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BluePrint II Presents 2009 - 2010 Projects
This year’s six project groups included the Voice of Recreation, Get Active Now Group (G.A.N.G.), Auburn Teen Center, Emerson Trail, Water Quality and Emerson Evolvers. Blueprint II Facilitators: Jeff Alerici, John Alberici, Matt Drastal, Ann Moore and Sue Muldoon
Building a new bike and walking path in Auburn was just one idea generated by students in one of six Blueprint II groups that worked for months to come up with ways to infuse Auburn with new life.
“It's an opportunity to make an impact on their community,” said Jeff Alberici, a facilitator with Blueprint II and an eighth-grade teacher at East Middle School. “A lot of people don't have that voice.”
Blueprint II is an offshoot of the focus group Blueprint and is an organization made up of junior high and high school students who meet regularly to discuss ways to make Auburn and its surrounding communities more attractive places to live.
The invitation-only organization is made up of students from East Middle School, West Middle School, St. Joseph School and SS. Peter & Paul Catholic School. Students who’ve demonstrated leadership qualities, such as respect, responsibility, tolerance and perseverance, were invited to become part of Blueprint II.
“It’s made me feel more involved in Auburn. I have more purpose,” said ninth grader Kaitlyn Russell, who is in the Auburn Teen Center group. “We're going to give teens a safe place to express themselves, get tutoring and just be happy, with an overall goal of curbing dropouts.”
Eighth grader Mike Currier, from The G.A.N.G., which stands for “Get Active Now Group,” said being part of the Blueprint II program has helped him and his teammates. “I've become a better person,” he said. “I've learned how to help people more.”
For the second annual presentation, groups of Blueprint II students got together to present their plans to the community. Last year, this presentation marked the conclusion of the program for the year and a new set of students developed fresh ideas, said Alberici. This year, however, the program will continue into 2010 with the same ideas and the same students will try to fund their plans within the coming months.
Stardust Foundation executive director Guy Cosentino said another $125,000 will be committed from his organization to Blueprint II for 2010. He and the foundation's board saw the presentations earlier and will meet to discuss whether any of the plans could be funded by their organization. Alberici said he believes Cosentino will get back to him in February with an answer, but that the program is about more than getting a project funded.
“It's more about having the voice of younger people in the community,” he said. “They may choose to stay here and better our community.”
Outside of the Stardust Foundation, there are other opportunities for funding, said Alberici. These alternatives are what the students will research next year. Three of last year's projects were funded by the Stardust Foundation, the Owasco Watershed Lake Association and the City of Auburn’s Historic & Cultural Sites Commission, said Sue Muldoon, another Blueprint II facilitator and director of extended school day programs with the Partnership for Results. Muldoon noted the importance of the students when carrying out their plans to improve Auburn, saying, “We've really put together an army of movers and shakers.”
-Provided by The Citizen |
