GRANT STREET NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER

Feb 17

Expressive Arts Workshop: Poetry ; Spoken words

  1. ”HBO Def Poets on Def Poetry” Season 6 special - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGUGclja_oM
  2. Tommy bottoms “Basic Economics” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-8NuZZPD9E
  3. Julian Curry “Nigga, Niggaz” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD-UpHlB9no
  4. Pat’s Justice “Innocent Criminal” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EOBv-DTFT4
  5.  Shihan “Sick and Tired” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mouav3mat0Q
  6. Gemini “What are u fighting for” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7eZOXmORA0
  7. Kelly Tsai “Moa” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jgr2c_QvqM&feature=related
  8. Asia “The waiting hour” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBR0tNtnRxw

Oct 18

Recommended web sites

Homework help
BJ Pinchbeck’s homework help
Yahoo – science, animals, and reference
AOL homework - history, language arts, science, etc.
InfoPlease - kid-friendly google
Dictionary & Thesaurus
Homework help websites - MASSIVE resource for any HW help
Internet-4-Classrooms - skillbuilders for all grades
——> Math
CoolMath.com - math help for all grades
FunBrain - math games - Sudoku, Math Baseball, etc.
Starfall - elementary-level math games
——> ELA
ESL Lab - BEST site for ELA and ELL activities, i.e. listening exercises
 Education World - Every-Day Edits, other fun ELA games
Fun-With-Words.com - like it sounds :-)
Bartleby.com - full-text classic books
Literacy Leader - for older readers
Freerice.com - vocab and language questions for all ages (every right answer donates 10 grains of rice to feed the hungry)

Games
PBS Kids
Yahooligans! - games, movies, music, etc.
Neopets - virtual pets and online games
KidsRule.com - art activity sites
Harcourt School - art projects for elementary kids

Sports
MLB kids - baseball
NFL Rush - football
NBA kids - basketball
NHL kids - hockey
WWE kids - wrestling
Kidz World Wrestling
Sports Illustrated for kids

Teen Writing
TeenInk - fiction, nonfiction, etc. by and for teens
Writer’s Almanac - interesting reading for your down days
Poetry 180 - one poem for every day of the school year

History
America’s Library - cool things about America
Kidipede - middle-school history
Kids’ Past - the past belongs to kids
History detectives
BBC history

Animals
PBS Kids
Extreme Science
National Geographic
Animal Discovery

Sep 22

UPDATED computer rules

By logging into this computer, you agree to the following rules.  If you do not follow them, your computer privileges will be taken away.
The computers are cleaned out and the passwords are changed every Monday.
The rules are:

  1. No downloading, besides documents, music, and photos.  Anything you save will be deleted.
  2. There is a 45 MINUTE maximum time.  After your forty-five minutes of use are over, you may be asked to get off if others are waiting.
  3. We now have headphones at every computer! Their numbers match the number of the computer you are using. Please do not disconnect them from the computers, break them or steal them. Also, keep the volume at a reasonable level.
  4. If you attempt to change the settings, your computer privileges will be taken away.
  5. No drinking or eating at the computers.
  6. No more than two people to one computer.
  7. Be aware of the sites you are visiting, the photos you are looking at, the videos you are watching, and the games you are playing.  If it is inappropriate, your computer privileges will be taken away.
  8. Staff always have final say.
  9. Specific restrictions:

——> GSNC recommended web sites : games, homework help, etc.

Jun 28

SUMMER HOURS / CLOSINGS!

Last bit of spam for the day:

OUR SUMMER HOURS WILL BE 1PM TO 6PM, MONDAY TO FRIDAY.

These summer hours will begin on Tuesday July 6th.  We will be closed Friday July 2nd and Monday July 5th for the holiday weekend.  Hope to see you around!

GSNC gets some signage (finally)

It’s been a long time coming, but the Grant Street Neighborhood Center is officially no longer “that old library on Grant Street”!  How’s that?

With help from Utzig Signs (up on Niagara St in Blackrock), we got a sign!  Check it out, it’s very nice.

Refugee Project comes to GSNC!

This past Friday, June 25th, we had the advanced theatre class from Nichols School perform their original play, Refugee Project: Unheard Voices from a Hidden Population.  About fifty people came out to see this moving piece, which drew upon interviews of refugees and immigrants who have resettled in Buffalo, as well as a deacon who has dedicated much of his time to helping refugees and immigrant and a case worker that works with a resettlement agency.  Their stories were from all over: Burma, Iraq, Kenya, and more.  Thanks to Nichols, Journey’s End, and all those who attended to make this performance awesome!

We hope to partner with Nichols for similar events in the future!

Jun 11

It’s been awhile …

Sorry for those who have occasionally clicked that link in my email footers, or have this page bookmarked and was bored one day at work, or for any youth who found their way to this page from the Computer Rules pop-up.  We are here and we exist!


The major changes to the Grant Street Neighborhood Center in the recent months:

  1. Programming: We are still learning what works and what doesn’t.  Because of this, we have since cut down on formal/scheduled programming and instead have increased our pick-up-and-go activities, and look to expand more.  This will include: more Playstation game nights, more video games in general, more small arts & crafts projects, and more “chill time.”
  2. Youth Organizing: With the help of PUSH and MAP, one opportunity for youth to engage in the Center and their community is to take part in our youth organizing start-up.  Every week, we will have some “action” to it, along with moving forward Big Plans Coming This Summer.  This may include flyering for upcoming events, making phone calls, helping with mailings, and in the future, working on different neighborhood projects.
  3. New Staff!!!  As much as y’all love me (Janice, that is), I need some help to make this place run even better than ever.  So we’ve hired another WNY Americorps member to help run summer hours.  Please give Bryana a big welcome anytime you stop by!
  4. Summer Plans: They are still in the works, but we are looking at 1) more stuff to do, 2) really awesome air conditioning and 3) new summer hours!

Keep checking back with more events coming up … I’ve already got one I will be posting soon :)

May 14

New rule!!!

(A real update will be coming.)

We have a new computer rule in effect, and I will update the Computer Rules to be more clear on what is and isn’t allowed.  The new rule is: No Myspace unless you are 13 or older.

Myspace already requires that you are 13 or older in order to sign up, so anyone younger than 13 should not even have an account.  I am not naive to the allure of Myspace, but I will not allow anyone under 13 to be on the site.

Apr 05

Spring Break hours!

Hey kids, it’s Spring Break!  Don’t drive your parents crazy!  Drive me crazy instead!

We’ve got special hours all this week, from 1pm to 6pm.

Come play games!  Read books!  Have fun!  Don’t forget to play outside either!

This has been brought to you by the Exclamation Point!!!

Mar 26

Movie Night update

It’s been awhile … things have been rolling along here as usual.  We will be coming up with a more comprehensive program plan, especially when the summer comes.  Recently, we’ve had a professional artist/art teacher run a discussion-based paint session as well as help from Capoiera Mandinga Buffalo to run a youth class!

Don’t forget, Movie Nights are always on Friday!  Here are the movies we’re looking to play in the next few weeks: