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LEHIGH COUNTY CONFERENCE OF CHURCHES

Youth Succeeding

 

Teen Iron Chef Finals
Dieruff High School
Thursday, January 26th, 5:00 – 6:30 PM

 

On Monday, October 24, a “Teen Iron Chef” cooking program began at Dieruff High School, with 45 students attending the initial meeting.  Funded by a grant from Highmark Blue Shield, the Lehigh County Conference of Churches Aspires Mentoring program welcomes professional local chefs each week to teach students about kitchen safety, proper cooking skills and nutrition. 

 

Caterer Dave Rose was the first Iron Chef to visit Dieruff.  There are currently two groups of about 13 Teen Iron Chefs who meet on Mondays or Thursdays 3:00-6:00pm.  Each group is split into four teams each week to make a meal under the chef's supervision.  As the ten week program progresses, the teams will be responsible for making their own meals within a set time, which will be judged on presentation and quality of the food.  Two winning teams from the Monday group and two from the Thursday group will then compete in a Dieruff High School championship event on January 26 to determine the winner.

 

 

 

Aspires recruits and trains caring adults as one-on-one mentors for students in the Allentown School District who are at risk of not completing high school. The Conference of Churches through its mentors provides a supportive and safe environment for at-risk students that is structured, respectful, and that includes both one-on-one mentoring and socialization opportunities.

 

The three mentoring programs of the Conference of Churches that serve middle school and high school students are:

 

  • Partners in Progress: Partners in Progress’ is an after school tutoring & mentoring program offered at both Allen and Dieruff High School. Students receive individual homework help, participate in workshops & lectures, and also are able to make new friends in a safe and inclusive atmosphere through team-building and problem-solving activities. Students’ school GPA and attendance are tracked and reviewed by Aspires Staff helping to encourage every participant to achieve academic success. All actively engaged students are also invited to attend special events such as 76ers games and snow tubing at Blue Mountain.

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  • Very Important Parents: Pregnant and parenting teens receive educational programming, peer support, and one-on-one mentoring. Childcare is provided and transportation is available.

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  • Aspires Year Round: At-risk students are matched one-on-one with a caring adult mentor for a multi-year relationship with the goal of high school graduation and a more productive life.

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  • Youth Center: The Hamilton Street Youth Center provides a safe and supportive atmosphere for youth to congregate and socialize. Special events such as game nights, pizza parties and movie nights are held at the Youth Center, and the Youth Center is open throughout the summer for drop-in hours. Students can play board games, air hockey and fooseball as well as use the internet and work on arts and crafts projects.  

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    Mentor Spotlight - Ernie Peckham Ernie Peckham - Aspires Mentor
    How long have you been involved with Aspires? “I have been an Aspires mentor for about 10 years, but being a father, foster parent, and grandfather over the years makes it easier.”

     

    Why did you want to mentor? “I got into being a mentor because I wanted to payback for my good life and the help I got as a kid.  By helping someone you have never met before and trying to give them the chance to have a better life, just by being yourself (normal kindness and friendship) is what it takes to be a good mentor.  You cannot control this world we live in, but you can try and help them make the best decisions available to them.”

     

    Two hours a week can change an at-risk youth’s life, if you are interested in being a mentor please contact Peter Bond at:

    610-439-8653 Ext. 17 or pbond@lehighchurches.org

     

     

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