Hello everyone! I'm Courtney Berman, and I'm absolutely thrilled to be joining the amazing team at Swift! Currently, I'm studying Social Work at Arizona State University, driven by my passion for helping young children thrive in life.
Outside of my studies, I love spending time outdoors, whether it's hiking, traveling, or simply enjoying quality moments with my family. Professionally, I've been fortunate to work as a Pre-K teacher at Temple Chai Religious School, which I adore. I've also spent time in Jerusalem, Israel, where I supported children with disabilities for three months—a truly impactful experience. My summers have been filled with enriching experiences as a camp counselor at Camp Stein, nestled in the peaceful pines. This love for camp led me to Swift in 2015, where I've been volunteering passionately for over eight years. I'm deeply committed to Swift's mission, evident through my involvement as a counselor and support staff at Camp Swift. I also took the lead in establishing the Swift Club at my high school, recruiting over 150 volunteers. Even after graduation, I continued to contribute by helping develop programs and facilitating events. I'm genuinely excited to start this new journey with Swift, where I hope to use my skills and experiences to further our goal of empowering youth and promoting positive growth. By Taryn Bertucci Welcome back to Kidz Corner, where the kids of Swift tell the world what they think! In the last two weeks, Swift After School programs have been doing robot-related activities. These activities are designed to introduce and promote STEAM. I decided to stay on theme, and ask the Swift kids their opinions on robots. Here is what I gathered: First, I asked the kids: “If robots were able to think for themselves, would they be good or evil?” In response, 55.6% of them said evil, while 44.4% said good. However, a consensus was made that the robot’s morality will entirely depend on how you treat them. So, be nice to your microwaves and dishwashers, in case of a robot rebellion. Next, I asked for some robot names. Here are some notable choices:
Now having named their respective hypothetical robots, I asked the kids what they would want their robots for. Some popular answers included:
As much of Swift programming revolves around STEAM, I asked the kids what their favorite part of STEAM is.
Finally, I asked the kids of Swift: “If you had a time machine, when would you travel to?” Some notable answers were:
Thank you to everyone who came to the Gala and Carnival; both events were huge successes! If you want to contribute to keeping STEAM-related activities and mentor-based programming available to the kids of Swift, feel free to donate at https://www.swiftyouth.org/donate.html Written by: Taryn Bertucci Welcome back to the Kidz Corner, where the Swift kids get to tell the world what they think. In this issue, I asked the kids all about Valentine's Day. Here is what I gathered: According to recent polls, the crowd is very mixed on what should be “THE Valentine’s Day Color.” It was a fifty-fifty vote, so I think it is safe to say that pink and red, much like grilled cheese and tomato soup, are better together. As for favorite Valentine’s Day candies, the classic choice of Hershey Kisses has taken the lead. M&M’s are also popular in the overall palate of the group, with lollipops only gaining 12.5% of the vote. Notice how conversation hearts were not even mentioned? I don’t think that is any coincidence…. I asked the kids of Swift: “What is the true meaning of Valentine’s Day—Love or Chocolate?” Surprisingly, most of them answered “Love.” I guess these kids have their priorities sorted out….or do they? However much those surveyed love love, they are patriotic (or state-riotic?) at heart. Two-thirds of the group said Arizona’s Birthday is the most important holiday taking place on February 14th. Finally, I asked the kids for their best “rizz lines.” For those unfamiliar with the term, it is what they call pickup lines. Here are my two personal favorites:
We hope that everyone has an amazing Valentine’s Day, and if you want to contribute to keeping youth enrichment and mentorship-based programming available to the kids of Swift, feel free to donate at: https://www.swiftyouth.org/donate.html Written by Yusuf Rakhimi In just a matter of weeks, a group of teens and young adults came together and managed to raise over 30 thousand dollars! For a period of a few weeks, the Swift Foundation gave its supporters, specifically but not limited to the Teen and Young Professionals board, a challenge: Who could raise more money? The losers of this fierce fundraiser would face a punishment that makes me quiver just thinking about it. An ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE. At this point, nobody wanted to lose. This battle was an intense one. Videos were made, and friendships were destroyed1. A series of fortunate events followed. Doorbells were rung, phones were called, and most importantly, tax credits were used. That’s right, you can donate to Swift basically for free! It's a 1:1 tax credit, up to $421 for single, married filing separate or head of household; $841 for married filing joint. Anyways, while that's important (you should donate), back to the competition. The teens and young adults tried their hardest to raise as much money as they could but one group came out on top: the amazing, cool, TEEN LEADERSHIP BOARD. They left the Young Professional Board in the dust, raising almost 5 times the amount of money. Good game YPB! 1 probably not just for dramatic effect Val Callaway has worked in the education and non-traditional education field for a large portion of their time since the early 2000s. Starting out as a teacher’s aide and camp counselor with the AmeriCorps NCCC she found her inspiration in service to others, especially youth. Most recently, Val has worked as a substitute teacher and dean in charter schools across the Valley. Over the last decade Val has completed her bachelor’s degree in Educational Studies and holds a master’s degree in Leadership. Val is extremely excited to join the Swift Youth Foundation and contribute to bringing joy and meaningful service to others.
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April 2024
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Swift Youth FoundationIgnites Dreams.
Inspires Learning. Instills Hope. |
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