May 2010
5th Grade Kickball Tournament
The Northfield High School Student Council is hosting its third-annual 5th grade kickball tournament. The student council will bring together 5th grade students from four of the local elementary schools for a morning of kickball fun at the Northfield High School. The idea behind the event is to help develop healthy relationships among 5th graders as they prepare to enter 6th grade, where they will all attend the same school. The funds from this grant would go toward the cost of transporting students and for prizes (if enough funds remain after transportation costs are met).
Community Youth Fairs
Community Services is planning its Community Youth Fairs, which are held each August, just before the start of school. Last year, approximately 350 students and their families attended the Youth Fairs, which are targeted at elementary and middle school-aged students. The goal of the event is to attract more Northfield students to participate in organized activities during non-school hours. Local organizations are invited to set up booths free of charge. Each participating organization will then have access to these students and their families to inform them about the extracurricular opportunities available, as well as to share information about scholarships that might be available to the families. Additional attractions to the Fairs include games, ice cream treats, and the opportunity to meet school principals and administrators. Funds requested will go to cover advertising/publicity costs, ice cream treats, prizes, and other supplies.
SUPER Kids, Dresden Hills Park
SUPER Kids is a park playground program where participants Successfully Use Positive Experiences in Recreation (SUPER) in a wide array of activities like arts and crafts, large group games, and organized play with peers. SUPER Kids is currently taking place at various parks throughout Northfield. The SUPER Kids program is designed so that participants can attend their neighborhood park. Typically, SUPER Kids is a fee-based program. However, for the Dresden Hills Park, organizers are planning to offer this program at no cost to the participants, with the target audience being youth involved with summer school and those who live nearby. The program will take place on Fridays, a day when Summer PLUS and other programs do not operate. Funds requested would go to the cost of bilingual staff, T-shirts, and other program supplies.
April 2010
Earth Day in the Park
Students from ARTech Charter School (Northfield School of Arts and Technology) are planning/organizing games and activities for the community Earth Day event held by Transition Northfield on Saturday, April 24, 2010, in Central Park. The students hope to engage children and families who attend the event. All planned activities will incorporate natural materials such as clay, hemp, and recycled paper and will include both craft-making and games. The funds from this grant would cover the cost of craft materials (including hemp, clay, and origami paper), as well as expenses related to securing/setting up a stage for the event.
Girls on the Run® of Bluff Country – Greenvale School Site
Girls on the Run® is an experiential afterschool program that uses running as a vehicle to teach lessons that encourage the successful development of essential life skills in girls in grades 3-5. Through interactive activities such as running, playing games, and discussing important issues, participants experience the joy of being themselves. During the 10-week program, girls are empowered with a greater sense of self-awareness, a foundation in team building, and a sense of achievement. Each session is led by two certified adult coaches and a few junior coaches that provide additional mentorship to the girls. The junior coaches (Northfield High School students) also benefit from the program by exploring the lessons along with the girls, developing group facilitation skills, and having an opportunity for community building across the age groups. The funds from this grant would go toward the cost of healthy snacks at each meeting and supplies for the celebration banquet at the end of the program.
March 2010
Wisdom Retreat
This is a one-day event open to all seniors at the Northfield High School. The planned event is a “retreat” to be held away from school, at an area church. The retreat will be a time of reflection for students as they prepare to conclude their educational experience at Northfield High School. The retreat will provide students with the opportunity for closure and a time to prepare for their journey into their futures. The funds from this grant would go toward the cost of hiring an outside organization (Youth Frontiers) to facilitate the event.
Movie Nights
The Community Services Division of the Northfield Public Schools plans to host movie nights on two Friday evenings this spring. Movie nights will be held at the Northfield High School auditorium and the movie shown will be a recent release to DVD. The Community Services Division strives to meet the needs of the community. With the closure of the movie theater in town, it became clear that a gap exists. The idea of movie nights was discussed at a HCI Board meeting and Community Services made a commitment to move forward with the idea. Community Services is hopeful that this will provide a safe, fun, and inexpensive opportunity for youth and families in our community. This project has the added benefit of including youth in the planning and preparation phase of the events. Funds requested will be used for staffing/supervision of the evening events. There will be no cost to attend the movies; participants will be asked to make a free-will donation to cover the movie licensing expenses.
February 2010
Game Night at the Key
The youth at the Key would like to hold a Game Night each Tuesday and invite area adults (open to the public) to come in and play board games with local youth. This project will be an intergenerational, weekly event. The funds from this grant would go toward the purchase of board games.
Greenvale Park Evening of the Arts
Evening of the Arts is an event that celebrates each student’s accomplishments in a variety of art forms (visual, musical and/or performing arts). This is an event for the entire student body and their families. All students will have artwork on display. Older students will be performing musical pieces and other students will recite poetry or a dramatic reading in the Bistro Café. Students and family members will also be encouraged to create art projects/artwork that evening, which they may take home. Funds requested will cover the cost of food and art supplies for the event.
BWCAW (Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness) Experience
A group of students at the Northfield Area Learning Center is planning a trip (a team-building experience) to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. They are working hard to raise the money needed to outfit themselves and two chaperones for this experience, which is planned for mid-June. The trip offers outdoor experiences for youth who have never had them before and provides a place to talk about the life choices and challenges they have faced. Funds requested would go toward the cost of permits, food, transportation and outfitting gear.
Youth Sports Equipment Exchange
A group of students from the Northfield Middle School would like to create a “library” of sorts. This group plans to collect donations of sports shoes and other sports equipment and then let area students borrow them as needed. The items “checked out” would need to be returned at the end of each sports season for which they were used. This group of students would like to make participation in various sports available to more students, particularly for those who cannot afford the equipment an athlete needs to provide for himself/herself (such as shoes or shin guards). Funds requested would go toward the cost of advertising, shelving (storage) for shoes, T-shirts, cleaning supplies for shoes, and food at events and meetings. Shoes and other sports equipment will be donated by the community at large.
January 2010
10th Grade Career Fair
The Northfield High School will host a career fair for all 10th grade students at Northfield High School (approximately 300 students). This career fair will give students an opportunity to explore career interests and make connections with adult community members. Each student will be attending five sessions. In each session, a community member will speak to students about his/her career and answer any questions that the students may have. Some juniors and seniors from the high school will be involved with the planning and implementation of the career fair. The funds from this grant would go toward food and presentation materials and for presenter thank-you recognitions.
Project START (Siblings and Sitters Talking And Reading with Tots) at Home
This project will be an intergenerational project where Northfield Middle School 6th grade students will check out “books in a bag,” available in English or in Spanish. The students will take the books home to share with/read to siblings and young children in an effort to promote family communication and early childhood literacy within both the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking communities of Northfield.
Family Service Night
This is a student-led event planned for an evening in March at St. Dominic School. The students are planning two activity options for participants. The first is packaging hygiene bags for the homeless. The second activity option is to make blankets for homeless people. The event is open to the community and they are planning for at least 100 participants. Families are encouraged to attend together. Funds requested will cover the cost of blanket materials and items for hygiene bags (soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, combs, etc.).
Cabin Fever Library Mini-Golf 3
Teens active at the Northfield Library will create and host a 9-hole mini-golf experience (with “driving range”) set up throughout the public library. This will be the 3rd annual mini-golf event. It is student-led and once again promises to be a fun, unique and family-oriented event. The Teen Advisory Board will create the holes and are planning on literature-based themes for them. In this time of reduced budgets, they hope to raise around $1,200 to purchase new library materials especially for teens. Funds requested would go toward the cost of materials to create the literature-based golf holes, rental of putters and golf balls, event prizes, and purchase of T-shirts for the TAB members working the event.
December 2009
A Celebration of Art and Literacy
2010 marks the 6th year for Sibley Elementary to host this event and HCI has supported it each year. The event has become a highlight of the school year where students and their families come together to view artwork and create art. Families will be reading together, making books and bookmarks, and listening to students read poetry. The planned activities are designed to inspire parents, grandparents and children to make reading, writing and the arts an important part of their lives. The funds from this grant would go toward art supplies and photo-finishing costs.
Arts for Martin Community Celebration
This is a student-led event which commemorates Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. and African American culture. The event will be held at Northfield School of Arts and Technology on January 15, 2010. The event will focus on how Dr. King’s teachings relate to our community. This is a community-wide event for people of all ages. Funds requested would go toward the cost of event preparation, including stage construction materials, piano tuning and advertising.
ARTech Wind Energy
In an effort to employ tactics to reduce their environmental impact, students at ARTech would like to build and maintain a wind turbine for use at ARTech. The students were inspired by a book entitled, How to Build a Wind Turbine for Under $300. The students plan to install a 100-200 watt wind turbine at ARTech. Funds requested would go toward the cost of materials for the turbine and toward installation costs; a small portion would be used to purchase the book. ARTech has also agreed to make a donation.
Including Samuel Community Screening and Discussion About Inclusion
Including Samuel is an award-winning documentary that chronicles a family’s efforts to include their child, with a disability, in every facet of their lives. The son (Samuel) has cerebral palsy, so this film is a true-to-life look at inclusion issues that impact families who have a child with special needs. Parents Meeting Parents plans to host a community/family viewing of this 58-minute documentary. Following the viewing, they plan to facilitate four different discussion groups: one for parents, a second for children 6 to 12 years old, a third for teens, and finally one for professionals, providing a continuing education certificate. The funds from this grant would go toward publicity/advertising costs, refreshments, materials for facilitators and certificates and postage costs.
Literacy and Its Importance
As part of the curricuIum of his Service Learning Class, the applicant is working on a project to teach children about how literacy affects their lives and how illiteracy is affecting people on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The applicant plans to visit local second grade classrooms at all three public elementary schools in early January to talk to students about literacy and its importance and to educate them about places (specifically Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota) were illiteracy rates are great. The applicant also plans to collect books over a two week period from the elementary students and ship them to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to be distributed to children on the reservation. The funds from this grant would be applied to the cost of packing materials and shipping the collected books to the reservation.
Physical Fitness
As part of the curricuIum of her Service Learning Class, the applicant is working on a project with classmates to educate Northfield Middle School students on the importance of physical activity at a young age. The project will involve Service Learning students visiting middle school students during their health classes. The Service Learning students will talk about/teach the middle schoolers about childhood obesity, the importance of staying hydrated, and the importance of having a healthy body and a healthy mind. The Service Learning students plan a follow-up visit to the middle school health classes to determine how/if their lesson influenced middle school students. The funds from this grant would be applied to the cost of purchasing water bottles that the Service Learning students plan to distribute to the middle school students during the health class visits.
Movies 4 Troops
As part of the curriculum of her Service Learning Class, the applicant is working on a project to collect and send movies to U.S. troops serving overseas. Their goal is to collect and send at least 100 movies to troops. The funds from this grant would be applied to the cost of shipping movies to troops overseas and also for the purchase of movies (up to $250) if the number of donated movies falls short of the goal (100 movies). The proposed project builds the following Developmental Assests: 1) Service to Others; 2) Personal Power; and 3) Sense of Purpose.
Calendars with Preschoolers
As part of the curricuIum of her Service Learning Class, the applicant is working on a project with classmates that involves interacting with preschoolers, specifically the Head Start students at the Northfield Community Resource Center (NCRC)). The applicant would like to establish a connection with preschoolers and older youth. The project involves high school students going over to the NCRC and spending time with the young students. This includes a joint activity – making calendars with the preschoolers. The calendars can include pictures of the Head Start students and the high school students together. This will give the Head Start students a fun way to share their school lives with each other and their families. The funds from this grant would be applied to the cost of purchasing calendars and art supplies and printing out prints of photos.
Mittens for the Needy
As part of the curriculum of his Service Learning Class, the applicant is working on a project with classmates to inform students in the Northfield schools that poverty exists locally and not everyone in Northfield can afford winter gear this year. The Service Learning students will visit classes in the Northfield schools. Then the project involves collecting (donated and purchased) wool sweaters and adding felt to them. After the felt is applied, the applicant and classmates will make mittens out of the sweaters. The applicant plans to seek help from middle and high school students, maybe even working with the Northfield Middle School Family and Consumer Science (FACS) classes to sew the mittens. All completed mittens will be donated to the Clothes Closet at the NCRC. Funds from this grant would go toward the purchase of sweaters, sewing supplies, refreshments (for consumption during sewing time), and advertising.
Thank-you Letters to Soldiers
As part of the curriculum of their Service Learning Class, the applicants are working on a project that involves sending hundreds of thank-you letters to U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The applicants are in contact with the National Guard to help determine distribution of thank-you letters. The applicants plan to collect thank-you letters from the Northfield High School student body. Funds from this grant will cover postage costs of mailing the thank-you letters.
Senior- Senior Prom
As part of the curriculum of her Service Learning Class, the applicant is working on a project with classmates to hold an event with senior citizens at the Northfield Retirement Center. The event will be held in an effort to connect teens with senior citizens and to provide the elderly with some companionship. The planned event would be a dance (a Senior Prom for Senior Citizens). The applicant plans to provide music and attending high school students would dress up semi-formally to create the Prom atmosphere. Snacks would be provided to the seniors and the high school students attending the event. The applicant would promote the event through various announcements at the Northfield High School and offer a sign-up sheet in the office. The event is planned for January 15, 2010. Funds from this grant would be applied to the costs of refreshments, decorations, party supplies and music.
Bracelets for Peace campaign
The applicant (a high school student) plans to work with groups of local youth in after school programs and scouting groups to make bracelets that can be sold in local businesses. The proceeds from the sale of the bracelets would be used to support the War Kids Relief program, which helps children around the world affected by war. The bracelet-making sessions will also provide an opportunity for local youth to learn about the impact of war on children. The applicant volunteered previously with the War Kids Relief’s kick-off to the “Solider’s Walk for Peace.” Grant funds will be used to purchase bracelet-making supplies (i.e. charms and hemp material).
Diego Vasquez Residency
This is a week-long, student-organized event that will be held at ARTech Charter School. It will bring in a guest speaker/instructor to teach students about spoken word poetry and poetry slams. That guest speaker is Diego Vasquez, known as “the Grandfather of Poetry Slams.” The week will end with a poetry slam, open to the general public. The funds from this grant would go for meals and transportation for Diego Vasquez and to offset the cost of publishing a compilation of poems made by participating students.
November 2009
International Day of Climate Action
Scheduled for October 24, this youth-led event will involve people walking to Ames Park to participate in the International Day of Climate Action. The goal is to make people aware of their carbon footprint and to encourage people to reduce their carbon footprint on the planet.
Before and during the activity, participants will receive pledge cards to pledge that they will do something to lessen their carbon footprint. At this gathering, pledge cards will be read aloud and collected and sent to President Obama. The funds from this grant be applied to the event costs of food, tent rental, signs and other supplies.
October 2009
Northfield Middle School Tattered Pages Bookstore
The project entails purchasing books for the Tattered Pages bookstore in order to better service the Latino students. The bookstore is open and available to all Middle School students, every day. The goal is to get books into the hands of students, and into their homes. All students are encouraged to recycle books they own by donating them to the Tattered Pages. Then, all students are encouraged to buy these recycled books using coupons rather than real money. Students earn coupons in a variety of ways, including donating used books. This is the third year of Tattered Pages, and it has been very successful. However, Amy Sieve says that the one area that needs focus is the availablilty of Spanish books, which are hard to find used. The funds from this grant would go toward adding Spanish books to the bookstore collection.
WEB Year-long Programming (leader celebration, social follow-ups, academic follow-ups, and leader/student contacts)
The Northfield Middle School began its WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) program last year as a version of the LINK program that was started at the High School three years ago. It works to better transition and prepare 6th graders for middle school and helps to establish a positive school climate. Eighth grade students are trained to serve as leaders and mentors for the incoming 6th graders. This year, plans include a significant increase in the social and academic follow-ups throughout the year, thereby extending the program’s reach. Funds requested would be used for food, supplies, and decorations for follow-up events.
Films for the Food Shelf
The Northfield Middle School SLAM (Student Leaders Are Moving) group offers movies in the Middle School Auditorium several times throughout the year. These are open to all middle school students, with a suggested admission of a non-perishable food item or $2.00. All money and donations are given to the Community Action Center Food Shelf. Funds requested would go toward the cost of movie rental and chaperones (building staff).
Reason to Write Pen Pal Program
The project involves second grade students at Sibley Elementary School in an intergenerational pen-pal program. Senior citizen volunteers and students will share letters for 8 weeks in the fall session (October & November) and for another 8 weeks in the spring session (March & April). At the conclusion of each session, RSVP will host a party giving students and senior volunteers an opportunity to meet their pen-pal. Funds requested would be used to help offset the cost in transporting students to the party site at either the Northfield Retirement Center campus or the Three Links campus.
Hip-Hop Anonymous
The project is to create a community program, in partnership with the Key and the Phillips Foundation, that uses the main aspects of Hip-Hop culture to erase the unfair, negative reputation that the youth of Northfield have received. It will also attempt to lessen the gap between different ethnic groups and age groups in Northfield. The program will be completely drug and alcohol free. It will be called Hip-Hop Anonymous. It will begin during the summer of 2010, and, with the proper resources, continue through the rest of the year. Weekly events will take place at the Key, each revolving around a different aspect of Hip-Hop culture. The events will range from free breakdancing lessons, to rap concerts. A final event at the end of the summer will showcase all of the work of of the summer. The funds from this grant would go toward performers’ fees and event supplies.
“Day of the Dead” Celebration
Day of the Dead – or “Dia de los Muertos” – is an important Mexican celebration where the Latino community remembers deceased loved ones. This year, the Centro Campesino Youth Network (comprised of Latino high school students) will coordinate this event in collaboration with students at Carleton College. The event will include an explanation of the “Dia de los Muertos” celebration, an exhibit of a mosaic painted by Latino youth resembling “Dia de Los Muertos,” an altar, music, an Aztec dance performance and ethnic food. The event will be open to high school students, college students, members of the Latino community, and other Northfield community members. The funds from this grant would be applied to the cost of event materials, supplies and advertising.
September 2009
Grand Buddies Program
This program began in 2003; fourth grade students from Mrs. Haar’s Sibley Elementary School classroom regularly visit older adult residents of Northfield Care Center on the Northfield Retirement Community campus. Students learn about the aging process through pre-visit instruction, conversation, and resident interviews. Through interviews, students learn about individual life stories, how things are similar and different for the two generations, and the lesson that each individual is the sum of his/her years. Program goals are to dispel myths about aging, build self-esteem in young people, develop a comfort level within students in relating to the elderly, and provide an opportunity for students to give back to the community. Monthly visits will begin in October 2009 and conclude in May 2010. Funds requested are for transportation costs – $100 per month for 8 months.
Halloween Haunted Library
The TAB plans to create a haunted house in the library for an event on October 30. In an effort to attract pre-teens and teens to the library, this event will not be for young children, but will include things that make the library appear to be a haunted (i.e. “scary”) place. The goal is also to promote reading for fun, and introduce the library as an exciting and welcoming place for all ages. The event is geared toward middle and high school-aged students. Funds requested are for food and beverages ($125), decorations ($150), costumes ($50), printing ($50) and miscellaneous costs ($25).
Youth Teaching Youth
The Youth Teaching Youth program trains Northfield High School students to go into elementary schools and talk with students about alcohol & tobacco facts (in 4th grade classrooms) and the six pillars of character (in 2nd grade classrooms). Through videos, games, role-playing and discussion, 4th graders will practice refusal skills, learn how to deal with peer pressure and build self-esteem. Second-graders will learn about responsibility, respect and caring through hands-on activities, group discussion and story time. High school student serve as the trainers, acting as positive role models and learning about positive choices when it comes to alcohol, tobacco and peer pressure. Funds requested are for supplies, travel and staff. Each classroom is charged $75.
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