ACES Program Development partners with members of the community on a variety of initiatives to support students, families and teachers in the ACES region.
Connecticut Consortium for Education Foundations (CTCEF) ctcef.org
ACES has been a member for 7 years. Program Development staff currently serve on its Executive Board.
Lisa Kaston, ACES Grant Writer, (third from right) at the CTCEF Annual Conference
Community Conversations (ctconversations.org)
As an active participant in Connecticut Community Conversations, ACES has sponsored conversations in New Haven and Hamden and staff has served on the review committee for Community Conversations grants for 10 years. Community Conversations are held to gather community input on important educational and early childhood issues.
Studio Jams
…interactive arts workshops
ACES and the Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC) in partnership with Young Audiences/Arts for Learning Connecticut are collaborating in this exciting project which encourages young adults, ages 18-30, to participate in a range of arts activities that serve as a vehicle for self-expression and social networking with their peers and professional artist/instructors.
Twelve students from ACES Whitney High School East and ACES Whitney High School North participated in the most recent Studio Jams event, along with other young members of the community. Workshops offered were Photography, Zumba dance and Jewelry Making with our very own talented Lynne Patnode. The Studio Jams project is in its third successful year of implementation. and is a collaboration with the Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC) and CT Arts for Learning/Young Audiences.
Jewelry Making with Lynne Patnode
Zumba Dance with Nancy Ryan
Photography with Craig Norton
The Workforce Alliance Youth Council http://www.workforcealliance.biz/youth/youth_council.html
The Workforce Alliance Youth Council is a network of members representing youth service organizations and agencies in South Central CT. ACES staff have served on the Youth Council since 1994, and Barbara Green, ACES Career Specialist, has served on the Youth Council’s Advisory Board since 2004. ACES high school students have also served on the Youth Council, bringing fresh vision and bright young minds to the development of youth employment and training policies. The mission of the Youth Council is to provide proactive leadership and advocacy for integrated quality education, training and employment experiences for, by and with youth.
Community Presentations
ACES Whitney High School East Helps Local Boy Scouts Earn their Merit Badges!
Six Boy Scouts from Troop 608 (Hamden/North Haven) recently visited Whitney High School East in Hamden as part of their course requirement for earning their Disability Awareness Merit Badge. The group was led by Alycia Clune, Disabilities Awareness Merit Badge Counselor and (ACES’ very own) Jim Christensen, Troop 608 Boy Scout Master (and TEMS Classroom Aide). Carolyn Nelson, ACES Whitney High East Transition Coordinator and Barbara Green, ACES Career Specialist, facilitated lively discussions about ACES programs, services and disability awareness topics. The scouts also tried out various assistive technology and communication devices used by our students and clients.
