Monarch Academy Annapolis launched this week a two-week gratitude program called the “Look for the Good Project,” where students share their gratitude with others, add notes to a “Gratitude Wall,” write letters of appreciation and perform acts of kindness throughout the school. The program will take place through Jan. 17, 2020 with a “Family Gratitude Night” on Jan. 15, 2020.

“We’re kicking off the new year with a focus on gratitude,” said Rachel Amstutz, principal of Monarch Academy Annapolis. “This is a simple yet amazing program that brings together students and staff to share what they’re thankful for with each other. It’s a powerful experience.”

The program comes from Look for the Good Project, a nonprofit organization in Connecticut that seeks to “make America kind, one school at a time” following the “belief that gratitude changes mindsets, reduces violence, and improves everything.” In three years, 121,545 elementary school children in 30 states have participated in the Look for the Good Project’s school program, generating almost 2 million messages of gratitude to inspire kindness in their communities.

For more information about the program, visit www.lookforthegoodproject.org.

Monarch Academy charter and contract schools are affiliate members of The Children’s Guild Alliance, a nonprofit organization serving children, families and child-serving organizations and dedicated to transforming how America educates and cares for its children through education, behavioral health and national training and consultation services. Affiliates of The Children’s Guild Alliance include The Children’s Guild, The Children’s Guild D.C. Public Charter School, The Academy for Working Students (TAWS), TranZed Apprenticeships, The Transformation Education Institute, National At-Risk Education Network (NAREN), and The National Children’s Guild Fund. (www.childrensguild.org)

TranZed Apprenticeships, a nonprofit registered apprenticeship provider with the mission of expanding modern apprenticeships throughout the United States, partnered with the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania to provide technology apprenticeships to Pennsylvania companies and meet the need for skilled workers.

“We’re excited for the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania to join us in the apprenticeship revolution, a movement to train and connect skilled workers with employers in need of talent,” said Paul Champion, president of TranZed Apprenticeships. “Apprentices earn and learn at the same time, closing the skills gap and becoming crucial additions to the modern workforce.”

The Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania (TCCP) is a technology trade association whose mission is to connect members and organizations to promote technology and fuel economic development throughout the Central Pennsylvania region. Established in 1990, the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania has helped technology companies and individuals throughout Central Pennsylvania grow and succeed by building partnerships, offering business development opportunities, playing a key role in attracting and retaining diverse talent, providing technology leadership and recognizing innovators.

“We see our new partnership with TranZed Apprenticeships as an innovative way to help our members recruit and retain the best talent while also distinguishing themselves and the technology community throughout Central Pennsylvania within a highly competitive national pool of employers,” said Ann Hughes, president and CEO of the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania.

In addition to providing apprenticeships to TCCP members, TranZed Apprenticeships will offer its “Open 4 Apprenticeships” toolkit and consultation to educate businesses about the benefits of modern apprenticeships. TranZed Apprenticeships and the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania will also cross-promote opportunities to their networks.

“Modern apprenticeships improve business productivity and performance, reduce recruitment and training costs and strengthen the workforce,” Champion said. “Apprentices become valued employees with improved engagement, problem-solving skills, greater leadership potential and flexibility under less supervision. They give businesses a competitive advantage in the marketplace.”

TranZed Apprenticeships works to advance modern apprenticeships throughout the United States and offers apprenticeship programs in the Mid-Atlantic developed to address the need for alternative career paths. Apprenticeships combine on-the-job, competency and project-based training with job-related classroom instruction. They offer an earn-and-learn model where apprentices earn money starting their first day and receive pay increases as they gain additional skills and master their occupations. (tranzedapprenticeships.com)

We invite you to take a moment and review this year’s Annual Report and learn about the many ways The Children’s Guild Alliance educates and supports children. It begins with putting kids first. Whether we are giving a student a chance to try new things or helping a foster parent care for a child with special needs, The Children’s Guild Alliance is addressing the challenges faced by today’s children and families.

Highlights from FY2019 include:

• The launch of Kids First, a movement designed to transform the way America cares for and educates its children. Our goal is to influence the leaders in our society to take the actions needed to give every child the opportunity to succeed.
• Thirty-eight high school seniors graduated from the TranZed Academy for Working Students program. Many of these students are continuing their education at some of the best colleges and universities in the country.
• The University of Maryland College Park selected The Children’s Guild Alliance to manage College Park Academy, a 650-student school serving 6-12th graders in College Park.
• A partnership with League of Dreams that gives our students the opportunity to experience the joys, challenges, and personal growth gained from playing baseball regardless of their physical or mental ability.
• The unveiling of a new name, The Children’s Guild Alliance, which pays homage to our founding as The Children’s Guild more than 65 years ago and creates a unified Children’s Guild brand.

We are excited to share our accomplishments and stories of success. None of it would be possible without our dedicated staff, our visionary board, our generous donors, and the support of countless individuals. Together we are making a difference in the lives of children every day.

The Children’s Guild Alliance, a nonprofit organization serving children, families and child-serving organizations, will honor Guy E. Flynn and Nupur Parekh Flynn at the organization’s Kids First Celebration, an evening commemorating a legacy of innovation and transformation. The Kids First Celebration will take place on October 3, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore.

At the event, The Children’s Guild Alliance will present 2020 Sadie Awards to the Flynns for their leadership in innovation and philanthropy. The Sadie Award recognizes people who embody the organization’s spirit and vision of making the seemingly impossible possible.

Guy E. Flynn practices law at DLA Piper, one of the world’s largest law firms, where he serves as chairman of the firm’s Maryland real estate practice and partner-in-charge of the firm’s Baltimore office. Flynn serves as a trustee and board president-elect of The Walters Art Museum, a trustee and executive committee member of the Baltimore Community Foundation, a trustee of the Living Classrooms Foundation, a director of Maryland Legal Aid, a governor of The Center Club and a member of the Baltimore City Ethics Board. Global, national, regional and industry publications have recognized him as a top lawyer.

Nupur Parekh Flynn is one of the foremost women in the Baltimore area whose skills in board leadership have gained respect throughout the region. She is currently a trustee of LifeBridge Health, a trustee of the Baltimore Museum of Art, and a trustee of the Open Society Institute – Baltimore and actively involved with the United Way of Central Maryland. Flynn’s career in business and government included serving as a managing director for marketing and public relations at Brown Capital Management from 2004 to 2019. Previously, she served as a political appointee at the U.S. Agency for International Development and as a marketing executive at DLA Piper.

The Kids First Celebration will commemorate The Children’s Guild Alliance’s heritage of innovation and transformation and launch Kids First, the organization’s campaign to transform the way America cares for and educates its children. Through the Kids First campaign, The Children’s Guild Alliance will work nationally to create the cultural awareness, teacher preparation and political will to put kids first.

For more information about Kids First and sponsorships or tickets to The Kids First Celebration, visit KidsFirstAmerica.org.

The Children’s Guild Alliance is a nonprofit organization serving children, families and child-serving organizations and is dedicated to transforming how America educates and cares for its children through education, behavioral health and national training and consultation services. Affiliates of The Children’s Guild Alliance include The Children’s Guild, Monarch Academy public charter and contract schools, Children’s Guild D.C. Public Charter School, The Academy for Working Students (TAWS), TranZed Apprenticeships, The Transformation Education Institute, National At-Risk Education Network (NAREN), and The National Children’s Guild Fund. 

Partnership to advance modern apprenticeships throughout the United States

TranZed Apprenticeships, a nonprofit registered apprenticeship provider with the mission of expanding modern apprenticeships throughout the United States, is partnering with Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN) to exchange knowledge and advance modern apprenticeships as a solution to the skills gap facing businesses across the country.

“We’re starting an apprenticeship revolution, a movement to train and connect skilled workers with employers in huge need of talent,” said Paul Champion, president of TranZed Apprenticeships. “There’s no better way to close the skills gap than modern apprenticeships, where workers earn and learn at the same time. They’re cost-effective, customizable and necessary to the future of our workforce.”

GAN Global, based in Geneva, Switzerland, is a CEO-led alliance of private-sector companies, employers, international organizations and thought leaders seeking to accelerate the uptake of work-based learning, such as apprenticeships, to connect people with in-demand skills, build a sustainable talent pipeline for business and ensure an equitable future for the workforce.

“There is no better time than now to be working on apprenticeships in the U.S. We’re really excited about partnering with TranZed Apprenticeships and bringing to the collaboration our experience working with government, employers, our networks and our knowledge about why apprenticeships are such a fantastic opportunity for people, business and communities,” said Kathleen Elsig, head of strategic partnerships for GAN Global.

As part of the partnership, GAN Global and TranZed Apprenticeships will co-develop content for the network’s “SkillingNow” initiative, which provides a platform for dialog about work-based learning. Likewise, TranZed Apprenticeships will share its “Open 4 Apprenticeships” toolkit to educate businesses about the benefits of modern apprenticeships. In addition, TranZed Apprenticeships will promote GAN Global at conferences and exhibitions.

“Modern apprenticeships improve business productivity and performance, reduce recruitment and training costs and strengthen the workforce,” Champion said. “Apprentices become valued employees with improved engagement, problem-solving skills, greater leadership potential and flexibility under less supervision. They give businesses a competitive advantage in the marketplace.”

TranZed Apprenticeships works to advance modern apprenticeships throughout the United States and offers apprenticeship programs in the Mid-Atlantic developed to address the need for alternative career paths. Apprenticeships combine on-the-job, competency and project-based training with job-related classroom instruction. They offer an earn-and-learn model where apprentices earn money starting their first day and receive pay increases as they gain additional skills and master their occupations. (tranzedapprenticeships.com)

GAN Global is a business-driven alliance through which private sector companies, employers, international organizations and thought leaders work together to fuse the connection between education and employment through work-based learning. Its goal is to accelerate the acquisition of skills and capabilities of all segments of the workforce and build a robust talent pipeline for business that can match the pace of change in the world of work. Its members are trailblazers and thought leaders from leading multinational corporations and international organizations, who are setting examples for others to follow and shaping global and community policies and approaches. GAN has established networks in several countries across the globe. (gan-global.org)