students
YMCA Celebrates 40 Examples Of Character Values
I’d like to introduce you to pretty awe-inspiring youth who I’m very lucky to be getting to know. They are some of our Greater Cincinnati area’s great role models for caring, respect, honest, responsibility and caring. I’m talking about the 40 teenagers who will be celebrated on April 17 as YMCA of Greater Cincinnati Character Award recipients.
Take for example…
Linnea Head, a 
student at Seven Hills School, whose influence has been described as ‘legendary’. A fearless model of ethics, it was during a school assembly when she stood before her student body and inspired every student to choose ‘trust’. Again she rallied her classmates to a cause when she heard about a Ugandan elementary school for displaced children.
Or
Dion’te Riley, a Withrow University High School student who traveled to the Domincan Republic to participate in a food drive. He personally collected enough food to fill 17 grocery carts for 
families in need.
Each one of the YMCA Character Award recipients has his/her own very personal story for impacting their world. I encourage you to please click the link and read more about them. If you know one of them…please congratulate them.
Or better yet…please join Tracey Johnson of FOX19 and the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati at the YMCA Character Awards Event on April 17. It begins at 6 p.m. at the School for Creative and Performing Arts. Cost is $25 per person for adults; $10 for youth. You can call 513-246-3205 to reserve a seat.
2012 YMCA Character Award recipients 2012
YMCA Character Award recipient list 2012
WIN TICKETS!
I will have two pairs of tickets to the event to give-a-way. I will be randomly
drawing two names of people who are Good Things Pledge champions. An additional
chance will be given for participating in the Good Things Going Around Facebook page.
Drawing will be on Wednesday night, April 11, 2012.
Not a Good Things Pledge champion yet? Just add your contact information on the Pledge page!
Honoree Shamari Hinkston Talks About ‘Caring’
The ‘Big What If’s’ Need Your Vote
I just heard from a friend of mine that one of her co-workers is coaching a team of some pretty smart Ockerman Middle School students in Florence, Kentucky.
For weeks, the ‘Big What If’s’ (that’s the name they call themselves) were young researchers, collecting data, reviewing information and 
brainstorming ideas. Along the way they visited a chicken farm and met with a chemist.
And then the idea came. They invented…the TransEggit, short for the Transporting Egg Blanket. And what is a TransEggit, you may ask? That’s a logical question. It is simply a blanket that covers the inside of an egg carton and its color tells you whether the eggs are safe to eat – or not. A red blanket means the eggs have been unrefrigerated for more than two hours and need to be thrown away. The color pink means the eggs need to be put back into the refrigerator right away. And white means they’re ready to use.
The blanket can be used for any temperature sensitive food and it makes egg cartons recyclable.
“Salmonella, food poison, can be deadly for older adults, young children and for anyone with a low immune system. This invention alone could save several lives,” said Coach Bev Coe.
I don’t know about you but I’m pretty impressed. So were a group of judges at the recent Northern Kentucky Regional First LEGO League Tournament (coordinated by iSPACE), where the Big What Ifs won first place for their project presentation.
So now the team has advanced and needs your support. Their project is entered online in the FIRST® LEGO® Global Innovation Award and if they get the most votes by the end of February, 2012, they will be offered the opportunity to work with Edison Nation to professionally develop, produce, and take their invention to market. (A prize valued at up to $250,000 in product development services.) How cool is that!
“We have had a lot of fun learning and growing as a team. Everyone has encouraged us to go for this award. Everyone seems to love our idea, invention we created. Our motto is “Got Eggs!,” Bev said.
Please take a minute to visit the Award page to see their entry and all of the others too. You can vote every 24 hours.
Good luck team!
Loveland Twins Collecting Books For Charity
It’s no wonder Loveland Elementary School 3rd graders Alex and Hannah Laman love to read…and want others to experience that same joy. Brent and Angela Laman have always read to their children, in fact, ever since Alex and Hannah were babies.
So, when news came out that a lack of funding was going to cause some local school kids to not have access to books, the twins 
wanted to do something. With support from their parents, they had a nonprofit called ‘Adopt a Book’ up and running in no time.
What a great way to instill a love for giving…by encouraging children to find a way of passing along to others something that gives them so much joy.
Alex and Hannah (and Brent and Angela) have been busy reaching out to their classmates and other community groups. Their house has become a warehouse of sorts with stacks of stories – from Harry Potter to Dr. Seuss. Over 2,800 books have been donated to Adopt a Book so far; and Adopt a Book has in turn distributed 1,300 books to children through area organizations.
If you have children’s books that you would like to donate, please contact them at: adoptabook@fuse.net. You can also drop books off at Beech Acres Parenting Center in Anderson (where Brent facilitates some groups) – 6881 Beechmont Ave; 45230.
Cincinnati Youth Collaborative Honored Volunteer Mentors
To celebrate National Mentoring Month and the dedication of so many adults who care, the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative recently honored 15 Outstanding Volunteers at its annual Thank You Mentor Dinner. Honorees are: Harry Blanton, Bishop Victor S.Couzens, Matt Curran, Mike Fredrick, Scott Grothaus, Andy Hofmann, Michael Liu, Brenda McCaskill, Sgt. Tia Pearson Miller, Tina Marie Mitchell, Darlene & Richard Ramon, Ellie Reiser, Keith Sams, Judy Schmitt and Brittany Tucker.
CYC’s Invested in Youth Award was given to Sgt. Tia Miller for her dedication to bettering the lives of young women both on and off duty. Sgt. Miller has officially mentored Dubrina for four years but has informally mentored more than five young women that she has met while on the job as a Cincinnati Police Officer.
Harry Blanton and Andy Hofmann received the Return on Investment award for their longevity in the mentoring program and having mentored at least one student through high school graduation.
Bishop Victor Couzens received the United for Youth award for his personal commitment to recruiting volunteers for the program. His passion and dedication has allowed an entire congregation to impact the lives of several hundred school students.
Thank you to all of them – and so many more – who have committed themselves to helping young people succeed in life!
Free FAFSA Help Is Available For Cincinnati Families
For Greater Cincinnati teens who think college is financially out of their reach because they’re in over their head when it comes to getting financial aid…local youth serving organizations with a common interest in their success say – RETHINK IT.
They Are Partnering To Remove Barriers For Students In Applying For Aid To College
The organizations are coordinating on College Goal Sunday and College Prep events where knowledgeable, professional volunteers will help students and their families complete AND submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is the single most important application required for most scholarships, grants, loans and federal assistance. All of the events are FREE. Pre-registration is encouraged.
I’m helping to spread the word on behalf of the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati, one of the partners. Other partners include: Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, Project Grad, Gear Up, Upward Bound, Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Cincinnati Public Schools, We Need MORE (CPS initiative), University of Cincinnati, College of Mt. St. Joseph, Parents of Public Schools, Hobsons, and the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.
Please visit http://learngrowthriveymca.com to learn more and to pre-register.
