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June 4, 2009
2009 Harriet Robertson Student Leadership Award Winner Shana Jordan
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| Gary De Blasio congratulates Shana Jordan on receiving the 2009 Harriet Robertson Student Leadership Award and Scholarship. |
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Calling her "the personification of a student leader," Corner House Executive Director Gary DeBlasio recently presented the second annual Harriet Robertson Student Leadership Award and Scholarship to Shana Jordan, a member of the Stuart Country Day School Class of 2009. "Shana is dedicated, hard working, and committed to advancing the alcohol- and drug-free message of our agency. As a member of the Corner House Student Board and the Teen Advisory Group, Shana could always be counted on to do what needed to be done, and she did it with a warm smile and a thank you. Shana’s approach to tasks was much like Harriet’s [approach]." The Student Leadership Award was created to honor the dedication and spirit of Mrs. Robertson, who retired from the Corner House Foundation Board in 2008. The award includes a $1000 scholarship.
The evening began with the screening of the "Corner House: Leadership Programs in Action," an 11 minute video created by Emmy-award winning producer Doug Myers, a member of the Foundation Board of Directors. The film chronicles just how the Corner House Student Leaders from four different high schools—Hun School, Princeton High, Princeton Day School, and Stuart Country Day School—work together to hone their leadership skills and build a cooperative network of young people working for a better Princeton community. The video can be seen in its entirety at www.cornerhousenj.org.
Keynote speaker Princeton Township Committeeman Lance Liverman, himself a Princeton High graduate, encouraged the students to "be the best leaders they can be," and never take advantage of their gifts. "The world has not yet seen just how your contributions are going to better our world. Thank you for inspiring me."
During the evening, all of the students involved with Corner House leadership, as well as the graduating seniors from the World of Work for Youth program and the Princeton Youth Project, were recognized for all that they had accomplished during the past year. See photos of the 2009 Student Leadership awards night.
The World of Work for Youth Program is funded by a grant through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
May 9, 2009
Spring Benefit at McCarter Theatre
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| Corner House student leaders Daphne De Leon, Tamara Curtis, Shana Jordan, and Student Board President, Guy Helman. |
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The Corner House Foundation hosted its annual Spring Benefit at McCarter Theatre on Saturday, May 9th for 150 supporters. The evening included a cocktail hour and a mouth-watering dinner created by Eno Terra. Guests were also treated to a sizzling jazz performance by Teimpo Libre and the Conga Kings.
The highlight of the evening was an award presentation to the Honorary Benefit Chair, Marie Matthews, for her generous and long-standing support of the agency. Marie is a well-known philanthropist in the Princeton community and her generous support of Corner House for the last 20 years has directly contributed to the success of many programs.
New to the event were a Silent Auction and a “Try Your Luck” Hut. All items including personal coaching sessions for young baseball and soccer players, a week-long vacation stay in Arizona, and a pair of mosaic panels by local artist Rhonda Heisler, were sold. The proceeds from the benefit and auction will support Corner House’s treatment, prevention, and leadership programs for adolescents and young adults during 2009. Foundation funding is crucial in providing the agency’s clients with low-cost treatment options and the staff and teen program participants with opportunities and resources that might otherwise be unavailable to them.
Corporate support for the event came from PNC Wealth Management; Cardinal Partners; Fox Rothschild, LLP; Insider Score; Mason, Griffin & Pierson, PC; McCain Foods, Limited; G. R. Murray; Nexus Properties; and Pinneo Construction.
Photos of the event are now available here...
April 25, 2009
PADA Prom Dress Give Away
The Princeton Alcohol & Drug Alliance sponsored the Be Beautiful*Be Safe*Be Smart Prom Dress Give Away on Saturday, April 25, in the Community Room of the Princeton Township Municipal Complex. Thanks to all who donated dresses and time. More details...
February 19, 2009
Luncheon Honoring Foundation Board Members
Corner House honored its Foundation Board Members and others on Thursday, February 19th, at a luncheon at the Nassau Club, where speakers presented the range of programs offered at the counseling center. See photos of the event here...
January 2009
Video Documentaries
Doug Myers, an Emmy-award winning producer and Corner House Foundation board member, donated his time to create the video, Leadership Programs in Action. Brendan Dean and James Cole, two former Corner House student leaders, produced three short documentaries to show some of the programs and activities of Corner House. Take a look...
November 1, 2008
Autumn Nights at Cottage Club
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| Rachel Snyderman, Gary De Blasio, and James Cole |
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The Corner House Foundation gave focus to the vital role of Corner House Student Leaders at the Autumn Nights reception held Saturday evening November 1st at the historic Cottage Club on the Princeton University campus.
The event aimed to raise the profile of Corner House student leaders and to acknowledge the effectiveness of delivering the message of healthy living from the ground up -- through peers -- and working to create a network of young people staying drug free. The evening highlighted current Corner House student leaders and honored this year's co-chairs: Rachel Snyderman and James Cole, both former Corner House student leaders. The evening was attended by over 150 Corner House supporters, current student leaders, parents, and school and community representatives.
October 17, 2008
Second Annual Corner House All City Dodgeball Championship
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| The 2008 Corner House All-City Dodgeball Champions |
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The Second Annual Corner House All City Dodgeball Championship, presented by the Corner House Student Board and co-sponsored by the Princeton Township PBA was held on Friday evening, October 17th in the Princeton High School Gym. The Princeton High School team won the coveted trophy before a crowd of 350. The 2008 Corner House All-City Dodgeball Champion team members are: Thatcher Foster, Jake Golden (Captain), Nick Haft, Steven Hellstern, Jordan Metro, Max Reid, Mike Van Itallie, and Dylan Zucosky. More photos of the event will soon be available on the Corner House Picasa album.
August 12-14, 2008
Student Leadership Institute
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| Participants in the Corner House Student Leadership Institute 2008 |
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At Corner House, a joint agency of Princeton Township and Borough, peer leadership is a vital component of its prevention and outreach programs. At the second annual Corner House Student Leadership Institute, eighty teen leaders, representing all four public and private high schools in the community, were focused on team building, leadership skills development, and substance abuse prevention education. Following an intensive 3-day retreat at Princeton-Blairstown Center, the students are bonded as a group and are well prepared to step into their roles as peer leaders in programs such as the CH Student Board, the Teen Advisory Group, and Project GAIA -- a conflict resolution and diversity training program at Princeton High School. According to Corner House Executive Director Gary De Blasio, the selection process for students is competitive, and this year the agency has fielded exceptional teams. Students are expected to take their commitment to a healthy, drug-free life very seriously.
Throughout the year, the Corner House student leaders develop and perform skits about the consequences of substance abuse and other negative behaviors on the individual, family, and community-at-large. The leadership teams facilitate workshops for their peers, parents, and a variety of local organizations. In addition, the CH Student Board members organize an on-going schedule of safe and sober events for high school students, often done in conjunction with the Princeton Alcohol and Drug Alliance and the Princeton Public Library.
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| Corner House Student Leadership Institute 2008 Tapestry |
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The Tapestry Project
At the 2008 Student Leadership Institute, the Corner House Student Leadership Team -- consisting of the CH Student Board, the TAG Team, and the GAIA Project -- created a tapestry. Each student created a strip of fabric to represent the strengths that they individually bring to the Leadership Team. Once assembled, the tapestry represents the powerful contribution that the Corner House Leadership Team will make in 2008-09. The following excerpts were taken from the students' own written reflections and were the source material for their fabric strips"
"My love for GAIA shows my dedication and willpower to achieve all of my goals in life." "People may see me as an outgoing party animal, but really I am a responsible, sober teen." "TAG brings hope to the parents in the community that the youth are trying to move in the right direction." "I believe that I bring a positive outlook to Corner House and the Princeton community. I attempt to see the good in people, experiences and perspectives. Ultimately, this attitude encourages others and it is my hope that it influences better behavior." "One of my strengths is being a good listener. After just one day spent with the TAG Team, I realized that there are many leaders with strong perspectives. It is important that some lead and some listen in a team. I am willing to step back and listen." "I’ve been through a lot, and I know what it feels like to be afraid to talk or ask for help. I want to be the person that people would not be afraid to talk to. I want to help." "I bring a willingness to work with others, creativity, and happiness. I want to be a positive role model in the community, make a change, and show people that you don’t have to be under the influence to have fun."
June 11, 2008
Harriet Robertson Student Leadership Award
On Wednesday, June 11th, the mayors of Princeton Borough and Township, Mildred Trotman and Phyllis Marchand, proclaimed that day as Harriet Robertson Day in the borough and township and, "urge[d] residents to applaud this magnanimous and philanthropic Princeton Township resident with boisterous cheering and sustained applause." The event was attended by civic dignitaries and community members, Corner House staff, and contingents of the Corner House student leadership teams: World of Work for Youth (WOWY), Teen Advisory Group (TAG), Project GAIA, Corner House Student Board, and the Princeton Youth Project.
After remarks by Ellen Stockmayer, Mrs. Robertson's daughter, the first annual Harriet Robertson Student Leadership Award was presented by Corner House Director Gary DeBlasio to Beth Breslaw, a leader with Project GAIA and the Corner House Student Board.
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