MEDIA RELEASE

An assistant professor of biology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo has earned a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. Dr. Elizabeth Stacy received the five-year award totaling $738,255 for her research program on “Characterizing reproductive isolation within the Hawaiian Metrosideros species complex.”

The NSF CAREER award is NSF’s “most prestigious honor in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.” Stacy is the third member of the university’s biology faculty to receive the award following Dr. Donald Price (1999) and Dr. Becky Ostertag (2006), earning UH Hilo an exemplary distinction among biology departments throughout the U.S.

Stacy’s research program seeks to gain a better understanding of the speciation process in trees. The origin of tree species remains an especially difficult challenge for biologists because the processes through which reproductive barriers arise between diverging populations is poorly understood.

Stacy’s CAREER-supported study will characterize the strengths and stages of reproductive barriers above and below the species level in Hawaiian Metrosideros, a group of tree taxa that vary in their degree of natural hybridization. Her broader research program examines morphologic, reproductive, and neutral and functional genetic divergence within M. polymorpha across Hawaiʻi’s striking environmental gradients.

Her lab is also undertaking additional collaborative studies on the evolutionary genetics of, and reproductive isolation within, other native Hawaiian plant groups through the DNA Barcoding on Hawaiʻi Island Project, funded through the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Stacy’s CAREER Award will enable her to continue mentoring several undergraduate and graduate students and one technician each year, develop courses involving authentic and novel research components, and co-administer a successful outreach program serving K-12 teachers and students. This integrated plan aims to broaden participation of students in the science, technology and math pipeline in Hawaiʻi.

St. Joseph Elementary School fifth-graders Mahealani Haegels and Zachary Jordan learn about compounding pharmaceuticals from College of Pharmacy student Aaron Chun. The hands-on demonstration was part of a program presented by five Pharmacy students and their instructor and advisor, Mimi Pezzuto. (Photo courtesy of St. Joseph Elementary School)

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Potential future pharmacists got a chance to learn the age-old art of making pharmaceuticals during a class led by University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy students at St. Joseph Elementary School last month.

The hands-on demonstration was modeled after a “Compounding for Kids” course developed by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the largest association of pharmacists in the United States.

Five Pharmacy students who are APhA members, along with their instructor and advisor, Mimi Pezzuto, visited Kathy Borris’ fifth grade science class to give the UH-Hilo version of lotion compounding from the pharmacy compounding course.

“Many people think of a pharmacist as an expert on medications made somewhere else, but part of our training is learning to create dosage forms that can deliver customized dosages of drugs,” Pezzuto said. “Most medications today are mass produced and regulated, which is critical for quality control and serving the entire population. We couldn’t practice without it. But we teach our students that the knowledge and art of compounding is important because it individualizes health care.”

The elementary school students learned to make lotions by combining oil and water with an emulsifier, or binder, and heating them to a certain temperature. They added scents, such as rose, gardenia and jasmine, put the product in pump dispensing bottles and learned the importance of labeling their over-the-counter product, which they were able to take home.

“The fifth grade students learned about emulsions and the differences between a physical and a chemical change,” Borris said. “The pharmacy students were professional and fun. An exciting and educational experience was had by all.”

The UH-Hilo students who participated in the demonstration were first-year Pharmacy student Cheryl Lopez and second-year Pharmacy students Aaron Chun, Amanda Meholchick, Ana Park and Megan Venegas.

Pezzuto also showed the students one of several antique prescription books that were donated to the College of Pharmacy by the Wessel family of Hilo.

The century-old book displayed hundreds of prescriptions, each of which were compounded by hand using different techniques, out of dozens of chemicals and ingredients such as plant drugs and extracts, as well as elements like sulfur and mercury. She said the book illustrates the importance of compounding and gave examples of how pharmacists used the technique in real-life situations.

“The fifth graders dove in and were enthusiastic and interested,” said Pezzuto. “The parents came up to me and told me their children came home excited about science.”

Steve Nemeth, a science teacher at Hilo High School, said the demonstration made an impression on his son, Mark, one of the fifth graders.

“The students had fun building the compounds and the class gave them a sense of ownership,” said Nemeth. “It taught them problem solving and scientific method. They discovered they could take a couple of ingredients and make something totally different.”

Mark Nemeth said he liked labeling the lotion.

“We got to put whatever we wanted on the label,” so he chose several ‘sample’ warning messages and side effects on his lotion. “Now I know labels let me know what’s inside.”

Pezzuto trained the Pharmacy students so they could learn the approximately one hour program to take it to other schools across the Big Island.

For more information on the program, call 933-2914.

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Darren Kimura, president and founder of Sopogy, Inc., will address the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Business and Economics at its Celebration of AASCB Accreditation on Wednesday, March 31, 3 p.m. in UCB 127. The public is invited to attend.

Sopogy, 2010 Hawaii Business Magazine Innovation Award winner, is a leader in MicroCSP technologies that bring the economics of large scale Concentrating Solar Power systems (CSP) to the distributed generation market. These technologies are used to create process heat, solar air conditioning or electrical power.

At the recent Hawaii Venture Capital Summit in Honolulu, Sopogy was cited as an example of a Hawaii-based company that would be successful in a global setting.

Founded in 2002 at the Energy Laboratories, an energy concept incubator of Energy Industries, another Kimura company, Sopogy is focused at bringing a new renewable energy technology to the market and envisions a future of clean power, green systems and LEED™ smart buildings. The company has expanded operations to seven western states, while maintaining its research and development in Hawaii.

Kimura is a 15-year serial energy entrepreneur and is experienced in acquisitions, having led the purchase of the Quantum Energy companies, and in private placements, having sold Energy Smart News, Pacific Energy Services and eControls.

He is an award-winning entrepreneur, as Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year 2000, Inaugural Top 40 under Forty 2000, SBA West Coast Regional Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2002 (California, Hawaii and Arizona), Hawaiian Electric Trade Ally of the Year 2006, Technology Leader of the Year 2006 and Green Entrepreneur of the Year 2007.

He holds a B.A. from the University of Hawaii and is a graduate of Waiakea High School.

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Hilo High School students were among 2,500 young adults island-wide who were recently treated to an educational, yet entertaining presentation on safe dating sponsored by the YWCA of Hawaii Island. Taking the Pledge 4 Action to healthy relationships are Hilo High's (left to right) Daniel Santana, Linaray Mareko, Presenter Mike Domitrz of Date Safe Project, Orion Sergeant and Ed Lassiter.

Almost 2,500 intermediate, high school and college students across the Big Island were encouraged to take the Pledge for Action for healthy relationships and safe dating in a program put on by the YWCA Hawai’i Island last Wednesday and Thursday. Mike Domitrz, executive director of the Date Safe Project (DateSafeProject.org) spoke to students in Kona, Pahoa, Keaau and Hilo about “Asking First,” “Being a Friend,” and “Opening a Door for Survivors”, components for healthy relationships and helping friends who are victims of sexual assault. Mr. Domitrz provided his message in a lively, comedic and interactive presentation drawing students from the audience to convey his message. He closed his presentation by asking students to take the “Pledge 4 Action” which consists of four parts: 1. Respect Yourself; 2. Respect Your Partner; 3. Ask Before You Act; and 4. Respect the Answer.

Student responses to the presentation were enthusiastic and an 18 year old senior who attended the presentation stated, “It really made me think and Yes! I deserve to be asked and I can say no.”

The “Can I Kiss You?” presentation was put together by the YWCA of Hawai’i Island with support from The Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, the Hawai’i Department of Health, the University of Hawai’i at Hilo’s New Student Department and Women’s Center and the Friends of the West Hawai’i Children’s Justice Center. This event is the first of several planned events to build awareness of sexual assault – a growing issue in our community directly linked to current economic stresses – leading into April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The YWCA of Hawai’i Island, along with other partner agencies, will be sponsoring Men Can Stop Rape Training on April 12 and 13 at the YWCA, 145 Ululani Street; a showing of Open Window, a film about the effects of sexual assault on April 1 at the University of Hawai’i, Hilo campus and on April 21 at the University of Hawai’i West Hawai’i Campus.

YWCA Hawai’i Island is a not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is the elimination of racism and empowerment of women. Established in 1919, the organization offers services and programs which include: a nationally accredited preschool; an aquatics center; the only island-wide 24×7 rape crisis center; the only Teen Court for the Big Island; and the only home visitation new mother and baby support program for all of East Hawai’i.

The YWCA Hawai’i Island is part of the YWCA USA, the oldest and largest national women’s organization. Nationally, the YWCA serves 2.5 million women and girls each year. Globally, the YWCA USA is a member of World YWCA, which has affiliates in 122 countries that serve 25 million women and girls worldwide.

For more information about the YWCA, visit www.ywcahawaiiisland.org Contact: Jeanine Atebara, CEO at 808 935-6067, ext 102 or jatebara@ywcahawaiiisland.org. YWCA Hawai’i Island, 145 Ululani St., Hilo, HI 96720.

MEDIA RELEASE

An assistant professor of biology at the University of Hawaii at Hilo has earned a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award.

Dr. Elizabeth Stacy received the five-year award totaling $738,255 for her research program on “Characterizing reproductive isolation within the Hawaiian Metrosideros species complex.”

The NSF CAREER award is NSF’s “most prestigious honor in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.”

Stacy is the third member of the University’s Biology faculty to receive the award following Dr. Donald Price (1999) and Dr. Becky Ostertag (2006), earning UH Hilo an exemplary distinction among biology departments throughout the U.S.

Stacy’s research program seeks to gain a better understanding of the speciation process in trees. The origin of tree species remains an especially difficult challenge for biologists because the processes through which reproductive barriers arise between diverging populations is poorly understood.

Stacy’s CAREER-supported study will characterize the strengths and stages of reproductive barriers above and below the species level in Hawaiian Metrosideros, a group of tree taxa that vary in their degree of natural hybridization.

Her broader research program examines morphologic, reproductive, and neutral and functional genetic divergence within M. polymorpha across Hawaii’s striking environmental gradients.

Her lab is also undertaking additional collaborative studies on the evolutionary genetics of, and reproductive isolation within, other native Hawaiian plant groups through the DNA Barcoding on Hawaii Island Project, funded through the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Stacy’s CAREER Award will enable her to continue mentoring several undergraduate and graduate students and one technician each year, develop courses involving authentic and novel research components, and co-administer a successful outreach program serving K-12 teachers and students.

This integrated plan aims to broaden participation of students in the science, technology and math pipeline in Hawaii.

MEDIA RELEASE

Zen Kuriyama

Parker School junior Michael Zen Kuriyama has been awarded a full scholarship to attend the Young Singers Program for the second year in a row. The Young Singers Program is part of the month-long activities presented by the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival during the summer in Waimea.

A relative newcomer to performing arts, Zen discovered his passion for singing three years ago and has been developing his talent through private voice lessons, community theatre and Parker School’s after school Dramatiques program. He worked with Dr. Maya Hoover during the 2009 session of the Young Singers Program and studies privately with Maren Oom, Director of Fine Arts at Parker School.

Zen’s performance credits include; Snoopy in the Waimea Community Theatre production of “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown,” Cinderella’s Prince in the 2009 Dramatiques production of “Into the Woods” and he will be featured as Beast in the upcoming production of “Beauty and the Beast” at Parker School.

Zen, a lyric baritone, is also a frequent cantor at St. James Church performing Even Song.

Zen intends to continue his study of classical music and possibly attend the University of Hawaii – Manoa to pursue a degree in teaching upon graduating from Parker School in 2011.

MEDIA RELEASE

On March 19, 2008, an explosion within Halema`uma`u Crater heralded the start of a new eruption, the first at Kilauea`s summit since 1982.

Surprisingly, this eruption was not preceded by traditional indicators, such as earthquakes and ground swelling. Also unusual, Kiauea`s new summit eruption occurred without interrupting activity on the volcano`s east rift zone, which has been erupting nearly nonstop since 1983.

Although lava is frequently visible deep within the summit vent, it has not erupted significant amounts of ash or spatter. Instead, it has emitted great quanitities of volcanic gas, creating a major impact on Hawai`i Island`s air quality.

On the second anniversary of this unique eruption, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory volcanologist Mike Poland explores its possible causes, and discusses how Kilauea`s summit eruption might evolve in the months and years to come. The program starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday (March 16) at the Kilauea Visitor Center auditorium.

MEDIA RELEASE

The University of Hawai‘i at Hilo College of Pharmacy has received $10,000 from retail pharmacy Walgreens to fund a program to heighten student understanding of native Hawaiian culture, as well as one scholarship for a pharmacy student who has made efforts toward raising awareness or educating others regarding diversity in pharmacy practice.

For more information on the impact of this gift please see attached news release. If you have any questions please contact Martha Hanson at Martha.Hanson@uhf.hawaii.edu or (808) 956-3716.

Teachers participating in the immersion program get some hands on experience. (Photo courtesy of Traci Sylva)

MEDIA RELEASE / Newswise

Hawaii’s strong farming history and its indigenous people’s relationships to aina (the land) and ohana (immediate and extended family) provide the landscape for an experiment in culturally relevant learning.

Researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa transformed an agricultural and environmental science professional development course for K–12 teachers to strengthen the community of educators and build stronger connections between science and culture. The results are reported in the 2010 edition of the Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education, published by the American Society of Agronomy.

The researchers’ goal was to help teachers incorporate important topics related to the environmental and agriculture science fields into their curricula, and to make that content relevant to their students’ lives and backgrounds, especially those of native Hawaiian decent.

Hawaiian ways of learning are experience-based and highly interpersonal, and the course was developed to build a “community of practice,” among the teachers.

According to Traci Sylva of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, a community of practice is a “group of people who share a concern or passion for something they do, and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.”

The first two years of the course consisted of short instructional summer classes, with teachers incorporating projects into their curriculum during the school year. For the third year, the course was transformed to include a five-day immersion program at a remote location.

Participants spent their time working together, learning from experienced instructors and experts in agricultural and environmental science, as well as Hawaiian culture. Science terminology and concepts, such as the nitrogen cycle and ecosystem and species interaction, were presented in ways to connect them to familiar Hawaiian practices.

Teachers who participated in the transformed course reported that they had more confidence in their ability to make culture-science connections, and that their understanding of the concepts improved. Interpersonal relationships between teachers and instructors were also much improved over the previous two years.

Teachers report that student participation and satisfaction had improved with the project-based learning projects such as beach and park clean-ups.

Hawaiian classrooms do not need to be the only beneficiaries of culturally relevant learning. Unique cultures, environments and traditions exist across the country. The researchers conclude that problem-based lessons and activities should include model lessons and projects that engage the learners with knowledgeable people in their field. For teachers, this makes them more knowledgeable and comfortable in exploring the relationship between science and culture.

Funding for the project was funded by the Agriculture-Based Remediation Program, U.S. Department of Defense, and USDA, and the third year (and beyond) was funded with a grant from the Native Hawaiian Education program called Malama I Ka Aina (Caring for the land) under the U.S. Department of Education.

— Find out more:
Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education: www.jnrlse.org
American Society of Agronomy: www.agronomy.org

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Children at Konawaena Elementary School and Kanu o ka Aina New Century Public Charter School are now able to open a savings account and start saving for their future.

In a partnership between Dr. Michael Cheang of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, local credit unions (Hawaii First Federal Credit Union and Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union), the Hawaii Alliance for Community Based Economic Development (HACBED), and funding support from the county Resource Center a program of the County’s Department of Research and Development, up to 375 children on the Big Island have the opportunity to open a savings account, set a savings goal, and receive $25 for saving their money until the end of 2010.

Coran Kitaoka opened a savings account for his daughter, Celine, at Konawaena Elementary School’s Children Savings Project First Deposit Day on Jan. 14. (Photo courtesy of HACBED)

In 2008, Cheang, assistant professor with the UH Family and Consumer Sciences Department, started the Children’s Savings Project at Prince Jonah Kuhio Elementary School in Honolulu, where a majority of the students receive free to reduced priced lunch. Since then, the project has expanded to three schools on Oahu with an average children’s savings rate of approximately $150 for the school year.

With the addition of Konawaena Elementary School and Kanu o ka Aina New Century Public Charter School in January 2010, the Children’s Savings Project now includes five schools statewide with the ability to reach more than 500 children. Several new schools will start the project in August 2010.

The Children’s Saving Project provides children an opportunity to learn about finances while saving for a goal, whether a toy, video game, or for college education.

As staffers from the local credit unions regularly go into the schools to collect deposits from children, their experiences will help policymakers and the larger community learn about children’s savings and it’s affect on our children’s financial behavior for the future.

Additionally, funding from the county Resource Center helps provide the financial incentive for children to save, while strategies for asset building led by HACBED help make the project work on Hawaii Island.

As families struggle to make ends meet during these tough economic times, the Children’s Savings Project provides children who primarily come from low-income families, a means to open and maintain savings accounts.

Families that are part of the project are seeking out ways to provide monies for their children to earn money to put into their savings account. Some families of the project on Oahu have formed weekend outings where they pick up cans and recycle them and put the monies earned into their children’s savings account.

Initial findings from the project show success in children’s savings behavior and their thinking about finances, as well as, changes in family financial behavior and family discussions around savings.

The Children’s Savings Project is part of a larger movement in Hawaii around family financial empowerment and asset building. The Children’s Savings Project complements other local asset building and financial empowerment programs and projects on the island, which include a youth IDA program in Makuu and free volunteer tax assistance sites across the island.

The county Resource Center and HACBED will soon reveal the report, Hoowaiwai Framework for Family Self Sufficiency and Economic Opportunity for Hawaii Island.

A growing project, the Children’s Savings Project on Hawaii Island will help start family conservations around finances and asset building in hopes of providing our island keiki an opportunity to save and learn about finances.

Mayor Billy Kenoi praised the project because it helps lay a firm foundation of financial responsibility that will help children in the project to achieve their financial goals later in life.

“The Children’s Saving Project helps build a culture of savings, investing, and sharing on Hawaii Island,” Kenoi said. “It is a smart way to prepare our kids for the future.”

For more information regarding the Children’s Savings Project, contact Larissa Meinecke at the Hawaii Alliance for Community Based Economic Development at 550-2661 or assetpolicy@hacbed.org.

The Hawaii Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development (HACBED) is a statewide federally tax-exempt non-profit organization established in 1992 to encourage increased investments in sustainable and community-based approaches to economic development.

HACBED’s mission is to address social, economic, and environmental justice in Hawaii through community-based economic development; and seek to help strengthen the voice and actions of Hawaii’s families and communities so that they have the choice and control they need to become self-sufficient and resilient.

For more information about HACBED, call 550-2661 or e-mail info@hacbed.org, or visit www.hacbed.org

MEDIA RELEASE

Sopogy, Inc. and the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program at Chaminade University will host a free furlough Friday workshop for high school students focusing on renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The event 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Friday, March 12 at Sopogy’s headquarters.

By teaming up with industry leaders from Energy Industries, Kanu Hawaii and Hawaii Science & Technology Council (HISciTech), the workshop will feature a unique educational platform and activities on clean energy and technology including how to make a solar cooker and build a parabolic solar collector from a pizza box.

Students will also have an opportunity to meet Darren Kimura, President and CEO of Sopogy and Founder of Energy Industries to learn about entrepreneurship, as well as learn about product development from the Sopogy team that helped to pioneer the micro-scaled concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies.

“Sopogy has a long-standing commitment to serving our community and we’re very excited to partner with the Chaminade students to be able to support the education of our youth,” Kimura said. “We encourage team members to get involved, and the best way we can do that is by lending our knowledge and paying it forward.”

More than 50 students as well as a few parents and teachers interested in observing are expected to attend the Renewable Energy furlough Friday workshop – the largest turnout for the program thus far. The Hogan program will continue to offer a regular series of workshops to high school students for the remaining Furlough Fridays on April 23, May 30, June 7 and June 14.

“The purpose of the furlough workshops is to take students into the workplace of some of the most prominent business and community leaders in Hawaii and provide them with learning opportunities that extend beyond the classroom,” Chaminade student John Rankin said. “This will hopefully empower them to take a bigger role in their own future.”

To complete the circle, Sopogy will implement their quarterly ‘Fossil Fuel Free Friday’ so all employees, students, and participants are encouraged to attend using an efficient alternative mode of transportation such as walk, bike, bus or carpool.

Lunch will be provided thanks to generous donations from local businesses Round Table Pizza Kailua, Waialua Soda Works and Styrophobia.

Sopogy specializes in MicroCSP™ solar technologies that bring the economics of large solar energy systems to the industrial, commercial and utility sectors in a smaller, robust and more cost effective package. Sopogy’s goal is to create solar solutions that improve the quality of life and simplify the solar power business.

The Hogan Entrepreneurial Program is funded by generous contributions from the Hogan Family Foundation. The mission of the Hogan Family Foundation is to promote the entrepreneurial spirit through the creation and operation of educational, civic-minded and humanitarian programs designed to encourage a more productive and contributory society.

— Find out more:
www.sopogy.com
www.chaminade.edu/ug/furlough-fridays-5.php
www.chaminade.edu/hogan

MEDIA RELEASE

Mailani Sills paints during the Parker School in the Art Start program.

Parker School students experienced first hand what it is like to live as an artist for a day. The annual program Art Start gives students the opportunity to learn from local artists in various disciplines and this year took on a new direction by celebrating and reflecting the multi-arts approach reflected within Parker School’s Fine Arts Department. In addition to the visual artists that have been the traditional foundation of Art Start, the program integrated literary, performing and media arts as well.

Visual artist, Dustin Brunelle, shared his talents in acrylic portraits and taught students the techniques for creating expressive human portraits with tips and tricks for lips, eyes, hands and skin tones. “I am so inspired. This makes me want to sign up for art next year. I didn’t know I could do something like this” exclaimed junior Sierra. Mailani Sills said, “I like the fact that he let us be free minded. He gave us instructions but let our creativity flow. Sierra had never done art before and hers was extraordinarily awesome”. “This is an amazingly talented group of students and it was an honor to work with them”, said Brunelle.

Elisha Chun works on her artwork at Parker School.

Local artist, Deborah Thompson helped students beautify the walls of their Snack Shop and give it a Surf Shop feel complete with customized surf boards. Students learned basic acrylic techniques to achieve lighting, shading and composition details in botanical palms and landscapes. Freshman participant, Mariko Langevin said, “I loved it. It was so much fun. I liked how we were able to leave a mark that will still be on campus for years to come.”

Artist Rachel Baker works with Nolan Cooke on stained glass art.

Rachel Baker taught students how to make individualized stained glass pieces. The students in this workshop found out that working in this medium comes with many scratches and cuts but noted the physical injuries didn’t taint their experience. Sara Divya taught a workshop on found image manipulation. Each project was based on a dreams and aspirations theme and students used both digital and hand drawn sources to explore drawing, paint and collage techniques.

Cathy Morgan led an introduction to printmaking where students familiarized themselves with the use of brayers, inks and plates to create several works of art. A project in mixed media collage was led by Laurie Goldstein who helped students explore the use of papers, fabric, colored pencils, acrylic, glue, distressed papers and transfer techniques to create beautiful collages.

Artist Pam Decker and student Sarah Hannon work on transfering art from Photoshop onto jewelry.

Pam Decker’s workshop focused on using Photoshop transferring to create unique one-of-a-kind jewelry including rings, charms and pendants. “That was THE coolest thing. We made jewelry and it really inspired me to want to make more jewelry. A lot of people saw our designs and thought they were so cool” said senior Sarah Hannon.

Performing and literary arts workshops were led by Kim Cope Tait who shared the art and craft of poetry, exposing students to writing and discussing poetry and learning about the publishing process. Megan Bonnici shared her dance skills and helped students create creative dance, movement and choreography. “It was a lot of fun” said freshman Cody Brown”. In the poetry workshop students worked with the dancers and filmmakers in a combined multi-media performance. Jane Sibbett and Megan Bonicci were the collaborating artists.

Sierra Manker works in the Art Start program.

Jane Sibbett who has dozens of credits as an actress on major network television shows and feature films shared her love of performing in her workshop. Junior Briana Boche and nine other Parker students worked with Sibbett during the program, “Art Start gave me a broader perspective on acting and also introduced me to the process of making an actual film rather than just performing on stage. I got to direct a video short which sparked my interest in a new area of the arts”.

Beth Dunnington presented a workshop focused on acting in TV commercials. They learned on-camera commercial techniques and performed student-written commercials for their classmates.

Andrea Gibbs led a musical theatre session complete with acting, singing and dancing. Film maker and photographer, Mike Peterson, led a workshop focusing on photography and portfolios.

Tom Quinlan leads an Irish music workshop.

Jessica Salerno-Woodbury, Tom Quinlan and Susan Sanderson shared their passion for Irish culture. Students explored the rich musical heritage of Ireland with reels, jigs, slow airs, Irish ballads, pub songs, poetry, and a good bit of blarney.

“What an incredible day! It felt like Parker School had become The Julliard School of the Arts for the day with students creating and exploring so many different creative modes of expression. The energy was palpable. I am so thankful to all the artists who generously support this program with their time and energy”, remarked Heidi Buscher, Parker School’s visual arts teacher. Art Start allows students to really sink their teeth into something for a full school day and accomplish what would typically take a week or more in the normal classroom schedule when art is sandwiched between academic classes, set-up and clean-up time each day.

This year we thank the many talented literary, visual, performing, and media artists who shared their time and talents with Parker School students during Art Start 2010. Many thanks also go to all the faculty, staff and parent volunteers who assisted the artists and sustained the creative buzz throughout the campus. For more information visit www.parkerschool.net.