The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities (RICH) will honor award-winning singer, songwriter, and storyteller Bill Harley along with noted historian, antiques dealer, and civic provocateur Richard Kazarian at its eighth annual Celebration of the Humanities, which will be held Monday, October 18, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket. This year’s theme is “A Night of Curiosity.” Each year, the celebration recognizes the recipients of RICH’s Tom Roberts Prize for Creative Achievement in the Humanities and Honorary Chairs’ Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Humanities.

The popular social event offers RICH an opportunity to publicly honor its awards recipients while spreading the message of its mission: to inspire and support intellectual curiosity and imagination in all Rhode Islanders through lifelong learning. This year RICH also launched the new 2010 Civics Education grant program, funding eight Rhode Island based projects that support teachers, schools, and community organizations who are working to enhance civic education in K-12.

Lifetime Achievement
The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an individual or group whose career achievements demonstrate humanities excellence, reflect RICH’s mission and core values, and enrich public life in Rhode Island. This year, the award honors Bill Harley for his use of music, song, and story in building community; promoting our common humanity; and encouraging lifelong learning, exploring, and growing.

Bill Harley is well-known nationally but we are fortunate that he lives locally. My children and I have had many opportunites to see him perform in person, inspiring them to become better storytellers themselves. I also had the honor of interviewing Bill Harley for Kidoinfo in 2008.

Harley is a prolific writer and recording artist as well as a longtime regular commentator on NPR’s All Things Considered. Since 1984 he has released 28 albums, authored eight children’s picture books and two novels for gradeschoolers, and worked on multiple theatrical productions. Several of his books have received awards, including The Amazing Flight of Darius Frobisher and Night of the Spadefoot Toads. His award-winning DVD, Yes to Running, was featured on PBS, and many of his other albums have been honored for their excellence. Entertainment Weekly labeled Harley, a two-time Grammy Award winner and multiple nominee, “the Mark Twain of contemporary children’s music.” Our personal favorite story CD is Town Around the Bend.

In addition to touring and recording, Harley currently is conducting research for a book on the culture of schools and preparing for the September release of his new spoken-word CD, The Best Candy in the Whole World. For a complete list of Harley’s work and awards, visit billharley.com.

The Celebration of the Humanities is open to the public; tickets are $75 ($25 for students). To reserve tickets and learn more about the honorees, visit rihumanities.org.

About RICH
Founded in 1973, RICH is an independent, not-for-profit state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Sharing with the NEH the belief that “democracy demands wisdom and vision in its citizens,” RICH invests in individuals and organizations—from scholars, filmmakers, writers, and oral historians to libraries, museums, historical societies, and community organizations—that engage Rhode Islanders in the intellectual and cultural life of the State.

Lippitt Park and Cabral Park, both located on the East Side are being upgraded with new play equipment this Saturday, July 17. Please join us!

We love parks and playgrounds and visit them often with our children along with many of our Kidoinfo readers. And when a playground gets new equipment we all celebrate.

Since play structures are costly, often the only way to upgrade a play space is with volunteers helping on the day of the playground build spreading mulch, assembling equipment, etc. Without volunteers many of our playgrounds would remain untouched falling into disrepair.

If you can spare a few hours or the whole day, please do! Contact the organizers directly (see details below). They need to secure enough volunteers in advance to ensure the build can be completed in one day and avoid rescheduling. This is a great opportunity to meet your neighbors and help improve our local community play spaces for our kids. What can be better than that?

Details:

LIPPITT PARK (Corner of Hope and Blackstone Boulevard)
Saturday, July 17th (Rain date Saturday, July 24th)
8AM – 4PM. Volunteers are asked to commit to an 8-12 shift or 12-4 shift.
Contact: Please RSVP to ilira@ragandbone.com

Please note that the Providence Department of Parks will ready the site, the week before the build by removing the existing play structure and digging new holes for the footing.  The area will be encircled with snow fencing as a safety precaution.  The Parks Department and a representative from the play-structure company will be on-site to oversee all aspects of the installation. Breakfast, Lunch and beverages will be provided for volunteers by our local Summit neighborhood restaurants. Porta-potties will be on site.

CABRAL PARK (Wickenden Street, between the Water park and Vartan Gregorian Elementary School)
Saturday, July 17th
7AM – 3PM
Contact: Please RSVP to  janezogott@gmail.com

I wish I could be at both events on Saturday since my family uses both of these playgrounds on a regular basis but because of the time overlap we have chosen to help build at Cabral Park, next to my son’s school. Please email the organizers and find where you are most needed!

Summer vacation, that special time of year for all children, is upon us and you still have the chance to make it memorable for a child from New York City! Thanks to the many families in Rhode Island and throughout 13 Northeastern states and Canada, more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income neighborhoods have enjoyed free summer experiences in suburban and small town communities through The Fresh Air Fund. The Fund is currently seeking more families to give inner-city children a two-week experience this summer. By volunteering as a host family for the Friendly Town program, you can help give a child a break from the heat and noise of the crowded city streets.

“Being able to run around and be outside is a freeing experience for her,” says one Fresh Air host about her Fresh Air child. “I still enjoy watching her face as she takes joy in the simple things, like roasting a marshmallow or jumping into the lake.” You can read about the special experiences of other Fresh Air children and hosts by visiting our website, www.freshair.org, which includes photos, stories, videos and other helpful information.

There are no financial requirements for hosting a Fresh Air child. First-time visitors are six to 12 years old, and reinvited youngsters may participate in the Friendly Town program through age 18.

To learn more about hosting a Fresh Air child this summer, please contact Jeanne Hagberg at 401-781-6443, or call The Fresh Air Fund at 800-367-0003 or check out www.freshair.org.

In a divisive world the humanities has the opportunity to bring people together of all ages. Eight Rhode Island projects designed to enhance civic education were awarded a total of $80,000 from the 2010 Civics Education Grants. These grants are funded, in large part, by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant to the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities (RICH). RICH is an independent, nonprofit state affiliate of the NEH.

“These civics grants, will be put to immediate use supporting teachers, schools, and community organizations who are working to enhance civic education in K-12,” says Mary-Kim Arnold, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities.

The NEH Chairman Jim Leach joined Senator Jack Reed, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, and Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts in congratulating the recipients of the 2010 Civic Education Grants, awarded by the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, on Monday, June 14 at the Chace Center, RISD Museum of Art

Congratulations to the winners. As a parent of two children in the Providence Public School system I am inspired by the chosen projects. Supporting programs that engage our youth, promote positive collaborations and celebrate life-learning is a benefit to us all.

2010 Civics Education Grant Awards – 8 projects totalling nearly $80,000 (Recipients pictured below).

Barrington High School, Tammy McMichael, Project Director, for: A Look at Rhode Island’s Judiciary System. Funds support an experiential component to an existing 2-week unit of study on the state and federal judiciary system in their upper class required American History Course.

Brown University’s Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, Pamela Gray, Project Director, for African Americans in Rhode Island. Funds support development of online curriculum materials to complement and expand on the Haffenreffer’s Cultural CaraVan outreach program Sankofa: African Americans in Rhode Island. (The Cultural CaraVan program brings discussion to the classroom through direct interaction with objects and images from the museum.)

Global Rhode Island, Christopher Walsh, Project Director, for Teaching Complex International Issues and RI Capitol Forum on America’s Future. Funds support training teachers in multi-perspective approach to international issues at a 1-day workshop; dissemination of Choices curriculum materials into participating classrooms; public event at the State House for teachers and students; and evaluative workshop for teachers who elect to participate in the program.

Foster-Glocester Regional School System, Lisa Tvenstrup, Project Director, for Perspectives:  Using Multiple Lenses for Historical Understanding. Funds support training US History and World History teachers in six selected Choices curriculum units as well as the purchase of these units for students as part of an ongoing revision of pedagogy and content in this school’s Social Studies Program.

The Tracing Center on Histories and Legacies of Slavery, Kristin Gallas, Project Director, sponsored by the San Francisco Film Society for Northern Complicity in Slavery and Racial Identity Development: How to Teach Our Complex History. Funds support workshops to educate middle and secondary teachers in Rhode Island’s role in slavery and the slave trade, to disseminate curriculum developed by the Rhode Island Historical Society on these topics, and to provide information on additional resources.

Center of Nonviolence and Peace Studies at the University of Rhode Island, Paul Bueno de Mesquita, for Gandhi-King Teacher Institute:  Integrating Nonviolence, Humanities & Civics Education. Funds support development of an institute for secondary teachers to learn about nonviolence, and how to use the Raise Your Voices program – with its stress on humanities reflection and arts, to engage students with this topic.

Vartan Gregorian Elementary School PTO, Catherine Carr Kelly & Wendy Warlick, Project Directors, for I WAS THERE Project (top picture). Funds support expansion of an existing multidimensional oral history project that connects students to the history of their local community.  The scope of the project includes professional development for teachers, creation of lessons and student experiences on the theme of “Factory Work and Jewelry,” and development of 3-day teachers institute on methods to disseminate model across the school system.

West Warwick Public Schools, Paul Bovenzi, Project Director, for Units of Study Workgroup. Funds support further work already begun by this school system to align systematically their district curriculum to the Civics GSEs at the elementary level and also to create two units of study for K-4 Social Studies that are both grounded in humanities content and perspectives as well as the GSEs. Specifically, funds allow ten K-4 Social Studies teachers to develop these units and purchase classroom materials.

About the NEH and RICH:

Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) supports learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities. NEH grants enrich classroom learning, create and preserve knowledge, and bring ideas to life through public television, radio, new technologies, museum exhibitions, and programs in libraries and other community places.

The mission of The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, an independent, nonprofit 501-c-3 organization and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), is to inspire and support curiosity and imagination in all Rhode Islanders through lifelong learning. The Council provides grants, supporting services, and outreach for public programs in the humanities.

This week I had the opportunity to talk with Eliza from the office of Mayor David N. Cicilline about Kidoinfo. We talked about why I started it and how Kidoinfo has become the recognized go-to spot for families in Providence (and beyond) thanks to the partnerships formed with parents and businesses in the community.

Thank you City News for highlighting Kidoinfo! I love sharing information and connecting families with all the happenings in the city (and around the state). Scroll down to read full article.

By Roger Williams Park Zoo

Many of us want to do our best to help the environment and wildlife, but with so many suggestions on what to do – grow your own garden, drive a hybrid car, carry recycled bags, etc. – it is easy to feel overwhelmed and find yourself doing nothing! Additionally, many of us try out these new initiatives, only to find ourselves drifting back to our old, familiar ways after a few weeks.

It might surprise you, but even the staff and volunteers of the Roger Williams Park Zoo have a hard time changing habits for the better. However, we understand that the survival of wildlife depends on us, and it’s vital that we keep trying to live better. That’s why we’ve decided to take one small step for wildlife, and we want you to do the same!

What does taking one small step for wildlife mean? Instead of trying to adopt every environmentally responsible behavior that crosses your path, you commit to one conservation initiative for the year. Throughout that year, it is important to remember that it takes time to create healthy habits and that you may falter at times. But this initiative isn’t about being perfect; it’s about moving forward.

The small step we are choosing for 2010 is to reduce our water use by taking a 5-minute shower.

I know what you’re thinking: A 5-minute shower sounds militant. Many of us feel long showers are a deserved luxury, our time to unwind and reflect. But many animals rely on that same water supply, not for enjoyment, but for survival. All the water in our area, whether it comes out of your faucet or runs through the local stream, is connected underground in a water table. When people use excessive amounts of water, it can drain the water table.

This drop can affect water levels in habitats that are miles away. Low water levels in habitats can decrease an animal’s ability to find food, to make a home, and to reproduce. Locally, our water habits affect wildlife like raccoons and the great blue heron, just to name a few.

In addition to helping keep local waterscapes healthy, reducing your shower time can also reduce your energy bill! Environmentally and economically responsible? What are you waiting for? Pledge to take one small step for wildlife today!

For more information visit the conservation page on the Roger Williams Park Zoo website.

ACTIVITY: We’re all in this together!

Materials:

• Shower Coach or other timing device
• Paper and pencil to create a family log

The purpose of this activity is for your family to work together to achieve water conservation success! As a family, discuss the importance of water conservation. You may even want to visit a local waterscape and make a list of all the animals you see that rely on that habitat for survival. A great one is the wetland trail at Roger Williams Park Zoo.

Next, multiply 5 minutes by the number of members in your family. This is the total number of shower minutes (or less) that your family is striving to use each week. As a family design a fun graph or chart where each member can record his/her minutes.

At the start of a new week, begin using the Shower Coach or other timing device to measure the length of your showers. Remember, as a family this is your shower minute allotment. If someone goes over 5 minutes, someone else may have to shower less than 5 minutes for your family to meet its goal. You’re all in this together! Make it fun and encourage one another.

At the end of the week, assess how you did. Even if you don’t hit your ultimate goal, it is valuable to consistently try to shorten the amount of time your family spends in the shower. Again, it’s not about being perfect, it’s about moving forward. Find a way to celebrate your family’s success – a walk outside, ice cream in the park, a trip to the Zoo!

At the start of the following week, make a new chart and try again!

Did you know that SNAP (Food Stamps) and WIC do not cover the cost of diapers? Diapers are a high cost basic need and families living in poverty are forced to choose between purchasing diapers for their children and purchasing food for the family.  No parent should have to make this difficult decision.

The Mother’s Day Diaper Drive is a great way for families to help families in need. Your donation of disposable diapers of any size and brand will go to Food Bank Member Agencies across the state. These agencies work everyday to help families meet their basic needs.

Take action: Collect disposable diapers of any size and brand with friends, family, or coworkers. There are many collection areas set up  during the month of May. See details below:

• Kidoinfo will be supporting this Diaper Drive by collecting disposable diapers at our upcoming event, Raising Kids in a Digital World on May 25, 2010 at Local 121 from 6:30-8:30pm. After the event Kidoinfo will deliver collected diapers to the RI Community Food Bank.

• Deliver them to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank at 200 Niantic Ave, Providence, Mon-Fri between 8 am – 5 pm.  Diaper donations will be accepted through the end of May, 2010.

• Drop off your collection at any of the locations listed below between May 5 and May 19, 2010.

LoveBugs Children’s Resale – 746 Hope Street, Providence

Seven Stars Bakery – 20 Newman Avenue, East Providence

Adored By Us Children’s Upscale Resale – 2949 Hartford Avenue, Johnston

ABC123 Children’s Resale – 7300 Post Road, Unit 1, North Kingstown

Extravaganza Kids Children’s Resale -  1830 Broad St., Cranston

For more information, please visit www.rifoodbank.org/events.  To sign up to participate please contact Amy Punchak at 351-0504 or apunchak@gmail.com.

Take to the Trails!
Offers a Week-long Schedule of Free Guided Hikes to Encourage Outdoor Exploration
April 17 – 25, 2010

Audubon encourages Rhode Island residents of all ages to log off the computer and electronics for a day and celebrate planet Earth by plugging into nature.

The big yellow bus pulled into an Audubon wildlife refuge, rolled to a stop, and opened its doors.  With a mixture of excitement and trepidation, students spilled off the bus. But there was one child who refused, and explained, “I don’t want to go, I’m afraid, there might be a lion in the woods.”  For Audubon staff, this fear of the natural world from children of all ages is a reaction they have become familiar with.

Educators at the Audubon Society of Rhode Island have plenty of stories to tell.  They recall the nervous, yet delighted response from urban students holding wriggling tadpoles for the first time. The wide-eyed thrill children experience as they muddy their hands and gently pick up a salamander by a vernal pool. Kids at summer camp, nets in hand, screeching in delight as they spot crabs scuttling along the rocky shore.  There are endless tales of wonder and joy found in the natural world.

Then there are the other stories.  Children who arrive at an Audubon Wildlife Refuge for a school program and are too frightened of the forest to join their class on the trails. Students who fear that hiking on a Rhode Island refuge might bring them into a fatal encounter with an exotic animal.  Youth who are able to memorize word for word the dialogue from a recent television show, but couldn’t identify a maple leaf or pine cone, not to mention any of the birds or other creatures they might encounter locally in nature. And these aren’t just tales of the very young; high school and middle school students are often those displaying the strong fear and lack of understanding of the natural world.

In this day and age, when video games have taken the place of outdoor play, and children learn about nature from a computer screen, the next generation is becoming increasingly disconnected from the natural world. Statistics show that children spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation. And more and more free time is being spent inside in front of video screens. A study recently released by the Kaiser Family Foundation stated that daily media use among young kids and teens is up dramatically from even five years ago. The average American child (ages 8 to 18) now spends seven hours 38 minutes plugged in per day. That’s 53 hours per week watching electronic entertainment media—an increase of more than one hour per week from just a few years ago. And this increase in electronic entertainment is keeping them inside.

There are more reasons than ever to turn off the gadgets and head outside. This lack of outdoor activity is resulting in high obesity rates, attention disorders and other health issues in children, including increases in diabetes, and heart disease. Besides the obvious physical benefits to outdoor exercise and play, experts cite behavioral and academic advantages as well. And the reality is that today’s youth will face environmental challenges in their future like no generation before.  It is vital that they become educated stewards of the natural world who are prepared to deal with the issues that lie ahead.

There is hope. A national movement has blossomed that encourages families to get outside. Organizations such as the U.S. Park Service, National Wildlife Federation, and others have launched initiatives to encourage outdoor exploration and enjoyment. And here in Rhode Island, Audubon is doing its part to bring nature back to childhood. We offer miles of well-maintained public access trails at wildlife refuges across the state for all ages to enjoy at no cost. Family programs, school field trips, nature walks and more are available year-round to encourage exploration of the natural world. As a member of the national “No Child Left Inside Coalition,” Audubon is working with others to ensure that environmental education legislation becomes law.

And this month, in celebration of Earth Day, Audubon is offering 11 FREE guided walks on wildlife refuges across the state. Families are invited to get out and explore those special places in the state accessible only by foot. Take a nighttime stroll, search for salamanders, explore a salt marsh, or discover the rocky shore of Narragansett Bay. Kids will get exercise and fresh air as they learn about the varied habitats and creatures that call Rhode Island home. There are programs to suite all ages and interests – from mild birding walks on easy trails to strenuous hikes on steep, rocky terrain.

Visit www.asri.org for more information and a complete schedule of FREE Earth Day walks and hikes.

Editors note:
In addition to these free walks, during this week Audubon is also offering a complete schedule of school vacation week programs.  Please call (401) 949-5454 ext. 3041 or email programs@asri.org specifically for school vacation events.

Five of Rhode Island’s six gubernatorial candidates have accepted an invitation to participate in a forum on May 4th about reinvesting in women and families.

Moderate Party candidate Kenneth J. Block, Democrat Frank T. Caprio, the state’s general treasurer, Independent candidate and former U.S. Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee, Democrat and state Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch, and Republican John Robitaille have committed to participating in the forum sponsored by the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island and the Poverty Institute. (Republican candidate Victor Moffitt was invited but has not yet responded, the sponsors said.)

The event, “Women’s Policy Issues in Rhode Island: A Gubernatorial Candidate’s Forum,” was announced Tuesday at a news conference to highlight a new report that shows how spending cuts have eroded programs designed to improve the economic wellbeing of women and their families.

The forum, which is open to the public, will be held at the Lincoln School auditorium, on the East Side of Providence. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; the forum begins at 6 p.m.

• To submit a question for the panel to, e-mail forumquestions@wfri.org by April 30th.

• To register to attend the forum, RSVP to forumrsvp@wfri.org.

Thank you to Providence Business News for printing my editorial about how parents are using social media to form communities online and in real life.

Read the entire article, “Immediate, flexible community is result of social media” in the April 5, 2010 edition of Providence Business News.