Students Connect with their Community via Virtual Workshops

On May 12^th and May 26^th, Ebony Belmar and Dennis Green spearheaded an effort to provide virtual programming as an alternative to our normally-scheduled Girls’ Day Out and Boys’ Day Out programs. At least 200 students participated, and likely more, since some classrooms logged in on a shared account. Presenters and attendees were really excited by the wide variety of wonderful topics and the opportunity to connect the schools with so many community resources. Here are the workshops and presenters:

911 What’s the Emergency? –Nick Mannix & Ryan Macherone –Schenectady Police Department
Booze, Buds, Vapes – Michelle Fonda – New Choices Recovery Program
Broke AND I still look good – Julianna Obie – community member
Cops are People 2 – James Plowden & Komieko Mosher –SPD & NPD
Creating Shared Futures – Johan Matthews BDO
Elevate – Trent Griffin-Braaf Tech Valley Hospitality Shuttle & Willie Dean – community member
Gangs NO! Success YES! -Finding Your Community – Will Rivas – Save Our Streets
Goal Setting &Career Exploration – Danielle Mitchell & Stephanie Grafton -Schenectady County Connects
Healthy Relationships – Brian Ledbetter – My Brother’s Keeper & Epiphany McGee – YWCA
High School & Beyond – Shayla Kerr
Human Trafficking – Salka Valerio and Melanie Puorto-Conte, Safe, Inc.
Improv – Ready to be on Stage? – Livia Walker – MOPCO
Intro to SCPL – Kaela Wallman – Schenectady County Public Library
Let Me Breathe – Social Justice – Jamaica Miles – community activist
LGBTQlA+ – Brittany Beyus – Planned Parenthood
Online Safety – Kyla Guru – Bits & Bytes Cyber Security
Online Safety – Monica Luciani & Jessica Tyree –Schenectady Probation Dept
Puberty & Beyond – Carley Robinson –Planned Parenthood
Self-Starters–Starting Your Own Business – Rae Frasier – artist entrepreneur, Tarrance Fleur- GrayScale Barber; Jeremiah Davis – student entrepreneur
Telling Your Story – author – Hamilton Hill Arts Center
U Got Bars – Rapping with Prince Sprauve – movie producer
Using the Brain- Not the Hands – Mediation Matters
Visual Art – Paint in the Moment -Heather Hutchison & Emery Haliotis – Create Community Studios
What’s your Why – Melanie Uebele & Tiombe Farley- Liberty Partnership
Where in Schenectady Am I? Kahoots – Ginny Casper Union College & Travis Ghirdharie SCSD

Students who participated were eligible for special prizes, and we appreciate those local businesses that were kind enough to offer us discounts!