Deidra Wiley Necco

Northside Arts showcases art, community and fun

Fifth Quarter in Cincinnati: Not your mother’s summer school

Now in its 4th year, Cincinnati Public Schools’ 5th Quarter program targets under-performing, low-income schools with an extended school year and a collective approach to learning, and fun, that's getting national attention.

AMIS: fostering culture through immersion studies

Cincinnati Public Schools is recognized as Ohio’s highest-rated urban school district. With 56 schools, including magnet programs and new initiatives like its gifted and digital academies, CPS offers a variety of options to approximately 34,000 students. One of its least known magnet schools, a French and Spanish immersion program, provides a solid foundation in foreign languages while fostering cultural acceptance for young children and their families. AMIS (pronounced ah-mee), the Academy of Multilingual Immersion Studies, is one of only three schools of its kind in the state of Ohio and the only immersion program within Cincinnati Public Schools. At AMIS, French, Spanish and English speakers in grades K-8 receive instruction in core subjects delivered in the language they are studying. According to the school’s website, kindergarten students spend 80-90 percent of their days working in Spanish or French. A partial immersion program is offered for students in grades 2-8, while the school’s dual immersion program brings together students who speak both Spanish and English. English as a second language (ESL) is also a part of the AMIS program. As a magnet school, AMIS follows state education standards, but teaches subjects like math and science in French, Spanish or English as a second language. All kindergarten students living within the CPS school district are admitted, space permitting. After kindergarten, enrollment becomes more targeted. Because classes are taught in foreign languages, students must have backgrounds in French or Spanish in order to be successful at AMIS and continue beyond kindergarten. “Support at home is a must,” says Sherwin Ealy, principal. Studies reveal several benefits of language immersion studies, including long-term career benefits when fluency is reached, cultural identification and a positive impact on the intellectual growth. “Not only are children able to maintain a connection with their own cultural heritage, they also become part of a global community,” says Ealy. “Most teachers at AMIS are native speakers.” Maria Lang, a native of Argentina, has been teaching for more than 30 years. Having taught for the past 10 at AMIS, she observes that immersion studies make an important impact in Cincinnati by serving immigrants seeking educational opportunities for their children. “[Immersion studies] help ease them into the community,” she says. Currently, students from countries like Senegal, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Mauritania fill the classrooms at AMIS. Principal Ealy says, “The exposure to culture at AMIS is the most important contribution our school makes to children in this community.” AMIS is an International Spanish Academy (ISA), which means that it is part of a program of cooperation with The Ministry of Education and Science of the Kingdom of Spain. It is one of only two ISA’s in the state of Ohio. “AMIS prepares students for a global society,” says Lang. Principal Ealy adds, “At AMIS, teachers not only present the standard school curriculum, they foster a more informed world view.” Do Good:  • Become a mentor.  • Tutor a child. • Spread the word. By Deidra Wiley Necco

Granny’s Garden marks a decade of nature education

Ten years ago, Roberta Paolo asked the principal of Loveland Primary School for a flower garden. She wanted to establish a place where schoolchildren, including her own grandchildren, could pick flowers. Today, Granny’s Garden School includes 100 vegetable and flower beds, a ¾ mile nature trail and an apple orchard that provide hands-on nature education to 1,500-1,700 school children each week. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the program, which has become one of the largest and most comprehensive school gardens in the United States. What’s more, Paolo’s innovative and curriculum-centered program has gained national recognition as a model for school garden programs, a trend that is taking off across the country. What makes Granny’s Garden School so successful? According to Paolo, herself a lifelong gardener, a love of gardening is only part of the story. Granny’s Garden provides “garden teachers” and a host of volunteers to ensure that nature instruction follows Ohio curriculum standards as well as teachers’ lesson plans. “We update our garden programs each year,” Paolo says. “Our program facilitates interaction between the garden teacher and the students.” Granny’s Garden provides kids with hands-on learning experiences that fuel their minds as well as their bodies. Not only are children learning important lessons while they work, they reap the benefits of eating homegrown produce, which is served in the school cafeteria. The garden is located on the 24-acre campus of Loveland Primary and Elementary School. Volunteers are essential to operate a program of this size, and the school is currently seeking new faces. “The garden can accommodate up to 100 volunteers at one time, making it a great opportunity for families, individuals and corporate groups,” Paolo says. She has assisted local schools with their own gardens, including Wilson Elementary School and Rothenberg Preparatory Academy,and is making an impact in other schools as well. Her Schoolyard Nature Network provides financial, in-kind and training resources for school garden programs. “We want to help other schools learn from our experience,” she says. She also works with “green” partners to establish a sustainable funding stream for garden coordinators. “The next crop of consumers is growing in school gardens," Paolo says. "We need to work together to fund and support our gardens or risk losing momentum.” Do Good:  • Serve on a board committee.  • Donate. • Give in-kind for Granny’s wish list. By Deidra Wiley Necco

Cincinnati teens launch viral campaign for Holocaust memorial

One year ago, 24 Cincinnati teenagers and their four chaperones embarked on the March of the Living to honor, remember and uphold the legacy of the millions who perished during the Holocaust. Deeply affected and forever changed by the journey to Auschwitz - Birkenau, these same young people have formed a Cincinnati-based organization dedicated to memorializing the lives lost and encouraging others worldwide to make a statement in support of a world free of hatred and intolerance.  Named Project 6 Million, the organization has created an expanding global and viral movement that urges individuals from all walks of life to think, act and communicate to ensure that the world never again experiences another Holocaust. Sarah Singer-Nourie, co-executive director, says, “Most people will never see Auschwitz. We wanted to find a way to bring our experience home.” Project 6 Million taps the seemingly infinite reach of the Internet to find and mobilize individuals who are willing to make their own personal statements to support peace. So far, the group has received hundreds of statements. “We are finding that people are thoughtful about their statements,” says Singer-Nourie. “They want to take their time.” The group envisions incorporating these statements into a large-scale memorial to be established in Cincinnati, which shows the incomprehensible magnitude of the Holocaust depicted in the number 6 million. Each statement will represent an individual life lost. Concept views of the memorial can be found online.  At the hub of this viral campaign is the project’s website. According to Brandon Sosna, co-founder and co-executive director, the group received statements from individuals in the United States, Canada, Israel, the UK, South Africa, Australia and Germany in the first week alone. Project 6 Million activists hope that the word continues to spread. “It took the Nazis around six years to murder millions of people. We hope to rally at least as many people in less time to make a statement against hatred,” says Sosna.  As much as Project 6 Million honors the memory of lives lost in the Holocaust, it is also a movement to stand out against all forms of intolerance and hatred. “Project 6 Million is a way for both Jewish and non-Jewish individuals to rally around a cause that is greater than all of us,” says Sosna. “The Holocaust is a painful example and reminds us all what hatred can lead to,” adds Singer-Nourie. A partner with the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education, Project 6 Million is searching for volunteers to join its mission.  Do Good: • Make your statement.• Contribute to the viral movement by spreading the word.• Donate to Project 6 Million By Deidra Wiley Necco  

RAW: Cincinnati showcases emerging artists

If you’re a natural born artist, RAW: Cincinnati is looking for you. Coming to Cincinnati in May, RAW natural born artists makes its debut as a showcase for emerging indie artists, including visual arts, film, fashion, music, performing art, hair and makeup artistry and photography. RAW: natural born artists is an independent arts organization that began in Southern California and operates in 32 cities across the United States. Its mission – to provide independent artists with the resources and exposure to expand their careers on both a local and national level (and have a fabulous time in the process). It works like this. Artists can visit RAW: Cincinnati online to submit creative work for consideration. Once accepted, the artists’ work is featured in online profiles on the RAW website, and becomes part of a monthly showcase that combines work from artists across all disciplines in one event, on one night. The events are held at venues where creatives can be loud, expressive and social as they introduce their work to patrons both new and familiar. Clearly not the average gallery show, the Cincinnati version of RAW begins May 18 at Luxe Cincinnati and continues on the third Friday of each month. “Expect RAW: Cincinnati to showcase visual art, live music, designer hair and makeup, and a fashion show,” says Melissa Sideris, director. About 20 to 25 artists will be featured each month in events from May through November, which means there is ample opportunity for indie artists to introduce themselves to wider audiences. “RAW helps emerging artists by providing a platform to showcase their work that they might not otherwise have,” says Sideris. In addition to the public exposure that RAW events provide, on-site photographers and videographers capture each artist’s story in a three to five-minute video that the artists keep to use for creative or promotional purposes. Not only does RAW provide a local platform, artists have the opportunity for exposure on the national level. The November showcase features the top artists of the year, which are entered into a national competition culminating with a year-end awards ceremony held in Southern California. “One of the most exciting things about RAW is that it allows a fun platform where many art forms come to life in one night,” says Sideris. “We are currently looking for artists for our June showcase." For more information, go online. By Deidra Wiley Necco

RAW: Cincinnati showcases emerging artists

If you’re a natural born artist, RAW: Cincinnati is looking for you. Coming to Cincinnati in May, RAW natural born artists makes its debut as a showcase for emerging indie artists, including visual arts, film, fashion, music, performing art, hair and makeup artistry and photography. RAW: natural born artists is an independent arts organization that began in Southern California and operates in 32 cities across the United States. Its mission – to provide independent artists with the resources and exposure to expand their careers on both a local and national level (and have a fabulous time in the process). It works like this. Artists can visit RAW: Cincinnati online to submit creative work for consideration. Once accepted, the artists’ work is featured in online profiles on the RAW website, and becomes part of a monthly showcase that combines work from artists across all disciplines in one event, on one night. The events are held at venues where creatives can be loud, expressive and social as they introduce their work to patrons both new and familiar. Clearly not the average gallery show, the Cincinnati version of RAW begins May 18 at Luxe Cincinnati and continues on the third Friday of each month. “Expect RAW: Cincinnati to showcase visual art, live music, designer hair and makeup, and a fashion show,” says Melissa Sideris, director. About 20 to 25 artists will be featured each month in events from May through November, which means there is ample opportunity for indie artists to introduce themselves to wider audiences. “RAW helps emerging artists by providing a platform to showcase their work that they might not otherwise have,” says Sideris. In addition to the public exposure that RAW events provide, on-site photographers and videographers capture each artist’s story in a three to five-minute video that the artists keep to use for creative or promotional purposes. Not only does RAW provide a local platform, artists have the opportunity for exposure on the national level. The November showcase features the top artists of the year, which are entered into a national competition culminating with a year-end awards ceremony held in Southern California. “One of the most exciting things about RAW is that it allows a fun platform where many art forms come to life in one night,” says Sideris. “We are currently looking for artists for our June showcase." For more information, go online. Do Good:  • Purchase a ticket to RAW: Cincinnati, The Blend. Saturday May 18 at Luxe Cincinnati. 21+, cocktail attire.  • Submit your art for showcasing. • Connect through social media. By Deidra Wiley Necco

OTR Skate benefits the OTR Rec Center

Just north of Liberty Street, the OTR Recreation Center serves children and families living in Over-the-Rhine, Pendleton, Mohawk and the West End. Located at 1715 Republic Street, the center features a gymnasium, roller rink, weight room, kitchen, game room, teen lounge, study room and art room.  Although the OTR Rec Center offers many amenities at a small fraction of the cost you’d pay at other fitness and recreation centers, it could use more community support to raise awareness of the facility’s need for programming dollars. The center needs everything from instructors to teach yoga, to people to spearhead sports programming and individuals interested in using their professional or personal expertise to give something back to the OTR community.  One local resident, Caitlin Behle, decided in 2011 to create OTR Skate, an event aimed at both fundraising and community building and designed to engage residents of OTR, old and new alike, in the Center’s development.  As a flurry of investment and interest continue to fuel the revitalization of OTR, Caitlin says she got involved with the Rec Center to bring more attention to the region of OTR north of Liberty Street. “The Center is a valuable community asset that needs some help,” she says. “I wanted to come up with a fun way to build awareness of the center as a community resource and raise some money for programming to help build membership.” Caitlin says that one of the reasons investment in the OTR Rec Center is so important is that to some members of the community, it represents one of the only “safe” places where kids and families struggling with poverty and other issues can come to have fun. “There are many kids in this community that need direction, a safe place or just a friend to spend time with,” she says. Program funding will provide the resources necessary to ensure that the doors stay open and that there are fun opportunities available to help develop and support the community. On April 27, OTR Skate returns to the Rec Center. For $5, adults ages 18 and up can see local bands You, You’re Awesome and Automagik as they perform from the center of the rink. Think music video meets roller derby, as the Cincinnati Roller Girls will be on hand to keep the party going. If roller-skating isn’t your thing, the Rec Center offers free Wii, foosball, air hockey, pool and bumper pool. The event is sponsored by the Counter Rhythm Group, Cincy Blues Society and Cincinnati Roller Girls, and has already garnered additional local support from businesses like Pho Lang Thang, Atomic Number Ten, Daisy Mae’s Produce, Iris Book Café and Smartfish Sustainable Supply. These businesses will provide raffle prizes, and all proceeds from the event will be used for program enhancement.  For more information about the OTR Recreation Center or OTR Skate, call 513-381-1893. Do Good:  • Attend OTR Skate April 27 from 8-11PM.• Teach a class or donate your time to help create programs for kids and families, or become a mentor.• Become a member of the OTR Rec Center.• Contribute financially to rec center programming. By Deidra Wiley Necco 

Cincinnati Opera, concert:nova, CSO create tango operita

“Please, just for me, forget the steps… Hold me, feel the music, and give me your soul. Then I can give you mine.” It is hard to imagine a dance that seems at once as passionate, intricate and alluring as the tango. As daunting as it is seductive, the tango has excited audiences worldwide for well over a century. While there is no shortage of drama in a well-executed tango, imagine what can happen when its seductive sensuality becomes the foundation for a stunning opera performed in one of Cincinnati's most cherished landmarks. Prepare yourselves for a hot spring and considerably sultry  – passionate even – summer as the tango gathers Cincinnatians in an irresistible embrace of culture and self-expression. Maria de Buenos Aries, a tango operita by Astor Piazzolla, is coming to Music Hall in late July thanks to a remarkable collaboration between the Cincinnati Opera, concert:nova and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Maria de Buenos Aries premiered in Argentina in 1968. The drama follows Maria’s journey into the darkest realms of society as she is seduced into a dangerous world through the passion of tango. Celebrated Colombian soprano Catalina Cuervo plays the title role, while baritone and artist diploma student at CCM Luis Alejandro Orozco plays several male roles. Argentine native and CCM graduate Jose Maria Condemi will direct the fully staged piece to be performed in the unconventional setting of the Music Hall Ballroom. “The music of Piazzolla’s Maria is not just great tango writing for a small ensemble, it’s a mesmerizing and passionately evocative drama,” says Ixi Chen, artistic and managing director of concert:nova and clarinetist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. “Co-producing this with Cincinnati Opera will take it to a whole new level of dramatic intensity and dynamism. Concert:nova is looking forward to working with a cast, directors and dancers of consummate artistry.” Speaking of dancers, Northside’s Tango del Barrio and Patricia Paz Tango have teamed up with the artistic collaborators of Maria de Buenos Aires to bring internationally recognized and Tony Award-winning tango dancers Fernanda Ghi and Guillermo Merlo to Cincinnati to perform the work’s tango pieces. Audiences don’t have to wait until the summer, however, to experience the Argentine Tango. Ghi and Merlo will perform at the Blue Wisp Jazz Club Saturday, March 31, for a one-night-only engagement as part of a series of promotional performances leading up to Maria de Buenos Aries. Ghi and Merlo pride themselves on creating original choreography for each performance. Thanks to the partnership between Tango del Barrio and Patricia Paz Tango, Cincinnatians will have the rare opportunity to see one of the most prominent couples in the world of Argentine Tango perform in an intimate setting. Currently touring the U.S. with their creation “This is Tango Now: Identidad,” Fernanda and Guillermo have agreed to make a special stop along their tour to present “This is Tango Now: Fragments,” a shorter version of “Identidad.” “Audiences will see a nuanced and complex expression of tango - two people embracing and moving as one,” says Ella Moskovich of Tango del Barrio. “[Fragments] is a passionate, intricate and sensual dance accompanied by and integrated with a spellbinding musical score.” Both native to Argentina, Ghi and Merlo have been living and working in the United States since 1997. They adhere to a demanding travel schedule to bring their specialty, the Argentine Tango, to audiences here and abroad. With their show, “This is Tango Now: Identidad,” Fernanda and Guillermo hope to bring the many varieties of tango to audiences of all nationalities. “Tango is a universal dance,” says Fernanda. “We want to train others and show them how tango is a form of personal expression.” If you can’t get enough tango after Saturday night’s performance, Fernanda and Guillermo will offer tango workshops on Sunday, April 1, and Monday, April 2, through Tango del Barrio in Northside. “We want people to understand the enormous potential of tango,” says Fernanda. Ghi and Merlo will be back for the July 25 and 27 performances of Maria de Buenos Aires. Do Good: • See “This is Tango Now: Fragments” on March 31. Advance tickets can be purchased atwww.tangodelbarrio.com. • Purchase a ticket for Maria de Buenos Aires through the Cincinnati Opera box office.  • Attend a tango workshop. Contact Tango del Barrio or Patricia Paz Tango. By Deidra Wiley Necco

Can you spare a Jackson?

One Jackson, 20 Washingtons, 4 Lincolns – whatever your denomination, the Know Theatre is trying to raise 1120 Jacksons in Cincinnati’s first ever crowd-sourced sponsorship campaign to support the upcoming run of Tony Award nominated musical, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. Written by Alex Timbers with music and lyrics by Michael Friedman, the show opens March 31 and runs through May 12. During its seven-week run, audiences will have plenty of opportunities to see the show that pulls no punches in a bold look at the “attraction and terrors of American Populism through the story of the man who invented the Democratic Party, doubled the size of our nation, and signed the Indian Removal Acts that started the Trail of Tears.” Whether you’re hip to history, partial to politics or just a rock and roll fan – all types can find common ground and no shortage of subtext in this 90-minute production. The show integrates local band The Dukes are Dead into a cast featuring actor and associate company member Kellen York in the title role. In the words of Know's director Eric Vosmeier, “The production is an emo-rock musical of the life and rise of Andrew Jackson.” The Club of Jacksons campaign began in December and to date has raised around 600 Jacksons toward its goal. Sponsorships begin at just $20. Contributions of $80 and above get you special admission to an invitation-only preview event on March 15. “It’s a musical everyone can be attracted to due to its youth and energy,” says York. “It’s hilariously tragic,” adds Vosmeier. If the current political season isn’t entertaining enough, become a member of the Club of Jacksons and plan to see Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson beginning March 31. Tickets $15 in advance; $18 the week of performances. Do Good: • Got $20 to spare? Lend a Jackson to the Know Theatre. • Buy a ticket to Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. • Volunteer at the Know. By Deidra Wiley Necco