Common Ground | News & Updates

NEWS & UPDATES FROM COMMON GROUND

February 2010 | Executive Director Reflections

Friday afternoons at Common Ground are pretty quiet these days, but not because folks have taken off for the weekend. Friday afternoon is game time and everyone – I mean everyone – goes to support Common Ground High School’s new basketball team, The Hawks. While it has been talked about for years, this is the first time Common Ground has had a team. I am not sure anyone anticipated what a galvanizing experience it would be, both on and off the court. Whether we win or lose, the team has been a source of pride that has changed attitudes and inspired some very positive behaviors among our students. Common Ground staff has also embraced the team with enthusiasm. It is inspiring to see just about every staff member – from faculty to administrative to kitchen staff – at games supporting the team.

This response to the team helps reinforce to me what is special about Common Ground. Our tightly knit staff is passionate about our students’ success (and students are passionate about the staff in return). Staff is firmly committed to Common Ground’s mission: to develop academic excellence, strong character and a commitment to community in our students as they acquire the knowledge, skills and motivation to live healthy, productive and sustainable lives. But most importantly, everyone here cares deeply about Common Ground’s kids.

I see that clearly on Friday afternoons, but it is something that is evident every day here at Common Ground if you look closely enough. Come see for yourself– join us at a Friday game. It is a wonderful experience we would love to share with you.

If you would like to join us at a game go to the Common Ground home page for that day’s game time and location.

January 2010 | Executive Director Reflections

As I write this, the first of what I hope to be regular musings on the work we do here at Common Ground, the wind and rain are buffeting the majestic White Pines outside my window. It is cold here in the farmhouse – the furnace is giving us trouble again. This minor inconvenience is a simple but potent reminder of the important responsibility Common Ground has for this unique place – a farm, within a forest, within a city – that lies at the heart of what we do as an organization. It is not just the day-to-day care and attention that is required to operate and maintain our facility that I am thinking of. It is the constant vigilance we must exercise to ensure that our use of the site does not have adverse long-term impacts. Not only are the land and buildings we occupy critical resources that must be used judiciously and sustainably, our site is also an integral aspect of Common Grounds identity and we must be careful to preserve and even enhance those characteristics that define us as a community resource and contribute to our success as a center for environmental education and leadership.

As I begin my tenure here, we are fortunate to be faced with a number of opportunities to increase our capacity as an organization. Part of the preparation for growth will be the development of a Master Plan that will ensure investment in and development of the Common Ground site over the next 20 years reflects our overarching values including:

Maintaining the natural integrity of the site;
Employing low-impact practices and supporting the sustainable, efficient use of resources on our site;
Incorporating and demonstrating proven strategies to minimize the environmental impacts of our operation;
Creating opportunities to teach and learn about sustainability and sustainable practices.

During the site planning process we are committed to take into account the views of our many constituencies – including yours. I look forward to reaching out to you as we embark on this journey, and hearing your thoughts on what we, the caretakers of this unique place, need to pay attention to as we plan for the future.

Live well,

Melissa Spear
Executive Director

December 2010 | A Year of Growth

Here is how we measure a year of growth:

Our students stand taller. They have succeeded at challenges that a year ago seemed out of reach. They have mounted a remarkable outdoor Shakespeare production, planted hundreds of street trees, and designed a dozen new outdoor museum exhibits. They have written scores of college essay drafts, and spent hours with mentors from Yale, Southern, and the University of New Haven. They have taken on real work through our Green Jobs Corps, written powerfully about race and the environment, and participated in a presidential inauguration. These students have stretched, and pushed, and reached new heights: 93% college acceptance rates, and two-year, double digit test score gains on every part of the state CAPT test. Just this week, they have been recognized for their work: with a green award from Business New Haven, and as one of 17 schools nominated nationally for the NEA Foundation Green Prize. They will only keep growing.

Improved Test Scores. Read our press release, and a New Haven Register article.
Green Jobs Corps. Read a New Haven Independent article.
Elm Shakespeare Partnership. See photos of our students and Elm Shakespeare actors at work.
Presidential Inauguration. Read the New Haven Register article, see their pictures and thoughts.
Writing Our Hope. Read student writing about environment, justice and identity.

Our gardens have filled many tables, and fueled ambitious new ventures. This year, our students, staff, and volunteers harvested more than 5,000 pounds of healthy, local, organic produce. More than half went to provide free lunch for every Common Ground student. The rest went to local farmers markets and community events -- as well as to new student-led green businesses, incubated in our Environmental Ventures class. This month, we committed part of next year's harvest to local soup kitchens and food banks -- recognizing that we have a responsibility to the community that keeps us growing.

The Summer Harvest. Read a New Haven Independent article, and see photos of our gardens.
Environmental Ventures. See images of our student's small business ventures.

Our site is bursting with possibilities. A renovation to our farmhouse and community kitchen have created new opportunities to learn and create farm-fresh products. We've also been tinkering around the edges: new tent platforms, renovations to our outdoor farmyard learning center, and new garden beds were built with student labor and donated expertise from local contractors. With promises of funding for a classroom addition, a new multi-purpose space, and an on-site farm stand and harvest pavilion, the next year promises even more growth. This week, we began meeting with local experts who can help us create a clear plan to keep our site growing.

New Tent Platforms. Read a New Haven Register article.
Community Kitchen. Read a New Haven Independent article.
Lessons from the Land Interpretive Exhibits. Read a New Haven Register article.

Our community is healthier, greener, stronger. More than 6,000 members of our community found Common Ground this year -- 20% more than a year ago. They learned to grow backyard gardens, turn food scraps to compost, go camping without leaving the city, and turn sap to syrup. Just last week, we completed the fall season of Kids Unplugged and School's Out, our K-8 after-school programs. As one middle school parent told us, "Our kids sit and take tests all day. They come to Common Ground to have adventures, and learn teamwork, and save the planet."

Upcoming Community Programs. Learn about upcoming programs, or view our complete program catalog.
Rock to Rock Cycling Celebration. Read the New Haven Register article, or visit www.rocktorock.org.
Winterfest. "Science of Syrup Revealed." Read the New Haven Independent article.

It takes a growing team to make all this possible. We are fortunate to have remarkable partners in this work: like Yale Urban Resources Initiative and CitySeed, local colleges and the Peabody Museum. Both new and steady supporters -- individuals, foundations, businesses -- have provided the resources to make this growth possible. This month, we welcomed a new leader -- Melissa Spear -- and many other able growers. As the year ends, we seek new supporters, staff members, and allies.

Our partners. Learn about our allies.
Our supporters. Read about some of the donors who make our work possible.
Our new Executive Director. Read about Melissa Spear.
Join our staff. Read about job openings for environmental educators.
Become a supporter. Consider making a year-end gift to Common Ground.


	news NEWS & UPDATES FROM COMMON GROUND February 2010 \| Executive Director Reflections Friday afternoons at Common Ground are pretty quiet these days, but not because folks have taken off for the weekend. Friday afternoon is game time and everyone – I mean everyone – goes to support Common Ground High School’s new basketball team, The Hawks. While it has been talked about for years, this is the first time Common Ground has had a team. I am not sure anyone anticipated what a galvanizing experience it would be, both on and off the court. Whether we win or lose, the team has been a source of pride that has changed attitudes and inspired some very positive behaviors among our students. Common Ground staff has also embraced the team with enthusiasm. It is inspiring to see just about every staff member – from faculty to administrative to kitchen staff – at games supporting the team. This response to the team helps reinforce to me what is special about Common Ground. Our tightly knit staff is passionate about our students’ success (and students are passionate about the staff in return). Staff is firmly committed to Common Ground’s mission: to develop academic excellence, strong character and a commitment to community in our students as they acquire the knowledge, skills and motivation to live healthy, productive and sustainable lives. But most importantly, everyone here cares deeply about Common Ground’s kids. I see that clearly on Friday afternoons, but it is something that is evident every day here at Common Ground if you look closely enough. Come see for yourself– join us at a Friday game. It is a wonderful experience we would love to share with you. If you would like to join us at a game go to the Common Ground home page for that day’s game time and location. January 2010 \| Executive Director Reflections As I write this, the first of what I hope to be regular musings on the work we do here at Common Ground, the wind and rain are buffeting the majestic White Pines outside my window. It is cold here in the farmhouse – the furnace is giving us trouble again. This minor inconvenience is a simple but potent reminder of the important responsibility Common Ground has for this unique place – a farm, within a forest, within a city – that lies at the heart of what we do as an organization. It is not just the day-to-day care and attention that is required to operate and maintain our facility that I am thinking of. It is the constant vigilance we must exercise to ensure that our use of the site does not have adverse long-term impacts. Not only are the land and buildings we occupy critical resources that must be used judiciously and sustainably, our site is also an integral aspect of Common Grounds identity and we must be careful to preserve and even enhance those characteristics that define us as a community resource and contribute to our success as a center for environmental education and leadership. As I begin my tenure here, we are fortunate to be faced with a number of opportunities to increase our capacity as an organization. Part of the preparation for growth will be the development of a Master Plan that will ensure investment in and development of the Common Ground site over the next 20 years reflects our overarching values including: Maintaining the natural integrity of the site; Employing low-impact practices and supporting the sustainable, efficient use of resources on our site; Incorporating and demonstrating proven strategies to minimize the environmental impacts of our operation; Creating opportunities to teach and learn about sustainability and sustainable practices. During the site planning process we are committed to take into account the views of our many constituencies – including yours. I look forward to reaching out to you as we embark on this journey, and hearing your thoughts on what we, the caretakers of this unique place, need to pay attention to as we plan for the future. Live well, Melissa Spear Executive Director December 2010 \| A Year of Growth Here is how we measure a year of growth: Our students stand taller. They have succeeded at challenges that a year ago seemed out of reach. They have mounted a remarkable outdoor Shakespeare production, planted hundreds of street trees, and designed a dozen new outdoor museum exhibits. They have written scores of college essay drafts, and spent hours with mentors from Yale, Southern, and the University of New Haven. They have taken on real work through our Green Jobs Corps, written powerfully about race and the environment, and participated in a presidential inauguration. These students have stretched, and pushed, and reached new heights: 93% college acceptance rates, and two-year, double digit test score gains on every part of the state CAPT test. Just this week, they have been recognized for their work: with a green award from Business New Haven, and as one of 17 schools nominated nationally for the NEA Foundation Green Prize. They will only keep growing. Improved Test Scores. Read our press release, and a New Haven Register article. Green Jobs Corps. Read a New Haven Independent article. Elm Shakespeare Partnership. See photos of our students and Elm Shakespeare actors at work. Presidential Inauguration. Read the New Haven Register article, see their pictures and thoughts. Writing Our Hope. Read student writing about environment, justice and identity. Our gardens have filled many tables, and fueled ambitious new ventures. This year, our students, staff, and volunteers harvested more than 5,000 pounds of healthy, local, organic produce. More than half went to provide free lunch for every Common Ground student. The rest went to local farmers markets and community events -- as well as to new student-led green businesses, incubated in our Environmental Ventures class. This month, we committed part of next year's harvest to local soup kitchens and food banks -- recognizing that we have a responsibility to the community that keeps us growing. The Summer Harvest. Read a New Haven Independent article, and see photos of our gardens. Environmental Ventures. See images of our student's small business ventures. Our site is bursting with possibilities. A renovation to our farmhouse and community kitchen have created new opportunities to learn and create farm-fresh products. We've also been tinkering around the edges: new tent platforms, renovations to our outdoor farmyard learning center, and new garden beds were built with student labor and donated expertise from local contractors. With promises of funding for a classroom addition, a new multi-purpose space, and an on-site farm stand and harvest pavilion, the next year promises even more growth. This week, we began meeting with local experts who can help us create a clear plan to keep our site growing. New Tent Platforms. Read a New Haven Register article. Community Kitchen. Read a New Haven Independent article. Lessons from the Land Interpretive Exhibits. Read a New Haven Register article. Our community is healthier, greener, stronger. More than 6,000 members of our community found Common Ground this year -- 20% more than a year ago. They learned to grow backyard gardens, turn food scraps to compost, go camping without leaving the city, and turn sap to syrup. Just last week, we completed the fall season of Kids Unplugged and School's Out, our K-8 after-school programs. As one middle school parent told us, "Our kids sit and take tests all day. They come to Common Ground to have adventures, and learn teamwork, and save the planet." Upcoming Community Programs. Learn about upcoming programs, or view our complete program catalog. Rock to Rock Cycling Celebration. Read the New Haven Register article, or visit www.rocktorock.org. Winterfest. "Science of Syrup Revealed." Read the New Haven Independent article. It takes a growing team to make all this possible. We are fortunate to have remarkable partners in this work: like Yale Urban Resources Initiative and CitySeed, local colleges and the Peabody Museum. Both new and steady supporters -- individuals, foundations, businesses -- have provided the resources to make this growth possible. This month, we welcomed a new leader -- Melissa Spear -- and many other able growers. As the year ends, we seek new supporters, staff members, and allies. Our partners. Learn about our allies. Our supporters. Read about some of the donors who make our work possible. Our new Executive Director. Read about Melissa Spear. Join our staff. Read about job openings for environmental educators. Become a supporter. Consider making a year-end gift to Common Ground.