Dear Friends,
Welcome to the first electronic version of the ThorpeWood Quarterly. We hope you enjoy our latest news and activities, and thank you for your continued support. |
|
--------------------
ThorpeWood is a mountain retreat for at-risk youth. We are situated in a secluded hollow of Catoctin Mountain, a beautiful setting that includes forests, mountain meadows, pastures, wetlands, and native trout streams. Our mission is to provide year-round, exceptional customized programs that are intended to help change the lives of the young people we serve.
--------------------
|
|
|
|
|
Theresa Michel Joins Thorpewood Staff as Co-Director |
Theresa Michel, also known as Tee, recently joined ThorpeWood’s staff as Co-Director. Tee is a native of Frederick County, Maryland, with twenty-eight years of experience in project grant and community resource development on federal, state, and local levels. Upon joining the team, she indicated that she “looks forward to raising financial support for the excellent youth programs created and conducted by ThorpeWood’s staff.” Previously, Tee was Director of Foundation Support at Maryland Public Television. Please join all of us at ThorpeWood in giving Tee a warm welcome!
return to top |
Secondary Growth Partnership News:
|
ThorpeWood offers programs benefiting at-risk youth in central Maryland, Baltimore, and Washington, DC. Through formal, long-term partnerships with organizations we develop and implement customized programs that yield measurable results. Here's an update on some of our most recent Secondary Growth partnership activities:
|
ThorpeWood and Heather Ridge School Sign MOU
ThorpeWood and Heather Ridge School, Frederick County’s public alternative school, have signed an MOU to begin a partnership in the fall of 2008. This Secondary Growth at-risk youth program will focus on Heather Ridge’s least successful population - those students who have been there for at least two years and have not made substantial progress toward the goal of returning to their home schools. The curriculum and assessments will be written by ThorpeWood’s program staff and the school’s teachers and therapists, and will focus on the skills of teamwork, identifying one’s strengths and weaknesses, and seeing projects through to a successful end.
|
ThorpeWood’s Boys Reading Club Completes First Year!
ThorpeWood’s Boys Reading Club partnership with Southwest Baltimore Charter School has completed its first full year. On Tuesday, May 27th the twelve 2nd and 3rd grade boys who participated this year hosted a graduation event at the school and read portions of their favorite books for their parents and teachers. These same boys will resume reading with ThorpeWood staff one Saturday and three Tuesdays each month when school starts again in September. One thing we know they are looking forward to - last year the boys complained that they didn’t get to try any venison at ThorpeWood - we’ll make sure this fall they get their wish!
|
Washington Jesuit Academy Students Coming to ThorpeWood
 This will be an exciting summer for Washington Jesuit Academy’s 7th and 8th grade classes. The 7th graders, making their first trip to ThorpeWood in June, will learn how to camp, distinguish ticks from honey bees, and most importantly, will address the same issues of manhood and leadership that the 8th grade did last summer. The 8th graders, making their fourth trip to ThorpeWood this July, will put many of those ideas of leadership into action while learning skills including caving, climbing, paddling, and orienteering. The 8th grade will also be applying in greater depth the journaling and self-reflection skills they have practiced this year.
|
|
|
Seasons of Growth: Making a Difference in the Lives of Young Women
|
ThorpeWood’s Seasons of Growth partnership with the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services helps young women, once entangled in the juvenile justice system, discover paths to stay out of trouble and direct their lives in meaningful and fulfilling ways.
In this spring’s Seasons of Growth program, Taking Care, the girls don’t just discuss their problems. They work with our horses and cook for each other as they learn healthy communication to build healthier relationships. Along the way, they use their journals to review the concepts for each evening’s work, record their reflections on discussion topics, save copies of the recipes they’ve prepared, and paste pictures of themselves taken as they work.
return to top |
Seasons of Growth Program Receives Grant from Ausherman Family Foundation
|
ThorpeWood’s Seasons of Growth program was recently granted $40,618 from the Ausherman Family Foundation in continued recognition of the program's outstanding results.
The funds will be used to continue our valuable work with young women. Upon receiving the grant, Sam Castleman, President, ThorpeWood, Inc., said, “We are so very grateful for this grant from the Ausherman Family Foundation. We simply could not do our work without this continued financial support. We are seeing wonderful benefits to these young women and I can’t thank the Ausherman Family Foundation enough for their generosity."
return to top |
ThorpeWood’s Hybrid American Chestnut Orchard Growing Strong!
|
- Written by Robert Strasser, Maryland Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation, Science Chair
 A new generation of chestnuts was planted recently in ThorpeWood’s chestnut orchard. A group of students from Hood College’s biology department spent three hours on the sunny afternoon of April 2nd putting them into the ground. This planting is a first for the Maryland Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation, and represents another milestone for ThorpeWood: It was the first orchard of its kind in the state when it was founded in 1999, and is the only one to date to plant this new generation of chestnut. more >>>
return to top
|
Events and Activities at ThorpeWood: |
More Landscaping with Native Plants with Chris Pax
Wednesdays: July 9th, 16th, (skip one week), 30th and August 6th
7:30pm - 9:00pm
Cost: $120 ($100 if registered by July 2, and only $60 with work-study*)
Our first class of enthusiastic participants have graduated and some are ready for more! So we’re offering a second class, with a whole new set of native plants to learn about and plenty of nuts-and-bolts help for you in your garden. More>>>
Registration is required. To register, please call Chris Pax directly at (301) 271-1971 or visit Chris's web site at www.paxgardens.com.
*Enjoy half-price tuition if you choose to participate in our work-study option: simply help out in ThorpeWood’s native plant gardens for 2 hours on four Tuesday mornings, between 9:00 am and noon. Students from the last class remarked that this was a great additional learning opportunity, and ThorpeWood deeply appreciates the help in keeping our native plant gardens beautiful.
|
Storytime at ThorpeWood!
Wednesdays: July 16th, August 20th, September 17th
10:00am - 11:30am
A morning of stories, crafts and hands-on activities for ThorpeWood’s youngest friends. Please see our online calendar for monthly themes and additional details. Registration is required by email or by calling 301.271.2823.
|
Cooking Class with ML Carroll, Head Chef for Canapes Catering
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Cost: $100 per person
More details to come!
|
Save the Date: ThorpeWood's Fall Dinner to Benefit our Youth Programs
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Please join us for a festive evening in ThorpeWood's beautiful lodge. More details to come!
|
|
|
|
Planning a Meeting or Wedding? Consider ThorpeWood! |
ThorpeWood is well-known as a “destination venue” for elegant weddings and exceptional corporate events. Those who utilize our facilities are pleased to learn that a portion of their rental fee goes directly towards our programs for at-risk youth. Not only are they receiving outstanding service, they are helping others. To learn more about booking your special event or meeting at ThorpeWood, please contact Julie Parlaman, Director of Special Events, at 301.271.2823.
|
Storytime Volunteers Wanted |
Caring volunteers are needed to assist with Storytime at ThorpeWood. To volunteer or for more information, please email or call us at 301.271.2823.
return to top |
|
ThorpeWood received a $30,000 Recreational Trails Program grant from the State Highway Administration to build a board walkway through our Soggy Bottom Swamp area so that our students can continue their learning experiences on new parts of ThorpeWood’s property. We must match this grant with another $32,000 in financial support to complete the project. If you are able to help us meet this challenge, please contact Theresa Michel, Co-Director, at 301.271.2823.
return to top
|
