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KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI Celebration in Denver

It's Krishna's birthday!

The Bhutanese Hindu community in Denver invites you to celebrate this very special and holy festival with them. Krishna is one of the most important gods in the Hindu faith, and Krishna Janmashtami is the celebration of his birth.

If you would like to learn more about the holiday, the local Bhutanese community invites you to join them in celebrating this auspicious occasion and to mark a day full of joy and blessings. There will be music, cultural dance, and more!
 
Anyone who is interested is invited to observe this unique celebration based on the Hindu Culture. 

Wednesday, August 28

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Lowry Park

1000 Dayton St., Aurora Colorado

Click here for a map to this location.

Click here to learn about the history and traditions of Krishna Janmashtami.

You are invited to experience a bit of Hindu culture

The Bhutanese Hindu Community of Colorado is asking you to share in a very special event. His Holiness Sri Tridandi Srimannarayana Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji, a Vedic pontiff, a preacher and Vashnavite guru is coming to Denver to visit the Hindu community.

The Bhutanese Hindu community cordially invites you to attend the program, celebrate with them, and receive blessings from Swamiji.

If you do not speak Nepali or Hindi, please send an email bhagawatprapanna@gmail.com to RSVP and request an interpretation headset. It is requested that, to be respectful, women wear long sleeves with pants or a skirt that cover the legs.

Thursday, August 29

1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Eloise May Library

1471 S Parker Rd

Denver, CO 80231

Organizer: Bhutanese Hindus of Colorado
Contact: 720-422-9978, 720-989-0651

Remote tutoring--or just a visit!

In the past year, several in-home tutors have used Skype with their students. If you're unfamiliar, Skype is a free program that lets you use your computer to call another user and communicate in real time, with or without a video interface. You need an Internet connection, a webcam, and a microphone. If you have a standalone webcam or a laptop computer, the microphone is usually integrated with the camera.you can also use Skype with a smartphone.

For our purposes, using the video interface is preferred because it's the next-best-thing to a face-to-face conversation.

Many of our in-home students have a computer at home, either their own or for the children to use for schoolwork. Your student may not be computer literate, but Skype doesn't require that. Some simple point-and-click mouse skills will do!

How could you use Skype as a tutor?

• Check in between lessons
• Do a short "live" lesson if you're away from home and can't make your regular session
• Practice speaking and listening skills with your student
• Help with homework

Use your imagination. Skype is free and easy to use. If your student is from Iraq, chances are she (or he) already uses Skype to keep in touch with family overseas. Go to the Skype website for more information. If you have used Skype with your student, please share your thoughts about the experience in the comments section.

Looking for a new tutoring challenge?

Attention in-home tutors--especially those not currently working with a student!!

We've had a request for a volunteer to teach a large group of Bhutanese refugees in our area. This is a group of about 16 men and women. You would meet in one of their apartments for a minimum of two hours each week.

The location is in Aurora, a few blocks north of E. Colfax Ave. at I-225. Let me know if you're interested in taking this on: sharon_mccreary@dpsk12.org


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The Refugees' Bicycles

If you tutor at the apartments on Blackhawk/Billings Street in Aurora, you may have seen a man fixing bicycles in the courtyard of the building. Here's the story behind that. Well worth the six minutes!

June = World Refugee Day!

June 20 is world Refugee Day. In Colorado, there are events happening all month and all over to mark the occasion, from Greeley down to Colorado Springs.

Tonight, African Community Center of Denver presents Voices of Refugees, which features refugees telling their stories in their own words. This is always a powerful and moving experience. the event is free and open to the public.

Voices of Refugees

Wednesday, June 12

6:30-8:30 p.m.

Aurora Central High School

11700 E 11th Ave, Aurora, CO 80010

For more information about the event and to read profiles of the featured speakers, click here.

There are dozens more World Refugee Day events happening around our area from now through June 23. Click here for a printable schedule of all events. You can dine out and have part of the price of your meal donated to refugee resettlement. Attend cultural immersion events, enjoy free coffee, learn about employing refugees, visit a photo exhibit or two, shop for crafts, or take part in a 5K run.

Whatever you decide to take part in, please be sure to bring along friends and family to help raise awareness about the refugees being resettled in our communities.

Save the Date!

Tuesday, August 6

 

Emily Griffith Technical College Volunteer Appreciation Event

 

Honoring CRESL classroom volunteers, in-home tutors, Emily Griffith Foundation Board members, and College Advisory Board members

 

Details will be coming soon!

Help our students learn to interview!

Anyone who has ever been new to the workforce--or returning after time away--knows how nerve-wracking a job interview can be. Like anything else, though, practice makes perfect.

On April 30 and May 1, Emily Griffith Technical College will be hosting a mock career fair to help our students get interviewing practice and gain confidence for the job search..Here's a chance for you to get in touch with your inner actor! We need volunteers to stand in and "play the roles" of human resources professionals. Volunteers will conduct mock interviews with our students and help the students polish their interviewing, presentation, and networking skills.

Volunteers will be assigned to conduct interviews for a particular career area or industry. For example, you might be assigned to play the role of HR representative for "Restaurant," "Hospitality/Hotel," "Healthcare/Hospital," etc. You will be given a script of sample questions to ask and the types of responses expected from the students. After each mock interview, you'll offer feedback and advice on what the student needs improve upon or change.

Volunteer participants should be outgoing, friendly, able to convey a professional demeanor, and enjoy interacting with students from very diverse backgrounds.

Tuesday, April 30

2:00-4:00 p.m.

and

Wednesday, May 1

9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon

You can volunteer for one or both sessions, for even for just an hour.

If you're interested in volunteering as an interviewer for the mock career fair, please contact Kevin Mohatt at Kevin_Mohatt@dpsk12.org or 720-423-4753.

Events that might interest you

Outcasts United:
A Community Conversation with

Luma Mufleh

Inspirational Coach and Founder of The Fugees Soccer Team

Thursday, March 21, 2013, 7:00–9:00 PM

Place Bridge Academy Auditorium

7125 Cherry Creek N Drive, Denver

Luma Mufleh is the inspirational coach of a soccer team called the Fugees—short for refugees. Players, selected for resettlement in a small town outside Atlanta called Clarkston, are from 28 war-torn countries, and most of them have endured unimaginable hardship. They share the experience of being caught between worlds, and something else—a love of soccer, a game many of the boys learned to play in refugee camps, using a bundle of plastic bags and twine for a ball.

The New York Times bestseller Outcasts United documents the remarkable story of how these players, with Mufleh at the helm, found ways to connect and come together across broad cultural divides and oftentimes strong local resentment. Universal Studios is currently making the story into a major motion picture.

Seating is limited. To RSVP, please visit facinghistory.org/communityconversations or call 303-316-4848 x221. As part of Facing History’s national series of Community Conversations, this event is free and open to the public.


Film screening

America by the Numbers with Maria Hinojosa:
Clarkston, Georgia

This short film explores what it takes to be inclusive, engaged and living in the “New America.” It is the story of a small town of 7,500 people that has gone from being 90% white in the 1980s to less than 14% white today. Located in the shadow of Stone Mountain, once a gathering place for Ku Klux Klan cross burnings, Clarkston today is home to thousands of refugees from Vietnam, Somalia, Iraq and Bhutan – along with some forty other countries. This is an intimate look at how changing demographics are reshaping the political landscape of America.

This free event includes time for a community discussion following the screening.

Friday, April 19, 2013

3:00 p.m.

First Universalist Church

4101 E. Hampden Ave.

Denver (NE corner of Hampden and Colorado Blvd.)

Presented by Colorado African Organization, Colorado Providers for Integration Network, Welcoming America, and Welcoming Colorado

Resources you can use

What's new at the library
The Arapahoe Library District recently made a helpful addition to its website. As a tutor, you might find this new web page quite useful. The URL for the site is http://arapahoelibraries.org/new-americans. If you get to the website via search in your browser, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and under "Services," click on "New Americans."

Some of the resources on the site include information about free ESL classes, conversation groups, support services for newcomers who have been in the U.S. for less than three years, ESL collections in the library district, online ESL learning tools, downloadable ESL materials, citizenship information and resources, adult literacy resources, and more.

The Denver Public Library also has a many resources for newcomers. On its Community Learning Plazas section of the website, you'll find information about citizenship, language learning, online ESL help, and video language lessons, among other helpful tools. Click on one of the colorful bubbles at the top of the page to access the Learning Plaza you wish to explore.

Just below the graphic for the Learning Plazas, there is a link to Immigrant Resources. this comprehensive list of organizations and services is a good reference for anyone who is or who helps newcomers in the Denver area. Click here to access the DPL Community Learning Plazas.

Take a look around both sites--you are likely to find something of use to you and to your student.

Refugee health and the CDC
Also on the Internet this week, the U.S. Centers for disease control (CDC) has updated its site with some new refugee-specific health information. The first refugee health profile is about the Bhutanese population. More profiles are in development and will be added soon.

While much of the information is intended for medical professionals who encounter refugees in their practice, the information will also provide insight to anyone who has contact with the refugee population. Topics include cultural background, common medical conditions in populations being resettled, migration information, and healthcare and diet in camps. Click here to go to the homepage for Refugee Health Profiles.

TRAINING SCHEDULE CHANGE

The first 2013 training session for in-home tutors has been changed from January 26 

to Saturday, February 2.

Your vote matters!

"It's a major award!"

The Emily Griffith Foundation was presented a check for $15,000 this week from the Hyatt Regency hotel.  The check was awarded to the school’s Work Intensive Skills Camp (WISC), a refugee job-training program that, for six years, has partnered with the Hyatt Regency to help newly-arrived refugees in Denver secure employment in the hospitality industry.

Work Intensive Skills Camp instructor, Kate Goodspeed and student,
Rup Neupane accept a check for $15,000

In addition to Hyatt, the program partners with businesses like The Brown Palace, Curtis Hotel and Denver Athletic Club, but this is the first time that one of the partnering companies has financially supported the EGTC program.

Vote. Give. Thrive.
In addition to the $15,000 award, Emily Griffith Foundation has the opportunity to receive additional funds as part of Hyatt’s Vote. Give. Thrive. contest in which anyone can view and vote for a video of the Work Intensive Skills Camp’s partnership with the Hyatt Regency. 

Now through December 31, Emily Griffith Foundation will be competing with organizations throughout the world in this contest. Individuals can vote on Hyatt’s Facebook page. The non-profit with the most votes will receive an additional $10,000, and the second and third place organizations will each receive an additional $5,000. Visit Facebook.com/Hyatt for more details. You can vote once a day through December 31.

“The Hyatt Regency was our first community partner,” said Kate Goodspeed, instructor for the Work Intensive Skills Camp. “In 6 years, we’ve had over 320 students job shadow at Hyatt Hotels and many have been hired.  We are very grateful and excited that they successfully nominated us for the Hyatt Thrive grant.” 

This year the Emily Griffith Foundation is one of 26 non-profits worldwide to receive funding from Hyatt Hotel.  In 2012, Hyatt Hotels awarded more than $300,000 in grants to non-profits in communities where Hyatt hotels operate. The funding is a key component of Hyatt Thrive – Hyatt’s global corporate responsibility platform which encourages hotels around the world to identify and nominate local nonprofits for funding consideration through the Hyatt Hotels Foundation. The program builds on Hyatt’s belief that nobody understands a community’s most pressing issues – and their solutions – better than those that live and work there.   Hyatt Thrive encourages hotel associates to guide charitable giving in support of local organizations and  efforts to further economic development.

Work Intensive Skills Camp was developed because of a need to provide more job-training resources for refugees with low levels of English. In the 2012 fiscal year, Work Intensive Skills Camp trained more than 130 refugees for jobs in Colorado.  The program focuses on industry driven demands of the workforce and trains individuals through hands-on skills and classroom instruction.  Individuals in the program come from countries like Somalia, Burma (Myanmar), Bhutan, Ethiopia and Iraq. 

Learn about Tibetan Buddhism

A discussion about Tibetan Buddhism
Thursday, December 6, 2012

3:30-5:00 p.m.

Emily Griffith Technical College

1250 Welton St., Room 123

Click here for a map

This presentation is free and open to the public. 

Join us on Thursday, December 6 for a presentation about Tibetan Buddhism. The presenter, Yungdrung Gyeltsen, is Buddhist monk who fled Tibet 26 years ago. Yungdrung, who holds a Ph.D. in Tibetan Philosophy, currently lives in Denver and studies English at Emily Griffith Technical College.

In addition to being a student, Yungdrung is passionate about helping others understand Tibetan culture and the philosophies and beliefs behind Tibetan Buddhism. You may remember him from a video produced by DPStv earlier this year. His story is compelling.



Refugee Profile: Tibetan monk from DPStv on Vimeo.

Online inspiration

One of the most common questions we get here at Home tutoring Central is, "What should I teach my student? Where can I start?"

What you teach and where you start are largely dependent on what your student already knows and what language she or he feels is most relevant at the moment. In the tutor training sessions, we generate a list of topics that work for students at any level. If you're looking for more inspiration or an idea of what to include ina lesson, there are literally thousands of websites created for ESL teachers and students.

One that you might find helpful is English Language World. The site is ad-supported and has ads embedded in the lesson flow, so be careful where you click. In addition to being an inspiration generator for teachers, the site is a good self-study tool if your student has Internet access. The site offers lessons for all levels, from very beginning to advanced, and includes practical, every day language that students need.

Most lessons have audio clips modeling correct pronunciation. Lessons build up in complexity and are self-correcting. the site also includes a "Teacher's Lounge" that offers more activities.

Give English Language World a try the next time you're trying to think of what to include in a lesson. It's free!

Teej Festival

The Global Bhutanese Community of Colorado will commemorate the Hindu Teej Festival honoring Bhutanese and Nepalese women, and you are invited!

This festival takes place worldwide, including here in Colorado. According to Wikipedia,

"Dedicated to the Goddess Parvati, commemorating her union with Lord Shiva, the festival is celebrated for marital bliss, well-being of spouse and children and purification of own body and soul. The festival is a three-day-long celebration that combines sumptuous feasts as well as rigid fasting. 

Falling on the Hindu month of Bhadrapada or Bhado (August/September), it also celebrates the arrival of monsoon after a season of oppressive heat. The festival gets its name from ‘Teej,’ a small red insect that comes out of the soil during rains."

You can join in the celebration this year. Come to celebrate this auspicious occasion with a full day of joy and togetherness. This cultural celebration is open to anyone who wishes to participate and learn more about the Bhutanese members of our community.

Copyright Boston Globe

Teej Festival

Thursday, September 20, 2012

10: a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Lowry Park

11th Ave. and Dayton St., Aurora

Click here for a map.

Namaste!

Be part of the peacemaking community

Community College of Aurora’s Global Initiatives Committee and the ESL Department are pleased to invite you to our upcoming lecture on "Post 9/11 Religion and Community: Interfaith Strategies for Peacemaking," This event is open to the public.

Thursday September 6th

6:15-7:15 p.m. 

Community College of Aurora

CentreTech Campus

 Rotunda, Student Center building

Room 100 

16000 East CentreTech Parkway, Aurora, Colorado

"When the planes flew into the skyscrapers on 9/11, Dan Buttry was the co-pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dearborn, Michigan—home to the largest Arab Muslim population in North America. The next evening, Dan joined a group of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish religious leaders at a Dearborn mosque to ask what they might do together as religious communities. Thus began Dan’s journey as an interfaith peacemaker."

The Rev. Dr. Daniel Buttry is currently the global consultant for peace and justice with International Ministries of the American Baptist Churches, working on short-term peace projects around the world. He is also the author of several books, including Blessed are the Peacemakers and Interfaith Heroes 1 & 2. Learn more about his work at www.danbuttry.com.

Get out of town! Or not.

Are you looking for an interesting day trip to enjoy with your student? For students with very little English, a museum visit or historical site outing may not have much meaning since so much the experience is explained through language (docents, placards, audio guides).

Many of the refugees we work with don't have access to transportation and know very little about the area beyond what they see in their own neighborhoods or on the bus. Colorado is a beautiful state and most newcomers are eager to see it! Consider a day trip that shows off some of what makes this state so special.

Pack a picnic lunch and your camera, and don't forget car seats or boosters if the kids are coming along for the ride. It's always a good idea to bring a jacket when you head into the mountains, no matter what the weather is doing in Denver.

Mount Evans

Matt Inden/Miles via Colorado.com

Located in Clear Creek County, Mount Evans is the closest fourteener to Denver and also boasts the highest paved road in the country. The mountain tops out at 14, 265 feet. Mount Evans is about 50 miles from Denver by way of Idaho Springs.The fee for parking and using the facilities is $10 per car (up to 12 passengers).

Although there are no picnic tables on the Mount Evans road, there are some beautiful places to stop along the way. Click here for a list. While you're on Mount Evans, don't miss the M. Walter Pesman wildflower trail at Mount Goliath. The trail is maintained by Denver Botanic Gardens. Click here for information about guided wildflower hikes through August 4, 2012. If you still have time, visit Echo Lake Park on your way down the mountain. Note: On Saturday, July 21, Mount Evans road will be closed until 2:00 p.m. for a bicycle race.

Rocky Mountain National Park

The road to Rocky can be very crowded on summer weekends, so leave early--or schedule a weekday trip. The park is about a 90-minute drive from Denver. The entry fee to the park is $20 per car and your pass is good for one week.The park is huge and offers many excellent hiking and picnic spots. Stop at one of the ranger stations for advice on where to find the easier trails.

This summer there is major construction on Bear Lake Rd., the main thoroughfare to popular Bear Lake and handicap-accessible Sprague Lake. Shuttle buses are mandatory on part of that route, unless you get through before 9:00 a.m. or after 4:00 p.m. For details on the construction and closures, click here. As an alternative, consider visiting different parts of RMNP that don't require use of Bear Lake Road. Most visitors to the park enter through the Beaver Meadows entrance, but you can also enter the park south of Estes Park at Lily Lake, or on the west side at Grand Lake. There is a lot to do and see at RMNP. Click here and check out the menu on the left side of the page.

Garden of the Gods

Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak/ Sharon McCreary 2010

Located in Colorado Springs in the shadow of Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods is a unique and beautiful sandstone fantasy. Many trails are paved and most are easy to navigate (no hiking skills required). The views are breathtaking.

Start your day at the visitor center, pick up a map, and then head over to the park. Plan to picnic in the park since there is no place to consume your own food at the visitor center (although it does sport a nice cafe, if you're willing to buy lunch). The park is open daily until 8:00 p.m. in summer and admission is free. The visitor center is located at 1805 N. 30th (at Gateway Rd.) in Colorado Springs. Click here for directions. The park is open from 8-8 daily in the summer.

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge

A bit closer to home is the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge (RMANWR). The refuge is located just a bit northeast of Denver, yet it provides some of the finest wildlife viewing around. At more than 15,000 acres in size, this national wildlife refuge is one of the largest in the United States. Bring your binoculars and watch for birds, raptors, deer, bison, and any of the more than 300 species of wildlife in the refuge. The refuge is a peaceful place to walk and enjoy nature, but there are educational programs available, as well. Stop by the visitor center for interactive exhibits. Be aware that guided activities within the refuge are free but require a reservation.

The RMANWR is located at 6550 Gateway Rd. in Commerce city. Entrance to the refuge is free. The refuge is open seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., except for federal holidays. The visitor center (closed Mondays) is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. For more information and to get a copy of the latest newsletter, click here to visit the RMANWR website.

A Taste of Colorado

For nearly 30 years, the "Festival of Mountain and Plain" has capped off Denver summers. This free, four-day event takes place every year during Labor Day weekend in Civic Center Park at Colfax and Broadway, downtown. The event includes arts and crafts vendors, educational displays, a KidsZone, great people watching, lots of music, free concerts, and a lot of food!

You won't be able to bring in a picnic lunch, so budget for food or eat before you go. Parking can be tricky, but there are many pay lots around the festival, including the Justice Center Garage (where Emily Griffith employees park) on Delaware St., between 13th and 14th Avenues. Plan to spend a fun day! For more information about this year's event and the entertainment schedule, visit the event website.

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head!

The monsoon season has arrived in Denver! It's the time of year when a long stretch of dry, dusty days are suddenly punctuated by daily downpours. This weather pattern lasts for much of the month of July.

Many of our refugee students are familiar with similar seasonal rains, but not how they translate to an urban environment. Each year, a number of Americans are injured or drown in urban flash floods. Now is a good time to explain to your student the basic physics of storm drains and the suction power they can generate.

This morning, an extremely heavy rainstorm poured a deluge of water on downtown Denver. Traffic was snarled and, because the storm drains in the streets were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of water, many streets flooded. The photo taken above was taken this morning during that storm. It's Welton Street just off of Colfax, between the Convention Center and Emily Griffith Technical College. The water was about thigh-high on an average-sized adult (as gauged by watching a woman wade across 12th St.).

The water was gone within 90 minutes. That's millions of gallons of water being sucked into storm drains very quickly. What many of the refugees don't understand is how strong that suction really is. It's important to let your students know how to manage urban flash floods:

• If your student drives, the general rule of thumb is not to drive into water deeper than six inches
• Do not wade into the water to cross the street. If you can't see your feet, go another way. If the water is more than shin-deep, it's dangerous and can easily cause a fall.
• Do not walk near or through the water rushing into storm drains at the curb.
• Keep children close. Do not allow children to play in the water or near storm drains. Some of the larger drains--in culverts, for example--can easily suck in a child (or adult) very quickly. There are many instances of Coloradans who have died this way!
• Tread carefully. The mix of debris, oils, and plastic swept up in the water can make for slippery conditions. If you have to walk through it, rinse off your skin once you're inside.
•  Remove shoes and give them time to dry thoroughly before wearing them again.

Monsoon storms can come up very quickly and it's easy to underestimate how much water is moving off of the streets. Several years ago, I was caught in a downpour while riding my bike home from work. I was on the Cherry Creek bike path downtown. Within a matter of minutes, the creek started rising rapidly. Soon after, I couldn't see if the bike's wheels were on the path or headed into the creek. There was no place for me to exit for several blocks so I just kept riding as fast as I could. I was unexpectedly pounded by a jet of water that nearly knocked me off of my bike. The path is below street level, and serves as a drainage point for the runoff. This water is channeled into large, circular holes in the walls along the path, and the pressure is immense. I was looking down as I was riding, so I never saw the blast of water coming out the wall that was about to hit me (and it's filthy). I was fortunate not to have fallen and been swept into the creek's current.

When I got home from that ride, I turned on the TV news to see that five people had to be rescued from the path only thirty minutes after I had ridden through. Some of those people were hanging from tree branches and others were clinging to the iron bridge supports that hold up the overpasses. The usually docile Cherry Creek was nearly ten feet deep and the current was raging! The really surprising thing was just how fast that happened.

On a related note, Colorado has the second-highest incidence of lightning in the U.S. (Florida is number one). According to the Colorado Office of Emergency Management (COEM), lightning has killed or injured more people in Colorado than any other thunderstorm hazard. Make sure your students know that when lightning is present, they must seek shelter. Describe what is and is not considered safe shelter. This is particularly important if you know your student has a field trip planned to open space or the mountains, where most lightning-caused deaths occur. For a safety checklist, click here for information. Remember, when thunder roars, go indoors! Additional information from NOAA regarding Colorado lightning safety can be found here.


 Stay safe, stay dry, and be smart!