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BERKLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT Building Bridges PeerCorps Detroit earns grant to grow teen volunteer program. etroit resident Nora working on an urban farm, at a maker Feldhusen has been named space, with those living in temporary a Joshua Venture Group housing while seeking political (JVG) 2014-2016 Dual asylum, at the Isaac Agree Downtown Investment Program fellow for PeerCorps Synagogue and its community garden, at Detroit, a yearlong mentorship program a recreation center and at a new charter that allows Jewish teens and b'nai school. mitzvah students from all Jewish streams Student volunteers come twice a and areas of Metro Detroit to serve and month for more than three months build relationships with Detroit through each cycle, and they stay with each partnerships with grassroots initiatives. location the whole time in order to build The program builds bridges between meaningful relationships. teens and tweens, Jews and non- "PeerCorps offers a different entry Jews, city and suburbs in a way that is point for young people into Judaism," intentional, respectful and fun. Feldhusen said. "It's exciting to activate Feldhusen is among six social kids who didn't know that a way to entrepreneurs with visions for creating express Judaism is to care and create a more dynamic, just and community." inclusive Jewish community. The idea also is to engage Each fellow will receive Jewish students during and more than $100,000 in post-b'nai mitzvah, a time when funding and skill-building interest and involvement usually support over two years. drops. JVG, a New York-based Feldhusen plans to use some nonprofit organization of the $100,000 grant given dedicated to reinvigorating Nora Feldh over two years to convert her usen and expanding the Jewish coordinator job from part-time community through building the capacity to full time. She also has big plans to of young ventures and their leadership, increase teen involvement. chose Feldhusen and the exceptional "I'm hoping by the end of the group, including the first two Midwest two-year grant cycle to start the fellows, from a rigorous application Gesher Institute (gesher is Hebrew for process launched in spring 2014. bridge)," she said. "We hope in the This year, JVG called for projects that summer of 2016 to have a four-week aligned with specific areas of focus, one institute where we get a new group of of which was the city of Detroit. The community leaders who are active in fellowship program is generously local Jewish youth groups. funded by several national and regional "By instilling curiosity, empathy, critical organizations including Mandell L. and thinking and self-awareness about Madeleine H. Berman Foundation and Detroit, they can plug their movements William Davidson Foundation, both into the work. It's a way to build bridges based in Southfield. between the Jewish community and The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan the city. We can reach more people by Detroit played a key role in publicizing having teen leaders trained so they can the program and in the selection of a build bridges between their groups and fellow in its area. the city." PeerCorps was founded in 2013 Per the JVG grant, PeerCorps will in partnership with Repair the World: devote $7,000 each of the two years Detroit and Jewish Federation of for staff development for Feldhusen, Metropolitan Detroit's Alliance for Jewish part-time coordinator Aj Aaron and the Education. Feldhusen came on board organization's educational consultant, in April of last year, after the program Blair Nosan, a founder of PeerCorps, had received a grant from the Hermelin who now is working on a master's Davidson Fund for Congregational degree in Jewish education at the Jewish Excellence. Theological Seminary in New York. During its first year, PeerCorps "We will seek training for us in involvement included 10 mentors (ages Jewish rituals and youth leadership," 15-18) and 44 b'nai mitzvah students she said. "We are excited to be able to (11-13). This year's first-cycle cohort invest in ourselves as leaders of a youth includes 14 mentors and 22 tweens, program." one-third of them returning from last For information, go to year. Participants work with six partners peercorpsdetroit.tumblr.com . in Detroit, doing activities that include ❑ 67 October 2 • 2014 Where personal excellence is achieved through a powerful community, a true culture of caring, and extraordinary resources. • The class of 2014 received admission invitations to over 100 colleges and universities across the United States including Duke, Drake, Tulane, University of Michigan, Kalamazoo College, Michigan State, and more. • Berkley High School, ranked one of the top High Schools in the United States by Newsweek, offers over 21 Advanced Placement courses. • Berkley Schools offers a robust music and fine arts program from Kindergarten to 12th grade — and in 2014 was named a Best Community for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation. • Norup International houses both the MYP and PYP International Baccalaureate Programs. • Berkley Building Blocks offers high quality early childhood infant, toddler and preschool programs. www.berkleyschools.u1 ;__ 248.837.8000 1I BERKLEY SCHOOLS Ili ENGAGE. 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