WIXLIB

CHANGING THE GAME – Husky Sport’s NewsletterIssue I, November 29, 2011CHANGING THE GAMEIssue I, November 29, 2011Words from the Director2Programs3New Faces: Meet theAmeriCorpsHusky Sport’s After-School Coordinator DerekSantiago and Clark students enjoying the Fall Fest1st AnnualClark Community Fall Festat J.C. Clark Elementary &Middle School4-5Clark CommunityFall Fest6W W W .HUSKYSPORT.UCONN.EDUHusky Sport 101Husky Sport students and staff work topositively engage with members of theHartford, CT and UConn ps with youth, their adult familymembers, college students, and communityorganization collaborators. Through efforts inschools, after school and weekend programs,Husky Sport aims to be a continuous part ofthe lives of children and families in Hartford’sNorth End. This process occurs as HuskySport looks to both reinforce and teach themaking of positive life choices in thefollowing four areas:1) Healthy nutrition2) Relevant and transferable life skills3) Exposure to varied sports and physicalactivities4) Academic opportunity and excellence

CHANGING THE GAME – Husky Sport’s NewsletterIssue I, November 29, 2011Words From The DirectorWelcome tothefirstHusky SportNewsletterof20112012! Seemslike there has been so muchhappening that we keepwaiting to send this out. Thespring and summer markedtremendous growth in ourstaff with the graduation ofDr. Justin Evanovich andDr.RhemaFuller.Congratulations to both andwe are excited to see Rhemasucceeding as an AssistantProfessor at Alfred StateCollege (NY) and Justincontinuing to form anddevelop relationships inHartford as an AssistantDirector for Husky Sport.We also wish the best to sixof our graduating master’sstudents-- Brittany Perotti atNew York Cares (NY),Brittany Hunter at TheHarlem Success Academy(NY), Loren DarringtonFuller at Alfred StateCollege (NY), Gianna Smithat Capital Prep High School(CT). Xaimara Coss movedon to work for the NationalBasketball Association inNew York City as well.DanielleDerosahasremained with Husky Sportto become a ProgramSupervisorforTeensThrough College and HuskySport’s new partnershipwith Capital Prep HighSchool, in addition tooverseeing the developmentof the new one credit Healthand Education in UrbanCommunities classes inStorrs.We maintained continuitywith Devon Wilson-Hillcontinuing in her master’sprogram and working withHusky Sport’s after schoolprogram and Ray Cotrufo(PhD program) with HuskySport research. Also addedHuskySportveteransEmmanuel Omokaro (TeensThrough College, Sport andNutritionClinics,andtransportation), as well asSchool of Social WorkstudentsPattiBellamy(Clark In-School Program)and Laura Harris eThroughCollege)asgraduate assistants. We alsohired Tiffanie Russell, agraduate student in UConnSchool of Social Work toassist in the Clark In-SchoolProgram.The most significant changein the Husky Sport staffingplan was the addition ofnine AmeriCorps positionsfor 2011-2012 in the form oftwo Public Allies (ErinnArbelaez-Read & Raise andDerek Santiago-After SchoolProgram),twoVISTAdevelopmentassistants(Alex Ortega and EvanTimme) and five CoachAcross America members(Floyd Grier, Alicia Waring,AngelaFinn,NicoleSquadrito, Mike Evanovich).We still have three spots tofill this spring for CoachAcross America as well.As you will see this greatstaff has things up andrunning in full force this fall.Hope you enjoy readingmore about what they’vebeen doing.- Dr. Jennifer BrueningMonTuesWedClark InSchoolClark InSchoolClark InSchoolCatholicWorkerHouseClark /ParkerMemorialSalvationArmy /CRTThuFriClark InSchoolClark /ParkerMemorialSatCatholicWorkerHouse

CHANGING THE GAME – Husky Sport’s NewsletterIssue I, November 29, 2011ProgramsNeag School TeacherEducation InternsClark In-School· Weekly 45-minuteclasses emphasizeimportance of literacy,nutrition, physicalactivity, & life skills.· 15 classes K-6, close to300 studentsparticipating each week.· Sample lessons taughtthis fall: Responsibility, Respect, PersonalHygiene, Conflict Resolution, Bullying &Privacy, and food pyramid.· UConn educationstudents earning theirmasters degrees.· Specializing in smallgroup additionalinstruction for 7th & 8thgrade students.· Assisting with testpreparation and administration.· Assisting with daily curriculum andinstructions.Clark After-SchoolTuesdays & Thursdays· Participating children are taken to ParkerMemorial Recreation Center on main street (4blocks from Clark) for after-school programs.· Activities include: nutrition lessons andtastings, swimming, sport/games andhomework help.Wednesdays· Tutoring sections with children atCommunity Renewal Team Generations (nextto Clark).· Additional nutritional and physicalactivities are held at the Salvation Armyacross from Clark on Nelson Street).Teens Through College· High school students from various schoolsattend this program held on Sundayafternoons at the Salvation Army on NelsonStreet.· The program focuses on college information,SAT prep, college application along with afamily style dinner served at the end with anutritional lesson.· Additionally this spring, Capital Prepstudents will be taking a class for UConncredit in which they will learn more aboutHartford, as well as national trends in urbaneducation and health.·Catholic Worker HouseHusky Sport participates twice a week atprograms geared towards physicalactivities and academics at the GreenHouse across the street from Clark School.Mondays· Participants have play-time fallowed byhomework help provided by UConn studentsand volunteers.Saturdays· Husky Sport students engage in physicalactivities and crafts with the participantstudents from pre-k to high school duringthis program from 10:00am to 1:00 pm,nutritional family-style lunch is provided.Read & Raise· Literacy initiative held during the springsemester. Husky Sport staff and volunteerswill spend 5-10 hours per week during Read& Raise to promote literacy in the Clark,MLK, Wish, & SAND elementary schools.· The program aims to assist in increasingstudents’ reading and writing skills, personalinterest in reading, and building positiverelationships between UConn and Hartfordstudents.· Last spring a total of 56,327 books were readamong all four schools.

CHANGING THE GAME – Husky Sport’s NewsletterIssue I, November 29, 2011New Faces: Meet the AmeriCorpsFor the 2011-2012 academic year Husky Sport is fortunateenough to count with new staff thanks to its partnership withAmeriCorps programs. Two public allies and two VISTA(Volunteers In Service to America) will be full time staffsenhancing the everyday operations and resources of HuskySport. This partnership comes via alliances with Public Alliesof Connecticut and Up2Us, which shows both theimprovement and expansion efforts Husky Sport has beenexperiencing in its few years working with the youth of theNorth End of Hartford. With these new additions to our team,not only our programs and operation will get better, but newopportunities for programming, events and funding canarrive in order to continue, better and increase ourdevelopment of relationships between Hartford and UConncommunities in order to continue being part of the lives ofchildren and families in Hartford’s North End.Public Allies Connecticut haspartneredwithnonprofitorganizations across Bridgeport,New Haven and Hartford to createNew Leaders for New Times. Weare grounded in the conviction thateveryone can lead; Public Allies ischanging the face and practice ofleadership in communities acrossthe country by demonstrating ourbelief that lasting social changeresults when citizens of allbackgrounds step up, takeresponsibility,andworktogether.Erinn Arbeláez, Read & Raise Coordinator—Public Ally ofConnecticutI grew up in Ellington, CT and received abachelor's degree in Political Science andEconomics at the University of Connecticut.This year I will coordinate Husky Sport'sliteracy initiative Read and Raise. The mainfocus of the position is to work with families,teachers, students and Husky Sport staff to continue gettingstudents at the four elementary schools we work with excitedabout reading. I'm excited to have the opportunity in thisposition to continue working with the North End communitythat has been so inviting and supportive. In my spare time Ilike to spend time with family and friends, visit the GreenHouse and rock climb.Derek Santiago, After School Coordinator—Public Ally ofConnecticutI was born and raised in Hartford, CT, so thiscommunity means a lot to me. I am workingwith Husky Sport as an After SchoolCoordinator. It is my job to find new waysthat Husky Sport can be involved with theVISTA, Volunteers in Service toAmerica, serves as a domesticversion of the Peace Corps. Theprogram aims to supplement effortsto fight poverty in low-incomecommunitiesbyengagingAmericans from all walks of life in ayear of full time service. VISTAmembers support the program’spurpose through three primaryobjectives: 1) encouraging volunteerservice at the local level, 2)generating the commitment ofprivate sector resources, and 3)strengthening local agencies andorganizations that serve lowincome communities. There arecurrentlyover 5,000VISTAmembers serving in over 1,000projects throughout the nation.

CHANGING THE GAME – Husky Sport’s NewsletterIssue I, November 29, 2011different services surrounding Clark Elementary School such as CRT, Catholic Worker House,Parker Memorial Recreational Center, and Salvation Army. We give the children alternativeoptions to spend their time when school is dismissed all while continuing to promote fitness,nutrition, healthy lifestyles, and overall better futures. I look forward to advocating these valueswhile enhancing my leadership qualities during my time with Husky Sport.Evan M. Timme, Development Assistant—VISTAI grew up in Annville, Pennsylvania and attended Lock Haven University ofPennsylvania. While in college I became involved in volunteer service, becomingan AmeriCorps Student Scholar in Service and ran the Outreach for HumanityClub student service oriented club. After graduating in May 2011 with a B.S. inHealth Science I pursued work as an AmeriCorps VISTA. My focus is to buildHusky Sport’s capacity through facilitating partnerships at UConn and inHartford, cultivating new donors and expanding commitment of current donors, and identifying,writing and obtaining grants to support programming. In my first two months of service I havehad an enjoyable time meeting partners, learning and experiencing the Husky Sport programs,and especially interacting with the children in Hartford. When not working for Husky Sport Ienjoy lifting and watching college sports as well as researching health science related graduateprograms for future education.Alexander R. Ortega, Development Assistant—VISTAI was born in Barranquilla, Colombia and moved to Hartford, CT eight yearsago. While in Hartford, I attended Bulkeley High School, which gives me a clearunderstanding of the importance and impact a program like Husky Sport has onthe students. I attended the University of Connecticut and received a B.A. inPolitical Science and Latin American Studies in May 2011. As a developmentassistant it is my hope to contribute valuable resources to Husky Sport, helpwith various day-to-day operations and strengthen partnerships while creating new ones. Also, Ihope to find new ways to obtain funds for our programs whether by grants, gifts or fundraisingactivities. During my free time I enjoy playing/watching soccer games, and spending timeand/or doing community service with my Fraternity brothers of Latino América Unida/LambdaAlpha Upsilon Fraternity throughout the state of Connecticut where I serve as an advisor to theUConn/ECSU chapter.www.americorps.gov