Chef Aharon Denrich showing participants how to make calzones
Individuals in Humanim’s Developmental Disability Services took a morning trip to City Seeds’ teaching kitchen. The lesson plan was propped on an easel in front of their tables and paired with a printed handout of the recipe and instructions. Executive Chef Aharon Denrich, of City Seeds, reviewed kitchen safety precautions. Then he discussed the history of the meal for that day, which was calzones, an Italian oven baked folded pizza. Next, the participants put on aprons, and hair nets, and washed their hands as the Chef gave step-by-step instructions on how to prepare the meal.
Participants preparing calzones
“I like to go to City Seeds and learn skills about cooking and safety hazards,” said Elaine, a participant.
Once the food was hot and ready to eat, each participant was able to take home the cheese stuffed turnover pizza they prepared.
“Everything about City Seeds is wonderful. I especially like following the recipe, cooking, and eating the food that I cook,” said Kathryn, a participant.
City Seeds, a Humanim social enterprise, recently launched their Culinary Arts program, which provides virtual and in-person cooking classes for individuals with special needs. They also partnered with Humanim’s Developmental Disability Services, which offers various programs that promote self-sufficiency, job coaching, behavioral support and more for individuals with developmental disabilities.
This partnership supports Humanim’s mission to help empower and establish pathways to upward mobility for communities who face economic and social challenges.
As a Baltimore City student, I strongly advise you to apply for the CollegeBound Foundation’s Last Dollar Grant in your senior year of high school. It is due by June 1st and it has not only provided me with financial aid, but it has also connected me with opportunities.
If school board members vote to bring this idea into fruition, then this will provide well needed direction and guidance into a lot of students’ lives. Although my high school was not one of the City schools in partnership with CollegeBound, I was still able to apply and get accepted into the program.
The program not only provided me with up to $3,000 per year in grants, but it has also connected me with internships and job opportunities such as the Global Pathways for Students Program from the World Trade Institute located in downtown Baltimore. It is an organization that provides training for college students from Baltimore City. It teaches students how to network and gain professional experience as well as business relationships. It is a summer program that starts in late May and ends in August. On Tuesday I was informed that I was accepted into the program and I wouldn’t have gained or even have heard of this opportunity if it wasn’t for CollegeBound.
When you become a CollegeBound scholar and you receive internship and job opportunities, do not wait until the last minute to apply for these internships and jobs. If you need help with your resume and/or cover letter, then visit the career center in your university. When you are accepted into a program like Global Pathways, make sure that you are always on time, and dress business professional. During the internship, remember two things; it is not what you know, it’s who you know, and always make yourself memorable. Sometimes education isn’t enough. What can differentiate you from the person next to you who also has a degree is your experience, uniqueness, and connections.
While enduring a networking opportunity like Global Pathways, it is important that you build professional relationships by always asking questions, being engaging, charming, and showing your interest. The questions could be about their backgrounds, how they established their careers, and/or any professional advice. Networking leads to obtaining connections, which leads to possibly securing job positions and elevating your career.
Other opportunities that CollegeBound has linked me to was an internship for Under Armour, which is where City Students can gain both professional and business experience. They also linked me to The Greater Baltimore Urban League that contains an eight-week program which offers Summer Associate positions, and if you are hired for the job, then you’ll receive a stipen for $2,300, and an educational award for $1,252. This organization also offers a one-year Evaluation Assistant position that pays $15 an hour.
In summation, as a Baltimore City student who plans on going to college, you should definitely apply for CollegeBound to gain access to opportunities.
As you wrap up your final high school years and fantasize about the wild parties you’re going to partake in in college, as well as contemplate on the majors and classes you would like to study, and clubs they would like to join, it is important for you to pay close attention to your finances before you end up waking out of your drunken stupor and into a pool of debt. The College Juice created a list of important terms for all college students to be aware of.
Cost of attendance, which consists of tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation, is at the top of the list. Towson, Morgan State University and Coppin State University are your cheapest options as Baltimore City Students. Coppin’s in-state tuition is about $7,800 per year. The out-of-state tuition is about $10,000 more than that amount. Because you live in Baltimore, you won’t have to pay the $10,000 per year in room and board. The books and supplies cost $2,000, but you can pay only half that amount if you rent books. The last time I bought a book was in the first semester of my freshman year. The naïve 18-year-old me thought that I could sell the book for around the same amount that I paid. However, I ended up spending $80 on one book, but only getting $15 back when I sold it to BookHolders. Never again. Since then I rented my books and paid half the price I would pay if I had bought the books. You only need the books for a three-month class, so it doesn’t make sense to buy it.
As for transportation, monthly bus tickets are $72, which translates to $504 a school year. Riding the bus would be cheaper than driving a car to campus because you can avoid paying the garage permit and gas.
Another important term to know is the acronym, FAFSA, which stands for Free Financial Application for Federal Student Aid. Here are Instructions for how to apply for FAFSA. This application provides financial aid for students depending on their income. It is important for college students to fill out this form online starting in their senior year of high school. It is due by January 1st of every year, however while in college, I was able to turn in the form in October of every year.
Direct Subsidized loans are borrowed money given to students of low income families, and you do not have to pay interest. Direct Unsubsidized loans are borrowed money that is not only for students from low income families and you must pay interest. Grants and scholarships are “free money” meaning that it’s money given to you that you do no have to pay back. CollegeBound offers grants and scholarships for Baltimore City students. It has a program called Last Dollar Grant, which offers grants up to $3,000 a year for five years. The applications are due by June 1st. I was notified of my award from Collegebound by email in July after I applied.
Another term to know is the minimum monthly payment, which is the minimum amount you are allowed to pay for your student loans per month. However only paying the minimum amount can cause you to ultimately have to pay extra in interest. I suggest that you apply for as many scholarships as you can to receive more free money than borrowed money. Credit cards are used to pay for anything, but it is important to pay the credit card payment on time to maintain a high credit score. High credit scores can increase you chances of getting loans with better interest rates and getting approved for housing.
When filling out the FAFSA form, be sure to apply for federal work study. Work study jobs are jobs you can be hired for on your college’s campus. You can earn up to $1,800 per year.
This school year, Under Armour collaborated with the Ravens, the Fund for Educational Excellence and the InSideOut Initiative to provide uniforms and footwear to 5,300 student athletes and coaches in Baltimore City public schools. The InsideOut Initiative is a nonprofit organization that offers improvement for athletic directors and coaches. The Fund for Educational Excellence is a nonprofit organization that works to improve Baltimore City schools. Under Armour is a Baltimore based company that sells athletic and sportswear. The company also offers paid internships, which are great opportunities for Baltimore City students who plan on going to college.
City students who are interested in majoring in the likes of business, design, arts, engineering and technology will receive a quality experience in Under Armour’s 12-week internship by learning about the company and gaining inside knowledge on how to run a major business. The Summer League program gives students access to executive speakers and mentors who can properly guide and provide connections and network opportunities for young business aspiring students. While filling out the application, the student can also create a personal file that helps them choose a position that best fits their interests. The program’s requirements are not limited to fit a specific demographic but is open to a wide variety of students.
Even if you are not an aspiring business, design, or engineering major, you can still highly benefit from this internship as a student. The program will introduce you to the professional world and will provide you with training that is crucial for developing ways to conduct yourself and network for opportunities involving your major. For example, if you are a communications major, then this internship experience with Under Armour can potentially lead you to working for the company’s public relations campaign. As well as further elevate your career by leading you to work for bigger and higher paying companies. So, experience with a major company will be a good addition to you resume. Plus, since the company is based in Baltimore, then as a Baltimore city student, you have an advantage because the company has recently shown interest in city students by helping to improve Baltimore schools through the donation of their sportswear. Also, if you stay in Baltimore after graduating from high school and attend a local university such as Towson, Loyola, Morgan or Coppin State, then the location of the company is even more convenient.
Baltimore is abundant with many businesses such as Under Armour, Merritt Club, and places in the inner harbor that can provide jobs to many Baltimore students who are entering college. The inner harbor is the city’s most attractive tourist spot and major source of income. The downtown area is filled with immense job opportunities for local natives. So, with the collaboration of Programs such as YouthWorks who provides a paid summer job experience for Baltimore students between the ages of 14 and 21, local businesses can have the power to decrease the local unemployment rate and brighten the futures of Baltimore youth.
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