CHOICES Champion

CHOICES NEWS:

CHOICES Education Group Receives $10,000 Grant from Nordstrom

Donation will serve 2,000 teens in Arizona and California and brings total Nordstrom support for CHOICES to more than $250,000

CHOICES Education Group announced on March 26, 2008 that it received a $10,000 grant from Nordstrom, bringing their total support for CHOICES over the last six years to $252,500. Nordstrom has designated this year’s funding for use in new locations in Arizona and the Los Angeles area of California. CHOICES has used past support from Nordstrom to deliver CHOICES to more than 60,000 students in 19 states, partnering with more than 100 chambers of commerce, service clubs, community organizations and schools, and accumulating over 3,600 volunteer hours by local business and community volunteers. The new Nordstrom grant will engage approximately 25 local business and community volunteers as CHOICES presenters, and will serve 2,000 8th and 9th grade students.

CHOICES MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE MONTH

CHOICES Information Night. As you begin planning for the next school year, consider holding a 90-minute evening session in the fall for teachers, school staff and parents (possibly through the PTA) to inform them of CHOICES coming to their school. Plan to hold the session at the school 1-2 weeks prior to your presentations, and offer (and advertise) refreshments to get more people there (it works!). At the session, give a brief overview or demonstration of the program, or play the 25-minute CHOICES Demonstration Video. You might even ask some in attendance to play the role of students and do the Play Money exercise – that will hook them! Introduce any presenters that can be there. Cover relevant program logistics, explain how they can support the effort, and answer any questions.

CHOICES FIELD REPORT

Seattle Professional Recounts Impact of CHOICES on Her Life

Editor’s Note: When local business professional Paula Weigand read our February 2008 issue, she was so excited about the Bank of America grant we received that she ask for the bank's contact so she could personally thank him and share her personal CHOICES story about when she was a student years ago. Here's what she wrote…

Hello Mr. Mandala,

Leo Muller from CHOICES forwarded me your email address.  I recently read in their newsletter about Bank of America’s grant of $125,000 to CHOICES.  I wanted to send you a personal thank you for this donation and let you know this gift will make a big difference in the lives of many teens.  I know, because I was one of those kids who benefited from the CHOICES program. I’d like to share a little bit of my story.  In doing this, I hope it helps put a “face” on the thousands of kids that your donation will help through CHOICES. 
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Notable Quote

“The CHOICES program is one of the best life skills/career workshops at the junior high level I have ever seen. The students were interactive during the entire process. It made them think, and they learned much needed information for their futures. I enjoyed doing the pre and post activities with the classes.”