Volume 13 - Issued March 2014
...
At Solar Youth, we call our young people
“Stewards.” We do this to nurture in them
identities as caretakers – of New Haven’s
communities and natural environment, certainly; but also of their peers, families and
themselves.
When we give our young people opportunities and encouragement to practice stewardship, they do not disappoint. They keep our
neighborhoods clean and beautiful. They
serve as mentors to young children. They
learn to work as a team to solve important
problems. They pick each other up. They
work hard to develop the personal qualities
and professional skills that will benefit them
in adulthood. They take care of the world
around them, benefiting us all.
Solar Youth is very important to
me and my neighborhood. We
have had Solar Youth
throughout our whole life
offering us new friends, family,
learning, and friendship.
-Talizha Jones
Our Stewards also take care of Solar Youth!
One of Solar Youth’s core values is that youth
should have a voice in who we are and what
we do. Teenage Interns lead programs and
deliver curriculum and younger Stewards
design and implement service projects that
address issues of importance to them. Youth
also play an active role in Solar Youth’s governance; in fact youth representation on the
board is a requirement of Solar Youth’s bylaws. In keeping with this tradition, in 2013
we added a new youth representative, Kenaya, to our Board of Directors! At 16, she
and her family have been part of Solar Youth
for over 8 years!
And we will continue to nurture youth leadership within Solar Youth in 2014. We recent-
ly re-established our Leaders-in-Training program (LIT) for 7th and 8th graders, an alwaystough-to-reach age cohort. LIT is designed to
provide leadership training and experience
that will serve as a springboard for further
service as youth enter high school and become eligible for Solar Youth’s paid Internship programs. LIT is also an opportunity for
young people to gain experience making decisions about issues that impact the organization as a whole, including, potentially, as new
board members.
Enjoy reading about all of the
stewardship achievements of
our youth inside!
Joanne Sciulli
Executive Director
2013 was a year of preparing for Solar Youth’s future. We started our most recent strategic plan –
focusing on refining and replicating our pipeline of programs, called the Cycle of Stewardship. It’s
been a time to revisit some of the most fundamental questions about who were are and why our
work is important, and then chart a new and improved course for the coming years.
Khadija Bshara
Program Director
Gameliel Moses
Senior Educator
Candace Jones
Operations Manager
Jack Phillips
Dir. of External Relations
What we have determined to date (we hope to finalize our plan this summer) is both heartening
and humbling. The good news: we believe with every fiber of our being that Solar Youth has a profound impact on the lives of our young people. We learn this through formal evaluations of our programs, but also unsolicited feedback from Stewards, Interns, alumni and families.
We have also concluded that there is much work to be done. In particular, we have come to believe
that we must do more to serve our teens in our target communities. We must:
Program Staff
Lauren Dummich
Brae Ferguson
Katie Jones
Josh Kelly
Sarah Morrison
Nicole Peruso
Public Ally
Hawa Cisse
2013 Senior Interns
Emani Adams
Danny Amir
James Bethea
Essence Dawson
Niamke Ellis
Rigoberto Escalera
Royshon Ferguson
Sascha Gould
Quintaisja Harrison
Mahogany Johnson
Andy Juarez
Tatiana Moreno
Jasmine Peterson
Ada'Jia Phillipe
David Roman III
Alexsandro Streater
Xavier Taylor-Long
Randall Wright, Jr.
1) Provide opportunities for more teens. Solar Youth currently cannot afford to run its Green Jobs
program. The program, mostly dormant since 2012, has traditionally targeted our most at-risk
teens. We know the need is great. Since the suspension of Green Jobs, several former participants
have encountered serious legal troubles. We feel a deep responsibility to these teens to ensure
they have constructive out-of-school opportunities to learn a variety of job and life skills while also
earning a modest paycheck. We have received a commitment from the Housing Authority of New
Haven, via the Boys and Girls Club, to help re-establish Green Jobs over the next three years. We
are currently in the process of identifying other funding sources to help us close the remaining resource gap.
2) Be more intentional in our support of teens as they seek success after high school. Whether this
means earning a high school diploma, gaining admission to college, securing financial aid or providing general guidance, we hope to play a more impactful role in helping our teens identify and
achieve their goals in life.
There’s much work to be done. But with your help, FOSY, and many others’, we promise to continue
to get better at helping all of our young people achieve success in life. Thank YOU for all you do for
Solar Youth and our amazing young people!
Joanne Sciulli
Founder and Executive Director
, developed by founding youth and adults, is
to provide opportunities for young people to develop a
to others through programs that incorporate
and
Our
is for the youth of New Haven to be
and own lives and
and
,
.
of their communities
.
Youth served
Paid Internships offered to teens
Total stipend dollars paid to Interns
Field trips and off-site explorations
Steward-led Community Service Action Projects
% of Stewards who said SY motivates them to do well in school
% of Interns who said SY prepared them for future employment
% of Parents who would recommend SY to others
Westville Manor Public Housing
Newhallville
476
60
47,926
109
30
97
100
100
Since 2011, when SY expanded to new neighborhoods...
...total enrollment has exceeded
2,100 youth ages 4 to 19!
...94% of 126 Intern respondents
West Hills
Barnard Environmental
Science Magnet School
(West River)
said SY encouraged them to
continue their education!
...89% of Stewards believe
that they can and should help solve problems
in their environment and community!
Solar Youth  Page 3
Identifying Tinaejah’s positive qualities is no difficult feat. She
takes her spare time to assist with the younger groups in
Westville Manor. She enjoys helping educators in any way that
she can, often making herself available for field trips and other
season events. A true representative of a Solar Youth Steward,
she mentors by example. After participating in Solar Youth for
three years, she naturally took on more responsibilities and
hopes to be an Intern right when she turns 14. Since 2011,
Tinaejah has participated in 5 C-SAPS, not to mention all the
other groups who she has assisted in her time with Solar Youth.
Her willingness to volunteer and assist Educators has been a
much appreciated addition to our team!
Taylor had her first experience with
Solar Youth as a 4th and 5th grader,
which she said helped define her experience as an Intern. She had a strong
early memory of a Solar Youth exercise
on poverty where she was put in the
position of someone of lower income
right next to someone who was very
wealthy. She said that this made her
see some of the realities and inequalities in the world which made her want
to make a difference.
TJ has been participating
in Solar Youth for two
years now and he has
grown so much! Some
of his fondest memories
are of Solar Youth Summer Camp. He recalls
“We sang songs, played
games and ate s’mores!”
TJ has found that homework help assists him
with “what I need to
do.” His positive attitude
and dedication to programs is an inspiration to
staff and other youth.
Watching him grow has
been a pleasure for all of
the Solar Youth community.
Educators have
found that TJ shows an
enormous sense of compassion for other youth and often find him
seeking to comfort others who are having trouble with program.
We know that TJ will make a fine Solar Youth Intern one day!
“I have learned
that there are a lot of
environmental problems with
our generation and I would
like to help the future generation make the world a
better place.”
-Taylor
teach me about my responsibilities as
a young adult and about the responsibility of caring for someone else’s
child. It has also taught me to manage
my time and money.”
Highlighting Taylor as an Intern is no
difficult feat, since her time as an Intern for the Fall 2013 Season, she has
set a strong example of what Solar
Taylor shared what her experience as Youth truly appreciates in an Intern:
an Intern did for her as an individual: the authentic desire to motivate and
“Being a Solar Youth Intern helped inspire through example!
2012
Solar Youth  Page 5
Youth Teaching Youth!
itycology is many Stewards’ entry
point into Solar Youth. Curriculum
focuses heavily on social development
(emotional self-control, rudimentary communication and conflict resolution skills).
We also focus on introducing youth to the
concept of appreciation and stewardship
and the importance of caring for nature,
each other and our ourselves. Many youth
go on their first outdoor adventures in
Citycology, and we focus much attention on
getting youth to feel more comfortable in
nature.
013 marked the start of one program
site shifting from McConaughy Terrace
to the West Hills Community Center during
our fall season. There you can find Citycolo-
“Since joining Solar Youth, [my
daughter] isn't scared to try new
things. She has developed a
sense of security in herself .”
-Citycology Parent
uring spring, West Hills contributed to
a multi-faceted clean-up at Pond Lily
Nature Preserve (photo below) where they
not only cleaned their neighborhood on the
way, but also made Community Awareness
Posters on brown grocery bags to inform
local shoppers of littering problems near
Pond Lily.
all Westville Manor Stewards have also
started practicing mindfulness training
through their tree curriculum, adapting yoga poses for exercising non-violent communication and tree anatomy (photo left).
he courage and initiative of Solar
Youth’s young stewards amazes staff
season after season. Way to go!
gy’s extensive tree-tectives work where
they learned to identify leaves and bark
during hikes and off-site exploration. During
their time outdoors, they discovered that
homeless animals were an issue in their
neighborhood. After this discovery, the
West Hills Team made shelters and feeding
stations for stray cats and donated them to
a local stray cat advocate.
Kids Do!
Across the board, Westville Manor Citycology Stewards were concerned about the violence in their neighborhood. They talked about
all types of violence from robberies, domestic violence, and
shootings, to bullying and kids playing rough on the playground. After several discussions about violence it became clear
these Stewards wanted to learn more about Anger and Anger Management.
Thanks to “The Home Teacher” Blog, Citycology youth had a model
for learning about Anger Management through an Angry Birds Curriculum that their Educator expanded on. After three weeks into the
program, Stewards decided to base their C-SAP on reaching out to
their community about Anger Management in the form of friendship
bracelets and bookmarks. them! They then went around and passed them out to our neighbors! Great CSAP Stewards!
Youth Across the City
Explore! Do! Teach!
teward Teams are our after-school programs for 9 to 13
year olds. In 2013, Solar Youth offered a total of 9
programs at five different program sites!
Highlighted below are samples of our youth taking the world
by storm through our Kids Explore! Kids Do! Kids Teach!
Community Service Action Project model.
Newhallville Steward Song to
the tune of “Royals”
Here, Ja’day spreads avocado on a
whole wheat sandwich to serve her
neighborhood healthy eating options.
It was through this experience that
Stewards shared healthy choices for
families.
In Solar Youth, havin’ fun,
doin’ CSAP
Hiking, biking,
drinking plenty water
Cuz we care
Kids explore Kids do Kids teach
And everybody loves
Playing games and
going on adventures,
Making new friends,
working in the garden,
Homework help.
We are striving for
excellence.
And we’ll always be loyal
(loyal)
Loyal to community
We sing and drum songs
on the bus
And you know we care for us.
Cuz we are the rulers
(ruler)
Rulers of our destiny
And baby we rule
(We rule we rule we rule)
This is youth empowerment.
Newhallville
Stewards
address
violence in their community by
adapting the song “Royals” to their
own situation (see lyrics at left). They
advocated peace through posters and
a live performance at a season-end
Public Education Forum.
Westville Manor Stewards take on a Neighborhood Beautification project by painting boarded up homes in the community. Blue and Yellow were the colors to brighten the atmosphere. Stewards received a warm response from families
throughout their Manor! Stewards dedicated some time to
notice the plants, mulch and garden decorations, as well!
Solar Youth  Page 7
The Next Generation
Of Interns!
hat is it that makes someone a Leader
in Training? Is it the way the walk? Is it
the way they talk? Well, you could say that.
eaders in Training often take extensive
nature walks where they learn what it
means to work as a team and explore new and
challenging surroundings. Yes, they also talk,
sometimes even at the State Capitol where
they give speeches on their experiences as
leaders in the community.
IT prepares 7th and 8th graders with
hands-on education in communication,
problem-solving, and project management. Our
program encourages our older and more experienced youth to take on larger responsibilities
after having been participants in our programs.
This transition of roles better equips them for
the coming years when they become eligible to
serve as Interns and earn their first paycheck!
IT is a program for youth who have been
with Solar Youth in earlier stages who are
interested in becoming Interns once they reach
high school. Curriculum focuses on preparing
youth to be educators, engendering a sense of
responsibility, building confidence in leadership
abilities and prompting thinking about postsecondary life-planning.
"I am proud
of myself after being in
this program because I got to
work with amazing people
and learned a lot about
myself along the way."
-Willy
hough Winter proves to be more of
an indoor retreat for most, our
Stewards continue to explore! January
provides our teams with a whole new
way to look at the outdoors.
hether it be scouting for animal
tracks in the snow, or learning
the humane ways to go ice fishing
through a workshop with Parks and Recreation, our Stewards are very busy!
he Winter Explorers session is also
when stewards have the enjoyment of performing at the Annual Peabody Museum MLK celebration. In 2013,
Stewards did a drumming performance
in front of all those attending the event.
n 2013, we ran Service Adventure in 2
neighborhoods in the spring, and just
West Hills in the fall.
main focus of Service/Adventure
Stewards was cleaning their community and engaging deeper with their neighbors. In the fall, the West Hills Crew took
on an awesome project in which they
chose one neighbor a week to clean up
their yard. This yard work included trash
pick-up, raking of leaves, and simple conversations. Stewards even used the Substation of 329 Valley St. as one of their neighbors, and cleaned and picked up the area
for the police officers. The community and
officers were so thankful for the simple
action of helping a neighbor and taking
care of one another.
he Stewards also completed many
Adventure days. They hiked around
West Rock and got to explore Judge’s Cave;
they were pioneers discovering the Pond
Lily Nature Preserve; and they became advocates for the West River. There was an
amazing amount of care and compassion
that the Stewards displayed for their environment and each other.
Solar Youth Stewards play central role in the
restoration of Pond Lily Nature Preserve!
ocated in West Hills, Pond Lily has such incredible potential as
an outdoor learning laboratory, but due to neglect over the
years, has become overgrown and littered with trash and is rarely
visited. In partnership with New Haven Land Trust and Save the
Sound, West Hills Stewards have worked hard to coordinate the
removal of solid waste, cleer trails and mobilize community residents to ensure Pond Lily’s stewardship over the long term. Stewards will continue to contribute to the project until Pond Lily is
once again a pristine oasis for all to enjoy!
Thanks to all the volunteers who joined us on our Pond Lily CleanUps last year, including John Champion and Board Chair Joseph
DeNicola!
During every Spring Break, Solar Youth runs a three-day program where Stewards focus on one theme as they Explore! Do! and
Teach! The theme in 2013 was EXTREME WEATHER! They played emergency preparedness games, made their own tornadoes and
rotated stations on fires, volcanoes, earthquakes and extreme wind.
Solar Youth  Page 9
Week One: Welcome to the Forest
While exploring the woods around West
Rock, Lake Wintergreen, and West River,
Stewards learned about the parts of a tree,
ecosystems, and how everything is connected. They also learned about the life cycle of
cicadas and were able to hear their buzzing
call almost every day!
source and non-point source pollution
through interactive games such as Fred the
Fish, where youth experience how water can
become polluted from runoff and various
forms of pollution as it travels downstream. They even had time to build their
very own watersheds and be super heroes
for a day!
pressure while learning the science behind
each. Stewards also got the chance to Skype
with meteorologist Quincy Vagell and explore a mobile weather lab! Youth were
able to learn about weather tracking instruments and how they are used.
Week Five: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
The last week of camp youth learned about
the 3 R’s through songs, games, crafts, and
Week Two: Under Long Island Sound!
relay races. They even had Cyril the SorcerStewards explored brackish water, tide
er, a magician who teaches about recycling,
pools, salt water, and sea life at Lighthouse
come and visit!!! They finished the week off
Park! They were also able to practice math
with a Public Education Forum, a small carniwhile trying to measure out a life size whale!
val on the last day, and a Talent
One Educator even brought in some live
Show!!! Overall everyone had a fantastic
crabs for show and tell!
Towards the end of the summer Stewards
summer
took a field trip to WTNH to visit the set durWeek Three: Mother Earth
ing the noon news broadcast! Stewards
Stewards learned about seeds, planting,
were able to see behind the scenes of what
germination, compost, weather, clouds, and
it takes to put on the news. They learned
Steward Team Summer Camp partnered about cameras, the set, the green screen,
rain. They first learned about germination
with News Channel 8 and WXedge to learn and how things look differently on the TV
by making seed necklaces that sprout over
about extreme weather! As part of their than they do in the broadcasting room!
time. At the end of the week our Stewards
joined forces with Friends of Edgewood Park daily routine, Stewards tracked the weather
and their Summer Intern Crew to plant
on their own weather tracker. They record- At the end of the summer Stewards took
ed humidity, temperature, precipitation, and over the New Haven Green to teach commuDaffodils around the West River Park! We
can’t wait to see them bloom this spring!
nity members about acid rain, emergency
Week Four: Urban Ecosystem
Stewards explored the impact of humans
and urban areas on the environment. They
tackled challenging concepts such as point
“Lilly is more interested weather; she now
watches the weather channel. She has also
started a rock collection. She enjoyed learning
about the clouds and visiting WTNH.”
- Solar Youth parent
preparedness, and the importance of storm
drains. They also raised money to buy flashlights/ponchos to donate for emergency
preparedness. Great job Stewards!!!
A highlight on our..
Stewards are helping to revive the natural habitat of Pond Lily, including helping
restore depleted American Eel populations, critical members of the West
River’s ecosystem. In the spring, Solar
Youth’s Service Adventure Crew released
20 American Eels into the West River at
Pond Lily. With the help of Save the
Sound, Stewards were able to contribute
to a thriving ecosystem in their very own
back yards!
Mayor DeStefano greeting youth at ceremony
Everyone benefits when you eat at Shake
Shack! It has been a pleasure to collaborate with Shake Shack, which donates 5%
of their specialty "Elm City Coffee Break"
frozen custard to support Solar Youth.
Shake Shack has pitched in in other ways,
too! Shake Shack staff supported a Intern
-led painting project in Westville Manor,
served tasty treats at our benefit party
and donated awesome items for our annual auction. Thanks, Shake Shack!
Rock to Rock is an annual bike ride from
East Rock to West Rock benefitting local
environmental groups. In 2013, Solar
Youth Stewards made their presence felt
with a huge crew of riders decorated in
Solar Youth paraphernalia! Many Stewards had never explores the City by bike
before, and got to experience New Haven’s parks and neighborhoods on two
wheels!
The Ivy Street Community Garden Greenhouse Project is currently underway! On
Wednesday, October 16th, the Ivy Street
Community Garden, located at the corner of
Ivy Street and Shelton Avenue in Newhallville, was officially opened. The Greenhouse
project is a collaborative effort involving
local community gardeners, the City of New
Haven’s Livable City Initiative, the New Haven Land Trust, Lincoln-Bassett School,
SEEDnh, Common Ground High School, and
Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven. And Solar Youth Stewards will be a special part of this project, too! Starting in
March 2014, Solar Youth will have its own
area in the garden, where they can practice
growing their own fruits, vegetables and
herbs! We can’t wait to see what our harvest produces!
Kids Teach!
At the conclusion of each season, all Stewards convene in a
public setting to celebrate their accomplishments and present
their PEPs to family, friends and community members at a
Public Education Forum. In 2013, Stewards performed songs,
recited skits, and handed out handmade bookmarks. Stewards
found pride in their community initiatives as they wowed
audiences with presentations on all their achievements!
Solar Youth  Page 11
or many of our teens, a Solar Youth
Internship is their first job. Curriculum focuses on preparing Interns to colead programs with adult staff. They
learn Educator skills, like Nonviolent
Communication (from our partners at
Community Mediation), youth development, delivering a lesson plan, mentorship, group facilitation, as well as broadly-applied job skills, like workplace etiquette, timeliness, work ethic, etc.
uch program time is dedicated to
helping Interns plan for life after
high-school (college prep, interviewing
and resume writing, financial literacy,
etc.). Internships are also meant to be
an opportunity for teens to be themselves in ways they can’t in other
settings, which creates strong conditions
for staff to encourage self-reflection and
safe risk-taking.
nterns often have been involved with
Solar Youth for many years, progressing through the Cycle of Stewardship,
gaining leadership skills along the way.
hile the role of an Intern is to
motivate and offer a positive
example to our youth, they also take on
the major responsibilities of leading
lesson plans and collaborating with Educators on behavior management strate-
gies. Fridays provide a time for
Interns to receive additional
professional training and meet
with adult staff to plan their
next week of programs.
013 highlights included a
retreat at Noble View
Camp in Russell, MA, where
interns learned team building
skills and prepared their own
meals at this beautiful campsite
(in partnership with the Appalacian Mountain Club’s Youth
Opportunities Program); a poetry-writing workshop with
local poet and activist, Aaron
Jafferis; mindfulness training
and Career Days in the spring
and fall with local professionals.
olar Youth offered a total
of 50 Youth Educator Internships in 2013, providing power in
numbers and more flexibility in the delivery of programs, and more time for
one-on-one mentorship with younger
Stewards.
any 2013 Interns have returned
in 2014, along with a new batch
of promising young leaders!
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Photos clockwise from top left: Interns learn
communication and problem-solving through a
challenge during staff training; Career Day: Fall
2013 with inventor Ian Appelgate and a SuperFOSY Bun Lai, owner of Miya’s Sushi; during the
camping staff retreat in the fall, Interns became
part of a couple’s wedding photo shoot at the
Noble View camp; Keyshawn, Gammy and Corey
show their professional style during Career Day.
n 2013 we were only able to offer one
season of Green Jobs in one neighborhood due to funding constraints. But
thanks to funding from the Housing Authority of New Haven and a Youth Violence Prevention Grant from the City of New Haven,
ten teens from Westville Manor spent the
summer implementing community service
projects and learning leadership and job
skills as part of Solar Youth’s Green Jobs
Internship program.
ver the course of five weeks, four
young women and six young men
participated in skill-building workshops and
educational field trips – to Quinnipiac and
Southern Connecticut State Universities for
Alex planting flowers donated by DeMatteo Farm
educe, Reuse, Recycle, Reduce using
less is the best, Reuse-use it again with
a friend, Recycle-put that can in a bin.” This
is the three R’s chant we use to teach Barnard students about resource conservation
and example of the many chants and songs
we use to teach.
OLA is Solar Youth’s in-school program
in partnership with Barnard Environmental Science Magnet school. We have
aligned our curriculum with CT Science
Standards and teach the students with a
hands-on, fun approach while fostering a
connection to the West River Memorial Park.
college tours, the Yale farm to make pizza,
Start Community Bank for its Loot Camp
financial literacy workshop and New Haven
Housing Services to learn about sustainable
building. Interns finished the season with a
celebration at Lake Compounce!
nterns also developed beautification
projects in the neighborhood over the
course of the summer, including several
flower planting sessions, a big litter cleanup and a community garden project. For
their project finale, Interns decided to paint
boards that cover up vacant houses in
Westville Manor, with help from a team
from Shake Shack. Check out this New Haven Register article on that exciting project!
Touring the grounds of Yale with landscaper
very student from 2nd to 5th grade participates in HOLA. Teachers are given
follow up materials to reinforce concepts
within the classrooms and then students also
take home a family reflection which facilitates parent involvement and encourages
the children to
take pride in what
they have learned
and accomplished.
nterns
“ Solar Youth
received
has helped prepare me
a
for life after high school by
stipend making me responsible for
for
my actions because
their
efforts I'm becoming an adult”
over the
-Green Jobs Intern
summer
and reported
that
they learned a lot - about landscaping,
about problem solving and about preparing
for their futures! Great work, Green Jobs
Interns!
Eating salad pizza at Yale Farm
which helps them to better remember all the
information presented. The way the lessons
are presented increase student engagement.”
“Almost all the students were totally engaged and retained what was learned”
uote from
teacher:
“The students had
a great time learning the songs
Solar Youth  Page 13
Joe DeNicola
Chair
Aviv Aviad
Treasurer
Amanda Nugent
Secretary
Shakila McKnight
Youth Member
Jennifer Milikowsky
Patrick Redding
Joanne Sciulli
Kenaya Streater
Youth Member
Mariann Van Buren
Steve Winkel
Cedar Tree Foundation
City of New Haven
Community Fnd. for Greater New Haven
CT State Dept. of Social Services
CT State Office of Policy and Mgmt.
Dorr Foundation
New Haven Public Schools
Perrin Family Foundation
Barnes Foundation
Greater New Haven Green Fund
Samuel & Helene Soref Foundation
Anna F. Ardenghi Trust • Bishop’s Fund for
Children • Blue State Coffee • Chapel Construction • Charter Oak Foundation • First Niagara •
Housing Authority of New Haven • Liberty Bank
Foundation • NEEEA • NewAlliance Foundation •
Pincus Family Foundation • Lewis G. Schaeneman
Foundation • Shake Shack • UIL Holdings Corp. •
Watershed Fund • Whole Foods Market
SOLAR: Stratton Faxon
LUNAR: Community Foundation for Greater
New Haven
Mayor John DeStefano
Thank you to our former Mayor
for all of your support over the
years, but especially for always
agreeing to meet with our youth
when they had issues they wanted to share with him, and for
challenging THEM to be partners
in addressing them.
EARTHLY: A-1 Toyota, Carmody and Torrance LLC,
Chamber Insurance Trust, Higher One, Shake Shack,
Start Community Bank, Svigals + Partners and Yale
University
And HUUUUGE THANK YOU to our volunteer
Solar Jam committee:
Aly Fox, Angel Gomez and Amanda Nugent!!
2013 Friends of Solar Youth
BOLD=SUPERFOSY (gifts over $500)
Underline=Best Friend FOSY (5+ years of Giving)
LARGER FONT: Forever FOSY (10+ Years of giving)
Liz Acas, Sarah Aldrich, Joshua Allen, Vajra Alsop, Janet & Joe Ambrose, Michael Ames, Kelly Anastasio, Aquila Motors, Mark Aronson, Leela Atluru, Aviv &
Corinne Aviad, Elizabeth Babalola, Kirk & Sandra Baird, Sherill Baldwin & Kimball Cartwright, Kenyetta Banks-Smith, Anna Bartow, Paul & Carole Bass, Ruth
Beardsley & Tom Sansone, David & Kristen Bechtel, Tom Belviso, Eli Ben Haim, Drew Benard, Gale Bentley, Stephanie Bergman, Timothy Bethune, Tony
Bialecki, Jon & Jackie Biller, Kate Biller, Lauren Biller, Biller, Sachs, Raio & Zito, Brian Blakeley & Terry Freeman, Leslie Blatteau, Barbara Bolles, Karen
Bonanno, Edgar Bonilla, Kathryn Bowman, Mark & Fiona Bradford, Alice Bradley, Robert & Kati Bradley, Dean Bradshaw, Allan Brison & Betsy Goldberg,
Beth & Ian Brooks, Bill Brown, Brenner, Saltzman & Wallman LLP, Gordon & Alisa Brown, Josiah Brown, Norman & Elaine Brown, Frank Bruckmann & Muffy Pendergast, James Bruno & William Gratz, Peter Butler, Diane Buxbaum, Thea Buxbaum & Gar Waterman, Lisa Cacioli, Café Nine, Guido
& Anne Calabresi, Tylan Calcagni, Charles Cameron, Penny Canny, Colin Caplan, Sharon Cappetta, Donald Carson, Julie Carson & Mark Davenport, Derek
Case, Alessandro Cavaliere, Brenda Cavanaugh, Chabaso Bakery, John Champion & Wendy Samberg, Sandra Chen, Marian Chertow & Matthew Nemerson, Star Childs, City Climb Gym, Ellen Cohen, Gloria Cohen, Robert Cole, J. Kieran Coleman, Thomas Collier, William Colwell, Community Mediation,
Vincent Contrucci, Penrhyn Cook, Susanne Cook, David Coon, Suzanne Cooney, Peter & Diana Cooper, Casey Cordes & Kary Strickland, Liz Cox & David Gibson, Peter Crane, Claire Criscuolo, Simone Crowe, Lee Cruz & Sarah Miller, William Curran, Charlotte Currier, Gabriel & Inger Da Silva, Terry Dagradi,
Mike Dauphin, Leslie Davenport, Cedric David, Joanne DeBernardo, Frank DeLeo, Barbara DeNicola, Joe DeNicola, Richard & Lorraine DeNicola, Design
Monsters, Bo Detch, Devil's Gear Bike Shop, Nancy Dietman, Philip Diette, Pat Dillon & John Hughes, Maureen Dillon, Bruce Ditman, William Doheny,
Lise Dondy, Gabriel Duncan-Roitman, William Dyson, Andy & Eileen Eder, Deborah Elkin, Elm City Market, Michael Endreny, Eric Epstein & Karyn Gilvarg,
Mats Ericson & Lauri Robbins, Zeb Esselstyn, John Fallon, Jim Farnam, Mary Faulkner, Michael Felberbaum, Brae Ferguson, Augustine Filomena & Joan Saddler, Stephanie Fitzgerald, Bob Fitzgerald & Kristen Phelps, Alyson Fox, Jerome Fox, Thomas Frei, Daniel Fruin, Emily Gallagher, Kerry Gamble, Amanda
Garbatini, Matt & Cass Garrett, Bryan Gates, Daphne Geismar, General Electric, Chris George, Sergei Gerasimenko, Chris & Toddie Getman, Dennis & Pat
Getz-Preziosi, Heather Gilbert, Peter Gilbert & Annick Winokur, Mariah Gill, Pamela Giunti, Sally & Stephen Glick, Joe & Cindy Goldberg, Laura Goldblum,
Maria Gomez & James Rhoades, Goodcopy Printing & Digital Graphics, Michelle Gottlieb, Bennett & Sharon Graff, Gratz Family Foundation, Rebecca
Gratz, Bill & Jean Graustein, Meg Graustein, Timothy Gregoire, Sarah Greifenberger, Millie Grenough, Ben Griffin, Tom Griggs & Ed Bottomley, Netta &
Tina Hadari, Ben Halperin, Elizabeth Halsey, Don Harvey & Nathalie Bonafe, Eliza Hatch, Whitney & Tiz Hatch, TJ Hauser, Douglas Hausladen, Kelly Hebrank,
Stefanie Heid, East Coast Sensors, Inc., David Heiser, Chris Heitmann & Cyra Levenson, Ben Heller, Drew Hess, Lisa Heyl, Andrew Hicks, Matthew Higbee,
Gary Holder-Winfield, Blaine Hudson, Alan Hurst, Charisse Hutton, International Festival of Arts & Ideas, George Jafferis, John Jessen, Dwight Johnson,
Thom Johnson, Katie Jones, Lorie Jones, Timothy & Jaime Kane, Peter & Meg Kassen, Kelly Keefe, Jeffrey Kern, Lyn Kimberly, Amy Kirwan, Cami Kloster,
Janet Kniffin, Valerie Knight-Di Gangi, Dan Knudsen, Karel Koenig, Stephanie Kollet, Karen Kraft, Daniel Krauss, Robert Kreitler, Jo Kremer, Eric Larson, Erin
Larson, Julia Larson, LeeAnn Lassogna, Trina & David Learned (in honor of Martha Murray and John Campbell), Karen Lenehan, James & Kirsten Levinsohn,
David Lewicki, Lipgloss Crisis, Chelsea Little, Susan Lodge, Keith Lomax (in honor of Tonisha Lomax), Jonathan London, Henry Lord, Henry Lowendorf,
Michelle Maitland, Heather Maki, Elizabeth Manuel, Wendy Marans, Mark Massa, Steve Massey, Maureen McCarthy, Susan McCaslin & George Corsillo, Robert McGuire & Ilene Crawford, Erin McKenna, Cheryl McMahon, Bill Mickey, Scott Middleton, Matthew Milikowsky, Jennifer Milikowsky, Sharon
& Daniel Milikowsky, Susan & David Millen, Alice Miller, Lisa Miller, G & Penelope Miller, Lesley Mills, Miya's Sushi, Janet Morrison, Beka Morrison, Sarah
Morrison, Mutual Of America Foundation, Meg & David Myers, Charles Negaro, Netter Family Fund, New Haven Ecology Project, David Newton, Jordan
Nodelman & Mark Orintas, Amanda & Daniel Nugent, Brian Nugent, Matthew O'Hare, Anne Olcott, Peg Oliveira, Maryann Ott, Ray Pagliaro, Susan Papa,
Josefina Paredes, Charles & Melanie Payne, Judy Phelps, Jack & Jane Phillips, Arthur Phillips, Charlotte & John Phillips, Sam Phillips, Jerome & Nancy
Pine, Ka'nijah Pouncey, Madeleine Ranges & Christine Malloy, Racquet Koop Of New Haven, Patrick Redding, Renee Regan, Tomás Reyes, Andrew Richardson & Ellen Denny, Samuel Ritzman, Enrique Roben & Robin Martin-Roben, Brian Robinson, David & Lisa Roger, Debbie & Dan Rosa, John Buell & Beth
Rosen, Helen Rosenberg, Suzanne Rosenberg, Caroline Ross-Grossman, Harvey Ruben & Diane Daskal, David Salerno, Sandra Santy, Anne Schenck, Duncan
Schmitt, Mike Schoen, Frank & Barbara Sciulli, Joanne Sciulli, Michael & Dina Secchiaroli, Marla Serapiglia, Sara Servin, Susan Servin, John Shea, Judi
Sheiffele, Claire Shubik-Richards, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Ina Silverman, Mary Silvia, Kyle Skar, Nick Smith, Abbe Smith, Lynn Smith, Jeff Smithson, Jason Sobocinski, Greg Sokol, Heidi Sormaz, Soul De Cuba Café, Melissa Spear, Bill Spencer, Renee Stanczyk, Garrett & Andrea Stevens, Karen Stiles-Biller,
Chuck Still, James Stirling, Natalie Stock, Michael & Suzanne Stringer, Barry & Diane Svigals, Tiffany Talley, The Study At Yale, Aisha Thompson & Gameliel
Moses, Joel Tolman, Jeff Tomei, Lisa & David Totman, James Travers & Steve Marks, Maria Tupper, Justin Ucko, U-SAVE Auto Rental, Valley Community
Foundation, Mariann & Robert Van Buren, Vesper Studios, Leila Virji, Janna Wagner, Nancy Walker, Toni Walker, Kate Walton, Sharon Wang, Yiting
Wang, Mr. & Mrs. Richard Watert, Edmond Watters, Robert Wechsler & Emily Aber, Jennifer Weeks, Carla Weil, Sam Weiser, Glenn & Dotty WestonMurphy, West Rock Ridge Park Association, Melissa Whalen, Shelley Wheeler-Carreiro, JoAnne Wilcox, Winkle Bus, Dan Wolf, Mark Woloszyn, Candace &
Robert Wright, Betsy Yagla, Yale Repertory Theatre, Kel Youngs, Joel Zackin & Celeste Suggs, Shoshana Zax & John Weiser, George Zdru
Learn more, or DONATE, at
Solar Youth  Page 15
“The thing I like about Solar Youth is that we can be able to show
our talent and share our ideas!” - Tyran Britto Jr.
"I am proud of myself after being in this program because I was
able to demonstrate my talent and capabilities while making
some friends “ -Calven Engstrom
“My favorite part about solar youth is spending time outside.“
-Keyasia Driffin
“Solar Youth is important to me, because it is like a home away
from home. When I come here it’s family.” -Corey Bethea
“Solar Youth is a definite asset to this community and for all
children who are willing to learn about life”
“Solar Youth also gave me my first Christmas tree. The kids
and I were so happy, we put it outside of our window for everyone to enjoy it with us. I am so happy to have a place where
kids of all ages can go and learn and be themselves.”
53 Wayfarer Street
New Haven, CT 06515
(203) 387-4189
[email protected]
“"[After being in Solar Youth, my son] told me that we should
try to keep the community clean and try to get along with people in the community"
My son has grown so much since he started Solar Youth. He
has improved dramatically in school, grades, and friends. Solar
Youth is the best thing that has happened to him. He has
learned to spread his wings and the best thing is
he is now flying!"