UlsterCorps has a strong commitment to supporting Youth and Campus volunteer programs which seek to make service a key component of education. UlsterCorps has collaborated with SUNY New Paltz on its annual Make a Difference Day, Alternative Spring Break and September 11th National Day of Service, with SUNY Ulster and Ulster BOCES for MLK National Day of Service. We conduct regular presentations to both college and high school service learning clubs and community service programs, Girls Inc, and have, since our inception, included youth Student Associates on our Board of Directors.
New Visions Hunger Project
The New Visions Students are a remarkable group of highly motivated, self-actualizing students in their senior year of high school. They are enrolled in a competitive program of intensive study in a particular career area. The students apply and are selected for this program from component school districts throughout Ulster County. Students in the New Visions Health class believe at this time in their lives their career choice is in the field of the health professions. Sixty percent of their school year is dedicated to hands-on, internship experiences in these professional areas. The class meets for both academic classes, planning and critical debriefing in Benedictine hospital, in Kingston, New York. Each year, they select a Participation in Government class project that directly impacts both their academic success and the benefit of their community. Principally because they have already learned of the high correlation between health and nutrition, the New Visions class of 2010-11 has committed to take on the issue of existing hunger in Ulster County. To that end, we have asked for and received a commitment from the Ulster County BOCES New Visions Health Class to take on the task of developing a comprehensive “blueprint” illustrating there can be adequate, nutritious food accessible every day, for every man, woman and child in Ulster County.
YLDI Participatory Citizenship Project
The Youth Leadership Development Institute’s Participatory Citizenship Project offers 25 eleventh graders from public, private, and home schools located throughout Ulster County an empowerment opportunity to develop life connections to assist them in their career development and increase their civic leadership knowledge and commitments. UlsterCorps is currently mentoring two students from Rondout Valley High School.
HARVESTING A LIFETIME Summer Youth Workshop
During July and August of 2009, UlsterCorps provided employment placement for five youth through the Summer Youth Employment Program at the Seven21 Media Center to work with existing Harvesting a Lifetime footage. Volunteer videographers and teachers trained the youth in media, editing, interviewing and job-readiness skills. UlsterCorps collaborated with Ulster County Office of Employment & Training Summer Youth Employment Program, Family of Woodstock’s JustConnect Teen Outreach Program, Second Chance4Me, and Seven21 Media Center which supplied the facilities for this project. Staffing was all volunteer, the use of equipment donated, and individual donations received covered the costs of materials.
