Project U.S.E.

On behalf of Project U.S.E., our Board of Trustees and staff, thank you to Everest Sponsor Morgan Stanley, guest speaker Chris Warner, our many guests, committed volunteers, and all who shared their creative talents to make our 2nd Annual Fundraising Event a great success. As a result of your generosity, we raised over $25,000 in furtherance of Project U.S.E.'s mission. We are tremendously grateful for your support and look forward to growing with you--our valued community.

VIEW EVENT PHOTOS

PREMIER EVEREST SPONSOR ~ $10,000 | Morgan Stanley

PATRON DENALI SPONSOR ~ $2,500

SERVICE IN-KIND DONATIONS

Alma Restaurant, Beer & Wine Provisions
Atlas Desk, Furniture
Chris Warner, Earth Treks Climbing School
Harvest Table, Caterer
Julia Wagner, Photographer
Kim Louie, Video Artist
Seth Ruggles Hiler, Art Workshop for children of Discovery Charter School
Stringbean & the Stalkers, Musicians: Kenny Sorensen, Dan Mulvey, and Sim Cain
Verdant Studios, Print & Web Design

VOLUNTEERS

Alan McNish
Alisha Arneth
Daniel & Kate
David Spelman
Gregg G. Brown
Gregory Peters
Jennifer Macaluso
Karla Scherzer
Lisa Bagwell
Matt Tirrell
Scott Carroll

AUCTION DONORS

Atlantic Club
Betty Ann Ryan
Brian Kathenes, National Appraisal Consultants
Amy Adams, Perch Design
Anthony Capone, Alma Restaurant
Barbara Furdyna
Billy Ryan
Carmel Calcagno, Yoga Anjali
Christopher Tilton, Serpico's Italian Restaurant
David Berkowski
Dave Popkin
Debbie & Alan McNish
Debbie & Chris Mumford, Mumford's Culinary Center
Eileen Chapman, Monmouth University
Jessica Leigh Morrisy Photography
Karen Mason, Lotus Healing Arts
Kevin Maypother
Lou and Rain DeMarco
Leslie Feingold
Madison Orlando
Marie and Paul Cavallaro
Mary Kosenski, E & M Gold Beekeepers
Mia Lizarazo
Michael Bagley Photography
Nicholas Grassia
NJ PAC
Patricia Arroyo, The Spanish Artist
Paul Hiltz
Rhonda Manno
Seth Ruggles Hiler
Sharon Chessman, Integrative Healing
Sharon Machrone

News
	Project U.S.E. Welcomes New Board Member \| Maria Paradiso Project U.S.E. is pleased to announce the addition of Maria Pillar Paradiso to our Board of Trustees. Maria is currently the Interim Head of School at Link Community School in Newark having served at the school in other capacities since 2002. Prior to joining Link Community School, Maria practiced family law with the Middlesex County Legal Services Corporation and consumer law with the Passaic County Legal Aid Office after clerking for United States Magistrate Judge John J. Hughes. She began her fundraising experience with the campaign office of former United States Senator Bill Bradley, where she successfully managed major events for the Senator's 1990 Re-election Campaign. She then served as Coordinator of Educational Programming and Coordinator of Corporate and Foundation Relations for the New Jersey State Museum. While at the State Museum, she helped launch and secure funding for after-school programming for Trenton youngsters and weekend family programming. Maria holds a J.D. from Rutgers Law School-Newark and a B.A. in Political Science from Montclair State University. She lives with her husband and four children in Cranford, New Jersey. She is a native of Argentina and is fluent in Spanish.

	2nd Annual Fall Event \| October 6, 2009 On behalf of Project U.S.E., our Board of Trustees and staff, thank you to Everest Sponsor Morgan Stanley, guest speaker Chris Warner, our many guests, committed volunteers, and all who shared their creative talents to make our 2nd Annual Fundraising Event a great success. As a result of your generosity, we raised over $25,000 in furtherance of Project U.S.E.'s mission. We are tremendously grateful for your support and look forward to growing with you--our valued community. VIEW EVENT PHOTOS PREMIER EVEREST SPONSOR ~ $10,000 \| Morgan Stanley PATRON DENALI SPONSOR ~ $2,500 SERVICE IN-KIND DONATIONS Alma Restaurant, Beer & Wine Provisions Atlas Desk, Furniture Chris Warner, Earth Treks Climbing School Harvest Table, Caterer Julia Wagner, Photographer Kim Louie, Video Artist Seth Ruggles Hiler, Art Workshop for children of Discovery Charter School Stringbean & the Stalkers, Musicians: Kenny Sorensen, Dan Mulvey, and Sim Cain Verdant Studios, Print & Web Design VOLUNTEERS Alan McNish Alisha Arneth Daniel & Kate David Spelman Gregg G. Brown Gregory Peters Jennifer Macaluso Karla Scherzer Lisa Bagwell Matt Tirrell Scott Carroll AUCTION DONORS Atlantic Club Betty Ann Ryan Brian Kathenes, National Appraisal Consultants Amy Adams, Perch Design Anthony Capone, Alma Restaurant Barbara Furdyna Billy Ryan Carmel Calcagno, Yoga Anjali Christopher Tilton, Serpico's Italian Restaurant David Berkowski Dave Popkin Debbie & Alan McNish Debbie & Chris Mumford, Mumford's Culinary Center Eileen Chapman, Monmouth University Jessica Leigh Morrisy Photography Karen Mason, Lotus Healing Arts Kevin Maypother Lou and Rain DeMarco Leslie Feingold Madison Orlando Marie and Paul Cavallaro Mary Kosenski, E & M Gold Beekeepers Mia Lizarazo Michael Bagley Photography Nicholas Grassia NJ PAC Patricia Arroyo, The Spanish Artist Paul Hiltz Rhonda Manno Seth Ruggles Hiler Sharon Chessman, Integrative Healing Sharon Machrone

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	Recipient of Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Grant \| June 2009 Project U.S.E. is honored to be awarded a grant of $85,000 from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. These funds will be used to support the "Culture of Caring" project at the South 17th Street School in Newark, as well as the character education, environment awareness, and academic enrichment programs at Wildcat Mountain Wilderness Center and the University Heights Learning Hub. David Grant, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation President and CEO writes, "We continue to be attracted to the work of Project U.S.E. for a number of reasons. First and foremost is the care and attention that is given to relationships with teachers, principals, and especially students. We have never had an interaction with any Project U.S.E. staff member, or anyone who is involved in a project, or who participated in an event or an experience, who does not demonstrate the admirable values that the program is built upon. *As an organization and as individuals, you are* the change you wish to see in the world. Second, Project U.S.E. continues to legitimize the power and promise of experiential education by implementing school-wide, deep and sustained programs that have a quantifiable impact on student performance. As a result of your work at South 17th Street School, children are better behaved and demonstrate heightened sensitivity toward each other and to adults, Working relationships are stronger and more focused, and student achievement as measured by traditional instruments, is increasing." We thank the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation for its generous investment in our mission, work and future.**

	Project U.S.E. Moves to Newark \| July 2009 Project U.S.E. is excited to announce the relocation of its main office from Red Bank to Newark, NJ. The office is now on site at the University Heights Learning Hub, (Project U.S.E.'s latest institution which had its grand opening in 2008). Our physical address is: 185 Central Avenue Newark, NJ 07103 All post mail can be mailed to: P.O. Box 837 Red Bank, NJ 07701 Our telephone # remains: (732) 219-7300

	Wildcat Mountain Breaks Ground On New Ropes Course \| March 16, 2009 Construction of the new high ropes course at our Wildcat Mountain Wilderness Center began on Monday, March 16 as Special Projects Director Carl Schmidt, Builder Grant Jornod, and contractor Greg Smith begin the arduous process of digging holes for telephone poles and anchors in the rocky soil. By Wednesday afternoon five poles and ten anchors were in the ground, and Carl and Grant were ready to begin rigging the cables that will make up the course. The new ropes course will include state-of-the-art adventure elements, and after a comprehensive staff training, will be available to our clients this Spring. Assisting the crew was Thom Shafer. Thom worked with Project U.S.E. beginning in 1975, and has been a staunch supporter ever since. In 1998 he constructed the Ridge Ropes course at Wildcat Mountain, so it was fitting that he be with us to deconstruct the Ridge Course and play a role in creating the new one. The building of adventure course was made possible by the generosity of many Project U.S.E. staff alumni. Special thanks go to Jodi and Greg Peters who donated $10,000 toward the project. Joe O'Grady of Coastal Kayak Touring Company also contributed $1,000. We are grateful to everyone who provided support for this exciting new part of Wildcat Mountain history.

	Students Launch Rockets at the University Heights Learning Hub \| February 25, 2008 Project U.S.E. held its first course at its newest institution, the University Heights Learning Hub (aka The HUB) on February 25th, with ten 7th and 8th graders from Link Community School in Newark, New Jersey. The students spent three hours learning about and testing simple physics principles, including Newton's Three Laws of Motion. Armed with their new knowledge, the students were presented with the task of building human-powered rockets. Working in two teams, the students were given a list of instructions, a long piece of PVC pipe and other materials necessary to construct a launching device and a rocket. At the launch, the students would need to be able to explain which Laws of Motion were demonstrated during the launching and flight of the rocket. The students worked diligently for over an hour, helping each other interpret the directions, measure and cut various lengths of PVC pipe, and lash pieces together to create the launcher. Other students worked to make a mold on which to form their rocket, and used rolled-up magazine pages to form the rocket's body. Small fins were cut from cardboard and affixed to the bottom of the rocket to help it fly. Finally, the students took their projects outside to test them. With a hard stomp on the plastic bottle attached to the end of the launcher, eighth-grader Rafiki Johnson shot his team's rocket much higher than the two-stories-tall HUB. The students cheered and applauded their success, and guessed that their rocket flew to about 60 feet before coming back down. An equally hard stomp by Yahya Adeson sent the second rocket flying into the air, just as high as the last. The students were thrilled with their success, and correctly explained the forces that allowed their rocket to launch and fly. Eighth grader Taylor Jones remarked that she would, "...definitely come back; I had a lot of fun today."

	The Hub Celebrated its Grand Opening \| October 8, 2008 The Hub Grand Opening fundraiser was a great success. Thank you to all who contributed. Stay tuned for details!

	HOPE ACADEMY STUDENTS DISPLAY THEIR HAND-MADE BOAT \| June 4th, 2008 The students of Hope Academy Charter School, under the guidance of Project U.S.E.'s Danise Cavallaro, proudly unveiled the result of their months-long collaboration: a beautiful sail boat made completely by hand! The students shared their learning process, described the use of various parts of the boat, and answered questions from the audience. The boat was successfully launched Monday June 9th in Asbury Park's Deal Lake. View the Asbury Park Press article and photo gallery of the event here. Hope Academy's Boat Building opportunity was made possible by the generous support of the Horner Education Trust and Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. The photos feature: Boat-building students of Hope Academy and Anne Marie, Carolyn and Gabby Horner of the Horner Education Trust.

	Our Boat Building Program Featured on NJN TV \| Nov. 19, 2008 The Shipwright's Boat Building Program gives students at Newark's Discovery Charter School a chance to learn the science and craft of boat building first-hand. Get the Flash Player to see this player.

	PROJECT U.S.E. JOINS THE NO CHILD LEFT INSIDE COALITION \| May 21, 2008 Project U.S.E. along with hundreds of fellow members of The No Child Left Inside Coalition recognize the need for high-quality environmental instruction in schools. A 2008 study by the Center on Education Policy documented that schools, pressured by the federal requirements of the No Child Left Behind Law, have had to sacrifice time spent on subjects such as environmental education, science and social studies in order to prepare for high-stakes tests in math and reading. Many teachers and parents also report that field trips and time devoted to outdoor learning activities have been cut to give more time to tested subjects. The No Child Left Inside Act would help address this problem by giving new incentives and support to school systems to provide environmental education. The Act also recognizes that high-quality environmental education often requires students to use math, reading, science and writing skills as they pursue engaging activities. Research has shown that this type of education not only boosts academic achievement, but also eases attention deficit disorder, addresses obesity and helps prepare our youth to be environmentally literate in an age of climate change and other environmental challenges. Find out more >>

	Newark Students Launch! \| June 2008 In an another exciting and proud moment in The Shipwright's Boat Building Program, the participating students of Newark's Link Community School and North Star Academy successfully launched their hand-hewn sailboats. View photo slideshow in separate window here.