NEIGHBORHOODS

What’s going on in your part of Greenwich

Downtown

The Arch Street Teen Center recently hosted a meeting of young women who are part of Generation Impact Fairfield County.

In the program, high school girls learn about the needs in the community and work together to make an impact by awarding grants from the funds they donate.

They met at the teen center Jan. 30 to discuss the grant options, narrowing the 32 applications from nonprofits in Fairfield County down to four finalists.

“We received so many strong applications this year, with proposed programs aiming to make an impact for youth across our community,” said Leena Gerster of Greenwich, co-president of Generation Impact and a senior at The King School.

The finalists are the Domestic Violence Crisis Center in Stamford, which serves nearby towns as well; Filling in the Blanks in Norwalk, which fights childhood hunger; Shepherds Inc., a Bridgeport-based educational group; and the Stamford Museum & Nature Center.

“In order to determine the four finalists, each group discusses the cause, the youth population that would benefit, sustainability, and the impact we can make,” said Mia Juneja, a senior at Greenwich Academy and co-president of Generation Impact.

On April 10, the group will meet again to hear presentations from the four finalists. The members will then vote to determine which nonprofit will get the $10,000 grant.

“We try to teach members to evaluate applications with both their heads and their hearts. We ask them to consider what really has a measurable impact,” Juneja said.

The group is an offshoot of Impact Fairfield County, which worked to involve area girls in the process of awarding grants that can make a difference.

The mission of Generation Impact is “to educate the next generation about the need in Fairfield County, introduce them to the many organizations working to address those needs, foster the spirit of philanthropy and community service, and empower girls to work together to make an impact in their community,” according to a statement.

For more information, including how to join Generation Impact and how to apply for a grant, visit www.generationimpact.org.

Greenwich

With the rise of “ranked choice voting” across the country, the League of Women Voters of Greenwich will hold a virtual panel discussion about how it works and whether it should come to Connecticut.

Under a ranked choice system, voters can list the candidates on a ballot in their order of preference. Vote counting is done in several rounds, with lower ranked candidates eliminated and their votes going to the voters’ next ranked candidates.

This method was used in last year’s New York City mayoral primary. It is also used in several other cities as well as in the presidential primaries in Maine and Alaska.

The league has not taken a position on ranked choice voting, but it wanted to offer an educational program on the system.

“Ranked choice voting is gaining momentum across the country, with over 50 jurisdictions, covering cities, counties and states, expected to use it in their next election cycle,” said Deirdre Kamlani, civic chair for the Greenwich league.

“Some advocates are recommending that it be adopted in Connecticut, too,” she said. “So, we felt it was important to organize this educational forum to help everyone in our community better understand the mechanics, benefits and challenges of ranked choice voting.”

The virtual event will begin at 7 p.m. Feb. 22. The panel will be moderated by Victoria Bassett, a senior adviser at the States United Democracy Center and author of “Electoral Dysfunction: A Survival Manual for American Voters.”

The panelists will be Greenwich resident Jonathan Perloe, co-founder of Voter Choice Connecticut; David Daley, senior fellow at FairVote and author of “Unrigged: How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy;” Sean Dugar, executive director of More Voice DC who worked to set up the voting system for New York City; and Anna Kellar; executive director of Maine Citizens for Clean Elections and of the Maine League of Women Voters.

To register for the event, visit www.lwvgreenwich.org/

Central Greenwich

Christ Church will host “A Celebration of African American Music,” a special concert put together by Community Concerts of Greenwich.

The concert, at 7 p.m. Feb. 25, will feature Nathaniel Gumbs, director of chapel music at Yale University, with soprano Olanna Goudeau, mezzo soprano Nedelka Prescod and gospel violinist Melanie.Hill.

Community Concerts called it a “unique opportunity to enjoy four nationally acclaimed artists singing and performing music from their African American heritage.” Songs ranging from gospel to rock will be performed.

The concert will take place in the Christ Church Parish Hall at 254 E. Putnam Ave. Tickets are $25 per person, with students and children admitted for free. A reception will follow.

For more information and tickets, visit www. christchurchgreenwich.org.

Old Greenwich

The Bruce Museum is looking ahead to summer and putting the word out to anyone who might be interested in a summer job at the beach.

The museum is hiring naturalists for seasonal fulltime positions that will run for 13 weeks from mid-June through early September. The regular schedule will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, but other hours may be required.

The naturalists will work at the Bruce’s Seaside Center at Greenwich Point Park. They are responsible for activities at the building and its marine tanks, working under the supervision of museum staff. Also, naturalists will work to develop, implement, staff and evaluate educational programs at the Seaside Center, as well as supervise interns and volunteers and interact with the public.

Digital content production, which could include writing articles, social media posts and lesson plans and making educational videos, are also part of the job responsibilities.

“The position requires a high degree of independence, managing the public and groups of all ages, working in a marine environment, being able to operate a vehicle, and dealing with facilities that are unequipped to accommodate the physically challenged,” the Bruce Museum said in a statement.

Applicants must have the ability to work with children and adults of all ages, be computer literate and have teaching experience as well as knowledge of marine life and environmental science.

A driver’s license is required, with local residency considered “a plus.” The recommended qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in science, education, museum studies or a related field as well as familiarity with social media and science communication.

The pay is $14 to $16 per hour. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to Kate Dzikiewicz, Seaside Center Manager, Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich, CT 06830 or via email to kdzikiewicz@ brucemuseum.org. No calls will be taken about the job.