July 28, 2006 – CSP Day 15
Taylor’s Day

YouthWalk is an event coordinated by the Citywide Youth Coalition and sponsored by the Regional Water Authority, Hot 93.7, News Channel 8 (UPN 9), Empower New Haven, New Alliance Bank, ConnCAN and the City of New Haven. The event is for youth to raise money for their individual organizations, as well as raise public awareness about the need for youth programming in the city. Here’s Taylor’s Day:

We went YouthWalk on the Green. We played games; we played Cat and Mouse and the game where you can’t touch the bottle with your hands. I saw many people from my school and my cousins and stuff like that. I saw the people from 93.7, Miss Yo, and I got her to sign my poster. I got donated ten dollars. Overall we made $250 dollars for the camping trip. We walked around and we ate lunch and we saw people dancing. We saw the Boys and Girls Club dancing and Newhallville Summer Camp. My favorite part of the day was when Crystale [another camper] was up there dancing.

July 27, 2006 – CSP Day 14
Cecily’s Day

Today, the Quinnipiac River Watershed Association took us on a marsh tour and canoeing on the Q River, completing our tour of the three rivers of New Haven.

Today we went on a marsh tour at Quinnipiac Meadows. There were a lot of bugs but it was a lot of fun. There were like little traps on the floor. It smelled like saltwater. We went to an island where the Indians used to live and go to eat oysters. She also showed us a shotgun cap and that there was a lot of poison ivy. We saw fiddler crabs; the male has the big claw but the female doesn’t. The male had the big claw to fight with another male to fight for a female. We went to the osprey nest. Then we ate lunch and we went canoeing. At first I was scared, but then I knew I wasn’t going to fall into the water because I had a life jacket. There was a boat that had nobody on it, there was just shoes on there, in the water. It had two pairs of sandals in it. Me and the instructor had to keep turning the boat around to help other people. The instructors kept on laughing because everybody kept getting stuck. The other instructor had two boats and he was in front of us. Abby and Claire was stuck all the way in the back. Then we got back we went to where we had started at. We all got on the bus and did our reflection, came back and had our snack.

July 26, 2006 – CSP Day 13
Shanice’s Day

Today we did a video challenge. My challenge was to do anything you want. I did it gangster-style with Cecily. I taught about non-point source and point source pollution. It was kinda hard but I had fun doing it. First we couldn’t figure out what to do, then we just took it back to how we live.

Next we did the game challenge. Everyone was sharing their ideas. I thought that was a good game. Our game was called Pollution Relay. You have to have two teams, non-point source pollution and point source pollution and you have NPS and PS cards at the end of the relay. Whatever team you’re on you have to get the card that matches the kind of pollution you were assigned to. The first one to get all their card back or fastest wins.

Next we did the song challenge. We really weren’t working together. We could have done better on that, on teamwork. We came up with something at the last minute. But we pulled through and we finished it. The name of it was Water Solution. We recorded it with Dontae and Hanifa. At first we didn’t do so good, but then Trevon helped us. His idea was to slow the song down and it sounded better.

Then we went golfing with Dennis. He taught us putting, which is a short distance swing. I did horrible because I was hitting it too far. He told us that next week he would teach us how to use the big club.

Overall my day was fun, exciting. Lunch was good. I love camp.

July 25, 2006 – CSP Day 12
Christian’s Day

Today we went to the farmer’s garden, Grow Hartford. Shannon split us up into three groups. Two of the groups picked for weeds and my group, Quinnipiac River Team, had to dig up dirt and put it in wheelbarrows and bring it over and dump it in the plant bed. Then, after that, we came back to the place that we started, under the shady tree. We ate lunch. After we we were done, we checked that everything was cleaned up, then we got back on the bus.



We went to the Trash Museum in Hartford. In the beginning there was a house of trash. We went through it and on the other side, she taught us about what kind of bottles they recycle, numbers one and two. You know that it can be recycled if it has a triangle with arrows going in the triangle. After we learned that, we went back into the house of trash and had a scavenger hunt. She asked us if we could find things that could have been recycled or reused. Then she told us to find the mice (they weren’t real). Then if the people didn’t see it, she told you to put your finger on your nose. She would tell you, 1, 2, 3, and everyone would point to it.

We went to a place with a gray rug. She asked, “What is it made of?” People had to guess and she told us it was made out of plastic bottles, number one and number two. We went upstairs and kneeled on a bench to look out the windows into the factory. You saw machines crushing up bottles and trucks unloading bottles. She showed us a model building of their building and she showed us where we are.

We went back downstairs and did a project of making pencil holders out of wallpaper, toilet tissue tubes and glue. When we were done, she told us to follow her and she showed us a truck that used to pick up all the bottles. She told us that it’s only a display now because they took out the engine and only the lights work. We had to leave after that.

I liked the Trash Musuem because we learned what kind of bottles can be recycled and we actually saw the factory.

Assistant Director's Note: Going to the Trash Museum made the staff realize that we need to make sure what the recycling laws and regulations are in New Haven, so we will be checking that out and hopefully posting that information here on our blog. Apparently, the information changes all the time. When our youth asked us about the rules for New Haven, we were unsure, so we will make sure to tell them, as well.

Remember: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!

July 24, 2006 – CSP Day 11
Claire’s Day
We had Claire, the Yale counterpart of the Yale-China Association, blog for today!

Today we started a week of field trips with a day-long trip to Hammonasset State Park. Even though I’d been at Yale for four years, I’d never been to Hammonasset, so I was especially excited – plus, it was a beautiful, sunny, not-too-hot day, perfect for the scavenger hunts we had planned.

After a long bus ride, filled with songs and drumming, we arrived at the park and broke into two groups. My group started our scavenger hunt at the sandy beach; we were looking for a long list of sea creatures, including blue mussels, razor clams, whelks, and Irish moss (a kind of seaweed). The kids got a little discouraged at first, because there really wasn’t as much stuff as we thought there would be, but they persevered, and soon enough, every single one of them (even the ones wearing jeans and sneakers) were up to their knees – or even their waists – in the ocean, trying to get all the items on our list.

Before we knew it, it was time to switch with the other group and head to the rocky beach, which was separated from the sandy one by a rock jetty (a kind of pier made out of rocks that juts into the water) and a long stretch of rocks we had to climb over. We had a difficult scramble over the rocks over to the beach, though the staff had a markedly harder time with the waist-high boulders than the campers, who loved every minute of the “hike”. We made it, though, and got to explore that beach, where we had a bit more success. There were pink jellyfish everywhere, which the kids were alternately fascinated and repulsed by. We collected crabs and different kinds of seaweed, and some of the kids took the Seine net and practiced the skills Brandon taught them last week in the ocean. I was especially impressed that a few of the girls remembered Hanifa’s lesson about the osprey nest at West River Memorial Park and were able to identify one from very far off.

Then we headed back to the main beach using the much easier trail and ate lunch. And then…SWIMMING!

I missed a lot of the splashing about because Sara (another staff member) and I were being buried with sand higher up on the beach, but judging by the happy yelps I could hear, it sounded like a blast. When I emerged from my mummification, though, I needed to rinse off anyway, so I joined the kids in the cold, cold water. None of them seemed bothered by it at all, though, as they swam about playing Marco Polo or riding the waves or just swimming about.

We came back wet and tired, singing a few new songs on the bus ride back and a few old classics. And then it was time to go! I love field trip days; they allow me to see a lot of greater New Haven, and of Connecticut, that I missed out on while being so focused on my academics and extracurriculars on the Yale campus. I wish all Yale students could get a taste of all that greater New Haven has to offer, and with their guides as 30 (sometimes overly rambunctious, but usually perfectly wonderful) youth.

July 21, 2006 - CSP Day 10
Rose's Day
Today, the assistant director tells us about her day

Friday dawned pretty, but cloudy, cool, but with storm in the forecast. We planned to go to the Eli Whitney Museum and then swimming with the youth and nobody could bear to cancel, so we didn't. It did storm, but getting wet should have been the least of our worries, as the youth ended up soaked in two other ways.

At the Eli Whitney Museum, the youth made Swimmers, a project that used a propeller and rubberband to move a thin piece of wood through the water. The workshop was on a covered bridge over the Mill River, which the Mill River Team found exciting. We heard their chant over and over again ("M to the I to the double L, we're the Mill, so chill"). Visiting the museum after the New Haven Watershed Tour was perfect, since the youth hadn't had a chance to see the Mill, due to time constraints. There were ducks and waterstriders which the youth wanted to wade into the water and catch, but got even more distracted by their Swimmers.

The youth had total creative control once the base was built and we had Sikai's ambitious naval ship, Abby's beaver, Christian's alligator and many other beautifully decorated Swimmers. Interns helped the youth with ideas and execution. It was really nice to see the high school interns working so closely and animatedly with the youth. Nicole worked with her brother and his friends at camp. Sara stayed more towards the back with the group at that workbench. Jody floated around, as did Edward. They really worked hard to help the youth realize their vision for the Swimmer. I realize that we have a great group of interns this summer.

The fun part for the youth came when they were at the outdoor water lab. One tank had a wave maker, which the youth used enthusiastically, getting soaked by the waves overflowing right onto them. Another tank was built like a canal, which youth able to lift three different gates to propel more water through the tank. Another was a simple tank, which didn't attract much attention.

After at least an hour of play in the water lab, it was lunch time. We sat outside, for the storm that was coming had come and passed. After some more play at the water lab, we loaded in the bus and headed to Wilbur Cross High School, for our swim hour.

Five of our youth passed the swim test and were allowed to swim in the deep end. The others remained in the shallows. It was a fantastic hour of plain fun, which the youth had worked hard for.

Sleepy and chlorinated youth pulled up to Clarence Rogers School and, after snack, left us. I think the youth had a terrific day. The staff was so happy to have made it successfully through week two!

July 20, 2006 – CSP Day 9
Shanae’s Day

It was a nice day. We went on the New Haven Watershed Tour. We went to the top of West Rock Mountain. We got sassafrass. We played games. We went to West River Memorial Park and we saw an osprey nest. We went to Long Wharf. We caught crabs and snails. We saw phragmites. We had sea lettuce.

When we came back we did art and played games. We had snacks. Then we went home!


New Haven Watershed Tour

Today the campers split into two groups to go on the New Haven Watershed Tour. One group went in the morning, another after lunch. They rode in a van piloted by Miss Hanifa, stopping at Common Ground Farm to check out the compost pile where the Meatless Ort ends up (left) and then driving all the way to the top of West Rock Ridge State Park. After some exploring there, the van headed to the convergence of Wintergreen Brook and the West River, near Blake Street in Westville. The youth stopped at West River Memorial Park and found an osprey nest. From there, they headed over to Long Wharf, for a good look at the Long Island Sound and some crab hunting. The New Haven Watershed Tour will continue as the youth canoe the Quinnpiac River.

July 19, 2006 – CSP Day 8
Tyquan’s Day

Today I had a great day. I had breakfast, I did a crossword puzzle and then the Video Challenge. One of our challenges was to make up a show about West River, Mill River and Q River. I was a gang of fish that liked to breakdance. I battled against another fish named Shareece and she had a vision that she was going to win the competition. After she won the money. She said, “It’s all about the seaweed, baby!” They said, “Let’s go party with the ospreys.” Then we had to do a skit in a language besides English. They used Spanish. I didn’t understand what they were saying. We had lunch. Then we played golf and I hit my ball the farthest because mine went into the bushes. Someone almost got it farther than that once. Then we had the Game Challenge. It was like Monopoly. There was three people in three groups. The three names of the groups were Mill, West and Quinnipiac. They have to roll the dice to see who gets the largest number to see who goes first. After that you have to roll the dice to see how many times you go. There were hooks that mean you had to go back to the starting line. There was a black hole that meant go backwards. There was a plus sign that meant go forward. There was a subtraction sign to go backwards. There was a seahorse that you have to ride until you see another seahorse. The first one to make it from Long Island Sound to their river wins. The next challenge was the Song Challenge. Our beat was the Smurf’s song. The song was:

Please pick up your trash in the West River
Or else you won’t be swimming here
So try your best to keep it clean there

July 18, 2006 – CSP Day 7
Jody’s Day
Today, we got an intern's point of view about camp

Today was really fun. The weather was perfect. We painted three different posters with three different groups. Most everybody painted the beach and the sky. It was fun to be in charge; I felt like a grown up, like I was older. It was just me and Edward. It felt good when the kids paid attention to me. I felt like I had the power in my hands to have the kids pay attention to me. It was fun working with Edward. We put our ideas together, like where to put the poster so they youth wouldn’t be in the sun. One time I got to rotate the kids to games and then to EE, and they were paying attention to me, although it was hot.

Yesterday Hanifa got to shave off her eyebrows and it looked funny. I have to be the next person in line to do something else crazy when they get half a pound or less of ort. I also gave the beads to Adisa. The beads are for somebody who was being really nice or kind or went out they’re way to do something generous.

I think the summer is going good so far because the kids are really nice. I feel like each day I get to know them the kids are better; I get more comfortable with them. I feel less shy about getting in front of the group—before I wouldn’t have done that.

VIDEO: Down in the Valley O!
Jody leads the group in a Solar Youth favorite

The cheers went up in the classroom today, as many of the children were very excited about having Miss Hanifa shave her eyebrows off. Miss Rose did the honors (see video below). Hanifa promises that she will have eyebrows within four days.

The next challenge for the group? Half a pound or less and Miss Jody will wear underwear over her pants all day.

The youth think they can do it...tomorrow!

VIDEO: Eyebrows Begone!
Miss Hanifa losing her eyebrows

Outer Island
The Citywide Steward Program went to Outer Island on July 17th! We took the Sea Mist Ferry for a short tour of the Thimble Islands off the shore of Stony Creek, CT. They dropped us off at Outer Island, an island donated to Southern Connecticut State University for research, where Wendy, our trusty guide, showed the youth different kinds of seaweed (Irish moss, various colors of algae and a seaweed called dead man's fingers), went crab hunting (we found green crab, Asiatic shore crab and hermit crabs) and showed us several tide pools. We brought along Brandon Ballengee, an eco-artist and part-time educator for Solar Youth. He had his Seine nets, a few dippers, waders and a vast knowledge of different kinds of intertidal species. Youth were literally all over the shores of the island (the interior is a protected nature preserve and humans are not allowed in), looking under rocks for crabs, dipping their fingers into all the tide pools and humming "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to scared hermit crabs, coaxing them out with their voices. For some youth, this was their first time on a boat or an island. Although it was a hot and sticky day, we had a great time.

July 17, 2006 - CSP Day 6
Shemar's Day
We went to Long Island Sound. We were on Outer Island. We took a boat, the ferry. We went searching for hermit crabs, green crabs and shore crabs. We went and found snails, shells that was a type of mussel. I had a great time. We had lunch and then we went in the water for thirty minutes to look for types of crabs, shells, silver fish. We went back to New Haven from Long Island Sound and I’ve never been on an island. That was my first day on an island. The interesting part was the kind of creepy part when we used the bathroom there was a water bucket that you had to pour into the toilet to make it flush. Then you had to take the bucket then put it in the water. Then you put it in the bathroom so the next person can do the same thing. The exciting part was when we had use nets to catch fish and other types of stuff. It was hard to catch the crabs because when you lift up the rock the crabs run really fast and when you pick it up it pinches you. My group got a lot of crabs. We found small, tiny crabs, regular crabs and big crabs. When you pick up the snails you have to hum to it so the snail can come out of the shell. You have to hold it straight in your hand. If you move it around it will go back in. I had fun picking up the sea crabs and the snails.

The Inner Workings of CSP - Challenge Days
New this summer are the Challenge Days. CSAP teams (Quinnipiac, West and Mill River Teams) have three challenges throughout the day. During the Video Challenge, teams have forty-five minutes to come up with three thirty-second clips educating others on the theme of the week. For the Song Challenge, the teams are giving a different popular tune to create a song to. At the end of the forty minutes, the team records the song. The Game Challenge requires the team to make either a board, active or matching games. Three Challenge Days will occur three times during the summer camp, following the themes of the Long Island Sound, the three rivers of New Haven and water pollution. We want to encourage creativity, have youth-created curriculum tools for all Solar Youth programs and push the teams to work together.


There Was a Great Big Moose
An SY favorite

There was a great big moose
And he drank a lot of juice
The moose's name was Fred
And he drank his juice in bed
He drank his juice with care
But he got some on his hair
Now he's a sticky moose
Full of juice!

Ropes Course
On Friday, July 14, the camp went to Camp Laurelwood for some team-building exercises. The camp has been divided into three river teams—Quinnipiac, West and Mill. The teams will work on a Community Service Action Project throughout the summer, as well as compete against each other in Challenge Days. To build teamwork, the teams participated in several rotations at Camp Laurelwood--teambuilding games, low ropes and high ropes. Teambuilding games required everyone to work together and formulate strategy, as did the low ropes, where youth had to pass their team through the Spideweb and cross the Wire. The Spiderweb was a web of rope that each team member had to get through to successfully complete the challenge, without using two of the holes twice. At the Wire, youth had to walk on a low wire, holding onto a rope. Two youth came from each end, then had to trade balancing ropes in the middle. At the high ropes, which was the overall favorite, youth had to conquer their fear and were belayed up nearly into a tree, then they pulled a cord that sent them swining back and forth. Overall, the youth had a fantastic day.

July 14, 2006 - CSP Day 5
Naomy's Day
On Friday we went to the Ropes Course. We go on the rope and go up into the tree. We had to pull a tiny rope and then we go swinging down. It felt fun and scared all at the same time. We need to rotate to the games. We had to work as a team to get the golf ball on the half pipes to the pit. We had to blindfold somebody and the other person need to lead you to a ball and throw it to the other person who was blindfolded. Then we rotate to the third station. There’s a spiderweb and we tried to get through without touching the web. We had to work with teamwork and communicate with each other. We went to the Wire and then we got a rope and tried to get across without touching the mud and pretend that there was an alligator. My favorite was the flying thing. It was fun.


VIDEO: Swinging on the High Ropes
A'chan swings from the trees!

July 13, 2006 - CSP Day 4
Marshall’s Day

We talked about yesterday and how people weren’t listening. We played the little game where we we have to close our eyes and think of a beat in our head. Then we went outside did the CSAP thing. CSAP means Community Service Action Project. Then we made up the whole rhyme for the Mill [River Team]:

M to the I to the double L
You need to chill
Cause we’re the Mill
We’re ill
And we roll like a wheel
We’re going to chill
Your grill
Cause we’re the Mill
So meet us at the top
Of the hill.

For the Ort Report, we came in doing the “Lean with It, Rock with It,” it’s this hip hop from BET called the Franchise boys. It was my idea. After lunch we played Solar Youth Says, and then we went outside and played Hagoo and Mirror and then we went with Nicole and Jody. It was a game where you have to figure out the person that does the beats.

We came inside for snack and the Snack Magoo came out of the closet. And we watched a Spongebob movie when Gary liked Patrick pants because he had a cookie in his pocket. Then Spongebob started crying because he thought Gary didn’t like him anymore.

I think Solar Youth is fun because we do so much activities and go on field trips.

July 12, 2006 – CSP Day 3
Jaymiah’s Day

My CSAP team is the West River Team. We did a video challenge. We had to do three things. We had to summarize a Solar Youth article. We did a puppet about polluting the Long Island Sound. Then we had a thirty second dance; we threw trash on the ground and then we picked it up. We also made a song called “The Ocean Blues.” That was fun because a lot of people were laughing. People put silly things in the songs but we put it in anyway and I fell out of my chair! We played golf. My partner was Naomy. It’s hard. If we had a competition Naomy would win. We did a game. It was about the Long Island Sound. There’s three people and they represent the three rivers. And the other people playing are the Long Island Sound. We called out categories, like your favorite color or what color shirt you had on. The people who fell into the category had to run across, from one side to another, without getting caught by the Rivers. If you got caught you had to link to the person that caught you. In the end, whichever river had the most people won. I made a lot of friends on my team and I know a lot of names now because of the teams. My team leaders are Nicole, Claire, Sonia and Sara supposed to be but she was filling in for Edward. When we were doing the song, our team was embarrassed so we had to do it like four times before we got all the words out. Wow. I have one more thing. When we were playing gold, Shemar accidentally let go of the club and made a hole in the gym wall. He did, I’m serious. If you go, you can walk and see it.


The Inner Workings of CSP
Snack Magoo

Every day at camp, around 2:50pm, the campers and staff invoke the Snack Magoo ("I'm not Mister Magoo!" he sings) to feed them a healthy afternoon snack. It's actually Mister Gammy, dressed up and fabulous! His song goes:

It's not Mister Magoo
It's the Snack Magoo
Come and get your snack
You won't get heart attack
It's snack time
It's snack time
It's snack time
So let's sing a rhyme
Eating is not a crime
Just wait your turn in line
And put the trash in a bin
All of the time

Solar Youth believes in a happy, healthy and successful youth, so we not only provide a creative and hands-on curriculum, but encouraging water-drinking (instead of sodas or sugary juices) and a giving the students a healthy snack, such as Nutri-Grain bars and Fig Newtons.

Besides, it's funny to watch Mister Gammy dress up and be silly.

July 11, 2006 - CSP Day 2
Trevon’s Day

When I came here early I went with my friend Christian and we played basketball outside. I lost every game then finally, it was time for camp. We got a binder and then we pressed on the paper and we made a collage from the National Geographic magazines. We worked hard; we cut out the perfect picture to talk about us and what we like. After that it was time for breakfast. We had muffin, juice and milk. We told funny jokes, we laughed and we went back into the class. After we came back we had a few minutes to come and finish our collage.

Then it was time for three activities. I started off at Art and we had to rip up paper, then we put it in the blended and it didn’t work. So Nicole went to ask Gammy if he had another one, then he said that was the only one, so Rose said, “Is it the wrong plug?” So we plugged it out and put it in a different plug and then it worked and we got to see it. Pulp was nasty and gray and mushy and makes you want to throw up. So while Nicole was blending some more, we went outside and we saw blueberries and strawberries mushed all in the bags, then we poured it into different containers. Then we moved on and went across the bridge and we saw vibrating bugs. Whenever one wanted to the bug vibrated. We walked on all the way into the park. One of the girls in Rose’s group wanted to write a poem about flowers, so she took a picture and she started to write. Next I said, “I want to take a picture of the vibrating bug.” So Miss Rose said, “We’ll take a picture of the bug when we walk back from the park to the camp.”

So a few minutes later we started to walk back. I saw the water bug and I said, “I see it, let’s take a picture.” She gave me the camera and said, “Try not to drop it.” I tried to take a picture of it, but it was too fast. Rosie took a shot of it. Naomy tried and she finally got a shot of one of the vibrating bugs. After we wrote our poems but didn’t get to finish. We used the mushy pulp and strawberries and blueberries to make art!

We rotated from Art to EE (environmental education). We started off with a clean bucket of water filled with three water bottles. Miss Hanifa was talking about there was one percent of freshwater in the world. She said that some waters get polluted from the sewage treatment, from the lake—the water comes from the toilet and the sink and that is all freshwater. We talked about how the water gets polluted and we put stuff in [to represent pollutants], like beavers bite trees and it goes into the water. In winter leaves fall out and then go into the water. The farmer puts pesticides on the ground, but the flies could go eat it and die. And when it rains all the water comes puts all the pesticides into the river and that’s non-point source pollution.

Today we played games. I liked the one where you had to hold hands and you had to catch someone so they could join you. I liked the game where you had to figure out how the C’s get to the X’s and the X’s get to the C’s [called Traffic Jam]. You have to think with your mind, you really had to think with your head to figure it out.

July 10, 2006 - CSP Day 1
Ashley's Day

So when I first walked in here, I thought I was going to be a little nervous. But then when it was time to eat breakfast I met this girl and her name is Jaymiah. When we started talking we had a lot in common; she was one of the first people I met. Then, when it was time for lunch and after lunch, I met these other two girls named Natasha and Naomy and I played a game of telephone with them and Jaymiah. We had a lot in common, we had fun. We thought today was not going to be very fun but we ended up making new friends. When we went outside, when we were blindfolded, I partnered up with a girl named Bernice and she and I had a lot in common so we became friends. When I came I thought I would be lonely and everyone else would know each other because some of the kids had been here before I had, but I ended up making quite a few friends and I was really happy about that.

I learned something new, I learned about water molecules and how they're formed. You need oxygen, you need hydrogen and convalent bonds and that forms a water molecule. My favorite game that we did today was the blindfold [Trust Walk] because that built my trust in getting to know other people and that will probably help for tomorrow because we might do the same thing. The partner that I had trusted me and we had a strong bond and that's how we became friends.

Summer has fully arrived and that means Citywide Steward Program has begun! We have a diverse staff, with five adults and four high school interns. They are here, to tell you all about themselves in their own words:

Hanifa - Director
I've been with Solar Youth almost three years. I hail from Michigan, have lived in Texas, went to college in Wisconsin and took a road trip throughout the entire continental U.S. I worked at Nature's Classroom in Ivoryton, CT for two years, but found that teaching hands on environmental education to urban youth was my calling. This is my third summer program and I'm excited to get started. We're trying out some new curriculum and integrating media (video, audio, this blog) into camp. We have Challenge Days, Urban Adventures and will bring back the classic songs and games that make CSP so much fun! Stay tuned for some Solar-Youth-alicios enjoyment!

Rose - Assistant Director
This is my first summer program since coming on as Program Manager for Solar Youth in September of last year. I'm from Puerto Rico and came to New Haven to attend Yale. After graduating in 2003, I stayed in town because I just love this city. Previous to Solar Youth, I worked for Jumpstart throughout my college years and taught Headstart in Bridgeport, CT after graduation. I've been planning CSP for months, so I'm excited to put faces to the names on all the applications I've received. I'll be teaching art for the program and am ready to get the ball rolling!

Gammy - Educator
My name is Gamaliel Moses and I am originally from the eastern Caribbean island of Dominica. I am 21 years old. I came to Solar Youth as a Public Ally in the fall of 2005. I was responsible for being a Team Educator for the Neighborhood Stewards Teams at Hill Central School in New Haven, which is an afterschool program. I am now an Adventure Educator for Solar Youth's Citywide Steward Program, which is a five week long summer program with students from around the city. I am indeed excited and looking forward to a great summer working with the youth, exploring, doing and teaching.



Claire - Educator
I am originally from Berkely, CA, but I have spent the last four years at Yale University. I just graduated with a degree in English and I plan on becoming a writer. I am a special educator at Solar Youth through the Yale-China Association, which holds and exchange program I am currently participating in. I just got back from Hong Kong a few weeks ago, which I found to be a surprisingly environmentally-friendly place. I am looking forward to working at Solar Youth, and especially for all of our outings!



Sonia - Educator
I'm Sonia Kwan, 20, who came from Hong Kong which is an exciting and energetic city in China. In this summer, I'm joining Solar Youth as an Educator through the Yale-China Summer Community Service Exchange Programme. Solar Youth is a warm family with supportive and nice staff. Working with them definitely can teach me a lot! I'm so excited about this summer! In this camp, I hope I can know all of the kids well and give them an unforgettable summer in New Haven! As a Chinese, it is also a golden opportunity for me to explore the American culture and the environment! Here are some of my details and "secrets."
Name: Sonia Kwan Ching Yee
Place of Birth: Hong Kong
Family Status: Dad, Mom and Sis
Normal Hobbies: Reading detective stories (especially at night), swimming (in the evening), playing piano, hanging out with friends
Abnormal Hobbies: Love washing/cleaning the fish and meat before cooking them, love pink colour (everything is pink colour like glasses, pencil bag, t-shirt, files and binders, etc.)

Nicole - Intern
Hey, y'all. This is Nicole coming at you from Solar Youth. I'm here to give you the basic 4-1-1 on myself. All right, my full name is Nicole Dunnaville and I was born in Queens, NY and later came to live in CT. I am in the 10th grade at the Sound School in New Haven. I have been involved with Solar Youth for four years. I came and attended the Citywide Steward Program that I am interning at this summer. The next summer I attended the Solar Youth Internation program, where they took us to different environmental conferences. After that season, I became involved with the Youth Advisory Group (YAG) of Solar Youth and later became a board member. But before becoming a board member I got the chance to travel to JAPAN with another youth (Javaughn Harris) and the Executive Director, Joanne Sciulli. I can truly say that Solar Youth is amazing!

Jody - Intern
My name is Jody Ann Purcell. I've just turned 18 years old. I was born in one of the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean, Jamaica. It's a very breathtaking place to go and visit. As for now, I'm living in the United States, whicher I attend Wilbur Cross High School. I've been going there for three years, since I was a freshman. In August I'll be going there to finish up my senion year. Wilbur Cross is a very interesting school to go to, especially if you're into diveristy, because you'll find it there. I first learned about Solar Youth through the Career Center at my high school. One day I was walking back and forth through the halls on my lunch period, because I didn't feel like sitting in the lunch room. Then I walked into the Career Center, and there I saw at least five girls filling out applications for this mystery job I had no clue about. I became curious and someone summarizeds what was going on. I started filling out an application, too. I worked during the fall season for the Neighborhood Steward Teams, then in winter and spring, too. I'll have worked for Solar Youth for a full year after this summer. I have met lots of nice people and really like my job.

Edward - Intern
Edward is the only intern this summer that didn't work for us during the spring. His charming ways and respectful demeanor got him hired for our CSP program. Although he just graduated from Sheridan Middle School, Edward has a maturity beyond his years. He loves to sing, worked on the school newspaper and has babysat his relatives for years. He'll be a freshman in the fall, with some work experience under his belt, a bit more environmental knowledge and a whole lot of songs that will never leave his brain ("I said a fried chicken wing!"). Although his closeness in age to the campers worries him, we know that his leadership skills will bring the youth to both like and respect him.

Sara - Intern
Hi, my name is Sara Torres and I am an intern at Solar Youth. I was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico fifteen years ago and today I'm interning at Solar Youth! I found out about Solar Youth in School. I go to Sound School. I worked last season at Hill Central School. The thing I like most about Solar Youth is the kids and how we play games. I love my job because the kids make me love Solar Youth and them. This summer I am working once again with Solar Youth as an intern.






Stay tuned for daily blogs from CSP campers!