WriterCoach Connection

Who needs the Oscars when you can catch this performance in support of WCC?

It may have been Oscar night, but a hall full of enthusiastic music and WCC fans passed on the televised extravaganza on Feb. 26 in favor of listening to Joe Christiano, Theresa Kelly, Joshua Raoul Brody, and the All-a-Quiver Chorus present "I'm with Cupid 2: New Wave Pleasures and Post Punk Paens," the February presentation in the First Person Singular literary series, dedicated as a fundraiser for WriterCoach Connection. The parish hall of St. Albany's church in Albany was rockin', and the donation boxes were fillin' with support for WCC. Check it out:

The accoustics in the St. Alban's parish hall are superlative, a perfect match for the music of I'm with Cupid 2. That's Joshua Raoul Brody at the piano.

 

Theresa Kelly

 

Joe Christiano

 

The All-a-Quiver Chorus (l. to r.): Jennifer Robinson, Brian Azevedo, and Chie Treagus

 

The audience knows an Oscar-worthy performance when it sees one.

 

Many thanks to Joe and his fellow performers, to First Person Singular, to Pegasus Books, and to St. Alban's, for a memorable evening of generosity to WriterCoach Connection!

Bob Menzimer

WriterCoach Connection at Berkeley packs the house for Achievement Gap symposium

On Tuesday night this week, WriterCoach Connection at Berkeley, the student arm of WCC on the Cal campus, co-sponsored, with UC's Moffit Library, a symposium on the Achievement Gap. The event attracted a standing-room only crowd of students, community members, and WCC associates, who participated in a lively dialogue on various aspects of literacy, the literacy landscape in local school districts, and the nature of instruction in California secondary schools. The panelists included:

     * Carrie Donovan - Director of BUILD (Berkeley United in Literacy Development), UC Berkeley 
     * Andrew Dubin - Professor, Graduate College of Education, San Francisco State University 
     * Stephanie Sisk-Hilton - Professor, Graduate College of Education, San Francisco State University

For a two-minute trip through photos from the event, click here and hit the Start Slideshow link.

Panelist Andrew Dubin, from San Francisco State University

Panelist Carrie Donovan, of BUILD

Panelist Stephanie Sisk-Hilton, of San Francisco State University

A full house at the Free Speech Movement Cafe in Moffit Library!

We are indebted for an enlightening evening to our distinguished panelists; to Heather Thams, Reference and Instruction Librarian at UC Berkeley; to our WCC UC Bonner Leader, Caitlin Carnes; and to WCCB Chairperson Farah Kader and her hard-working and dedicated student colleagues.

Bob Menzimer

Get your antiques appraised and have fun with WCC benefactor

The Oakland chapter of the philanthropic organization P.E.O. International makes heartfelt donations to WriterCoach Connection, so we're pleased to spread the word about their fundraising event, For What It's Worth, an Antique Appraisal Extravaganza, coming up on May 17th at Clars Auction Gallery in Oakland. 

Your $25 ticket entitles you to bring two antique or collectible items to be appraised by the experts at Clars. The evening will include a silent auction and/or raffle, food, beverages, and a live Antiques Roadshow-type program in which the Clars experts will discuss some of the interesting items that have been brought in for evaluation.

For more information, contact Janis at [email protected] or 510.848.8931. 

Bob Menzimer

Achievement Gap Symposium hosted by WriterCoach Connection at Berkeley

On Feb. 21, WriterCoach Connection at Berkeley, the UC/Berkeley student organization representing WCC, will host a symposium on the achievement gap, a challenge that has long-plagued public education and continues to elude facile solutions. Everyone connected with, or interested in, WriterCoach Connection and leveling the education playing field is invited and encouraged to attend.

"Achievement gap" refers to the disparities in academic achievement among different groups of students. Across the U.S., gaps in academic achievement persist between ethnic groups, socioeconomic classes, and genders. These gaps are one of the most pressing education-policy challenges that schools currently face, and directly affect the future of our nation.  How did these gaps originate, and how can we bridge them? 

The symposium's four panelists will discuss the history and causes of, and possible solutions for, the racial achievement gap in California K-12 schools, with an emphasis on literacy and language arts. The panelists are:

•  Carrie Donovan - Director of BUILD (Berkeley United in Literacy Development), UC Berkeley 
•  Andrew Dubin - Professor, Graduate College of Education, San Francisco State University 
•  Emma Fuentes - Professor, School of Education, University of San Francisco
•  Stephanie Sisk-Hilton - Professor, Graduate College of Education, San Francisco State University

The symposium will be held at the Free Speech Movement Café at Moffitt Library, UC Berkeley on Tuesday, February 21, from 6 - 8 p.m. The event is free and open to everone. Snacks and beverages will be provided.  

The Achievement Gap Symposium is co-sponsored by WriterCoach Connection at Berkeley and Moffitt Library's Free Speech Movement Café. For more information, contact [email protected].

Bob Menzimer

 

WCC helps prepare West County students for life after high school

WriterCoach Connection is getting bigger again in West Contra Costa County next fall, with a pilot program at Richmond High School. As part of its expanding role in West County, Community Alliance for Learning, the nonprofit parent of WriterCoach Connection, is participating in a range of education initiatives with the school district and with other nonprofit organizations. 

One of those initiatives in an active role in the new West County College Access Network (WCCAN), a broad consortium of organizations and programs brought together by the West Contra Costa Public Education Fund (The Ed. Fund). WCCAN is formulating a variety of strategies to support improved access to post-secondary education for West County students.

Because of CAFL's expanding role in West County, WCC volunteers have opportunties to offer direct help to West County students beyond writer coaching. Last year, several of our coaches attended a Scholar's Workshop, sponsored by The Ed. Fund, at which we helped students craft personal statements in support of scholarships from donors. This year, we'll be inviting our coaches to help students prepare personal statements for college applications at the District's Getting Ready for College and Career Conference on Saturday, March 17.

Our presence in West Contra Costa County was a long time coming and it means a great deal to us. We relish the opportunity to engage West County students and teachers in a variety of productive ways.

Bob Menzimer

Hearts a-flutter at Pegasus fundraiser for WCC

First Person Singular, the renowned literary series, is once again hosting a benefit for WriterCoach Connection, and it'll be here before we know it, on Feb. 26.

Following last year's smash February fundraiser (titled "I'm with Cupid") on behalf of WCC at Pegasus Books on Solano Avenue in Berkeley, Pegasus chieftain Joe Christiano will team up again with vocalist Theresa Kelly and pianist Joshua Raoul Brady and, this year, with The All-a-Quiver Chorus for "I'm with Cupid 2: New Wave Pleasures and Post-Punk Paens." 

The fun will fill the upstairs parish hall of St. Alban's Church in Albany starting at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26. And we do mean fun: check out Joe and Theresa from last year's event at Pegasus, and the noisy and appreciative standing-room-only audience:

The parish hall is adjacent to St. Alban's Church at 1501 Washington Street (a block from Solano Avenue) in Albany. This space is renowned for its superb accoustics and there will be more room at this year's First Person Singular fundraiser for WCC, with plenty of seating. Suggested donation to WCC will be $10.

We're so grateful to First Person Singular and to St. Alban's for offering us this gracious Valentine once again. We hope you'll check out the full calendar of monthly First Person Singular events  and that you'll visit any or all of the three Pegasus locations: 5560 College Avenue in Oakland, or 2349 Shattuck Avenue and 1855 Solano Avenue in Berkeley. Meantime, of course, we hope to see you for "I'm with Cupid 2" on Feb. 26!

Bob Menzimer