from the office of Dr. Paul G. Young, Executive Director

Visit our website at: http://www.westafterschoolcenter.org/
This weekly update is distributed via email to the WASC Board of Directors & Staff, Volunteers, School Staffs, Parents, State and National Afterschool Advocates, Providers, and Community Leaders

WASC Valentine Family Dinner Please join us for a spaghetti dinner, family crafts and activities.       Tuesday, February 12, 2008 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.      All family members welcome!                        Registration Required by Feb. 4th (So we can plan!)
CONFERENCES at the West After School Center			We have been pleased with the good response from our parents who attended conferences at our center this week. It is beneficial to share progress, and most of our students are have documented growth in reading from the work they have completed with the LeapTrack program. We thank our parents for attending and supporting the West After School Center. Results from the parent survey that was conducted during conferences will be shared next week.
The BENEFIT BANK A Service Available for Parents
Need help with food? Need help with child care costs? Need help with insurance for your kids? The Benefit Bank may be able to help! What is the Benefit Bank? It is an internet tool for JFS benefit screening. Would you like to find out if you may qualify for one or all of these benefits? Call today for an appointment! There is no cost for this service. It is available at the West After School Center. Call Jane Hart, WASC Student and Family Coordinator at 653-5678.
Pass It On Share What You Know...Mentor a Child To be a mentor, you don't need any special skills—just an ability to listen and to offer friendship, guidance, and encouragement to a young person growing up today. And you'll be amazed by how much you'll get out of the experience. So, share what you know. Become a mentor.				JANUARY IS
National Mentoring Month (NMM) highlights mentoring and the positive impact it can have on young lives. Spearheaded by the Harvard Mentoring Project, MENTOR, and the Corporation for National and Community Service, the first ever NMM was held January 2002. This month-long outreach campaign focuses national attention on the need for mentors, as well as how each of us—individuals, businesses, government agencies, schools, faith communities and nonprofits—can work together to increase the number of mentors and assure brighter futures for our young people. "Thank Your Mentor Day™" – January 24, 2008 will mark the fifth annual "Thank Your Mentor Day™," which many mentoring programs select as a day of volunteer recognition. An outreach of the Harvard Mentoring Project, the messages of this special day are: Too many young people do not have a caring adult mentor to provide encouragement and support; Mentoring programs can provide the link to this support; but Programs need volunteers to close the gap.
Bridges Out of Poverty: Strategies for Professionals & Communities January 25, 2008 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Registration/coffee: 8:00-8:30 a.m. Lunch is provided Location: Crossroads 2095 West Fair, Lancaster CMEs, CEUs (social work/counselor), 5.5 hours provided pending approval R.S.V.P. to Judy at 687-6771 by January 11, 2008 to receive a workbook					Sponsors
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a vital figure of the modern era. His lectures and dialogues stirred the concern and sparked the conscience of a generation. The movements and marches he led brought significant changes in the fabric of American life through his courage and selfless devotion. This devotion gave direction to thirteen years of civil rights activities. His charismatic leadership inspired men and women, young and old, in this nation and around the world. King’s concept of “somebodiness,” which symbolized the celebration of human worth and the conquest of subjugation, gave black and poor people hope and a sense of dignity. His philosophy of nonviolent direct action, and his strategies for rational and non-destructive social change, galvanized the conscience of this nation and reordered its priorities. His wisdom, his words, his actions, his commitment, and his dream for a new way of life are intertwined with the American experience. Source:  AfterSchool Digest
		The West After School Center has been awarded two mini-grants that will provide support the development of information technology and multimedia literacy of our students. We have been awarded grants from the Gannett Foundation and the Fairfield County Foundation to support this special project. Dr. Alison Colman, formerly an art education professor at Ohio University, has extensive experience conducting multimedia workshops for students.  She began working with students and staff January 4 and will be here on Friday afternoons until the end of the school year. Stop by and learn with our students.
WASC Awarded New Mini-Grants for Student Staff Computer Training
Get to Know a WASC Volunteer	My association with the WASC is: volunteer tutor How Long?  3 years.  I was born in: Springfield, Ohio My childhood ambition was to be: a librarian My job has been: junior, senior high school librarian If not working at my job, I'd rather be: surfing the Internet My favorite pastime is: genealogy If I were not living in Lancaster, I'd rather be in: Hawaii My favorite food is: chicken My favorite style of music is: all styles My favorite television show is: Law & Order My favorite movies is:  no answer My biggest challenge is: finding enough time I am inspired by: Maya Angelou To me, a perfect day is: spending it in the library
Joyce E. Carr