Fwd: [New post] Top 10 Education Reasons to Vote Corbett Out

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Yinzercation <comment-reply@wordpress.com>
Date: Mon, Nov 3, 2014 at 11:45 AM
Subject: [New post] Top 10 Education Reasons to Vote Corbett Out

Yinzercation posted: "Tomorrow is the day! We have the chance to make history and vote Gov. Corbett out of office. After four long years of hurting our children, Corbett's time could be up – if enough people show up at the polls. With the race tightening between Tom Wolf and T" Respond to this post by replying above this line New post on Yinzercation Top 10 Education Reasons to Vote Corbett Out by Yinzercation Tomorrow is the day! We have the chance to make history and vote Gov. Corbett out of office. After four long years of hurting our children, Corbett's time could be up – if enough people show up at the polls. With the race tightening between Tom Wolf and Tom Corbett, we not only need to cast our own votes on Tuesday, we need to make sure everyone we know heads to the polls, too. Here is a list you can share with your friends of the top 10 education reasons Gov. Corbett needs to go: 1.  Slashed almost $1 billion from public education. Gov. Corbett continues to claim that he has increased funding for our schools, which would be funny if it weren't so painfully untrue. He actually eliminated multiple education line items and collapsed several others into the "basic education" line item, and then boasts that he increased "basic education" funding. He even admitted on record that, "We have reduced education funding if you look at it as a whole." [See "The Governor's Bad Week"] He also likes to claim that the cuts were really the result of the expiring federal stimulus program, but Corbett has taken state funding for our schools back to pre-2008 levels, lower than before Pennsylvania even accepted federal stimulus dollars. [See "The Truth About the Numbers"] 2.  Eliminated our modern, fair funding formula. For reasons I still cannot fathom, Gov. Corbett eliminated the state's equitable funding formula, so that the poorest students and most struggling schools get the least support. [See "Hurting the Poor"] He made Pennsylvania one of only three states in the nation without a modern formula that would take into account things such as the actual number of families living in poverty or the true number of students with special education needs. [See "A Shameful Betrayal"] Instead, we have a system that allows politically connected legislators to hand pick their favorite pet school districts to hand them extra cash. [Newsworks, 7-11-13] 3.  Caused students to lose 27,000 of their teachers and educators. Corbett has tried to downplay this astonishing figure arguing that not all of the jobs lost were teachers – they include guidance counselors, nurses, librarians, and classroom aids (as if students don't need these professionals in their schools). [PA Fact Finder, 10-1-14] Not only are our children missing thousands of trusted adults in their schools, the cuts have dramatically increased class size. The latest data shows that over 90% of PA school districts have cut staff, and 64% have increased class sizes since Corbett's historic budget cuts in 2010-11, with the elementary grades hit the hardest. [See "From Bad to Worst"] 4.  Wiped out music, art, library, tutoring, athletics, Kindergarten, and more. Over half of Pennsylvania school districts will eliminate or reduce academic programs this year. Most cuts will come from field trips (51% schools will eliminate); summer school (37%); world languages (34%); music and theater (31%); and physical education (24%). In over a third of districts, students are also losing extra-curricular and athletic programs, or have to pay a fee to participate. And those cuts are on top of massive cuts made the past two years. [See "From Bad to Worst"] 5.  Forced over 75% of PA school districts to raise local property taxes. In nearly every part of the state, districts are relying on local revenue from property taxes to pay for a growing majority of school budgets. Over three-quarters of school districts will increase property taxes this year – more than any in the past five years. [See "From Bad to Worst"] Pennsylvania is now one of the stingiest states in the entire country in terms of the proportion of school funding provided at the state level: we rank #45. [Census Bureau data summarized in PA School Funding Project] 6.  Promoted vouchers and tax credit programs to send public dollars to private and religious schools. While Corbett failed to pass voucher legislation, his #1 education priority, he instead expanded the EITC tax credit programs. Essentially "vouchers lite," these programs cost us $150 million per year by funneling corporate tax money that should have gone to the state for our budget needs into the hands of private and religious schools instead, with zero accountability to the public. [See "EITC No Credit to PA"; Keystone Research Center, "No Accountability," 4-7-11] 7.  Cut public higher-education by 20%. Historic, truly enormous cuts to public colleges and universities have forced those institutions to pass along costs to students and their families. For instance, Corbett cut $67 million from the University of Pittsburgh three years ago, and then locked those cuts in for the past two years: Pitt's state aid is at its lowest level since it affiliated with the state system in the 1960s. [See "Rolling in Dough or Debt"] And Pennsylvania college students are now the 3rd most indebted in the entire nation. [Post-Gazette, 6-1-14] 8.  Tried to eliminate local control and accountability from elected school boards. In the fall of 2012, Corbett attempted to ram through a statewide authorizer bill, which would have permitted only a state commission of political appointees the right to open new charter schools and to supervise them. This end-run around locally elected representatives would have removed fiscal and academic accountability from those tasked with protecting taxpayers and their communities. [See "Real Charter Reform" and "Now That's More Like It" for details.] 9.  Expanded high-stakes testing. Gov. Corbett has subjected Pennsylvania students to a dramatically increased number of standardized tests – and has jacked up the stakes, as well. For instance, in opposing the new Keystone graduation exams, which will prevent many students from graduating from high school, the NAACP called them a "present day form of Eugenics" and a "human rights violation." [Public School Shakedown, 2-2-14] The tests are also an unfunded mandate on local school districts that cost millions. For example, the new School Performance Profile system, largely based on student test scores, cost us taxpayers $2.7 million to develop over the past three years and it will cost an estimated $838,000 every year to maintain. [Post-Gazette, 10-5-13] This does not include the $201.1 million contract Pennsylvania made with Data Recognition Corporation to administer high-stakes-tests to our students. [PennLive.com, 12-1-11] And all this testing is not actually helping students learn. [See "High Stakes Testing"] 10.  Practiced cronyism instead of protecting students. Corbett tried to pass a bill exempting charter school operators – his top campaign donors – from Pennsylvania's Right to Know "sunshine" law. [See "Where are the Real Republicans?" and "Charters are Cash Cows"] Then he appointed his friend Ron Tomalis, who had been the PA Secretary of Education, to a $140,000 ghost position where an investigative report found he did no work. However, in that capacity Tomalis did advise private equity investors in New York City on how to make money by selling products to school districts. [Post-Gazette, 9-14-14] Yinzercation | November 3, 2014 at 11:44 am | Categories: elections | URL: http://wp.me/p288Ox-Jb Comment    See all comments    Like Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser:  http://yinzercation.wordpress.com/2014/11/03/top-10-education-reasons-to-vote-corbett-out/ Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

Fwd: [DW] Participate in a beta Common Ground for Action online deliberation via E-Democracy

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Steven Clift" <clift@e-democracy.org>
Date: Oct 31, 2014 3:05 PM
Subject: [DW] Participate in a beta Common Ground for Action online deliberation via E-Democracy
To: <newswire@groups.dowire.org>
Cc:

Round two of our beta testing of the Common Ground for Action online
deliberation tool is now open.

In round one, we tested CGA with our online forum participant base in
Minnesota.  And now we have trained the first round of new moderators
from outside of the Kettering Foundation/National Issues Forum
circles.

Now we can open the beta testing experience to interested participants
in E-Democracy's knowledge exchange circles like the Democracies
Online Newswire.

Join in!

1. Saturday, November 8th, 10:00 am to Noon CENTRAL TIME -

Topics (pick JUST one):
   * Bullying – How Do We Prevent It?
   * Political Fix – How Do We Get American Politics Back on Track?
   * Immigration in America – How Do We Fix a System in Crisis?

RSVP! @ http://cganov8.eventbrite.com


2. Thursday, November 13th, 6:30 to 8:30 pm - CENTRAL TIME

Topics (pick JUST one):
   * Budget Priorities – What Should Our Budget Priorities Be?
   * Future of Work – How Should We Prepare for the New Economy?

RSVP! @ http://cganov13.eventbrite.com


3. Sign-up here instead if you are interested *in general* in
participating or becoming a future moderator (you need to participate
first before you can get the keys to moderate):

     https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GGTZMYV


4. More info:

    http://e-democracy.org/cga




Steven Clift - http://stevenclift.com
  Executive Director - http://E-Democracy.org
  Twitter: http://twitter.com/democracy
  Tel/Text: +1.612.234.7072
ᐧ

-----------------------------------------
Group home for Newswire - Steven Clift's Democracies Online Newswire:
http://groups.dowire.org/groups/newswire

Replies go to members of Newswire - Steven Clift's Democracies Online Newswire with all posts on this topic here:
http://groups.dowire.org/r/topic/66f5TSJVUqEteWM1UdB7nS

For digest version or to leave Newswire - Steven Clift's Democracies Online Newswire,
email newswire@groups.dowire.org
with "digest on" or "unsubscribe" in the *subject*.

Newswire - Steven Clift's Democracies Online Newswire is hosted by Democracies Online - http://dowire.org.

Fwd: Online Registration Ends Tomorrow - Sunday, November 2

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Expressive Therapies Summit 2014" <summit@expressivemedia.org>
Date: Nov 1, 2014 8:13 PM
Subject: Online Registration Ends Tomorrow - Sunday, November 2
To: "Mark Rauterkus" <mark.rauterkus@gmail.com>
Cc:

www.expressivetherapiessummit.com ONLINE REGISTRATION ENDS TOMORROW Sunday, November 2, at 11:59pm ET

NEW YORK CITY   •   NOVEMBER 6 - 9, 2014 Join over 900 colleagues from around the world  for this amazing 4-day educational opportunity in VARIOUS MANHATTAN LOCATIONS All of the Creative Arts in a Single Event Now Including Play Therapy Over 200 Speakers  •  Over 100 Hands-on Sessions

A distinguished faculty of clinicians, educators, researchers, and arts professionals offer an inspiring program of papers and panels, half-day workshops, full-day Master Classes, and two-day Training Intensives.

Featuring hands-on approaches and multidisciplinary collaborations CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROGRAM

Mix & Match, Summit and Symposium RATES $159  •  Single Day Ticket $179 at door Any 2 Days, $299 $329 at door    Best Values!   $399  •  Three Day Package $439 at door Full Summit $499 All 4 Days $549 at door Over 30 Continuing Education Credits Available ASWB  •  NBCC  •  APT  •  ATCB Including Ethics Credits Click HERE for Details                         For more information, and to register CLICK HERE

THURSDAY EVENING KEYNOTE Alice Flaherty, MD, PhD Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School EMPATHY, NEUROLOGY, AND THE CREATIVE BRAIN THE NEW SCHOOL  —  LANG COMMUNITY & STUDENT CENTER

Two Friday Symposia this Year!                        THE NEW SCHOOL  —  LANG COMMUNITY & STUDENT CENTER Co-sponsored by the Creative Arts and Health Program Trauma-Focused Integrative PLAY & ARTS THERAPIES for Children and Adolescents

Eliana Gil, PhD, ATR, RPT-S, LMFT Symposium Chair

BARBARA SOBOL, ATR-BC, LPC  •  Art Therapy & Attachment HEIDI LANDIS, RDT, CGP, LCAT, PAT  • Drama & Story BETTY JACKSON, LSW, CST-T  •  Sandplay & Trauma

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

THE POWER OF STORYTELLING Memory, Myth, and Words that Heal Symposium at Pratt Institute 144 W. 14th Street

Laura Simms, Master Storyteller Symposium Curator

JUDITH SLOAN, Award-winning Audio Artist REGINA RESS, Award-winning Storyteller EMILY NASH, LCAT, Founder/Co-Director of Therapeutic Arts Alliance HEATHER CARRIOU, Best-selling Author of Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister's Memoir SALIEU SOSU, West African Griot

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

STRONGER TOGETHER!™    Join Our Community — Help us Spread the Word Post Our Flyers Facebook  ExTxSummit Twitter @ETSummit, #ETSummit Linkedin  Expressive Therapies Summit   Please Forward this Email

See You There . . . in Times Square!  Executive Director, Expressive Media Inc. Summit Leader

CO-SPONSORS INCLUDE

If you do not want to receive future emails from Expressive Therapies Summit 2014, click Opt-Out.

 

Fwd: YouthPlaces Social Media Day- November 6, 2014

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Merecedes Howze" <mhowze1@icloud.com>
Date: Nov 1, 2014 3:42 PM
Subject: YouthPlaces Social Media Day- November 6, 2014
To: <mhowze1@icloud.com>
Cc:

Good Afternoon All:

You are cordially invited to YouthPlaces Social Media Day Luncheon, where local children-serving groups and Pittsburgh's biggest social media names will be on site to socialize and network over good company and great food.  The luncheon will be held Thursday, November 6, 2014, beginning promptly at 12:00 PM Noon.  YouthPlaces is located at 711 West Commons Pittsburgh, PA 15212.

Darrell "Tuffy" Kinsel will present briefly about his social media presence.  Between balancing a flourishing art collection and representing a national non-profit entity, Mr. Kinsel has been recognized by the Pittsburgh City Paper as one of the top Twitter pages in the area.

In addition to Mr. Kinsel's presentation, there will be door prizes and opportunities to engage with attendees via social media using hashtags #IAMYP #YPSocialMediaDay #YPHBCUCollegeFair.  Lastly, the promotion and social media traffic for your personal and/or professional social media pages are invaluable.

Attached is more information about YP Social Media Day and their second annual HBCU college fair.  Please RSVP by Wednesday, November 5th.  Lastly, please feel free to forward this email to your colleagues who may be interested in this event.

I look forward to seeing everyone next Thursday.

Thank you,

Merecedes J. Howze

For Immediate Release CONTACT: Uwe Calloway (412) 956-5224

Friday, October 31, 2014

PRESS RELEASE:

YP Social Media Day and HBCU Pittsburgh College Fair

PITTSBURGH - YouthPlaces and the Pittsburgh Historical Black College and University Alumni

Association is hosting its second college fair together. In efforts to inform students of diverse

school options, several HBCUs like Cheyney University, Florida A&M, and Morgan State

University, will host tables for 11th and 12th graders to explore.

November 6th is Social Media Day at YouthPlaces. The Social Media Day celebration kickoff at

12:00 PM noon with a Social Media Luncheon from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM, where YP staff, big

Pittsburgh social media names, and other non-profit organizations will network over great food

and open conversation about social media trends, topics, and usage. The 17 YP sites are

included in the party too! The YP site with the most social media traffic, using

#YPSocialMediaDay and #YPHBCUCollegeFair, will win a PlayStation 4 Prize Pack.

YouthPlaces, founded in 1997, serves as a community response to an overwhelming need for

afterschool programs for teens in high-risk, underserved communities. Beginning with five sites

and 500 youth, YP has evolved to 17 sites serving over 4,000 youth annually. Recently, YP

started three social media sites to better communicate with their parents, students, staff,

funders, key stakeholders and community.

Date & Time: Thursday, November 6, 2014, 12:00 – 9:00 PM

Location: YouthPlaces

711 West Commons

Pittsburgh, PA 15212

www.facebook.com/YouthPlaces



www.instagram.com/YouthPlaces



www.twitter.com/YouthPlaces

Too nervous?

Andrew Gow‎ on the FB Group, Swim Coaches Idea Exchange Group

Any words of advice on how to help a swimmer who's having pre-meet jitters? He's worried that he's not fast enough and worried that he won't do well. I've had a quiet word with him on poolside and told him that he is more than capable and that he is selling himself short as he's a great swimmer just lacking in confidence. Both myself and his parents have spoke with him but he's still a little unsure.

Any help appreciated!

My reply post:

I don't care. Really. Tell him you called me, some other guy coach on the internet, and he doesn't give a flip how fast his race is today in the whatever event in some number of ticks or even five seconds slower. Yawn. I have my own things to watch and worry about, not that race results. And, there are 4 billion people in China who don't care as well. Some might be sleeping while some might be working, but I'm 100% certain! none care if this race shows up on YouTube or not. The only ones that Really care about this race are you, the coach, and the swimmer himself. Today, for this race, the coach cares as much as can fit in a pinky finger. A tiny bit. On the whole, over the career, in five more years, care for the person, care for the behaviors, care for how the swimmer treats others is super important to the coaches, friends, family, Yourself. We get to learn about and how to love ourselves in meaningless races like this event so that in the future as new challenges are faced, a stronger individual is present. Someday lots of folks will notice and care what goes on with that ex-swimmer dude. Live in the present and handle what comes your way.

Fwd: Community Conversation with Acting Chief Of Pittsburgh Police McLay

The Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP) Is Proud to  Sponsor COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS WITH PITTSBURGH'S NEW ACTING POLICE CHIEF CAMERON MCLAY Monday, November 10, 2014 BETHEL A.M.E. CHURCH 2720 Webster Avenue at Morgan Street (15219) 412-683-2160 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, Doors Open at 6pm Moderator: Tene Croom President, Tene Croom Communications Monday, November 17, 2014 PENTECOSTAL TEMPLE  6300 East Liberty Boulevard (15206) 412-361-7000 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, Doors Open at 6pm Moderator: Lynne Hayes Freeland KDKA TV Reporter BRING YOUR QUESTIONS, CONCERNS & SUGGESTIONS!! Sponsored by: The BLACK POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT PROJECT (B-PEP) The ALLIANCE FOR POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY (APA) The BLACK & WHITE REUNION (BWR) The WESTERN PA BLACK POLITICAL ASSEMBLY (WPBPA ) The URBAN LEAGUE OF GREATER PITTSBURGH

Forward this email The Black Political Empowerment Project(B-PEP) | B-PEP | c/o Freedom Unlimited, Inc. | 2201 Wylie Avenue | Pittsburgh | PA | 15219

Fwd: Seeking 18 to 21 year olds having difficulty gaining permanent employment

Employment for 18 to 21 Year Olds

 

The Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation (BGC) is seeking 18-21 year olds who are having difficulty gaining permanent employment. Each youth will be paid by the BGC for 150 hours of work that leads to permanent employment at a quality worksite.

In addition to a paid work experience each youth will receive a customer service credential and career guidance. Those seeking to enter college or tech school will be provided with necessary support. 

 

If interested call 412-254-4007 and leave a message with your name, address, and phone number.

 

 

(8 slots left)

When a college team mails in a "F" -- they get the next year OFF too

California University of PA has a football team with five of its players in jail and in serious trouble due to some late night fight. All the players have been kicked out of school. The team is scratching its next game this weekend. Forfeit. Gannon wins. Cal U sees its home game vanish. And a guy is in critical condition after a life-flight to Allegheny General Hospital. Hope he doesn't die.

This is another football forfeit. Here is another brick in the wall that signals the long, slow departure of that game from society's landscape. Football is well past its peak and is headed to the toilet bowl in the years to come.

In water polo, after a team mails in a "F" -- the next year they are kicked out of the league. A team that forfeits gets the following year without the ability to play in the league.

This would be a great time for those at CalU to look into creating a number of different activities to take the place of football. How about an Ultimate Frisbee House League? What about Rugby 7s and Rugby Union teams? How about water polo? Perhaps they should do a better job at CalU with their Powerlifting matches and Bodybuilding too. And finally, most of all, time to hook up with the Boys to Men program and get those discussions established about accountability of actions, stopping violence, and intervention.

None know what the future holds for these guys and the overall program. But it is a good thing to take a break and think again. Let's establish a different set of norms and get everyone to play nice with others.

Pink in the pool at PSU

This Friday, October 31, at 3 PM, Penn State Swimming & Diving hosts Villanova. We would like to invite the entire Pennsylvania swimming community to check out the Nittany Lions and kick off a big sports weekend at Penn State.

The first 200 fans in attendance this Friday will receive a pink Penn State Swim Cap. Be sure to get there early!

We hope to see you this Friday at 3 o’clock at the McCoy Natatorium on Penn State’s Campus! The McCoy Natatorium is located at the corner of Curtin and Bigler Road.

If you’re unable to attend this Friday, we hope to see you on November 7 and 8 when the Nittany Lions host Virginia and Michigan. The action starts on November 7 at 6 PM, and continues on November 8 at 11 AM.

Communication Disorders alumnae bring a little bit of UMass to the University of Pittsburgh | UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences

Communication Disorders alumnae bring a little bit of UMass to the University of Pittsburgh | UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences

Magazine article talks of the Pitt and UMass connection with Audiology & Speech.

Communication Disorders alumnae bring a little bit of UMass to the University of Pittsburgh | UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences

Communication Disorders alumnae bring a little bit of UMass to the University of Pittsburgh | UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences

Magazine article talks of the Pitt and UMass connection with Audiology & Speech.

Fwd: Morning announcement for Monday, swim team kicking off with pancakes

Announcement for Monday, Oct 20

Get ready for SWIMMING. Consider joining the Obama Varsity Swim Teams.

Tonight, Monday,  the swim team kicks off the pre season with a social gathering with a FUN pancake open swim. Anyone interested in joining the swim team is welcome to the Obama swim pool from 5 pm to 7 pm tonight, Monday, October 20. Meet some of the swimmers, coaches, and boosters and enjoy a casual swim and eat some of Mr. Boyce's Famous pancakes. 

Then on Tuesday and for the rest of the week, and for EVERY SCHOOL DAY following, come to the school at 6 am for our MORNING SWIM PRACTICE. The Pre-season practices begin tomorrow, on Tuesday, October 21. All high school students are welcome. Just show up. Be ready to start your school day refreshed, stimulated, and in a great frame of mind after the 70-minute workout in the pool. 

Joining the swim team or just coming to a few of our practices is one smartest things you can do for your health. The team is for both BOYS and GIRLS, grades 9-12, new and INEXPERIENCED swimmers are welcome. 

.... End ......

Thanks. 

Mark Rauterkus

412-298-3432

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Ta.
 
 
Mark Rauterkus       Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com    
PPS Summer Dreamers' Swim and Water Polo Camp Head Coach
Pittsburgh Combined Water Polo Team

http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com
http://FixPA.wikia.com
http://CLOH.wikia.com
412 298 3432 = cell



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Ta.
 
 
Mark Rauterkus       Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com    
PPS Summer Dreamers' Swim and Water Polo Camp Head Coach
Pittsburgh Combined Water Polo Team

http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com
http://FixPA.wikia.com
http://CLOH.wikia.com
412 298 3432 = cell

Pi-Tops, a laptop built with the Raspberry Pi on indiegogo

Great idea. Delivery in May, 2015.



Another video:
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb6hVe1fRzI

Making Waves with Ian Smith of SurfSUP Adventures

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Hive Learning Network Pittsburgh

The Sprout Fund posted: "by Weenta Girmay The Hive-funded First Waves Project, a program from SurfSUP Adventures, takes youth out to surf the rivers of Pittsburgh while cleaning up their banks. With kayaks and paddleboards, teens take to the water for a mission that went beyond j" New post on Hive Learning Network Pittsburgh Making Waves with Ian Smith of SurfSUP Adventures by The Sprout Fund by Weenta Girmay The Hive-funded First Waves Project, a program from SurfSUP Adventures, takes youth out to surf the rivers of Pittsburgh while cleaning up their banks. With kayaks and paddleboards, teens take to the water for a mission that went beyond just hanging ten. Sprout got a chance to talk to Ian Smith, the founder of SurfSUP Adventures and project manager of First Waves. How long have you been the director of SurfSUP? What's the mission of the program? SurfSUP Adventures is a company I started in 2011 and we are a standup paddleboarding outfitter. We teach on everything from really calm lakes and beginner stuff all the way up to whitewater paddling. How do you surf a river wave? There are features in whitewater scenarios where the water actually turns back on itself and it creates what looks like an ocean wave, but it stays in place and it's called a static wave or a standing wave. You surf it exactly the way you would an ocean wave, but you're facing upstream, so the river is passing beneath you. It's a really cool phenomenon that allows inland paddlers to experience surfing. It's one of the things that I wanted to share with people from Pittsburgh. Where did the idea for the First Waves program come from? Why did you want to work with youth specifically? With SurfSUP adventures I had a lot of different types of clients and one project in my first year was particularly groundbreaking for me. The park service contracted me to do a program called "Adventure Camp." It was children who had been removed from their homes or were in foster care or having something going on that they were at this place. I had never worked with kids before at this point, I was kind of nervous, but I ended up absolutely loving it. The kids were just outrageously amazing. It really moved me to shift my direction and do more of those kinds of things. I knew I wanted to adapt it into my own vision and run my own program, which led to me speaking with Sprout. Why did you choose Paddle Without Pollution as a collaborator? When you do these river clean ups that Paddle Without Pollution does, they're these huge events and people from all over the communities come out and you just feel so good about it. There's a ridiculous amount of trash you can't even imagine around rivers. The first one I did was at the Point, so [the pollution] was extra bad. It's very moving. I wanted the kids to experience one thing that would be really fun to do in a watershed and then also shed some light on how they can help the community to clean up the waterways and share that message, which is why I think making a film is so powerful with this program. Why was it important for you to document the experience through film? You can clean up 2,000 pounds of trash off the riverbed but if you don't influence people to not throw that trash away in the beginning and to think about the choices they make as a consumer then there's really no gain. I think whenever you can show people something really fun and get them in the river doing things that they love, that's the only way you can foster real stewardship that'll last longer than just picking up a piece of garbage. I think that starting at the ground level with kids at that age, between 14 and 18, giving them urban exposure to both sides of that is what I think is a really strong approach to conversation. What was it like taking the youth out on the river? How did they take to the paddleboards and the kayaks? We split them up into two teams and the first team hit the water and it was ridiculous. They were already surfing/standing and just going for it immediately, loving it, ear-to-ear grins. Pure "surf stoked" is how they would say it on the coast. They were excited for sure, they took to it fantastic. Before we did anything we did a workshop to learn how to use cameras and how to properly conduct interviews. They came up with questions for each other and right off the bat they got to know their peers because they were interviewing them and saying things like, "What do you expect to learn from this experience?" "Have you done anything like this before?" It was all peer shot and they learned how to do it right on the spot. And then we did a follow up filmmaking lesson at the cleanup as well. A lot of it had to be shot from a kayak so they definitely had some cool challenges to overcome, like making sure we didn't have any cameras go in the water. They learned to use POV (point-of-view) cameras and we had 10 Go Pro [cameras] at least, so those were ok to get wet and we got lots of action shots from the water and different views. What was the weirdest thing they fished out? I think if you ask the kids they were most excited about the shopping cart. We found actually a couple of those. I think that was the winner. How much trash did the youth collect from the rivers? If you go to firstwaves.org, there's a shot of the heaping pile. It was more than 1 ton. Where do you plan to screen the finished film? We'll be doing a premiere for it and we're definitely going to do some screenings. I'd love to submit it to some of the paddling festivals, things like the National Paddling Film Festival, there's traveling film screening competitions that I would love to enter, do local film screenings, Big Brothers/Big Sisters have events and it would be fun to show other bigs and littles, and obviously online. Comcast cable is another partner and they shot a film of us shooting the film. They're going to be putting it on their On Demand service, so it'll definitely be distributed nationally through them. What plans do you have for next year's program? This year the goal was to engage 10 people and produce one film. Next year I might want to produce some articles or journalism or some photography and incorporate significantly more people and have the community more involved in the cleanup and in the event as a whole. When I was little I would've loved to have something like that. I really wanted to pursue journalism as a career. Even now when I look for outdoor adventure writing or outdoor adventure photography or filmmaking in Pittsburgh it's essentially non-existent despite Pittsburgh being a great town for something like that. I think it's a way that we can enhance the conservation ethos for Pittsburgh and also give the younger people a way to find their niche in that environment and understand how they can use it for free or fun or to inspire others. The Sprout Fund | October 13, 2014 at 11:05 am | Categories: Blog Post | URL: http://hivepgh.sproutfund.org/?p=18741 Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://hivepgh.sproutfund.org/blog/2014/10/13/making-waves-with-ian-smith-of-surfsup-adventures/

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Ta.


Mark Rauterkus       Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com
Swimming and Water Polo Coach, Schenley High School, Pittsburgh, PA
http://CLOH.wikia.com
412 298 3432 = cell

CMU Women's water polo squad - line-up