School pg 3 7-14-11
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Fun
Up to their elbows in a gingerbread house-making activity at Nutmeg’s Site-Based Program at Putnam Elementary School are, left, second grade student, Jonathan, and his “Big Sister,” UConn junior Monica Duque. Courtesy photo.
School program
wins award
The Windham/Putnam School-Based Program of Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters has been chosen Program of the Year by UConn’s Office of Community Outreach. The award honors the development and implementation of a service activity that has significantly enhanced the social well-being of others in a local, national or international community, while enriching the learning experience of students.
“The UConn/Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters program has been steadily growing over the past few years,” said Matt Farley, the University of Connecticut’s Associate Director for Community Outreach. “It has quickly become one of the largest service programs on the Storrs campus. I’m proud of all the hard work that the student leaders and ‘Bigs’ (mentors) put in this year. Their support for the youth in Windham and Putnam is outstanding, and they are developing a program which is having more and more impact on everyone involved.”
The winning program is a collaboration between Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters and UConn. Ninety minute mentoring sessions take place each week at day’s end at the Natchaug School, W.B. Sweeney School, Windham Center School, North Windham School and the Windham Middle School. For those who can’t remain after school, there’s a special lunchtime program at the Windham Middle School. There’s also a program at the Putnam Elementary School. About 180 mentors currently take part, many of these are returning mentors. Most of the mentors are UConn students, though a small percentage of the volunteers attend Eastern Connecticut State University. The students participate for a variety of reasons; the majority simply because it’s a good, civically-responsible thing to do.
“I am so proud of all the people who are involved in the Nutmeg program,” said Lorin Charanian, school-based supervisor at Nutmeg. “I’m especially proud of the student leaders and mentors, who all volunteer their time and help make the program so successful.”
“This program is a tremendous source of pride for the agency,” said Gloria Talbot, vice president of Program and Operations for Nutmeg. “Over 250 children each year benefit from the dedication of our UCONN and Eastern volunteers and, of course, our wonderful staff in Windham and in Putnam.
For more information go to: www.nutmegbigbrothersbigsisters.org. Follow Nutmeg on Facebook.