Monday, July 28, 2014

Chester Children's Chorus Dance Performance and Car Wash

The Chester Children's Chorus will present their 2014 Summer Dance Concert Tuesday, July 29th, at 2:00 PM in Lang Music Building at Swarthmore College. From 3-5 PM, they will be offering a $5.00 car wash in the Ben West parking lot. All proceeds from the car wash support the CCC programs.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Harrah's Philadelphia to Host PhillyFest the Area's Largest Festival

Harrah's PhillyFest Slated to Be Area's Largest Food, Wine, Craft Beer, Music, and Arts Festival
   September casino event expected to draw thousands  

On Saturday September 13th, Harrah's Philadelphia Casino will host the area's largest festival of its kind. Five festivals, all in one place. The event is being called "Harrah's PhillyFest" and promises to present  the very best in food, wine, spirits, music and local art.

The inaugural event will take place on Harrah's expansive outdoor pavilion and racetrack, a suitable and exciting backdrop for an event of this size. Event organizers are expecting dozens of local vendors and several thousand attendees throughout the day.

Ticket holders can look forward to the following:
  • Gourmet Food Tastings: Sample the best of the best from local restaurants, specialty offerings, desserts, and more.
  • Culinary Demonstrations: Watch masters of their craft create culinary masterpieces during live demos.
  • Craft Beer Garden: Sample dozens of craft beers from local breweries as well as breweries from around the world.
  • Art Walk: View works by local, original artists and find the perfect piece to take home with you.
  • Wine Festival: Sample dozens of wines from local and national wineries and vineyards.
  • Local Independent Vendors: From arts and crafts to health and beauty, explore what dozens of independent businesses bring to the local scene.
  • Music Stage: The festival stage will be packed with loads of local talent, with more than a few surprises thrown in. 
General admission to PhillyFest, which takes place from noon to 7 p.m. at Harrah's Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack (777 Harrah's Blvd., Chester, Pa.), is just $40 ($25 for students and military with ID). Tickets are available online at www.HarrahsPhillyFest.com and limited vendor spaces are available.



Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Chester-Upland Soccer for Success Holding Raffle to Raise Funds



Program Demonstrating Positive Impact in the Community
Chester, Pa.—The Chester-Upland Soccer for Success program is holding a raffle for a chance to win 20 suite tickets to the Philadelphia Union vs. New York Red Bulls match on September 13. Raffle tickets are one for $25 or five for $100 and can be purchased at http://give.widener.edu/soccer with all proceeds going to the Soccer for Success program.
The deadline to purchase tickets is August 29, with the drawing scheduled for September 5. Runner-up prizes – five $200 gift cards to Angelo’s Soccer Corner – will also be awarded.
Widener University began the Chester-Upland Soccer for Success program in 2012 with a grant from the U.S. Soccer Foundation and has partnered with the Philadelphia Union, Crozer-Chester Medical Center and others to expand the reach of the program to more than 400 children at seven different sites in the Chester and Upland communities.
The after-school youth development program uses physical activity, nutrition, mentorship and family engagement to address children’s health issues. The program has shown very positive results, with 89 percent of participants categorized as overweight or obese at the beginning of the program improving or maintaining their body mass index, and 86 percent of participants improving or maintaining their aerobic capacity during the season.
According to Brent Jacquette, Widener men’s soccer coach and director of the Soccer for Success program, it costs about $200 to fund a child in the program for one season. The goal of the raffle is to raise $25,000 to help match a grant from the U.S. Soccer Foundation and to expand the program.
“The Soccer for Success program in making a difference in our community and we want to keep the momentum going,” said Jacquette. “This raffle will help us raise money to expand the program and help even more children in Chester to lead healthier lifestyles.”
For more information on the Soccer for Success program, visit http://chesteruplandsoccerforsuccess.org or contact Jacquette at 610-499-4542 or bjjacquette@widener.edu.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Widener Hires Director of Social Work Counseling Service



Press Release
 
Shanna Williams, LCSW, MEd, of Drexel Hill, PA was recently named director of Social Work Counseling Services (SWCS) at Widener University. Williams is a Widener alumna. She received her bachelors of social work in 2006 and both her masters of social work and of human sexuality education in 2010. 

Founded by the Center for Social Work Education at Widener University in collaboration with the Chester Education Foundation in 2000, SWCS has partnered with over 20 community organizations to provide internship opportunities to students. 

As director of SWCS, Williams is responsible for the overall operations of the program and will manage all community agency collaborations and the overall supervision of the SWCS interns. This position holds a special place in Williams' heart as she interned with SWCS during her time as a student. 

Dr. John Poulin, director of the Center for Social Work Education and former director of SWCS, is excited to have Williams back leading the pro-bono community clinic. "Shanna's clinical and leadership skills are a perfect match for the position," he said. "I am confident that she will expand the internship opportunities for our graduate social work students and our civic engagement mission." 

Williams is looking forward to using her diverse experiences to do just that. "I'm most excited to participate in shaping the experience of the interns," she said. "My experience started with SWCS as a student, and now I get to bring that along with my field work together to provide a well-rounded social work experience. SWCS molded me into the therapist and clinician that I am today." 

Williams is eager to take SWCS to the next level. A lot of her attention will be focused on the work at the Widener Partnership Charter School, as there will be about 12 interns there this year. "Our students will be doing more group work this year as means to bring more creativity into the classroom," she said. There will also be extra attention at the kindergarten level to lend additional support for the transitional period. "Our interns provide social, emotional, and behavioral support in the classroom." 

At the school, the SWCS interns will also introduce a violence prevention curriculum in every grade that will help the children identify way to deal with interactions, and become more mindful. 

Other SWCS interns will lend support at the College Access Center, Vulnerable Adult Clinic, and Veterans Law Clinic at the School of Law. 

Before being named director, Williams served as the interim supervisor at the Widener Partnership Charter School. Prior to that, Williams was a family-based clinician for Holcomb Behavioral Health Systems. She worked in homes of families and provided support for those dealing with sexual trauma. 

Williams has served on the advisory board for the Center for Social Work Education, as well as the alumni board.

Rahlir Hollis Jefferson 2nd Annual Summer Basketball Camp @YesgodTv

Great video @YesgodTv

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Chester Children's Chorus Presents Free Summer Concert Series


The Chester Children’s Chorus will be presenting three summer concerts and a dance performance all at Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College. The dance performance will be held on Tuesday, July 29 at 2:00 p.m. The choral concerts will be held on Thursday, July 31 at 2:00 p.m., Friday, August 1 and Saturday, August 2 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Art projects completed during the program will be on display. Groups may reserve seats for the afternoon performances.

The chorus, directed by founder, John Alston, and assistant music director, Sean Tripline, will be performing a program of classical music, 70’s hits, and rousing gospel selections. Modern dance, hip-hop, inspirational and African dance will be featured in Tuesday’s dance performance led by instructors, Jeannine Osayande, Nai-Whedai Sheriff and Shanae Willis. Art classes are taught by Milton Downing and Truman Read.

The chorus includes boys and girls 8 to 18 years old from the Chester Upland school district. Students are auditioned in the spring and participate in a year-round music education program. The Summer Learning program is a full-day, 6-week summer camp that includes academic enrichment and classes in the arts.

All shows are free and open to the public. A free-will offering will be taken to support the chorus programs. More information is available at www.chesterchildrenschorus.org, or by phone at 610-328-8286.