History Interpreter, who will provide interpretation and education related to the African American experience on a small tobacco farm in Maryland just prior to the American Revolution. In addition to performing costumed demonstrations and guided tours, the Interpreter will assist in all aspects of running an outdoor agricultural museum and will perform many tasks associated with 18^th century farm life.  The interpreter will portray either Cate Sharper, an enslaved female, or Tom, her husband and a freeman.

Responsibilities:

• Assist in the daily operations and interpretation of the National Colonial Farm, for school groups and the general public. This work will be performed in period clothing, outdoors in all types of weather conditions.
• Assist in development and implementation of programs that engage visitors of all ages in African American history in the time period interpreted. Previous programs have included museum theater performances, foodways demonstrations, music performances, and guest lectures.
• Assist in the maintenance of historic buildings and other facilities.
• Provide support for other Accokeek Foundation programs and events.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong background or interest in African American history, colonial history, and/or historical agriculture.
• Experience in public presentations, historical interpretation, or related activities.
• Excellent communication and people skills.
• Ability to perform tasks that require moderate physical exertion as required (lifting, climbing, bending, pulling, standing for long periods).
• Ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Applicant must pass a background check prior to employment.

This position is full-time, 40 hours/wk. Salary: $21,000 (plus benefits). Applicant must be able to work a flexible schedule, including weekends and holidays.

To Apply: Email resume and cover letter to accofound@accokeek.org, with “Living History Interpreter” in the subject line.

The Accokeek Foundation conducts background checks in order to insure the safety and well-being of the organization’s staff and visitors. This position is open until filled.  The Accokeek Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

This post is a reprint of a post that originally appeared at Accokeek Foundation.

by Polly Festa, Livestock Manager

As 2012 comes to a close I find myself reflecting on the past year. As always, when working with animals and the unpredictability of Mother Nature, there have been many ups and downs.

The biggest down of the year was this summer’s drought, with its extreme heat. But both the animals and the staff came through it just fine. Only one case of heat stroke all year, leave it to the darn Yankee (yes that would be me) to think that there is no difference between 70 and 110 degrees. I have learned that the weather must be respected. This is not a new lesson, but one I seem to need a refresher in every once in a while.

There have been so many ups this year it is hard to pick which ones to talk about. The births, of course ,are on the top of the hit parade. I will never see too many baby calves or baby lambs. I love to sit by the pasture and watch the mommas with their little ones. To me there is nothing more calming or relaxing than that. (Come down to the farm this coming March and April; we have seventeen expecting mommas–nine cows and eight sheep.)

In 2012, we started a Livestock Apprentice program. I am very grateful to have the help of an apprentice, as well as the opportunity to teach and share with others the passion of livestock farming in a sustainable manor with heritage breeds. Kevin is this inaugural year’s apprentice; he is a Maryland native who wishes to have a beef and chicken farm in the future. I am looking forward to the future of this new endeavor.

I cannot talk about the ups this year without talking about my volunteers. There are two wonderful ladies who come out to the farm every Saturday and help me with different projects. Growing up as a 4-H-er, I know the importance of volunteering, these ladies have reminded me that volunteering in and of itself is reward enough. Because of them I have stepped up my own volunteering in my personal life.

There is an old tale that says that farm animals kneel facing Bethlehem and are given the gift of speech at the stroke of Midnight on Christmas Eve. It is said that it is because the ancestors of these farm animals were in the stable in Bethlehem. This tale is one of my favorite ones of the Holiday season. I have always, in one way, wanted to sneak down to the barn to see if the cows really do, but I have never done it. I don’t want to ruin the joy and wonder I still feel when I think about the tale. I don’t want to get all preachy. We all have something special that we cherish from our childhood. I know that the ancestors of my cattle are from England, not Israel, cows don’t know what day it is, let alone where Bethlehem is, and that it is impossible for the vocal cords of a cow to produce the sound of human speech. But I remember how it felt when my Mother told me the tale the first time. In the rush of the Holiday season I hope we all can find that moment alone were we can reach back to our childhood and remember that special thing Grandma did or the fruit cake that Crazy Aunt Frieda gave to us every year. If you need that moment, come on down to the Farm and walk around. I swear that, here, the world seems to slow down and give you some breathing room, if we’ll let it.

The new year, 2013, has the promise of being a wonderful year full of potential. Let us all share it with new life and new friends. From the animals and me, we wish a happy and healthy New Year to all our friends, both old and new.

–Polly

This post is a reprint of a post that originally appeared at CollegeBound News.

College  Bound,  Inc. celebrated  its  21st  Annual  End  of  the  Year  Celebration on Thursday, May 17, 2012 at Howard  University's  Blackburn Ballroom  with  over 500 supporters. The annual event recognizes students in College Bound's  Academic  Mentoring Program,  which has an outstanding rate of 100% high school completion   and 100% college  acceptance. The event also recognizes the programs community partners and volunteers.

Angel Brock '12 (Jack Donaldson Memorial Scholarship for Journalism Recipient) and Chelsey Swan '13 served as emcees for the event.  Alumna  Inatimi  Oguara, recent  graduate  from  the  University  of  Pittsburgh  (at the age of 20), brought greetings from the program's alumni. This year, College Bound presented its Community Leadership Award to Mr. Lonnie Bunch, Smithsonian's  Founding  Director of  the National  Museum  of African American History and Culture. River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation received College Bound's Hall of Fame award for their unyielding support of College Bound's scholarship program. Entrepreneur and restauranteur, Mr. Andy Shallal delivered an  impassioned keynote address challenging the seniors to use their education to help create a better society.

After awarding over $60,000 in scholarships, College Bound's Executive Director Kenneth Ward was presented a check for $100,000 from Ellen Kay of Many Hands to develop College Bound's Virtual Mentoring Program (VMP). The  VMP  will  support  and  track College Bound  alumni  through  college. Mr. Ward presented a special "Inspiration Scholarship" to  Diamond  Brooks  for  her  tenacity  and  positive  attitude while battling stage III Hodgkins Lymphoma. He closed the evening charging the graduating seniors to commit to finishing college and to vigorously pursue their dreams.

This post is a reprint of a post that originally appeared at CollegeBound News.

The annual Fall College Tour took place on Monday, November 12, 2012 and students visited Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University. Before departing on the trip students were given booklets with basic information about the school and suggested questions for students to ask while on the campuses.

The trip began with a campus tour in the morning at Old Dominion University. The tour was conducted by Christiana Hammond and a fellow tour guide. Christiana is a College Bound alumna and a College Bound Scholarship and Juliette Tyler Lewis Award recipient. Students had the opportunity to speak with her about her experience at ODU, and how College Bound has aided her through this process. Students were very impressed by the aesthetics of the campus and many of them expressed interest in applying to ODU.

Students were able to learn about different ODU traditions and were excited by the living quarters on campus. College Bound senior, Jennifer Hightower, commented that the freshman dorms were luxurious, and a lot better than freshman dorms at many other schools. The diversity that Old Dominion had to offer really resonated with students and they were excited by the prospect of going there and interacting with people from different cultures. Old Dominion offers a lot of opportunities for students to get involved on campus. The tour guides also told students about the unique opportunities for students to take courses like oceanography and astronomy and the field trips students get to take with each.

Before lunch, students at Old Dominion came over to speak to the group about their college experience and answer any questions that students had. They spoke about the transition being a student from DC and moving down to Norfolk in general, and about finding your niche in the university. After the discussion students ate lunch in the cafeteria at Old Dominion, giving them another glimpse of college life.

After touring the bookstore at ODU, students then departed for Norfolk State University. They were led to the Student Center and were part of an information session by admissions counselor, Lt. Anderson. At the information session students were able to learn about the many opportunities that Norfolk State has to offer their students. Norfolk State also offers Division I athletics for students but with a smaller school size and campus. College Bound alumna and virtual mentoring student, Malaika Shaheed also came to speak with students about her transition and how College Bound aided her in this process.

Though some students did not think that Norfolk State University was as diverse, they felt the comradery among students and a certain family environment not present on larger campuses. The band was out practicing during the tour and several students interested in music, were intrigued by their music program in general. Students who weren’t particularly interested in the two schools were still able to use them as a basis for comparison for similar schools. Both schools have Division I athletics so students were excited to see the opportunities for them at both schools for athletics. Overall the tour was an enriching experience, and students enjoyed their time on the campuses.

This post is a reprint of a post that originally appeared at CollegeBound News.

College Bound held its annual Taste of College Night on Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at the Howard University Blackburn Center. At this event, set up like a traditional college fair, four universities provided on-site admissions to students, five universities had recruiters that waived application fees, and 26 universities had alumni representation.

The evening opened with an introduction by Alyia Hicks class of 2014, and College Bound Student Ambassador and a welcome by Executive Director, Kenneth Ward. Jasmen Cheese, class of 2013 and a College Bound Student Ambassador introduced Mr. Ted Carter, our guest speaker for the evening. Mr. Carter is the Executive Managing Director of CBRE, and he spoke to students about the importance of college and challenged them to reach out to schools that they may be unfamiliar with or never considered attending.

The fair was open to all students, including high school students outside of College Bound. Trinity Washington University was able to provide on-site admissions to 10 students and speak to underclassmen about their university and what they have to offer students. Fayetteville State University was able to provide on-site admissions to 47 deserving students. Virginia Union University was able to provide on-site admissions to 45 students. And, Virginia State University was able to provide on-site admissions to 34 deserving students. Those students who may not have been granted an onsite admission were able to get their application fees waived. 

The schools with alumni representation were able to speak with students about their experience at school and the different scholarships and resources that their schools had to offer. The importance of having alumni representation was so that students get a personal feel for the university from a student who attended the school rather than from an admissions representative. This is a unique aspect that sets Taste of College Night apart from traditional college fairs.

During the night, College Bound students were able to do mock interview sessions with two volunteers from Deloitte. Interested 10th, 11th and 12th grade students got a chance to do one on one interviews and speak with the volunteers about etiquette in general.

Financial Aid Specialist, Marjorie Arrington conducted a Financial Aid workshop for parents during the fair. She spoke to them about savings plans, different types of financial aid, and filling out the FAFSA. Parents were able to leave with a clearer picture about their options in paying for their student’s education.

There were over 250 students in attendance. With several parents, and partners who came out to support their students.

This post is a reprint of a post that originally appeared at Art Enables's Facebook Wall.

Something big is going on in the studio during our winter break!

This post is a reprint of a post that originally appeared at Accokeek Foundation.

It’s a recurring theme in many situations. “What’s your favorite season?” It was used in ice-breaking, get-to-know-you exercises, when new students were thrown into class with each other. The tricky thing about that question is that some of us just don’t have a favorite. I like the fact that I have seasons, period. I find them extremely interesting.

Stop and think about it for a moment…this world around us – the one not made of concrete and glass and metal – has its own way of knowing when to do everything. It knows when to shake off the blanket of winter, little sprigs of bright green peeking their heads out of the hard ground to herald the coming spring. The trees take their cues for when to start turning brilliant shades of red and orange and yellow in the fall without any prompting from you or me. And, in between, the days get warmer or colder, depending on their own schedules and desires. To tell you the truth, I welcome the long hot spells of summer, as well as the chill of winter.

I love a number of different, specific things about each season, but in the end the thing I love most about them is the simple reminder of what they are.

Change.

Little, big…changes. They happen every day and we take them for granted, and it seems like most people are only aware of them happening when they’re huge and disruptive. But change isn’t, in itself, good or bad. It just is. And nowhere is change more evident than on a farm or in a natural park.

That has been the biggest change for me, of late. After years of working in a college setting, and then standing on my feet for hours in a coffee shop, I have found myself working at a farm, in the middle of a national park. Granted, most of my days start and end in the administration building, but cows and pigs and sheep and turkeys and office cats still manage to call my attention at some point or another, as do bugs and plants and fish falling from the sky and refrigerators full of earthworms and run-down, spooky museum barns and fishermen on the pier down by the Visitors Center.

There are fresh eggs in the office kitchen. And not fresh as in I-just-bought-them-this morning. I had never had a fresh egg before. I didn’t know that the yolks of hard-boiled eggs are not supposed to be pale yellow, with a ring of greenish-gray around them. Did you? They’re not. They’re a cheerful orangey-yellow. I was taken aback the first time I had one. The shells on the eggs from the little Bantams we have are also thicker than eggs I’m used to from the store. They’re harder to break. Something to remember for the future, if you’re clumsy.

Each morning, I park my car in the staff lot and look out across a field ringed by trees. In just the three months I’ve been working here, I’ve seen it go from drought-touched and heat-baked brownish to the gold and orange and brilliant red of fall, to slightly faded and pale from a heavy frost. There are deer out in the field more times than not, and occasionally grown men flying rubber-band propelled balsa wood-and-tissue paper planes. My car, undoubtedly better suited to city driving, is constantly splattered with mud or covered in dust. Thankfully, the turkeys haven’t singled out my car in the lot yet. I’ve gotten word that they like to peck at their reflections in the dark cars.

The people here change with the seasons. Farm hands and interns and livestock apprentices and volunteers and CSA members and visitors. They come in and out of our office and our park and our lives. Some of them leave bigger marks – like the older man I visited shortly before Thanksgiving. He was sick and unable to make it to the CSA pickup (Community Supported Agriculture, in case you’re interested…not Confederate States of America), and the farm manager asked if I could drop it off for him on my way home. I was tired and didn’t expect to linger too long, not wanting to bother someone when they were feeling ill, but I wound up staying longer than I expected, and didn’t mind one second of it.

I looked in the mirror the other day and asked myself, “When did I grow up?” It wasn’t the exact same face I remembered from my youth. Things had changed, as they have a tendency to do. More than “when did I grow up,” I think I was wondering to myself, “How did life lead me here?” It’s an incredible thing, really, because “here” is a pretty amazing place to be.

I suppose that aspect of life never really stops. We’re constantly re-evaluating our lives, aren’t we? Where we are, where we want to be, what makes us happy and why are we still doing the things that make us miserable. At least, I think we should be pondering those questions regularly, because the never-ending truth is that things change. We wake up in the morning and new people are president, and friends get married, and folks move in and out of cities, and relationships deepen and blossom or wither and fade, and the seasons change, and we grow older. The very essence of our lives is change.

There’s a quote I read about a year ago that’s stayed with me, flitting around the edges of the dusty filing cabinets in my mind:

“All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.” – Anatole French

I understand that sense of melancholy, even as I disagree with “dying” to an entire life before beginning a new one. Echoes of the life you knew stay with you. I see this with the nature of interpretation at the park and the challenges to the farmers here – years of continuous crop production has led to problems with topsoil and drainage and fertility on the farm. The echoes of growing seasons long past have stayed with the land, influencing the new life to come. The farm hasn’t died – just changed.

Changes and seasons, in nature and in life. Sometimes they are regular, sometimes they happen when you least expect them. They don’t always synch up with the rhythms of the other lives around you, and there’s a part of us that mourns for what we’ve lost, be it time, innocence, money, or a thousand other things, but change is a tide we need to learn to roll with. It isn’t going to stop, and it’s up to us to decide whether we let it steer us to a new cove, or if we fight against it and let it slowly lap over the edge of our boat, sinking us little by little and stalling our forward momentum, all because we refuse to accept it.