KidsPeace Foster Care receives $4,500 grant for independent living curriculum

KidsPeace Foster Care received a $4,500 grant to enhance its efforts to help older foster youth live independently in central Pennsylvania.

The grant was made from the Bernard & Eva Bredbenner Fund at the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania and will be used by KidsPeace to acquire a formal curriculum for its Independent Living program.

KidsPeace contracts with Columbia County Children & Youth Services to provide independent living services for youth ages 14 to 23 through its Bloomsburg office. The program is intended to improve the chances of a successful transition from foster care to independent living, helping to break the cycle of poverty and provide these youth a foundation for a successful, self-sufficient future.

In the program KidsPeace and CYS create an independent living plan for the young person, based on an assessment of their knowledge of needed skills. The program emphasizes education, employment, housing, transportation, health, drugs and alcohol use, and sexuality/reproductive health, among other relevant topics.

KidsPeace notes the FCFP grant will enhance the program through the purchase of the formal “Life Skills Reimagined” independent living curriculum. This trauma-informed evidence-based approach addresses the learning strengths and styles of today’s young people and covers social/emotional skills as well as more tangible skills. It also is easily accessible online and through a smart device. Learners can complete the work in each topic at their own pace. In a study of 350 learners using the curriculum, youth knowledge increased 60% and confidence in independent living increased by 50%.

Lehigh Valley Reads launches million-minute challenge to increase childhood literacy

When a child is reading on grade level by the end of third grade, they are up to 13 times more likely to graduate high school. Lehigh Valley Reads is mobilizing the community to join the largest Lehigh Valley-wide reading challenge — the Million Minute Challenge in partnership with Crayola and Truist, to support a goal of building a community of readers to make the region a place of opportunity for all.

The Million Minute Challenge is a digital based, community mobilization event focused on promoting reading with a collective goal of reading 1 million minutes or more throughout the month of March. Participants can read anywhere – on lunch breaks, in waiting rooms or after homework, and can read anything – comic books, poems, novels or online articles.

Lehigh Valley Reads is a regional literacy campaign, powered by United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, to ensure all Lehigh Valley students read on grade level by the end of third grade by 2030. Third grade is the pivotal moment when children transition from learning how to read, to reading to learn, and it is the most important predictor of high school graduation and future life success.

For this year’s National Reading Month, volunteers will read to students while mascot Corey delivers reading materials, supplies and more to seven United Way Community Schools: Paxinosa Elementary School in Easton, Donegan Elementary School and Marvine Elementary School in Bethlehem, Brigadier General Anna Mae Hays Elementary School, Central Elementary School and Ramos Elementary School in Allentown and Panther Valley Elementary School in Nesquehoning.

Everyone is invited to participate in this regional campaign to collectively read 1,000,000 minutes or more throughout the month of March. Families, individuals, schools and groups can pledge their minutes online through March 31 at unitedwayglv.org/ million. Registration is free and open to all ages.

MetLife Stadium & New York Yankees partner with Shift4

MetLife Stadium, home of the National Football League’s New York Jets and New York Giants has selected Shift4 to process pointof-sale payments throughout the venue. MetLife Stadium hosts a large number of world-class events that require a robust and reliable system that uses cutting edge technology. The modern hardware terminals, along with Shift4’s integration of payments, loyalty, mobile and in-suite ordering will provide guests an improved commerce experience at all food, beverage and retail locations.

Shift4 will also power payments for concessions and retail sales at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida

Shift4’s integrated commerce solutions are used by every major professional sports league as well as colleges, entertainment venues, casinos, and many other business verticals — transforming the way fans and guests shop, order and pay.