January, 2012

Spring Programs Under Way The Spring Activity Guide is out!  January kicks off a season of outstanding programs and workshops designed to meet the varied interests of teens.For the aspiring chef we offer both Barista Training and Culinary Classes with Chef Connie.  Musical enthusiasts can learn to play an instrument in Beginning Jam, or take their own band to the next level with Rock Band Coaching in Brodie’s Studio.  For teens who want to become more computer savvy, we offer Beginning Computer Science.  Teens who love art can sign up for new programs Clay and Ceramics or Junk Art and Sewing in Emily’s Art Studio.  For teens looking to be part of a great group, we invite them to join our Girl’s or Guy’s Group.  For those teens who are interested in leadership and community service, we offer the Chop’s Interact Club.Teens in need of some extra help with school work can receive tutoring and homework assistance. Sports enthusiasts can join Justin in our state-of-the-art Gymnasium for challenges on our 35 foot Rock Wall, or sign up for Indoor Soccer, Obstacle Course Saturdays or Rock ‘n Hoops for basketball games and tournaments. Programs are offered at minimal fees, and some are free of charge. For full details on all programs see the Activity Guide.  We invite you to come in to Chop’s for a tour and to pick up a free Activity Guide, or give us a call and we’ll be happy to mail one to you. You can also view the entire Activity Guide online at www.chopsonline.com.

Extreme Make-Over in the Tech Lounge The Tech Lounge at Chop’s is a popular place for teens to engage, and it’s no wonder, given all there is to do and participate in.  The Tech Lounge offers web access, computer technology, network gaming and console games such as Wii, Xbox 360 with Kinect and PS3.  There is also space to complete homework and play board games. After several years of daily use, the equipment and furnishings were in need of upgrading, so the Tech Lounge was recently given an extreme make-over.  Out went the old furniture and computers, and in came all new furniture, all new computers, a 55 inch flat screen TV, and all new computer screens.  Now it really is a state-of-the-art technology center!

HONORED MEMBERS PROGRAM Cameron Thompson You can usually find Cameron in the Art Studio creating pottery with Bill or making Yu-Gi-Oh dolls with Ellen. His passion for art was proudly displayed at the Chop’s Art Gala over the summer.  Cameron is a lively member at Chop’s and wants to be a billionaire when he grows up. When asked what he would do with a billion dollars he smiled and said “I would help Chop’s out as much as I could!”     Jennifer Kowalski Jennifer loves to hang out in the Art Studio enjoying intellectual conversations with the Art Studio assistants, and looks up to the rest of the Chop’s team as a part of her family. When asked what she would change about Chop’s Teen Club, Jennifer said, “Nothing, Chop’s is the perfect place to be. When it’s cold outside you can come to Chop’s and it’s warm. When it’s hot outside you can come to Chop’s and it’s cool inside, it’s the place to be, and there’s always something to do!” Outside of Chop’s Jennifer is an active student at Art Quest, and a member of the Gay-Straight Alliance Network.  One day she hopes to attend Parsons, Paris School of Art and Design.      Lupita Salgado Lupita’s favorite activity at Chop’s is playing pool and she loves to bring her friends in and encourages them to become members…thank you Ambassador Lupita!  Lupita feels her best memories of Chop’s will be the fun activities, conversations and the new friends she met in Girl’s Group.  Lupita loves working with children and wants to be a kindergarten teacher when she grows up.       Uriel “Oreo” Alvarez Oreo displays absolute respect and kindness to both the staff and members. On any given day you can see Oreo helping out at the front desk, art studio or making someone smile with a magic trick. Oreo has brought members together with his magic and continues to amaze everyone with his tricks. Some of Oreo’s favorite things to do at Chop’s are playing basketball with Justin, hanging out in the art studio with Jess and practicing his magic in Club 509 with Jasmine. When we asked Oreo what he would change about Chop’s he said with a smile on his face, “I would make it so that middle school teens could stay until ten on weekends.” One day Oreo wants to travel the world and bring people of different races, ethnicities and nationalities together with his magic.

Spotlight on Sports Coordinator Justin AtkinsonJustin Atkinson is originally from Pittsburgh, PA. He attended Gettysburg College where he majored in Philosophy and English. Now, as a graduate student at Sonoma State University, Justin is an Adjunct Professor, teaching English Composition to freshmen. He is an avid rock climber and enjoys just about any outdoor activity. Justin manages the Chop’s Rock Wall, and runs a wide variety of sports programs including, basketball, indoor soccer, dodge ball, floor hockey, badminton, volleyball, obstacle course and wiffle ball. In addition to being a sports fanatic, Justin also leads the Guy’s Group, which helps our male members engage in community service, open communication, and team building workshops. Justin has a strong commitment to the service learning model and tries to incorporate that paradigm into all of the programs he runs at Chop’s.  Look for Justin’s upcoming Fantasy Football League and March Madness Tournament!

Outstanding Volunteer, Chico AverbuckChico is currently the Director of International Scouting for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Prior to this, he served as a scout for the Portland Trailblazers. Chico graduated from CSU at Bakersfield where he played ball collegiately. He spent his first two years as a collegian playing at Rider College in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Chico also is Director of the North Coast Basketball Association here in Santa Rosa. The NCBA is a 31 week Basketball Academy that teaches basketball fundamentals and life lessons. Chico has volunteered his time with the Chop’s Rock ‘n Hoops program for almost a year, and “believes it is important to give back to our area’s youth as well as assist in any way possible with the incredible mission of Chop’s Teen Club.”

Parenting Your Teen WorkshopThe California Parenting Institute will be holding a four week workshop for parents of teens ages 13-19 at Chop’s Teen Club.  The classes will be held on Tuesday evenings, March 27-April 17.  The workshop will inform parents about the nature and progress of adolescence and give parents concrete, evidence-based skills for addressing teen issues.  The cost is $50, and Chop’s Teen Club parents will receive $10 off.  To register call CPI at (707) 585-6108 or sign up online at www.calparents.org.

Young Reporter Workshop Welcomes the Sonoma County Board of SupervisorsOn April 7th, Chop’s Teen Club, in collaboration with Kids Scoop News and The Volunteer Center of Sonoma County will host a Young Reporter Workshop for 7th and 8th graders to promote literacy and civic engagement.  The workshop will be held here at Chop’s from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.  The purpose of the workshop is to boost writing skills and reading comprehension.  The workshop will also introduce the students to county government.  All five Sonoma County Supervisors will be attending the workshop and will be interviewed by the students.  The students will then write an article based on what they learned from the Supervisors.  Thank you Supervisors Zane, Rabbitt, Brown, Carrillo and McGuire!  The articles will be published in Kid Scoop News in the following months and read by the 12,000 elementary grade students who read Kid Scoop News in their classrooms. To register, call 707-284-2467.

Mark Your Calendars!  

~Work Ready Certificate Program, Tuesdays, February 21 – April 10th, 4:00-6:00 p.m.  Chop’s is teaming up with the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) to offer this Work Ready Certificate Program which focuses on competencies needed for getting and keeping a job.  Participants will walk away with an employment portfolio and a Work Ready Certificate that will help them be more competitive in this job market.  Thanks to a generous grant from Infineon Raceway, this program is available free of charge.  To register call 707-284-2467  

~ Family Ice Skating at Snoopy’s Ice Arena, Friday March 9th from 5:30-8:00 p.m. The Sonoma County Bar Association is hosting this event, which includes ice skating, skate rental and buffet dinner.  Part of the proceeds will benefit Chop’s Teen Club!  Cost is $25 for adults, $20 for kids 6-18.  Kids 5 and under are free.  This is a free evening for Chop’s Teen Club members.

~Youth Empowerment & Leadership Conference, Saturday March 31st from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Chop’s Teen Club is partnering with Windsor Oaks Academy to present this special conference for 7th-10th grade students.  The conference will be packed with fun workshops and entertainment with a focus on self-expression and awareness.  Key note speaker and best selling author Mike Robbins will get the crowd excited with his dynamic style as he delivers an empowering message about being appreciative and authentic. To register call 707-837-7771.

~ArtFest 2012  Chop’s teen and staff artwork will be featured at the Finley Community Center from

 April 3-26. Please plan to join us at the Opening Reception on Thursday, April 5th from 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Greetings From Diana Curtin, Executive Director                                                          November, 2011

Welcome to the first edition of Chop’s Chat!  We are very excited to produce a newsletter to share all the exciting happenings at Chop’s Teen Club.   It’s a special time here at Chop’s as we celebrate our 10^th Anniversary of serving teens in our community.  Mayor Olivares awarded us with a Proclamation, which we happily accepted at a Council Meeting in October.   We also recently secured a $10,000 matching grant.  Our 10^th Anniversary and $10,000 grant gave us the idea for a 10 for 10 Campaign designed to help us raise the additional $10,000.  We’ve just kicked off our efforts to raise these funds and hope that you will consider becoming a Friend of Chop’s by becoming a donor.  I invite you to read on, you’ll be inspired by what we do here, what we have to offer, and how teens are so richly served by our programs and the Chop’s staff.

SUMMER ART SERIES

If there’s one thing our teens know how to do, it’s create.  Create excitement, create stunning works of art, and create spectacular events.  And that’s just what they did this past summer.  First, the teens were able to participate in our Side-by-Side Artist Series, which paired them with professional local artists from different genres.  The series included working with glass, silk and metal art.

The Summer Artist Series is so popular that we have waiting lists and encourage teens to sign up as soon as the classes are announced in our Summer Activity Guide, which comes out in May.  The workshops were taught by talented guest artists Davin Goldstein, Christi Coraddi, Klaus Rappensberger, Joey Castor and Arn Anderson.

The Summer Art Series culminated with our Summer Art Gala which provided a platform for the teen artists to show their pieces in a juried art show, judged by Mario Uribe, Kay Marquet and Jennifer Sloan.  Much to the delight of patrons, they were treated to culinary creations provided by our teen catering crew, and serenaded by our Chop’s Jam Band. After the event, selected art pieces were showcased at several Railroad Square merchants, including Tee Vax, 6^th Street Playhouse, Whistle Stop Antiques, Cast Away Yarn and the Welfare League.

The Handcar Workshop was borne out of the idea of integrating our Art Studio into the larger art community of Sonoma County.  Now in its third year, the workshop challenged a group of teens to design and fabricate a handcar to compete in Santa Rosa’s Handcar Regatta.

The teens were led by guest artists Bruce Corson, Bill Donahue and Robin Stephani, who guided the teens through the design process, the exchange of ideas and voting on a design.  An elaborate skull and bones creation was the result.  “The Rolling Bones” was unveiled during our special “Unveiling Event” in September.   Our teen culinary crew also catered this event, and the Jam Band provided musical entertainment.  Among those in attendance was Santa Rosa Councilman John Sawyer, who read a Proclamation from Mayor Olivares, celebrating Chop’s Teen Club’s 10^th Anniversary.   At the Handcar Regatta, the teens were given the Strange Award named for Jessica Strange, the event’s M.C.  The award honored the teens’ participation in the event for all three years.

CHOP’S CHALLENGES TEENS

Something we take great pride in at Chop’s is challenging teens to take part in a number of programs and clubs designed to teach them team building skills, enhance their learning opportunities, assist them in becoming workforce ready and involved in the community.

The Chop’s Interact Club, sponsored by Santa Rosa Rotary West focuses on the development of leadership skills through service to others.   An off-shoot of Rotary International, Interact attracts high achieving well rounded students. Universities from around the country are known to give preference to students who list Interact Club on their college applications.  Our Chop’s Interact Club averages 15 members per meeting, and attracts students from all high schools in the area.  Our ambitious group has adopted a neighborhood park to maintain, they fill back packs with school supplies for underprivileged kids, and assist with needs at Silvercrest Retirement Home.

We recently launched a work ready certification program in collaboration with the Sonoma County Office of Education called RU Ready, a six-week course focusing on 15 competencies that Sonoma County employers identified as essential for success.  This interactive program includes interviews by a panel of community business members and concludes with an updated resume and the skills and confidence to ensure success on the job.   Two important results are garnered from the program; teens are equipped with the knowledge of how to get and keep jobs, which in turn provides a stronger workforce for Sonoma County.

In an effort to provide academic support for teens, we have teamed up with Graton Rancheria and now offer twice weekly free tutoring sessions with the goal of accurately completing homework assignments and improving grades.

In addition to running the Chop’s sports programs and Rock Wall, Sonoma State student Justin Atkinson also runs the Guy’s Group, which focuses on team building and community service.   The group provides a platform for teen boys to increase their self-confidence and follow-through with projects.  They recently served a meal at St. Vincent De Paul’s, provided some landscaping help at Kid Street Learning Center, and are embarking on a Food Drive to provide much needed food items to the S.A.Y. (Social Advocates for Youth)Teen Food Pantry.

HONORED MEMBERS PROGRAM

We take every opportunity we can to honor our teen members, and one very special way we do that is with our Honored Members Program.  Every other month our staff recommends both a teen girl and boy to become Honored Members.  Based on behavior, respect and our Code of Conduct, these model members are celebrated with a photograph and biography hung in our lobby area.   This program is very popular with the teens; they strive to meet the criteria to be chosen and honored by both their peers and the staff here at Chop’s.   And we don’t stop there.   Upon completion of their tenure, we move the Honored Member photo and bio to our board room, where the staff and board members enjoy a visual reminder of the important and impactful work we do here at Chop’s, serving our teens.

Congratulations to our current Honored Members, Melody Kang and Kyle McGruder.  Melody is one of our youngest members, and is a constant contributor, helping with numerous Chop’s events including the Art Gala and our Unveiling Event.  Outside of Chop’s, Melody enjoys drama classes and spending time with her siblings.

Kyle is an active member at Chop’s, and accompanied our staff when we received a Proclamation from the City of Santa Rosa.  A freshman at Montgomery High School, Kyle plays soccer and basketball and is an active dancer who hopes to become a dance choreographer.

PROGRAMS PACKED WITH PUNCH

While we encourage our teens to take some down time and enjoy the tech lounge, a game of hoops or perhaps create a work of art, what we pride ourselves on is the quality and quantity of the programs we offer.  Carefully designed to meet the interests of teens, we provide programs rich in content, covering a wide array of areas.  Here’s a sampling of our programs:

Culinary Teens can take part in culinary and barista instruction in our teaching kitchen and espresso station.  Basic kitchen skills, meal and drink preparation are taught, as well as cooking and serving instruction that provide employable skills.  Teens can also join the catering crew and participate in providing food service at Chop’s events, such as the Art Gala.

Art Our Art Studio exposes teens to a wide range of creative activities and genres.  Through workshops and classes, teens are engaged in art disciplines that include pottery, ceramics and painting.  The Art Studio also participates in large scale community events.

Sports and Fitness Chop’s houses a ¾ size gymnasium, complete with a state of the art 35 foot Rock Wall with five levels of difficulty.  Activities in the gym include basketball, volleyball, dodgeball, badminton, indoor soccer, group games and more.

Music and Recording Our Recording Studio is home to instruction on drums, guitars, keyboards and more.  Open jam sessions allow teens to create original music, and Chop’s Rock Band Coaching provides young musicians rehearsal time and performance coaching.

Tech Lounge Chop’s Tech Lounge offers web access, computer technology, network gaming, console games (Wii, Xbox 360, PS3), space to complete homework and play board games.

Club 509 Rocks the House Club 509 is a nightclub just for teens inside Chop’s Teen Club complete with a spacious dance floor and club lighting.  This ultra-cool club provides the teens a party-like atmosphere with booths to sit at and an amazing sound system.  Our in-house café is open for members to purchase meals, tasty treats and drinks during drop in hours and during events.  Club 509 is home to three dances per month; one for 7^th to 10^th graders, one for middle school students, and a social dance, where Nordquist Junior Dance Instructors provide social dance lessons.   Our teens are thrilled to have Club 509, and attendance for dances is known to reach a whopping 250!

CONGRATULATIONS MELISSA STEWART, PROGRAM & EVENTS DIRECTOR

As we celebrate our 10 Year Anniversary, we can’t help but reflect on another important milestone, and give a shout out to one of our own.  Melissa Stewart began volunteering here at Chop’s soon after we opened in 2001.  At age fifteen Melissa had benefitted from a program dedicated to affording adolescents positive life lessons.  The lessons resonated with Melissa, and became imbedded into the fabric of her life.  In her eagerness to “give back”, she found Chop’s to be the perfect place to act on her passion for helping others and began volunteering here.  Soon after, Melissa became a staff member, managing the Chop’s Café.  Ten years later, Melissa is now the Program and Events Director, a demanding, multi-tasking, creatively fueled job.

It’s actually a family affair, as Melissa’s husband Koy is Chop’s IT/Operations Manager, and has been with Chop’s even longer than Melissa! In his 11 years with Chop’s, Koy has done nearly every job, and has contributed greatly to the overall success of the organization.  Raising three sons, Melissa and Koy are invested in the values that guide the Chop’s mission to provide Santa Rosa teens with healthy and vibrant programs.   We look forward to realizing Melissa’s visions of new and innovative programs to further enhance Chop’s as a place where Santa Rosa teens are encouraged to discover their unique talents and to thrive.