By: Julie Faryniarz
I am sure it is hitting you, too. The passing of one year of shutting down for the pandemic. Suddenly we needed to reimagine many ways of doing just about everything. This milestone came to life for me on Friday evening when the Greenwich Alliance held a virtual version of our annual Trivia Challenge. We are certain that our Trivia Challenge 2020 fundraiser was the last large in person gathering that took place in Greenwich.
Our virtual Trivia Challenge offered some unique benefits. Friends and family from around the world (we had one participant playing from Taiwan!) could assemble as a team, our expenses were much lower and so were our registration fees, and players could sit comfortably at home to enjoy the night. Questions were still top notch because they were written by Christine Kim, two-time “Jeopardy!” champion who kept the play competitive. We had a donor who matched $25,000 for the Greenwich Alliance Scholarship Fund as game players generously entered donations online through our auction site. The auction was supported by many Greenwich restaurants and local merchants — we are so very grateful for their support! We gave out prizes to the top two teams and to the best team name – “Quarantini, Shaken and Not Stirred.” Thanks to all who played trivia and to everyone who donated to help us continue our work for Greenwich Public School students and educators. What’s in store for 2022? In person again?
While the Trivia Challenge volunteers were pulling the event together, the AVID SUCCESS Team hosted a variety of programs addressing financial literacy education. This is a priority area of AVID SUCCESS known as Good Money Habits. Our partner, Members Credit Union, who offers Education and Prosper Savings Accounts* to AVID students, held a virtual Financial Reality Fair. This simulation gives students a job, a salary, car payments and more while showing them how to manage their finances and make smart choices. We held a panel for current GHS AVID students and families that focused on Norwalk Community College and UCONN to highlight the numerous opportunities offered at these two institutions and the financial benefits of such a choice. AVID educators, Greenwich High School guidance, and the Greenwich Alliance are committed to equipping students with the knowledge and resources to select a college or university that offers strong academic programming at a cost that does not create an insurmountable debt burden for their future.
Tuning In To Music continued virtual lessons for 63 qualifying students. Virtual one-to-one lessons are a more expensive programming option and so this year our budget can only support lessons until the end of April (instead of the normal mid-June). Students will take part in a virtual recital which we will record. If you are a music lesson enthusiast and are able to help us fund extending Tuning In To Music longer, please reach out.
Reaching Out Grant applications are due this week and we are excited to see what innovative ideas will surface. Our 2020-2021 grant recipients continue to be creative with their design and outcomes during these COVID restricted times. Unbound Innovations VR at Western Middle School is using virtual reality and augmented reality technology to explore colleges, learn about the Holocaust, and study the solar system. Families as Partners at New Lebanon and Julian Curtiss is making progress in increasing families’ sense of being a welcomed partner and valued voice in the education of their children.
The GHS eSports Club now has League of Legends and Rocket League teams participating in CIAC state tournaments. Students are learning to build their own gaming systems, designing graphics, and growing their expertise in this booming industry. eSports has also been assisted by GHS Student Activities.
In sum — over the past year, things have changed, we have reacted, and we all have learned.
Before signing off, I would like to give a special shout out to one of our Board members, Gabriel Cid. On April 12, 2020 he was admitted to Greenwich Hospital with COVID-19. Forty days later he was released as patient number 2500. This year, to mark the one year anniversary of his admission to the hospital he will be running a 5K with some of the nurses, doctors, and hospital staff who took care of him. We will be there running, walking, and cheering him on as we look ahead to the future and healthier and happier times for all.
*To encourage students to save money, Members Credit Union is offering Education and Prosper Savings Accounts to Greenwich High School AVID students. Students who save money will be awarded 25 cents for every dollar saved, up to a savings total of $2000, by the Greenwich Alliance. We are looking for sponsors to help us meet these savings matches. Please contact Julie Faryniarz, julie@greenwichalliance.org to learn more.
