Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Very sad BASE High School news

We are deeply saddened that a BASE student passed away today. He was a talented, creative, and intelligent person.

We held a community wide meeting today and will be holding another one tomorrow, Wednesday April 29, 2009, in memory of this student. We will also have counseling available to support our students in the grieving process.

We hope to support his family during this time and welcome any support you can offer. Please do not hesitate to contact BASE High School at (510) 748-4314 ext.302.

Our condolences are with his family and we are united in loving memory.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Project Youthview: Next week!

Sales have been brisk for the 5th annual Project Youthview. If you've been waiting to get a ticket, this is your time to get one, as we are selling out(!). General admission tickets are $8 and just $5 for students.

Consider this: VIP sponsorships are still available and allow you to view the youth films and the Oscar-nominated feature presentation, Trouble the Water, in style. $100 gets you two VIP admissions and it allows you access to our specially catered VIP lounge upstairs. It also gives you preferred balcony seating with the filmmakers. This year's food is generously donated by the recently opened Angela's Bistro and Bar in Alameda. Your admission price is tax-deductible.



Don't wait any longer. Buy your tickets now. If you can't make it, help our youth programming here in Alameda and buy a ticket for a friend that would enjoy the show.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Prospective parents! Transitional Kindergarten pilot program




Home Sweet Home, a program of Alternatives in Action, will pilot a Transitional Kindergarten program in Fall 2009. Our program offers a bridge from preschool to kindergarten or first grade entry. This program is especially designed for children who need additional time and skills to be prepared for elementary school.

Your child will benefit from:
  • A small classroom serving 8-10 families
  • Academic, social and emotional preparation
  • Reggio Emilia inspired and Emergent Project Based Curriculum
  • Daily opportunities for Art, Music, Movement and Hands-on learning
  • Low child to teacher ratio
  • Large outside play space with fruit and vegetable community garden
  • A vibrant and active parent community and
  • A full day, year-round program.
Children must turn 5 years old by January 1, 2010 to be eligible.

Come find out for yourself at our Open House on April 28, 2009 from 6 pm to 7:30 pm. We are located at 1900 Third Street in Alameda, California.

Contact Home Sweet Home Director, Kandra Rivers, for more information at 510-748-4314 ext. 303 or at krivers@alternativesinaction.org. An application will be available soon at alternativesinaction.org.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Spring Break

BASE High School and Home Sweet Home Preschool are on Spring Break from April 4- April 12, 2009.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

A message from our Executive Director

Dear Friends,

When you support Alternatives in Action, you create an opportunity for positive growth in the youth who journey through our programs. I get to see this growth every day and I want to share what I see with you.

Whether at our sites in Alameda or Oakland, whether through our high school, after-school programs or preschool learning laboratory, Alternatives in Action gives youth with leadership potential the knowledge and tools to create a promising path to their future. Consider your support of our efforts an investment in young lives, our communities, and the future. Read on to hear about two students who benefited when we connected them to meaningful opportunities…and to see how you can help these kinds of successful journeys continue.

When Brian came to our charter high school, the Bay Area School of Enterprise, he admits he listened to his iPod more than his teachers and rarely spoke in class. But something clicked for him when Brian was introduced to our sound recording studio, first as a high school course, then as part of our after-school program, the HOME Project. Energized by the studio time, Brian also turned around his academic work and started taking a leadership role with other students, mentoring other youth in sound engineering and planning a Hip Hop Forum.

            “I’ve grown a lot. I’m more honest with myself,
              and I now take my future seriously
.”

We’re also proud of Ciana, who came to our community with prolific talents that she had yet to recognize. Ciana now has more confidence in her abilities through mentoring children in Home Sweet Home Preschool as part of our career and life skills program. She’s grown as a leader through helping to plan our annual film festival, Project YouthView, and serving as the youth representative to an otherwise adult committee focused on marketing for our organization. Recently, Ciana developed a short poem revealing how she feels about Alternatives in Action. Her words capture the essence of our purpose and how your donation can make a lasting difference in a young person’s life:
I came to learn to
Be a better person and
Walked away with my future
On behalf of the over 300 high school-age youth who benefit from Alternatives in Action’s programs, I ask you to take a step today by investing in our programs. Please make a donation of an amount that is meaningful to you and, in doing so, help young people like Brian and Ciana learn, have new experiences, and grow as they create a promising path to their future.

With much appreciation,
Patricia Murillo
Executive Director, Alternatives in Action

P.S. We need your support more than ever before. Please invest today in the future of the youth we serve by making a donation now.