KinstonPromise.org
 
By Doug Lauen, Professor, UNC Department of Public Policy and CCP Small Grant Recipient

Like many rural North Carolina counties, Lenoir County has both a shortage of employers able to pay middle-class wages and a shortage of employees eligible for such jobs. To help meet workforce development goals, inform the county’s efforts to retain and attract employers, and improve its workforce supply, I was awarded a CCP small grant to begin the first steps in designing a longitudinal data tracking system that examines the post-secondary and labor market outcomes of Lenoir County students. The system will aid policymaking in a variety of areas by enabling county leaders to assess how its local schools and regional post-secondary institutions are preparing its local residents for high-skill jobs.  Read more

 
Young Women of Promise recently received a $250 grant award for Kids Care Week, October 17-23, 2010. Sixth grade students at Rochelle Middle and Kinston Charter Academy who are in the Promises Kids Care Club will prepare Personal Care Kits for children and adults who are homeless or in transition in our community.
Kids Care Week 2010 “make your mark on the world: go the extra mile” is the theme for the service project, please acknowledge Hasbro Children’s Fund as the premier partner of Kids Care Week 2010.

The funding for the grant is a result of a partnership between Hasbro Children’s Fund, premiere partner of Kids Care Week and generationOn.

If you or your agency would like to donate any personal toiletry items (soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotions, children’s books, hand sanitizer, etc.) please call Theresa at 252/5232-4676 ext. 2023.
 
Crossing Boundaries is an Anti-Gang Program of the City of Kinston Department of Public Safety.
The project is funded by the North Carolina Governors Crime Commission. A community coordinator assesses the needs of young criminal offenders and utilizes resources of education, police, courts, judges, churches, family, community, government, mental health, medical workers, social services, and many other sources available to assist the offender to become a lawful productive individual.

You can help fight gang crime; make your community safe, increase quality of life and live peacefully and save lives. For gang information and control contact, Jackie Leonard, Community Coordinator. Her telephone number is 252/939-3139 and her email address is Jacqueline.Leonard@ci.kinston.nc.us.
 
Lee Albritton recently spoke about Common Ground of Eastern NC, Inc. to the Lenoir County
Alliance for a Healthy Community. We continue working to establish a community learning garden in
east Kinston as our first project. Before the end of October, we will hold a first meeting of stakeholders
to begin identifying specific lot on which to build it. We met with the Master Gardener's last month to
identify ways we can collaborate with each other. We hope our Learning Garden will complement what
they have worked so hard to establish over the past several years at the Children's Garden near the
Georgia Battle Center.

With the support of Ms. Anita Sykes, principal of Sampson School, we also submitted to the National
Gardening Association a completed survey of our schools for the People's Pilot Garden Project. Next
month the NGA will be identifying the states they will be working with on that project.

We invite all to visit our Facebook page (Common Ground of eastern NC) or on Google Groups
(http://groups.google.com/group/common-ground-enc) to keep up with our progress and how you
might join in on this newest effort to enhance life in eastern NC.

Lee Albritton can be reached at 252/560-2509.
 
THE GATE is open every week. On Thursdays youth in grades 2-5 can come in from 5-6:30pm and play games (WII, Air Hockey, Playstations, ping pong and foose ball among many others). They also have an opportunity to learn character development traits and interact with others in their age group. Starting Thursday, September 2, we will embark on a 12 week journey towards Dave Ramsey's Financial Fitness for kids! You don't want to miss it. Call THE GATE for more information.

THE GATE has begun using an exciting new on-line assessment. SMART TUTOR is an integrated learning system that enables educators to assess students at their current reading learning levels and then automatically provides instruction that allows students to learn at their own pace, on their own path. SMART TUTOR is designed to accelerate learning, increase student motivation, and improve student test scores in a highly engaging and interactive learning environment. SMART TUTOR is for children grades 2-5.

The Smart Tutor Program will convene every Tuesday and Thursday from 4 to 5pm beginning Tuesday,
September 21, 2010. If you are interested in your child participating in the SMART TUTOR program please let us know as we are limited to the number of students we can enroll in this class. We look forward to working with you and your child.

FREE Acoustic Guitar Classes

Are you a great at Guitar Hero and want to try your hands at the real thing????
Free Acoustic Guitar Class
30 minute sessions
Every Tuesday from 4:15 4:45 and 4:45- 5:15.
Beginners and intermediate classes.
Must call to register and to be placed in a class.
252-939-3223
Great things are happening at THE GATE. Should you need
more information or want any of the programs explained more
fully, please do not hesitate making an appointment so that we
decide what is best for you or your child. We look forward to
assisting you.

Sincerely,
Wanda Jordan, Executive Director of The Gate