Interns
Price Hill’s MyCincinnati Orchestra Builds Kid’s Confidence
Written by: Good Things Going Around Intern, Andrea Francisco, a student at Indian Hill High School in Cincinnati
MyCincinnati Orchestra builds confidence in Cincinnati kids
Price Hill’s MyCincinnati Orchestra program helps students in grades K-12 express themselves while boosting their confidence in a supportive group. Founded in 2011 by Laura Jekel, it serves as a totally engaging (and completely free!) program for kids. However, students must commit to coming every day of the program, which runs from Monday through Friday from 4-6 P.M. This is because the more time put into practicing an instrument, the better they will get at playing and the more their confidence will grow. Furthermore, this instills a strong sense of dedication and effort into the developing minds of children, something that will help them throughout the rest of their lives. Through a transformative and immersive program of learning and teamwork, students enrolled in the MyCincinnati Orchestra program will learn a set of life-changing skills — something that is truly priceless.
Laura Jekel, who is also the director and teaches some days, has an amazing background in music, along with the rest of the teachers involved in MyCincinnati Orchestra. Laura has a bachelor degree of music from Indiana University at Bloomington and completed her master of music degree at Carnegie Mellon University and the Peabody Institute. Along with this, she lived in Ecuador, where she was a member of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Guayaquil and cello professor at the music school Fronteras Musicales Abiertas in Cuenca. There is a much longer list of all the things she has accomplished — so much that it is hard to fit in this paragraph! In addition, Eddy Kwon, the assistant program director, is a Cincinnatus Presidential Full Scholar with a BM in Jazz Studies from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Also, He has been involved in many El-Sistema inspired programs in the US. To clarify, El-Sistema, Venezuela’s revolutionary youth orchestra program for social change, is the inspiration for MyCincinnati Orchestra. These are just two examples of the staff at MyCincinnati Orchestra, all of whom share an extensive background in music and dedicate their lives to bringing about social change through music.
Laura says that she has witnessed the benefit young minds garner through playing instrumental music. “I have noticed an increase in the children’s ability to focus. They are also gaining self-confidence. I believe music is empowering them to believe in themselves, and giving them a sense of identity. Learning an instrument also builds many life skills such as discipline, responsibility, and working towards long-term goals.” Learning how to play instruments requires a lot of discipline, dedication, and passion which translates to every aspect of a child’s life. This instrument learning program is especially vital to children who are not engaged in school and want to find something they love to do. Also, learning an instrument provides an outlet for children to express themselves, develop lifelong skills, and learn how to love learning. In fact, many studies show that music can help children better understand patterns when learning math. Not only this, but learning how to play an instrument can help kids with their physical coordination and emotional self-esteem. On top of this, group instrumental classes will help children find a welcoming group of friends to belong to, like a home away from home.
If you want to learn more about the positive effects of music lessons, particularly group music lessons, please click here to read an article that explains this more in-depth.
To learn more, please contact Laura at laura@pricehillwill.org or 513-251-3800 x 106
Indian Hill High School Students Organize Fundraiser
This post was written by my intern, Andrea Francisco, a senior at Indian Hill High School in Cincinnati
Becca Daun was inspired by her brother, Michael, to raise money for cognitive research benefiting those with Down syndrome
On Friday, October 24th, come to Indian Hill High School for Touchdown for Downs, a fundraiser that will help fund important cognition research benefiting those who have Down syndrome. A few years ago, an Indian Hill High School student, Becca Daun was inspired by her brother to help fund its research. She created “Touchdown for Downs”, a truly awesome fundraiser that is held during one of Indian Hill’s home football games.
While interviewing my fellow classmate Carissa Contra, a volunteer for Touchdown for Downs, I asked her to tell me what this annual fundraiser is all about. She told me it benefits the Lumind Foundation and The Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati. “We are so excited to spread awareness and raise money for a great cause! From raffles to food and drinks, this event is all about having fun and raising money as a community,” she said
After asking her why this cause is important to her and how she got involved, Carissa responded, “Rebecca Daun and I started it to support her brother, Michael, who has Down syndrome, and just raise awareness around the community.”
If you’re wondering, the Lumind Foundation is a foundation that was established in 2004 to fund cognition research relating to Down syndrome. In essence, their mission is to “accelerate the development of treatments to significantly improve cognition, including memory, learning and speech, so they can participate more successfully in school, lead more active and independent lives, and avoid the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease.” Their vision is “not a cure, but treatments to improve memory, learning, speech, and ultimately independence.”
Similarly, the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati is another organization that supports people who are impacted by Down syndrome through support programs, community groups, and advocacy work. The organization’s mission is to “empower individuals, educate families, enhance communities and together, celebrate the extraordinary lives of people with Down syndrome.”
Last year’s Touchdown for Downs was a great success: they raised more than $4,000! This year, they hope to have even more people come. This is an event that is sure to stay and create a lasting tradition at Indian Hill. Touchdown for Downs will be held at Indian Hill High School on 6865 Drake Road on Friday, October 24th at 5:30 P.M., where there will be food and drinks under the pavilion. Also, there will be raffles, T-shirt sales, and bake sales. At 7 P.M., Indian Hill will play its game against Wyoming and at halftime there will be a show including the participation of special-needs students. Please come out and support research benefiting people who have Down syndrome while having a fun time at Touchdown for Downs!
Cincinnati Nonprofit Wordplay Helps Kids Express Themselves
Written by Good Things Going Around Intern, Andrea Francisco
Wordplay is a Cincinnati nonprofit organization that specializes in helping children express themselves through our rich language. When asking the executive director and co-founder of Wordplay, Libby Hunter, how to describe her non-profit in a few words, she responds, “Wordplay is a non-profit organization located in the northside neighborhood of Cincinnati serving children in kindergarten through twelfth grade, targeting literacy and creative expression. We have free after-school and weekend programs that help children with everything from schoolwork to advanced creative writing projects.”
Not only does Wordplay help children excel in their language arts classes, but assists them in expressing their ideas, understanding their emotions, and trusting other people. Its core values of community, communication, transformation, exploration, creation, and
Cincinnati nonprofit Wordplay is rolling out a new writer-in-residence program
curiosity demonstrate what an experience at wordplay can truly inspire.
With one-on-one instruction from adult volunteers, each student blessed with the opportunity to work with Wordplay will discover a passion for learning that lasts a lifetime – something that is truly priceless. Some of its programs include after-school tutoring from 2:30-5 pm Monday – Thursday, creative writing workshops, and “Wordplay Saturdays” from 12-4 pm. Similarly to its after-school tutoring sessions, “‘Wordplay Saturdays” also offer homework tutoring in all subjects. However, these Saturday sessions also include creative activities, group projects, and programs specifically designed for each grade level.
Libby Hunter also tells me that if you have children or know a child who would benefit from Wordplay, there are three really interesting and fun upcoming programs available to them. On Thursday October 9th from 6-8 PM, Wordplay is excited to announce that they will be hosting their first open mic night, named “Louder than a bomb”. This city-wide youth poetry slam already has had five schools to RSVP, including Woodward, Roberts, SCPA, Hughes, and Aiken. This is a larger event, as Wordplay hopes to have a total of twelve schools participate and 400 kids in total. Next, Wordplay is hosting one of the activities at “Books by the Banks” at the Duke Energy Center on October 11th from 10 to 4 PM. There will be booths where kids get to write flash fiction (really short fiction stories) on the typewriters provided. How cool! Typing homemade fiction stories on a typewriter is a very unique experience that not many kids these days, including myself, have ever really tried. Lastly, but not least, Wordplay is celebrating its second anniversary on October 18th from 6-8 pm.
Another way to get involved with Wordplay is to volunteer. Wordplay is looking for a wide-range of people to volunteer, not just writers. For tutoring volunteers, a minimum of two tutoring sessions per month lasting around one to two hours are required. In addition to tutoring, there are administrative tasks and behind-the-scenes work that need help. For more information, be sure to check out Wordplay’s website, wordplaycincy.org. You can also e-mail them at info@wordplay.cincy.org and call at 513-541-0930. Wordplay is located on 4041 Hamilton Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45223.
More about the photo: Thanks to grant from the Andrew Jergens Foundation, Wordplay is rolling out a new Writer-in-Residence Program. They have taken the successful writing residency model from universities and colleges, and are bringing it to WordPlay kids. Not only do current students get to work one-on-one with a professional writer, but Wordplay is now inviting NEW students to set appointments to work with its Writer on their own creative projects, school assignments, or join one of our young writers circles.
Get Your Dog Washed For Histio Research
Joey Holt and his mom, Gina StegnerWritte
Written by Andrea Francisco
This weekend, please come and support Histio research for a local twelve year old boy named Joey Holt. Diagnosed a little over two years ago at age ten with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, Joey has already had to endure more than many people ever will in their lifetime. An overproduction of white blood cells, caused by LCH, had eaten away at Joey’s hip and forced him to spend months in a wheelchair, use a walker and crutches, undergo steroid treatment, and get a bone graft. Unfortunately, like cancer, there is no known cause or cure for Histio. Also, since the disease is so rare, there is no state or federal funding for research, and instead relies heavily on the families of those affected for funding.
The event, known as “Wash out Histio” will be held on Sunday, September 14th from 1 to 4 P.M. at Dirty Hairy’s Dog Spa on 18 North Fort Thomas Ave., Ft. Thomas, KY. In addition to washing your adorable, furry friends, there will be dog nail trimming, door prizes, raffles, hula hoop demos, and a bounce house provided by Maxwell Jump! Whether or not you have dogs, you can still help fund the much-needed research for this rare disorder by buying the delicious treats for sale. Please come out and support this cause; your time and donations will be much appreciated!
From Andrea Francisco: Life Lessons Learned In Guatamela
Andrea Francisco is my blog intern. She lives in Cincinnati and is a student at Indian Hill High School near me. Andrea is such a positive person and you will enjoy reading her posts. She wrote this about what life lessons she learned on a recent trip to Guatemala.
High up in the mountains, on a moist, darkly soiled hill, a few of my friends from church and I, fully clad in paint-stained scrubs, gaze 
with wonder at the bustling town of San Juan Ixcoy down below, as it pulses to the rhythm of current latin-pop music. Relaxedly sprawling on the grass side-by-side with our new Guatemalan friends, we gulp down orange flavored juices and reflect on the impressive progress made throughout a hard day’s work. Just a few hours ago, we were overwhelmed by the site of thousands of large rocks that needed to be moved all the way down a hill into a deep trench, which we also needed to dig.
“Impossible,” I secretly thought to myself.
Our ultimate goal for the day was to clear the territory around a stone, one-story building so that it could be turned into a church with a basketball court. A smiling Guatemalan teenage girl came straight to me, and not knowing each other’s language very well, we used gestures to communicate and help each other lift dozens of rocks, some of them weighing more than thirty pounds.
“Me llamo Guadalupe,” says the confident young girl, clearly a natural-born leader, as she was one of the first to make contact with us Americans. Over the next week, we would become great friends, inviting each other to play soccer games and exchanging hand-made gifts. Before we knew it, what was once a huge pile of rocks became a flat layer of soil, perfectly prepped for us to lay down a concrete foundation for a basketball court.
Before setting foot on this amazing journey down to Guatemala the summer before my junior year, I thought that the directions my life was heading were limited. However, after traveling around the world without my family and learning things I never could have imagined, I realize that my life can go any direction, if I so choose.
“When I was growing up I always wanted to be someone. Now I realize I should have been more specific,” recalls the great comedian Lily Tomlin.
When I was little, if someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I would say, “Maybe an artist or a farmer,” because I like to paint and play with farm animals. Now I don’t know what I want “to be”, because there are so many things I love to do, and I am content with that. All of us, from when we are very young, are spoon fed the notion that we must “choose”, as if we are ordering lunch from McDonald’s, what we are to become when we “grow up”. However, over many years, as I have garnered wisdom, strength, and a strange sense of humor from my friends, family, fellow classmates, teachers, colleagues, and coaches, I now realize that life is not about the destination, but rather the journey.
As I look back on my escapades to places like Guatemala, I recall the strange feeling that my happiest moments did not come once the building was complete, but instead as we belted out “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey while lifting heavy concrete-filled buckets towards the sky.
