Martinez Received November Star THINKer Recognition From Peers

SPOTLIGHT
Peer Recognition

Corina Martinez, Executive Administrative Assistant supporting THINK Together CEO Randy Barth, was awarded the Home Office Star THINKer Peer Recognition Award for November 2010. The following quotes are pulled from the nominations submitted by Corina's peers:

“I would like to nominate Corina because she has done an amazing job filling in some tough shoes. In addition, she has such a pleasant and professional voice. She’s perfect for the job!”

“I would like to nominate Corina because she is so wonderful at her job that she almost makes it look easy, even though we all know that it’s not. She has a great attitude about everything and it shows by the smile on her face and the great work that she produces. She not only takes care of Randy well but she also assists the different Chiefs while still finding the time to help others in the office. If anyone has seen the Jimmy Dean breakfast commercials, that’s what Corina reminds me of – she is a bright ray of sunshine that perks everyone up and gets them going through their day.”

Congratulations, Corina!

What I Learned at THINK Together...

THINK Together's Project Light Up: Holiday Ornament Edition

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In an homage to THINK Together's trademark yellow light bulb, throughout the school year students at THINK Together after-school programs have collected old light bulbs and then decorated them for re-use as ornaments (for Christmas trees or other uses) during the holiday season. Some enterprising students sold their creative works at holiday fairs and boutiques where the items sold out quickly!

See more about "Project Light Up" and other photosets at Flickr.

Picture Perfect: THINK Together Students at Madison Elementary School Working on a New Year's Surprise!

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Students from the THINK Together program at Madison Elementary School in Santa Ana, CA are featured in this teaser video "Picture Perfect" -- part of "Project Light Up!" More to come in the New Year...

Special thanks to THINK Together Board Member Eric Nelson and THINK Together's Madison Site Coordinator Jonathan Harris for their creative support with this "Project Light Up!" effort.

See other THINK Together videos at SchoolTube.com and also on YouTube.

THINK Together's Holiday Open House for Board Members and Supporters

THINK Together held its annual Holiday Open House for Board Members and key supporters at the home of Board Chair Fran Inman this past weekend.  Below are some photos from the event which was hosted by some of the Santa Ana area high school students who have participated in THINK Together's programs.

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View other THINK Together photosets on Flickr and Facebook.

I Would Choose THINK Together...

THINK Together in London...

Former THINKer Franki Bickerdyke took THINK Together back to London

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pictures contributed to "Project Light Up"

If you are travelling over the holidays and want to take along THINK Together's trademark Light Bulb and/or want to contribute your own photos (travel or otherwise creative representations that make use of THINK Together's trademark Light Bulb) send such to info@THINKtogether.org and put "Project Light Up" in the subject line.  Get creative!  Help us share the good work of THINK Together throughout our communities and all over the globe!

Maria Reichel Hired as Strategic Projects Manager at THINK Together

SPOTLIGHT
New Hire

Maria Reichel has been hired as Strategic Projects Manager at THINK Together. She will act as THINK Together’s Project Manager for the Santa Ana Promise Neighborhood (SAPN) Initiative: helping to drive service systems and data integration efforts involving multiple agencies that comprise the Promise Neighborhoods Collaborative; serving as a liaison to the Santa Ana Building Healthy Communities (SABHC) Initiative, helping to ensure that SABHC and SAPN leverage efforts; and, serving as an integral part of the team that pursues additional funding for this effort including helping to manage the writing of the implementation plan.

Previously Maria was a project manager for the Children & Families Commission of Orange County; an Associate at Mercer Consulting; and a Summer Fellow at Goldman Sachs in New York.

She graduated cum laude with both a B.A. in International Political Economy from Colorado College and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Columbia University.

You can reach Maria at mreichel@THINKtogether.org or at (714)543-3807, x. 8184.

Steven Amick Joins THINK Together as Director of School District Partnerships

SPOTLIGHT
New Hire

Steven Amick has been hired as THINK Together’s Director of School District Partnerships. He will be working closely with Founder and CEO Randy Barth to manage the organization’s expansion efforts in targeted communities across California.

Steven has over eighteen years experience at every level of after-school direct service and administration. Beginning in 1992, he served seven years as a program director for the School Outreach Services Department of the YMCA of San Diego County, providing after-school services to students ages 8 to 15 living in socio-economically impacted communities. In 1999, he was selected to administer the City of San Diego’s “6 to 6” Extended Day program, which brought after-school services to scale within its jurisdiction in partnership with San Diego Unified School District. In 2003, he was hired by the San Diego County Office of Education to coordinate the second largest state-funded after-school program in California, and the following year he was appointed to lead the Region 9 Technical Assistance Center, serving over 500 after-school programs in San Diego, Orange and Imperial Counties.

In 2007, he co-founded the League of California Afterschool Providers and served as its executive director. This three-year project convened and coordinated the state’s largest publicly-funded after-school grantees to inform policy and administrative decisions affecting the field. Steven is Vice-Chair of the National Afterschool Association, is past Co-Chair of the California Afterschool Network Executive Committee, is an Ambassador Emeritus of the Afterschool Alliance, and was designated by the state Office of the Secretary of Education to serve on the California Advisory Committee on Before and After-School Programs.

During the remainder of the current fiscal year, Steven will continue to work on policy efforts part-time as Coordinator of the California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance, a coalition of after-school supporters dedicated to protecting Proposition 49 funding. Beginning in July of 2011, he will work for THINK Together full-time.

Steven is a graduate of San Diego State University (SDSU) and holds a B.A. in Political Science.

You can reach Steven at samick@thinktogether.org or at (714) 543-3807, x8185.