Please let us know if you’re able to make it out and we can get that setup and ready to go. Thanks!

STAFF/INTERNAL NEWS:

A big welcome to two new providers, Yvette Downs and Phil Silberman! Yvette has taken over two theater classes at Strathmore, and Phil has kindly stepped in to lead an Olympiad program at Neelsville Middle School. The kids have loved having you there the past couple weeks, and we welcome you to the So What Else team!

We’d like to feature Barbi Lopez and the fabulous work she’s been up to with her students all over D.C. and Montgomery County!! Last Saturday she spent the day with her students from the Shady Grove Girls’ Home, first at the 2015 MS Walk and then at a Youth Empowerment Forum at Anacostia Museum. Her day with the girls truly embodied the So What Else mantra of giving service and leading our kids to Pay It Forward. Thanks for all your AWESOME work Barbi!!

Our new programs at DC Prep have been going swimmingly; thanks to Rachael and Jonathan for spearheading Taste and Move and Olympiad down in DC!

The building of Baltimore’s first-ever bottle brick bench has officially begun! Volunteers came out on Saturday to get the foundations dug and ready, and all this week and next, Roland Park Country School students will be building the bench by their playground with the help of The Harvest Collective. We will be updating pictures to our FB page, and invite any providers out to help on the final build day, scheduled for May 9th.

Upcoming Events White Oak Mulching

Date: Saturday May 2, 2015
Time: 10:00AM – 3:00, lunch included!
Location: White Oak Recreation Center (1700 April Lane, Silver Spring MD 20904)
Details: White Oak Recreation Center is starting a youth gardening program and is looking for volunteers to help set up the area with light landscaping and mulching.

Pitch, Hit, & Run in Takoma Park with Pyramid Atlantic Sports

Date: Sunday, May 3rd 2015
Time: 12:30pm – 5:30pm
Location: Ed Wilhelm Field | 2 Darwin Avenue, Takoma Park, MD
Details: This grassroots program is designed to provide youngsters with an opportunity to compete, free of charge, in a competition that recognizes individual excellence in core baseball/softball skills. This event will give the competition a “creative flavor” by providing free art activities for youth that will include screen-printing of team logos and bracelet making from old baseballs. Pyramid Atlantic is looking for TEN VOLUNTEERS to help support the various athletic activities, art projects, and set-up/break-down. The event lasts from 2-5pm but volunteers are needed from 12:00-5:30. This opportunity is a great one for high school and college student group volunteering! Please email swevolunteer@gmail.com if you’re interested.

Sarah’s Hope Birthday Party

Date: Monday May 4, 2015
Time: 7:00PM – 8:30PM
Location: 1114 Mount Street, Baltimore MD 21217
Details: We will be having a May birthday party at Sarah’s Hope this coming Monday at 7pm. The center is full with 50 school-aged children, so we’re looking for people to lead games and activities. There will be cake, games, and arts & crafts as we help celebrate the May birthdays of the shelter.

Roland Park Country School Bottle Brick Build

Dates: May 9, 2015
Time: 10:00AM – 3:00PM
Location: 5204 Roland Avenue, Baltimore MD 21210
Details: The Harvest Collective needs help on May 9th at the Roland Park Country School bench builds! The Roland Park Country School invites community volunteers to come out for the day and help finish off the mosaic work and put the finishing touches on the completed bench.

KaBOOM! Playground Build with MoCo Coalition for the Homeless

Dates: May 20, 2015
Time: 7:45AM – 3:00PM
Location: Seneca Heights Apartments | 18715 North Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg MD 20879
Details: The Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless (MCCH) needs 75 volunteers to participate in a “one day build” to build a KaBOOM! playground for the Seneca Heights Apartments, where 17 formerly homeless families and 40 single adults live. They require 75 volunteers on Wednesday, and we hope to supplement the volunteers they bring to the table to get them to 75!

Launch Sport Performance Fundraiser

Date: Thursday May 21, 2015
Time: 5:00PM – 8:30PM
Location: 2600 Tower Oaks Boulevard, Suite 101 | Rockville, MD 20852
Details: Launch Sport Performance is hosting an open house event honoring So What Else on Thursday, May 21. We’d like to invite you out to their 11,000 sq. foot state-of-the-art facility for an evening of drinks and h’or d’oeuvres, as well as a meet and greet with Olympic athletes, Jordan Zimmerman and other Nationals players, a former NBA player, and other local professional athletes. LSP is an incredibly valued partnership of ours and they are aiming to raise $25,000 to fund several weeks of our summer camps, so we would really love to see anyone who can make it out to come out in support of this event!

• Olympics this past Monday went really well! We had +400 chaperones and kids come out to Anacostia Park for a beautiful day of sports, games, service, and art. Thank you to ALL our providers, staff, interns, and volunteers for helping to make it such a success!
• We’re hammering out our summer camp schedule– I know Dave said this in an earlier email, but please email us to let us know your availability (full-time, part-time, spot-work, etc) for summer!
• Amy Santis has started running The Big Idea at City Springs Middle School every Thursday; congratulations Amy! We know you’ll help the kids come up with great ways to help their community!
• We’re starting TWO new programs with our new partners, DC Prep– Rachael will be teaching the Big Idea and Jonathan will be running an Olympiad program. We know they’ll do awesome work and make us proud

Upcoming events

• Leveling the Playing Field: Saturday, April 18th, 2:00-5:00pm | 9170 Brookville Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910– We’re looking for some excited volunteers to come out to help our long-time partner, Leveling the Playing Field, in sorting donated sports equipment at their Silver Spring warehouse!  This is a great opportunity for families with young kids to come out for a couple hours and do some good service.
• Community Forum: Female Youth Empowerment Forum: Saturday, April 18th, 2:00-4:00pm | The Anacostia Community Museum– Documentary filmmakers, Donna and Tony Fair will show excerpts from their film, Don’t Hate Me, which explores the internal struggles of girl’s self-esteem and how girls can receive guidance and support from mentors. An interactive panel discussion will take place at intervals during the screening with various community mentors and leaders. This is a wonderful learning/enrichment opportunity; no registration is necessary, and we’d love to see any interested volunteers and students in attendance!
• Maryland Jubilee Association fundraiser: Monday, April 20th, 3:30-10:30pm | North Bethesda Marriott: 5701 Marinelli Road, North Bethesda MD 20852— The Jubilee Association of Maryland is looking for ten volunteers to help them out at their annual fundraising event, a toast of Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen! Volunteers are needed from 3:30-10:30pm (or any time therein) for unpacking cars, setting up the room, interacting with guests and clients, and then cleaning up at the end of the night. The Jubilee Association of Maryland is a long-time partner of So What Else and we always have a great time at their service events. They’re looking for TEN volunteers, so if you’re free and want to help make their event a success, contact us for more information!
• Leveling the Playing Field: Saturday, April 25th, all day| Baltimore MD (exact location TBD)– Leveling the Playing Field is having an all-day collection in Baltimore, MD and is looking for volunteers to help out at their event! They’re especially looking for volunteers who would be able to transport equipment to/from Baltimore.
• Plant the Town: Saturday, April 25th, 8:00AM – 1:00PM | 8916 Chesapeake Avenue, North Beach, MD 20714– Join us for the 8th Annual Plant the Town clean-up.  Volunteers will be doing beach and marsh cleanup and overlook park, town streets, and curb side cleanup. Lunch IS included! Meet time is 8am to register and get assignments, then spend the morning beautifying North Beach!
• Pitch, Hit, and Run in Takoma Park: Sunday, May 3rd, 12:30-5:30pm
  Ed Wilhelm Field | 2 Darwin Avenue, Takoma Park, MD– This grassroots program is designed to provide youngsters with an opportunity to compete, free of charge, in a competition that recognizes individual excellence in core baseball/softball skills.  This event will give the competition a “creative flavor” by providing free art activities for youth that will include screen-printing of team logos, bracelet making from old baseballs and baseball inspired art making! Volunteers are needed to help support the various athletic activities, art projects, and set-up/break-down.  The event lasts from 2-5pm but volunteers are needed from 12:30-5:30.
• KaBOOM! Playground Build: Tuesday, May 20, 7:45AM-3:00PM
  KaBOOM! is a non-profit dedicated to making sure children from all walks of life are given the opportunity to have safe and fun places to play. The Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless (MCCH) needs 75 volunteers to participate in a “one day build” to build a KaBOOM! playground for the Seneca Heights Apartments, where 17 formerly homeless families and 40 single adults live.  They require 75 volunteers on Wednesday, and we hope to supplement the volunteers they bring to the table to get them to 75!

Upcoming Service Events

• Leveling the Playing Field, Sat. Feb. 7, 1-4:30pm — *TIME HAS CHANGED* Volunteers will assist with sorting and inventory at Leveling the Playing Field’s premises.  This is tomorrow, and as of now we have 6 (possibly 7) volunteers committed to the event!
• Service and Meet & Greet with Jubilee, Sat. Feb. 21, 11-3pm — Volunteers are needed to help with seasonal indoor housekeeping (light cleaning & washing) at some of Jubilee’s local residences. This is a great opportunity for volunteers with a special interest in developmental disabilities to meet some of Jubilee’s residents and network with Jubilee’s volunteer coordinator. We need up to 15 volunteers, a few of which will be able to drive from one location to the other.
• Friendship Circle, Sun. Mar. 8 & 22, April 19, May 3 & 17, 1:30-5:30 — These will likely be internal events (staffed by SWE staff/youth development team members rather than community volunteers). The Friendship Circle engages with special needs children and teenagers in activities and opportunities that are typically available to general community members. The events we will be helping with are athletic events; more info will come as we get closer to March.
• Bikes for the World, Sat. Mar. 28, 12-4pm at REI Rockville — Bikes for the World donates good-condition used bikes to developing countries so people can get to work, school and the doctors, and generally enhance their lives through better transport. We’ve led this event two other times for BftW and it’s been a lot of fun (lunch is included!).  We need 5-8 volunteers to help out at the event, but more importantly we need to spread the word about getting people to donate bikes (they also take bike parts in good condition)!
• Cherry Blossom Festival Fireworks Spectacular, Sat. April 4, 3-7pm — This was sent out already but major details (time and duties) have changed, so take a look! So What Else has been asked by NPS to provide volunteers and staff for recycling and trash pickup throughout the event.  We will be meeting at East Potomac Golf Course parking lot (972 Ohio Dr SW, Washington, DC 20024) and then traveling over together.

Internal News

• Our program of the month is Yoga! Congratulations to Naomi for starting at Springbrook High School– we’ve gotten rave reviews from your classes, and Shady Grove has even requested a staff yoga session due to its reception among their students!
• Roshan has done great work in launching our east county empowerment programs. She’s started mixed programming at Langley Elementary, and we’re looking forward to getting that community involved in our expressive arts, service, and life skills sessions
• We’re ramping up our volunteer engagement and really working on expanding our volunteer base. We’ve been contacted by ~20 people through Volunteer Match this week, and Daphne, Amy, and I will be attending the Montgomery County Volunteer Fair on Feb. 18th to connect with other local organizations and +100 interested volunteers

I realize I neglected to introduce myself in last week’s newsblast– sorry about that!  My name is Julie Thompson and I am taking over from Lexi as Director of Communications.  I’m really looking forward to getting to know everyone and working with you all to provide the awesome opportunities So What Else offers to the community!

Internal notices

We have a LinkedIn page!!  If you’re on LinkedIn please go “Follow” the company page on your account!  This is a great way to connect with each other, potential volunteers, current and prospective donors, and other like-minded organizations in the area, but we’d like to wait until we have a respectable (read: more than 2 people) following before we start posting and promoting.

We are currently looking for a donated truck to help us support and expand our programming!  If you know of anyone who might be of service please refer them to us or pass along their information for us to contact!
As promised in the Jan. 5th staff meeting, we’ve attached an “On-Site Service Curriculum” to this email.  This semester we are implementing the Big Idea program into every after school class; in the document, you will find several ideas for various on-site service projects to incorporate into the weekly curriculums of our after school programming.  Take a look, and if you have any questions or need any support with logistics, contact Dave, Rachael, or Daphne.

We will soon begin our search for members for our Student Advisory Board, who (among other duties) will help start So What Else service clubs at their various high schools and serve as general leaders and liaisons to the community.  We anticipate them to continue their role over the summer and serve as summer interns with So What Else’s summer session.

We will be spending the week of April 5-11th on a week-long staff workshop.  This is the second of four week-long trainings, and we will be focusing on our themes of service and sustainability by building and landscaping an edible garden, the fruits of which will be donated to the Feed the Mind collaboration between So What Else and Nourish Now.

Providers, please mark your calendars for April 10th for our all-day Olympics event!  We’ll need all hands on deck to man the stations throughout the day and are looking forward to our biggest event of the year!

Upcoming volunteer events and opportunities

We have ongoing opportunities for tutoring, coaching, and mentoring throughout this semester with Scotland Storm, Hearts and Homes, and other regular partners.  Please reach out to us atsowhatelsehelps@gmail.com for more information!

Leveling the Playing Field, Sat. Feb. 7, 2-4pm | 9170 Brookville Road, Silver Spring MD 20910— Volunteers will be helping to sort and inventory donations of sporting equipment.  We will also be filling shoe boxes with used cleats and labeling the boxes before placing on shelves.  Volunteers will be in charge of creating comprehensive lists of everything sorted throughout the day.  Be sure to wear tennis shoes and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty!
Earthopia Workshop, Sun. Feb. 22, 1-4pm | 2560 Mill Hill Road, Waldorf MD— Students and community members will get an introduction to permaculture and earth/land stewardship in our So What Else: Southern Maryland kickoff event.

Hampden Family Center Rec Center Clean-up, Sat. Feb. 28, 10-2pm | 1104 W. 36th Street, Baltimore MD 21211— Volunteers needed to assist with maintenance and light repairs at the children’s recreation area of the Hampden Family Center. The Hampden Family Center provides enrichment programs to children and seniors, as well as economic and health support services to the community at large.

Monthly Birthday Party at Sarah’s Hope, Sun. Mar. 1, 6-8pm | 1114 Mount Street, Baltimore MD 21217— We will be joining Sarah’s Hope, a 24-hour shelter for women and children, for a monthly birthday party for all the children in the shelter. There will be cake, games, and arts & crafts as we help celebrate the March birthdays of the shelter.

Strawberry Festival, Sat. May 16, 8:30-4:30pm | Springbrook HS, 201 Valley Brook Drive, Silver Spring MD 20904— Milk Lady Markets’ annual Strawberry Festival is back and requesting 22 volunteers to assist in covering the festival operations from 8:30am and 4:30pm, covering set-up, booth and vendor support, breaking down the stage at the end, picking up loose trash on the grounds, and helping take down the booths and decorations.  This is a great opportunity for volunteers, and all volunteers working the festival will be given a break time to enjoy the attractions!

On January 12 we kicked off our winter session with 28 after-school programs.  This year our programs will be focusing on integrating on-site service for our youth along with the skills-based class they’re taking throughout the semester.

We have 5 programs running in Baltimore this semester, up from the 2 we had last fall.  Students will be doing two on-site service projects highlighting civic responsibility and giving back per semester. We are happy to continue strengthening our relationship with Eutaw-Marshburn Elementary School and are thrilled to announce the week-long summer camp that will be held there this year.

The So What Else staff attended its first of four Maryland Out-of-School-Time Youth Development Conferences. We had a successful week of training and would like to welcome Abu, Horiol, Talia, and Jonathan to the So What Else youth development team! We look forward to our next conference on April 5-11th, which will focus on environmental conservation, sustainability, and service.

We have been invited to submit a proposal for the $150,000 Team Up Grant from the Trawick Foundation. The Trawick Foundation is very supportive of our mission and we look forward to developing innovative new programming with our teammates.

New Collaborations

We are thrilled to officially announce the collaboration between So What Else and Nourish Now.  Feed the Mind will allow us to deliver diverse programming and nutritious food in one setting for our youth constituents and we look forward to continuing our strong relationship with Nourish Now.

We are excited to welcome David and Nicole Holly to the team as pilots for So What Else: Southern Maryland! Our goals are to bring the So What Else mission to Waldorf, La Plata, and neighboring southern Maryland communities. Our preliminary calendar and official affiliation begins on February 1, 2015 with an Earthopia event from 1:00-4:00pm at 2560 Mill Hill Road, Waldorf MD. We will have a “Farm Day” from 9:00am-5:00pm on April 25, doing hands-on learning through hiking, gardening, and learning about plants. We look forward to further engaging with the southern Maryland community in community service events in the near future.

We are excited to welcome Davey Rogner and Jane Matt to a new collaboration with us here at So What Else. This partnership with The Harvest Collective will allow us to delve further into sustainability, healthy fresh foods, and environmental and STEM education.  We are currently building a garden at Springbrook High School and teaching classes at Clemente Middle School, and on April 5-11th we will be hosting a weeklong environmental workshop at 11405 Guerlac Court, North Potomac MD 20878

Thanks for reading!

Recent Events
We would  like to congratulate the staff on yet another successful Olympic field day last Thursday, and thank everyone for their hard work! Twenty four of our PG County Centers were in attendance, and overall the day went very smoothly. The kids seemed to have a great time, and we can only hope that our providers and volunteers enjoyed themselves just as much! We look forward to our continuing partnership with Dwayne Dawson, the Community Services Foundation, and all the kids we’ve worked with throughout this summer.

Last Friday was Bike to the Beach, for which we have provided general volunteer recruitment support, in addition to taking responsibility for staffing our usual post-Bay Bridge bike unloading station. A number of our staff members and providers were generous enough to donate their time to volunteering at this event. Organizer Ben Dalley has repeatedly expressed his gratitude for our work. As always, the event was a success! Thank you to everyone involved!

Upcoming Events
We invite everyone to meet today, Monday, August 4 at 2:00pm at our Monroe office (200A Monroe St, Rockville, MD 20850). Look forward to some team building activities in the downtown Rockville area (specifics to be decided) and discussion/brainstorming on advancing our mission to encourage the youth we serve to “pay it forward.”

Wednesday, August 6 at 9:00 am we will be having a breakfast and service learning workshop at Dave’s house (11405 Guerlac Ct, North Potomac, MD 20878). This session is mandatory for all staff who plan to work with us as providers for our upcoming fall after school programming!

Saturday, August 9, we will be partnering with a new organization called Save Youth Football to staff their Charity Combine event, from 2pm-6pm at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda. Money raised will go toward SYF’s mission of assisting needy families to pay youth football fees, which helps keep young boys motivated and out of trouble. We will be recruiting volunteers to assist with event logistics, and cheer on participants as they test their physical skills at a variety of stations. Amy will set up an information table on behalf of So What Else, while Daphne will be the project leader and point of contact for SWE volunteers.

The following are the details (thus far) of another event, just added to our calendar. We would appreciate it if as many of our staff members as possible could contribute some of their time in order to make this an effective venture. Look forward to a more detailed informational email to follow.

Montgomery County Agricultural Fair Promotional Booth with Nourish Now

Date: Friday August 8th, 2014 – Saturday, August 16th, 2014

Time: Fair is open 10am-12am daily; shift times for SWE staff members TBA

Location: Montgomery County Fairgrounds (16 Chestnut St, Gaithersburg, MD 20877)

Details: Our friends at Nourish Now have signed us up for a booth at the County Fair this year for both of our organizations to promote ourselves and each other. We will be promoting our mission to the large crowds at the fair, recruiting volunteers, and handing out swag. Both organizations’ staff members will be responsible for manning the booth throughout the fair, so that we always have knowledgeable representatives present to answer questions and establish contacts. Shift times and specific location of booth TBA.

Thanks for reading!

A few things worth noting this week…

SAVE THE DATE! Monday, May 12 6-7 pm at Shady Grove MS, SWE’s theater arts program taught by Tracy Lewis will be debuting “Sticks and Stones,” a theatrical production on bullying that the class has been preparing throughout the current session. We’d like to give a big show of support for our provider Tracy and all the wonderful kids that we’ve been working with! SWE will be providing pizza and refreshments for the enjoyment of all viewers.

This weekend, we’ve got another big volunteer clean-up organized in collaboration with The Harvest Collective! The event will take place from 10am-2pm Sunday, April 27 at the West Hyattsville Metro Station. We still have room for volunteers so please promote to anyone who might be interested. Breakfast and snacks will be provided. The weather is expected to be nice and springy, so it’s a great opportunity for everyone to get out and do some good for the community!

Calling all qualified providers for this year’s summer camps! We are in the process of recruiting paid activity leaders. These providers should have a special skill to teach such as a sport or craft. They should enjoy spending time with children, and be comfortable creating lesson plans and leading structured activities for 20 to 30 youths at a time. They will have additional help with supervision provided by our younger volunteer camp counselors.
Know anyone who would be available to participate in one to eight weeks of camp at locations in Silver Spring, Logan Circle, and/or throughout PG County? Please spread the word! This is an inspiring and energizing engagement for persons with flexibility in their schedule such as college students and school teachers! We have lots of availability at the moment, so anyone interested is welcome to give Dave a call at 240-602-0486.

This week we would like to highlight the success of our Move n’ Taste after school program. This program has shown the kind of progress in its development that will keep us on track toward our ultimate goal of opening our own community center. The Move n’ Taste curriculum was entirely devised by, implemented by, and refined by members of the So What Else team. Move n’ Taste is currently being taught in four locations, and our lessons reach approximately 70 youths per week. The next step for this program is the publication of a polished curriculum booklet, currently in progress, that we will be able to distribute for promotional purposes.

Coming up soonest is Autism Awareness Day, this Wednesday April 2. Please wear blue to raise awareness for autism and show support for Bike to the Beach. That evening, Bike to the Beach will be hosting a quick, casual training ride through DC, followed by a celebratory happy hour at Circa. Riders should convene at 6:30 at the Autism Speaks office at 1990 K St NW. A fun opportunity to support one of our great partner organizations and to do some SWE STAFF TEAM BUILDING!
Next up is the international Cultural Center’s Good Deeds Day, Thursday April 3 from 4pm to 6pm at Kehilat Shalom Synagogue in Montgomery Village (9915 Apple Ridge Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20886). SWE will be there directing craft activities for children and collecting in-kind donations for our summer programs! We will be looking for sporting equipment (any type of ball, air pumps for balls, cones, pinnies, jump ropes, hula hoops, etc.), art supplies (colored pencils, crayons, washable markers, tempera paint, safety scissors, gluesticks, construction paper, etc.), and crafts supplies (gimp, embroidery floss, glitter, fabric paint, pony beads, feathers, white kids’ tees for tie-dying, etc.), and any musical instruments. PLEASE HELP US WITH THE COLLECTION OF THESE ITEMS FOR OUR AREA YOUTH!!!