SCYC Receives CVS Caremark Community Grant
SCYC Faces Funding Dilemma; Asks for Community Support
Starke County Youth Club Federal Funding in Jeopardy
The main source of funding for the Starke County Youth Club is in jeopardy as members of Congress continue to squabble over a federal budget for the next fiscal year. Executive Director Irene Szakonyi says the House budget proposal slashes money used to provide services for 600 youngsters in grades K-12 in Starke County.
“The threat is our largest source of funding, which is the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program, will be eliminated, so we really are encouraging everyone to reach out to their legislators and talk to them about why children, youth in this country are important, why after school programs are important and to encourage them to keep funding for our kids and our communities,” said Szakonyi.
SCYC Summer Program Students to Pay it Forward
The students in the “Pay it Forward” camp in the middle school summer school enrichment portion will be bagging groceries for tips. Those donations will be used to purchase food for the Starke County Food Pantry.
SCYC Plants Tree at WKVI in Memory of Pat Dunn
A special ceremony was held Saturday afternoon to honor the memory of Pat Dunn.
Pat passed away on Jan. 1 of this year and the Starke County Youth Club planted a tree in his memory. He was a great supporter of the youth of the community and was reflective in his support of the Starke County Youth Club. A plaque was also donated which was placed in front of the tree by Pat’s wife, Karen. Pat had been a board member of Kankakee Valley Broadcasting, Inc. and served as the General Manager of the station from 2009 until his death. He was always a driving force here at the station and continues to be in the staff’s thoughts as the work days go by.
Many of Pat’s family were in attendance at the ceremony as well as many of the staff and board members at WKVI.
The tree was planted in the front yard at WKVI.
The Starke County Youth Club Radiothon is Today!
NIPSCO Gives Knox Elementary OK To Return To Class
NIPSCO just gave Knox the all-clear regarding the gas main break. Knox Elementary School students are returning to their classrooms and will be dismissed at the normal time from Knox Elementary this afternoon. They were evacuated to the middle and high schools after a construction crew at the Henry F. Schricker Public Library hit a gas line. The library remains closed, and the Starke County Youth Club will not be meeting there this afternoon.
Starke County Youth Club Radiothon May 3
The Starke County Youth Club Radiothon on K99.3 WKVI will be held Friday, May 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT.
Members of the youth club will on the radio live asking you to help support the organization that assists 600 children at the Knox, Oregon-Davis and North Judson-San Pierre schools in Starke County. The youth club provides a safe environment for your child after school and maintains dozens of academic enrichment centers. Tutoring and homework help is offered which means success for your child.
1st Source Bank Donates $5,000 to Starke County Youth Club
The Starke County Youth Club is the recipient of a generous donation from 1st Source Bank.
1st Source Bank donated $5,000 toward the organization and Judy Caudill, Manager of the 1st Source Banking Center in Knox, recognized that the Starke County Youth Club has a positive impact on the lives of so many children that she was pleased to make the donation in continuing that effort.
Starke County Leadership Conference Scheduled for Today
An all-day conference of the Leadership Starke County organization will take place today at the North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The 12 members on the committee will be discussing education, future direction, funding and holding several panel discussions on the different topics.
SCYC Announces 2013 Youth Basketball
The Starke County Youth Club proudly announced last week the 2013 season of its youth basketball program. All Starke County students in grades K–4 are eligible to join.
Registration for the 2013 season is $25 for SCYC members and $35 for non-members, and multi-student discounts are available with more information available at thescyc.org.
SCYC Looking for Youth Mentors
The Starke County Youth Club is in need of volunteers, and Executive Director Irene Szakonyi said it’s easy to make a different in the life of a young adult. Volunteer mentors – or coaches – play a vital role in reaching out to young adults, and the strong connection that forms helps to make a difference in their life.
Szakonyi explained that coaches can make a healthy connection by listening to their buddy’s concerns, doing activities that their buddy likes to do, and forming a relationship that is often more effective than interacting with teachers, parents, or other adults. The main goal is about starting a friendship and providing a level of guidance to allow each buddy to reach their full potential.
SCYC Competing For National Grants
The Starke County Youth Club is competing with charities nationwide for grants ranging from $10,000 to $250,000 from the Chase Community Giving Program. You can help ensure the Youth Club’s success by simply voting for the organization through the Chase Community Giving Program on Facebook.
The Youth Club gives students academic and social enrichment after school to enhance skills.
Melissa Smith Promoted to SCYC Program Director
The Starke County Youth Club has announced the appointment of Melissa Smith to the position of program director for the organization. Executive Director Irene Szakonyi said that the combination of SCYC’s growth and Smith’s skills make this the perfect time for such a change at the club.
“Over the past five years, SCYC has increased our scope of service nearly twofold,” said Szakonyi. “We have increased the amount of time we are available, the types of programming have been expanded, and our staff and number of students served have grown. These fantastic changes have been wonderful for our organization and families, but have tested the limits of our human resources. Fortunately, we have an exception asset in Melissa, who brings over 20 years of experience with children and educators to her work with the club. I’m delighted for this change in our organization and look forward to continuing our work together.”
Starke County Youth Club North Judson Beauties NJSP Exterior
Visitors to the North Judson-San Pierre Elementary School may have noticed a few changes. The Starke County Youth Club North Judson site beautified the outside of the school with a new landscape and sign as part of a community service project.
Starke County Youth Club Knox Declares Checkmates
For the past few months, select students at the Starke County Youth Club Knox site have been working to put together an event that would honor many area residents. Named Checkmates, this group started with a grant from Indiana Service Learning After School.
Checkmates decided to invite Starke County veterans and retired citizens to a game of chess. Once invitations were designed, professional prints were sent out to all of the potential Checkmates guests.
The Checkmates event was held on May 16, when food was served, tables were set, and the boards were prepared. What followed was 90 minutes of community involvement and fun.
At the end of the day, the entire youth club came together and provided a great service to its community. Each child involved showed great respect, cooperation, and effort in creating a memorable event that should be commended by all.
SCYC Hamlet Students Learn About Health Value of Vegetables
Remember when you were a kid and mom scolded you for not eating your vegetables? The Starke County Youth Club Hamlet site students have just completed a project that focused on the health effects of eating vegetables.
Last week, the students took visitors on a trip through their garden, showing off the healthy vegetables they had raised. There was everything from radishes to leafy greens in specially-built growing boxes.
The highlight of the program was the presentation of baskets full of fresh vegetables to the St. Mathew’s church and Community Services food pantries.
Starke County Youth Club Radiothon Exceeds Goal
They did it. The Starke County Youth Club successfully raised over $40,000 during the radiothon on WKVI, and they’re still counting donations.
Youth Club Executive Director Irene Szakonyi thanked everyone involved in the six-hour fundraiser that took place yesterday.
“Thank you so much, and really, it isn’t me– it is the combination of all of these wonderful people in our community. WKVI, you guys are awesome. It is our board of directors, our staff, the families, the communities, friends, and neighbors, that we have who opened up their checkbooks today and really came through for our kids,” said Szakonyi.
The club provides services every year for more than 600 students in each of the Starke County school systems.
WKVI Visits Starke County Youth Club at Elementary School
With the Starke County Youth Club Radiothon creeping closer each day, WKVI visited one of the organization’s “homework rooms” yesterday at the Knox Elementary School. Teacher Cristy Back explained that the students are always kept busy.
“Right now they are working on homework from their second grade classroom. If they don’t have homework, we give them work sheets or let them read a book,” Back said.
Usually the members work on their own, but if they do need help there is tutoring available. Back explained that a lot of progress is made after school, and the extra help comes in handy.
