October 19th marked the first night of Powerful Parenting, East End House's new nine week course for parents and caregivers of children ages 0-4. The class was a huge success, with 31 parents in attendance. The course drew participants from several of East End House's core programs as well as from the greater community. The evening started with time for parents and children to play together with staff available to answer questions and facilitate activities. Parents and children then shared a tasty, healthy meal prepared by East End House's Food Specialist. After dinner, parents left their children with East End House staff and headed to the presentation. Each two hour Powerful Parenting session is designed to give parents strategies to develop a strong foundation for their child’s future learning. Workshops are facilitated by Sam Healy, L.I.C.S.W., East End House's Senior Director of Child and Family Services, who has been working in the field for over 20 years and has presented on these topics to parents and teachers in numerous venues. There will also be expert guest speakers. The first session was entitled "How the Brain Works, How Children Learn." Parents learned that 85% of brain development occurs in the first five years of life. Research shows that the most important influence on the development of babies, toddlers and preschoolers is the quality of their interactions with primary caregivers. The class was very well received, with one parent saying, "I enjoyed this class and look forward to putting into practice what we learn each week." At the end of the seminar, parents were given a reusable shopping bag filled with apples, cider, and the recipe for the dinner they ate, along with nutritional information.

In the upcoming weeks, Powerful Parenting will build upon the skills parents already have and offer more information about child development, positive discipline, TV and media influences, and how to keep children healthy. Parents will learn specific techniques to refine the quality of responses and interactions that will help children reach their highest potential. Workshops are held on Tuesday evenings from 6:00-8:15pm through December 14th.

For more information on Powerful Parenting or to sign up for the next course that will begin in early 2011, contact Sam Healy at 617-876-4444 or sam@eastendhouse.org. You can also check out the Powerful Parenting Fact Sheet.

The Middle School Program wrapped up the first-ever summer session of YO! (Youth Opportunities) Summer. 48 students participated over the 7 week program in games, sports, art projects, drama classes, and cooking activities. The summer culminated in an adventurous overnight trip to Thompson Island Outward Bound, which was provided at no cost through a Group Scholarship Program. YO! Summer staff and youth took a ferry out to the island in Boston Harbor for leadership and team building activities, including high-ropes elements like the Leap of Faith and the Giant Ladder. Helping youth reach their potential through leadership development and building self-esteem are integral parts of the Middle School Program.

Summer learning loss is also a key issue with this age group. YO! Summer worked to lessen the effects with a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) learning. But, this was not your typical classroom science! Youth participated in science challenges each week that tapped into their school-year lessons on things like velocity, aerodynamics, and the periodic table of elements. Winners won prizes each week.

Ten young people were also chosen to take part in a unique program offered through NASA and MIT, with a grant from the Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership. The Zero Robotics Summer SPHERES program provided students with the opportunity to learn how to program robots to maneuver through an obstacle course. After trials at MIT, the programs were transmitted to robots on the International Space Station and raced in zero gravity with the help of the astronauts on board. Students watched the races through a live feed to the space station. "It was fun," said 13-year old Israel Gebremariam. "We got to talk with the astronauts on the space station and we learned a lot."

Summer Fun runs all day for 10 weeks and children spent an average of 293 hours in the program or about 30 hours each week. What did they do all day? They spent time in parks, playing sports, taking swim lessons, exploring cultural sites throughout the city, and enjoying the summer. Some of the fun also helped prepare youth for the upcoming school year. Summer learning loss is an issue for all youth, but is far more prevalent for children from low-income families (over 65% of children enrolled in Summer Fun are from low-moderate income families). In fact, lower-income children experience an average literacy loss of 2 months each summer. Over the course of their elementary school career, that is an entire year lost!

Youth who were enrolled in Summer Fun for 8-10 weeks read for over 45 hours this summer! Group leaders read aloud to younger children daily and older youth read to each other, practicing their literacy and public speaking skills. Reading time was a way for children of all ages to unwind, helping them to see reading as a way to take a break and relax. Older youth read independently and also participated in Book Group where they discussed one book throughout the summer. Younger children interacted with stories by listening to them, creating scenery and props and acting them out for the entire camp. Older children also got a chance to show off their acting skills by learning how to understand monologues and then performing for the group.

East End House held its Annual Summer Block Party on August 18th on Spring Street. This community-wide event was sponsored by East End House in partnership with the East Cambridge Planning Team and the Cambridge Police Department. The Biogen-Idec Blues Band set a festive atmosphere and kept the crowd of over 300 dancing. Children of all ages enjoyed activities led by East End House staff. Some of the most popular activities included Face Painting and Lavender Eye Pillow making, Fruit Kabob, and Jewelry Making. There was even a Moonbounce! The Cambridge Fire Department stationed a fire truck for children to explore and Jungle Jim made balloon animals. Guests enjoyed turkey and soy hot dogs, whole wheat pasta salad, corn on the cob, ice cream sundaes, and a beautifully decorated cake donated by Terri Vendetti. Donors to the event included Christina's Ice Cream, Pug's Bar and Grill, and All-Brand New England.

Thank you to all the donors and all those who attended for helping to make the Annual Summer Block Party a huge success!