Celebrity Sightings: Education Style

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Sarah Stevens

Set your DVR’s! TED Talks Education will premiere May 7th at 10/9 CST on PBS.

Take it from someone who was sitting front row center during the taping, this is something you don’t want to miss. The CFK team was offered tickets based on our participation in last fall’s WNYC broadcast of American Graduate, and we couldn’t agree more with the sentiments shared throughout the day.

“Re-imagining education is the key to a more hopeful future” - TED and TED Talks Education curator Chris Anderson.

“America’s local public media stations share a deep commitment to educational achievement for all students. We know that completing high school is a significant step with lifelong impact for the student, his family and the community, ‘TED Talks Education’ brings together thought leaders who know how we can engage, teach and inspire a generation born digital and identify the paths to their school success.” - Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of CPB.

My favorite highlights? All-star teachers Pearl Arredondo and Rita Pierson reignited everyone’s passion for teaching. Bill Gates (yes, the Bill Gates) introduced a teacher evaluation system that builds teacher confidence strengthening every aspect of the classroom experience, while providing administrators with the data they desire. Harlem Children’s Zone CEO Geoffrey Canada rallied the crowd with his straight forward answers for how we can close the achievement gap. And (my personal crush) Sir Ken Robinson closed the program with an incredibly moving call to action: Our job as educators is to ignite curiosity and creativity, for with those two things actively in place, children will naturally soar.

Tune in next week, and join the national conversation on what we can all be doing to ensure our kids are prepared for the future!

Watch TED Talks Education Preview on PBS. See more from TED Talks Education.

The Inaugural “Holiday Wish” Coloring Contest

Posted on December 6, 2012 by RoyiviaF

P.S. 73 Winner Bernie Marte with his 4th grade teacher Ms. Reynoso

I’ve been very lucky to not only intern in the CFK office, but to oversee our Brooklyn Tech tutoring program at partner school P.S. 243 in Crown Heights. Brooklyn Tech’s Change Club travels to the Weeksville School every Thursday to provide homework help to the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. I get the pleasure of working specifically with a vibrant bunch of 3rd graders and their tutors.

One of my favorite Thursdays was spent helping them visualize and draw their “Holiday Wish.” This season, CFK created a festival coloring contest – the winning image from each school would be featured on our inaugural holiday cards. When I told my students that they would get to draw during their tutoring session, I was met with great enthusiasm.

P.S. 243 Purple Snow-girl

I had great fun observing the students eagerly brainstorming with their tutors. I circled the tables, landing first at Angel’s table. He proudly reviewed his masterpiece with me, “This is my family at our Christmas meal, and that’s my grandpa. I have a big Dominican family.” Over at Nubia and Maya’s table, the best friends were also drawing family scenes, along with elaborate holiday presents. At Anthony and Elvin’s table, they were having their own coloring contest of who could draw the better picture. While Anthony drew a towering electric blue building, Elvin was drawing an impressive Christmas tree with Santa approaching in his sleigh. I spy an artist in the making here. Finally, my personal favorite was Elena’s drawing of a “Purple Snow-girl.” So I have to admit I’m a bit partial to purple, it’s my favorite color. But regardless, who doesn’t like a nice twist on a classic holiday character? As always, I left P.S. 243 with a smile that day.

The holiday coloring contest was an excellent way to begin the new season at our schools. I hope all the kids had as much fun participating as the office did in going through the entries. It was a great way to see quick snapshots of the students through their holiday wishes and their artistic talents. Congratulations to all the winners. Pick up your pack today!—100% of proceeds benefit our programs.

HOLIDAY CARD WINNERS

P.S. 243 Artist: Brittany Kennedy, Ms. Davis’ 4th Grade, Age 8
P.S. 15 Artist: Steven Ponce, Mr. Laliberte’s 3rd Grade, Age 8
P.S. 73 Artist: Bernie Marte, Ms. Reynoso’s 4th Grade, Age 10
P.S. 81 Artist: Rogelio Vargas, Ms. Fraser’s 2nd Grade, Age 7
P.S. 160 Artist: Sharon Sukhu, Ms. Reill’s 4th Grade, Age 10

We shopped ’til we dropped… hey, it’s all for the kids!

Posted on May 30, 2012 by AliciaJ

If you’re anything like us in the Change for Kids office, then you’re a sucker for good deals. And on Tuesday, May 1st, there were plenty to be found at CFK’s Spring Shopping Soirée. We shopped ’til we dropped (guilt-free!), knowing that a portion of the proceeds went to benefit our partner elementary schools.

The Shop for Kids event featured fine jewels and lace from two of the city’s most fashionable ladies. Alexis Chasman, Stylist Extraordinaire, brightened up our wardrobes with affordable, exciting jewelry; while Margaret Shrum, NYC Lingerie Expert, spotlighted items from several up-and-coming Manhattan lingerie designers.

Joining the women last minute were Douglas and Kenneth Forbes (sons of CFK Chairman and Board Member, Chris and Louise Forbes), who outfitted us with the latest colors in CFK Change Bracelets. When Kenneth learned about the event from his mother morning-of, his first thought was: “Well, I like CFK. Why can’t I come?” So he grabbed his older brother, Douglas, and set up shop, raising $110 over the course of the night.

Check out the photos below to see more from the event. A big thank you to Alexis, Margaret, Douglas and Kenneth for helping to make our Spring Shopping Soirée a success! Missed out on this event? Well don’t let it happen again, ha – sign up to stay in touch.

The Penguin Party Sells Out: 27 Hours, 500 Tickets, 1 Incredible Cause

Posted on January 27, 2012 by AliciaJ

I have very recently become hooked on TLC’s non-award winning series, Toddlers & Tiaras. My overall impression of the show’s subjects is that they’re all off their rockers; but after watching enough episodes, I have come to realize that the pageant moms and their children are mainly acting on one of life’s simple truths: everyone likes to dress up and look good.

CFK Penguin Party Fundraiser This could not have been more evident than when The Penguin Party, CFK Junior Council’s inaugural black tie event, sold out in 27 hours. On Friday, February 24th, 500 young, affluent professionals and budding NYC socialites will gather together at the Bowery Hotel to support two CFK partner elementary schools – P.S. 243 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn and P.S. 73 in the South Bronx. We are so grateful for the evening’s sponsors: Jefferson’s Bourbon, Sugarleaf Vineyards, and Andrew Kaftan Photography.

If you were lucky enough to snag a ticket to this season’s most exclusive gathering and are in need of dapper suit, you might also want to check out what our good friends over at Alton Lane are up to. They’re supporting CFK with generous donations for the entire month of February. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect excuse to splurge on a little formal wear, you have it. Just mention the code “Change” during your appointment, and they’ll send $100 our way.

In terms of ticket sales The Penguin Party is by far the most successful event our Junior Council has thrown to date, even with a ticket price close to triple digits. The evening will feature a full open bar, live music by the East Coast Band, and tons of dancing. Junior Council Co-Chair, Andrew Maxwell, states, “I am excited about the overwhelmingly positive response we’ve received to The Penguin Party. I think it’ll be a fun night filled with philanthropy and friends, and it will serve as an awesome introduction to the organization for those first-time CFK- event attendees. We could potentially recruit some great new members to serve on the Junior Council.”

We’re looking forward to partying with the penguins! Thank you to our generous sponsors:

Shop for Kids with Alton Lane

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Kristin Black

Is there anything more attractive than a man in a tux?

Well, actually, yes. That would be a man in a tux who just scored $100 for a children’s charity.

Even if you weren’t able to sneak into the Penguin Party this year, you can still be the greatest date ever when you place an order through Alton Lane in the month of February. They’ll be sending $100 our way for every custom suit, tuxedo, or overcoat purchased – just mention the code “Change” during your appointment.

Santa Crawl 2011: It’s all for the kids!

Posted on December 21, 2011 by AliciaJ

Santa Crawl 2011

If you were wandering around lower Manhattan last Saturday looking for holiday gifts, you may have instead found holiday cheer – in the form of 40 strapping, young Santas caroling and merry-making their way through New York City. Santa Crawl is an annual all-male bar crawl that requires participants to sport the quintessential suit, hat, and white beard all day long; and this year, the guys teamed up with Change for Kids to raise funds for our four partner elementary schools.

CFK caught up with Junior Council Co-Chair Andrew Maxwell (who, we have to admit, looks dashing in red) to recap the day’s festivities.

Q: Why did you participate in this year’s Santa Crawl?

A: What better way to enjoy the holidays than dressed in a Santa costume, singing “Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer” while going from bar to bar with a bunch of your friends? Add that to the fact that we were raising funds for CFK, and there was no way I was going to miss it.
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Bowl for Kids 2011: It’s a Wrap

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Kristin Black

After the liquor bottles were all put away, after the silent auction items went to good homes, after the CFK staff finally managed to sneak in a full night’s rest, we counted up the total income from this year’s Bowl for Kids…$188,232.

Clink through to check out the official Bowl for Kids slideshow

Which is about $41,000 more than we were able to pull in for Bowl for Kids 2010. Woohoo! Applause, applause! If you celebrated with a few too many Trips to the Principal’s Office (our signature Tom Collins, remember??), you can relive all your half-hazy memories by checking out the photos here. Most importantly, though, you should know that it’s not just our amazing student musicians who benefit from this event every year. Every single one of our programs is in the midst of expansion right now, and it’s because of people like you that our students will continue to receive the kinds of programs that foster creativity and confidence to achieve.
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Slam Dunk Auction Items

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Kristin Black

Get excited for Bowl for Kids next week – not only will it be a slamming party, but it will also be the only place in the city with this kind of loot. Take a look at a roundup of our favorites, and then purchase your tickets here.

SIGNED 1994 ALL-STAR BASKETBALL Remember 1994? Shaquille O’Neal, Patrick Ewing, Scotty Pippen, Karl Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon…an utterly ridiculous lineup, all in one place again.

GOLF AT MAIDSTONE IN EAST HAMPTON Golf, caddies, and lunch for three at the exclusive Maidstone Club in the Hamptons. Retail value: $1,000

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DIY FUNdraising: Shop for Kids

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Kristin Black

For one group of dedicated CFK’ers, raising money is as fun as shopping with friends on a Thursday afternoon…because that’s exactly what they do.

Stacy Helfstein at Shop for Kids

The 2nd annual Shop for Kids event was a collaboration between Alison Brettschneider’s trendy Upper East Side boutique, 25 Park, fitness guru Stacey Griffith and Stacy Helfstein’s line of clean and classy eco-chic jewelry, designed to encourage balance and harmony (and, of course, look fabulous). If you didn’t make it out to the event but are coveting one of those gorgeous wood beaded bracelets, you’re in luck! The Stac(e)y Bracelet is for sale on the CFK site, and a portion of proceeds go directly to our programs. And if you’re curious about the mother-of-two designing the jewelry, you can read more about Stacy and her work on design maven Laura Day’s website.

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Adorable Pics and Useful Vocab for CFK Runners

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Kristin Black

Looking for the full set of Run for Kids pics? Click here.

The NYC weather gods may not have been with us for Run for Kids 2011, but the lively turnout and new CFK loot more than made up for the plunging temperatures and crotchety winds. If you made it out, you know: Run for Kids this year featured some of the best gear of any previous CFK event, including sleek t-shirts with our new logo and some pretty amazing signage thanks to Andrij Boris and Alicia Kubista.

Congratulations go out to Terry McLean and Mike Quinzio, who smoked the rest of the competition by finishing in 18:31 and 19:10, respectively, as well as Sophia Sheng, our fastest female finisher, and Gavin Meaney, our top kid runner. Many thanks and warm hugs to the volunteers who stood still for the duration of the event, keeping the runners cheery and on track. Luis Morales, John Faison and our new Development Director, Ashley Faison, came through big time with photos of every single runner. If you can’t locate yourself in the album above, be sure to check out our FLICKR PAGE for the master set of pics.

A very young CFK runner prepares for the race

Those of you who survived Saturday may have spent the rest of the weekend trying to convince your friends and loved ones how truly awesome your run was despite the seriously low temps. Forthwith, and for your convenience, a few useful terms to describe your experiences at Run for Kids 2011:

Strollerize: v. To roll over the competition despite additional burdens such as strollers or small dogs. See also Scott Delman.

McLean Up: v. To achieve an extravagant victory; eponymous term referring to Terry McLean’s 18:31 5k.

Pitcher Relief: n. The palliative effect of adult beverages at the Village Pourhouse after-party.

We’ll be accepting suggestions for further CFK-related definitions via the comments section of this post.

Thanks for such a fun time this weekend!

Change for Kids

The official blog of NYC education nonprofit Change for Kids

Category Archives: Events