The Kate foundation receives camp grant

OLD SAYBROOK » The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, Inc. (the Kate) recently received an award from The Westbrook Foundation, which enables to Kate to continue to develop unique and diverse programming in its Kate’s Camp for Kids, a joint effort with the Community Music School.

The camp is a unique comprehensive summer arts day program that began in summer 2013 through collaboration between The Kate and the Community Music School of Essex. It is geared towards families in our shoreline region who seek to nurture their children’s creative potential through the arts. This state-licensed camp brings together professional teaching artists from Community Music School and throughout the region to the Kate. The funding from The Westbrook Foundation goes to support teaching artists’ fees, supplies, operating expenses, securing additional personnel, marketing and implementation of the camp, scholarships for qualifying applicants ensuring a broad cross-section of youth are served, and upkeep of the space where the camps function and the technology used to put on the camps including costs of ongoing repairs and upgrades.

The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center is a nonprofit performing arts organization located in an historic theatre/town hall on Main Street in Old Saybrook. Originally opened in 1911 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the center has been renovated with public funds from the Town of Old Saybrook and donations raised by the Trustees of the Center. It includes a 250-seat theatre and a small museum honoring Katharine Hepburn, Old Saybrook’s most celebrated resident. As befits an organization born of such a public/ private partnership, programming is eclectic, offering something for all ages and income levels on the Connecticut shore and in the lower river valley.

Career services seeks area youth for program

The Middlesex Youth Development Career Services program is seeking out-ofschool area youth aged 16 to 24 for a program that provides job training, paid internships and certificate programs for young people. The program is funded by the Community Renewal Team and supports youth in the process of joining the workforce. Specifically, the program offers youth choices in Certified Nursing Assistant, Phlebotomy, Technician, EMT, Human Services, CT Security Guard Licenses among other certificate programs.

To participate youth must not be enrolled in school for over a year, must meet age and income eligibility requirements and must reside in Middlesex County or Meriden. Students work with a program coordinator to set specific employment and/or education goals while in the program. Students of the program are placed into employment after completion of the certificate program and are exited from the program. They will continue to receive follow up for a full year after they complete the program.

Enrollment in the program serves 20 Workforce Investment Act participants and the program occurs on a rolling basis since not all youth will receive technical training at a community college. Assessments are part of the selective process and they are critical to match individualized service plans with individual needs. A test in reading and mathematics is administered as a pre-test and post-test for those students who did not pass the first time.

To learn more about the program, contact: Julie Sapia-Bryant at 860-347-6924 ext. 248 or by email at sapiaj@crtct.org.

Nominations sought for veteran service award

MIDDLETOWN » Phil Cacciola, chairman of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce Support the Troops/Honor the Veterans Committee announced that nominations for the William J. Pomfret Veteran Community Service Award will be accepted at the Middlesex Chamber’s office until Aug. 25, at 4:30 p.m.

The William J. Pomfret Veteran Community Service Award is presented to a Veteran of the United States Armed Forces in recognition of his or her distinguished service to the citizens of Connecticut, and selfless commitment to public service. To qualify for the nomination, the candidate must have served in a branch of the United States Armed Forces and continue to promote Veterans Affairs, she must participate in local and state community organizations and/or initiatives, and must live in either Chester, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Middlefield, Middletown, Portland or Westbrook. The deadline is Aug. 25. Send to Jeff Pugliese, Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce, 393 Main Street, Middletown, CT 06457, or email: jpugliese@middlesexchamber.com