Annual Young Poets Competition open to all Gloucester Students now through April 30th
Over the past 20 years, the Sawyer Free Library contest, Poetry without Paper, has celebrated thousands of local students’ outstanding writing while encouraging the community’s youth to use poetry as a means of creative expression. The annual contest is an opportunity for local school children of all ages to showcase their writing and creativity in a supportive environment and win top prizes.
With the competition running throughout March and culminating on the last day of National Poetry Month, April 30, children and teens who live in Gloucester or attend Gloucester schools are encouraged to submit 1-3 original poems on any theme to the Library. Participants can choose to set their poems to video, images, and or music. Each poem may be no longer than 30 lines, be the student’s own work, and previously unpublished and submitted through the Library’s website.
To mark the celebration of 20 years, Sawyer Free Library has made the Poetry without Paperprizes even more exciting. Winners will be chosen from each age group: high school, middle school, and elementary school. First-place winners in all categories receive $150 Cape Ann gift certificates, second-place winners receive $100 gift certificates, and third-place winners receive a $50 gift certificate with Honorable Mention awarded a poetry book. All winning poets receive a certificate, present their poems at a Spring awards ceremony and receive an invitation to appear on 1623 Studio’s production, The Writer’s Block with John Ronan. All winning work will also be published online by the Library.
LEAP for Education is running a FREE 2022 Summer Internship Program for Gloucester Teens!
Work virtually or in person on a project 9 hours per week July 11 – August 18 with a mentor/company where you will gain important workplace skills
Start to build a resume for college and future endeavors – examples of internships include; assistant teaching a Pathways for Children; assisting with youth art classes at Art Haven; project assistance at Gloucester Education Foundation; teen council/community representative for local nonprofits, teller positions at BankGloucester, internships at Appleton Farms, and many more
Receive GHS credit and a salary or $500 stipend
Attend regularly scheduled workplace skills workshops on topics such as job interviewing, searching for college/post high school options, stress management, financial literacy, and resume writing
For more information, to set up an interview to discuss your interests, or to register, please email JoAnn Leavitt, Program Coordinator, at jleavitt@leap4ed.org
MAKE GREAT USE OF YOUR TIME THIS SUMMER!APPLY NOW! ALSO, THIS IS AN 11 HOUR PER WEEK COMMITMENT, SO YOU WILL STILL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO HOLD ANOTHER SUMMER JOB, OR DO OTHER SUMMER ACTIVITIES!
Manchester Memorial fourth grade student Miles Harrison helps preschool student Quinn Reishtein paint a bowl. (Photo Courtesy of Claudette Yutkins)
MANCHESTER– Preschool and fourth grade students at Manchester Memorial Elementary School recently teamed up to put their creative talents to use, and painted bowls for The Open Door Empty Bowl To Go 2.0 fundraiser.
The annual fundraiser will be held as a drive-thru for the second time this year due to the pandemic.
“There’s a special sense of community that comes from joining together and using your creativity to help someone else,” President and CEO Julie LaFontaine said. “The bowls serve as a reminder that somewhere, someone’s bowl is empty, but with a paintbrush, a little imagination, and a desire to help, you can support a fundraiser that puts fresh, healthy food in the hands of your neighbors.”
In 2021, The Open Door provided 1.83 million pounds of food to 8,516 people from 4,176 families. Empty Bowl To Go 2.0 supports programs of The Open Door including its Mobile Market and Summer Meals for Kids programs.Last year, the Mobile Market distributed 179,053 pounds of food to underserved neighborhoods, senior centers, housing authorities, and schools. The new Farmers Truck will provide further expansion of the Mobile Market program into additional locations with identified needs. In 2021, the Summer Meals for Kids program provided more than 30,000 meals to local children.
Students at Manchester Memorial painted 25 bowls for the Empty Bowl To Go 2.0 event slated for May 7.
“We just had a great time,” said Manchester Memorial Art Teacher Claudette Yutkins. “They were really happy to give something to help others.”
Yutkins said students in particular enjoyed painting designs in the bottom of their bowls, to be enjoyed as a “surprise” when the user finishes their meal. One group of students painted a smiley face, for example.
“It brought the whole project together,” Yutkins said. “They are trying to do something to make someone else happy—it was just cute.”
Several area colleges and schools, community organizations, businesses, clubs and private groups have stepped up to paint bowls for the fundraiser, including:
Endicott College Students
Gordon College Students
The Academy at Penguin Hall
O’Maley Innovation Middle School
Manchester Memorial School
Pingree School
Shore Country Day School
Ipswich Rotary
Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce
Institution for Savings
4H Rabbit and Cavy Club
Gloucester Elks
Happy Valley
First Congregational Church of Essex
Lisa Vincent Book Club
Island Garden Club
Members of the community
Please note: All slots for painting bowls for the 2022 fundraiser have been filled.
Additionally, many local artists, potters and public officials have painted bowls for the Empty Bowl Silent Auction, set to go online for the month of May.
Empty Bowl To Go 2.0 will be held on Saturday, May 7 from 4-6 p.m. at The Open Door at 28 Emerson Ave. Appointments will be required and available to be scheduled once pay-what-you-can ticket sales go live on April 1 at FOODPANTRY.org.
About The Open Door
The mission of The Open Door is to alleviate the impact of hunger in our community. We use practical strategies to connect people to good food, to advocate on behalf of those in need, and to engage others in the work of building food security.
Founded in 1978, The Open Door is a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit and community food resource center for low-income residents of Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester, Essex, Ipswich, Hamilton, Boxford, Rowley, Topsfield, and Wenham. In 2021, The Open Door helped stabilize the lives and health of 8,516 people from 4,176 households through the distribution of 1.83 million pounds of food.
Manchester Memorial Preschool student Sebastian Ochs, left, paints a bowl with help from fourth grade student, Makani Mitchell. (Photo Courtesy of Claudette Yutkins)
On Thursday, March 10 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., as a part of the series, Of Sound Mind, the Sawyer Free Library is presenting Dr. Andrew Budson, chief of cognitive and behavioral neurology at VA Boston Healthcare System and co-author of the book Seven Steps to Managing Your Memory.
Based on his award-winning book, Dr. Andrew Budson will explain how individuals can distinguish changes in memory due to Alzheimer’s versus normal aging, what medications, diets, and exercise regimes can help, and the best habits, strategies, and memory aids to use, in seven simple steps. He will also discuss his newest book, including how caregivers can manage issues with memory, language, vision, behavior, driving, incontinence, sleep, and more.
Registration is not required. The event is free and open to all. It will take place on the Main Floor of the Sawyer Free Library located at 2 Dale Avenue, Gloucester.
Andrew E. Budson, M.D. is Chief of Cognitive & Behavioral Neurology, Associate Chief of Staff for Education, and Director of the Center for Translational Cognitive Neuroscience at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System, Associate Director for Research at the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Professor of Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine, and Lecturer in Neurology at Harvard Medical School. He is also the Medical Director of the Boston Center for Memory, located in Newton, Massachusetts.
The Sawyer Free Library offers drop in technology help!
Every Tuesday from 11:30am – 1:00pm
The weekly technology help session begins with a mini-lesson on a typical technology question. The remainder of the time is devoted to assisting with individual technical issues.
Bring your device and passwords, and SFL Tech Librarian will help you solve the problem!
Thank you to everyone who helped make 2021 a year of impact and growth for GMGI. As we look forward to 2022, I see a bright and exciting road ahead with activity from the first two months of the year paving the way:
GMGI was honored with a visit by U.S. Representative Seth Moulton who came to see first-hand our transformative workforce development activities and marine genomics research. Renowned marine genetics scientist Dr. Stephen Palumbi joined GMGI’s Science Advisory Board. At the Academy, we have a record number of internship opportunities to offer our Academy students.
GMGI is demonstrating that Gloucester is a great location to conduct cutting-edge scientific research and offer a new model for educating our young people.
None of this would be possible without the enthusiastic support of our community. Thank you for your belief in GMGI’s potential — we are committed to maintaining this momentum, and look to the future with confidence.
In gratitude,
Chris Bolzan Executive DirectorCongressman Seth Moulton Visits GMGI
U.S. Congressman Seth Moulton visited GMGI in January along with State Senator Bruce Tarr, State Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante, and the new mayor of Gloucester, Greg Verga. Donald G. Comb Science Director Andrea Bodnar toured the group through the research institute at 417 Main Street with Executive Director Chris Bolzan, and GMGI Board Member Bill Kane. The group finished the visit at the Academy where Education Director John Doyle and Lead Teacher Stephen Anderson walked them through the new biomanufacturing learning lab and previewed the new curriculum.
“This is fantastic,” Moulton said afterward. “This is exactly what we need to see more of in terms of education, but also in terms of our economy. There’s a synergy between the economic lifeblood of Massachusetts and tremendous educational opportunities for our students. This is incredible.” Moulton said he hopes other communities in the Commonwealth learn from our model.
GMGI welcomes Dr. Stephen Palumbi to our Scientific Advisory Board A native of Baltimore, Steve Palumbi has long been fascinated by how quickly the world around us changes. His research on the genetics of marine organisms focuses on basic evolutional questions, and on practical solutions to questions about how to preserve and protect the diverse life in the sea. Steve has lectured on human-induced evolutionary change, has used genetic detective work to identify whales, seahorses, rockfish, and sharks for sale in retail markets, and is developing genomic methods to help find ocean species resistant to climate change. His work on corals in the American Samoa and Palau has identified corals more resilient to heat stress, and his work at the Hopkins Marine Station focuses on how kelp, sea urchins, abalone, and mussels respond to environmental changes.
In addition to hundreds of published scientific research papers on a wide variety of marine organisms, Steve has published several books for non-scientists and has appeared in many film and TV documentaries to share his fascination with the world’s oceans.
Steve holds a Ph.D. in Marine Ecology from the University of Washington and started his career as a Professor at the University of Hawaii before moving to a Professorship at Harvard University. He then joined the faculty of Stanford University and is now the Jane and Marshall Steel Jr. Professor of Marine Sciences and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment. Steve is a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences, a member of the National Academy of Science, and a Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation.
“Steve is a world-renowned marine biologist and leader in the field of marine genomics, and we are thrilled to have him as a member of our Scientific Advisory Board,” said Andrea Bodnar, Donald G. Comb Science Director.
Academy Students Interview for Internships
The internship process for the Class of 2022 has been like no other in the Academy’s six-year history. Academy students began their internship journeys by participating in (virtual) mock interviews on January 13th. On the day of these interviews, 20 individuals representing 11 local biotech companies provided our students critical practice and feedback.
“The mock interviews were really good practice and helped me feel more prepared for the real interviews. Mentors from the mock interviews gave feedback on what I should focus on in terms of my interests and what questions the interviewers might ask,” an Academy student explained. Real interviews with employers began the week of January 20th.
Students are benefitting from an unprecedented 26 companies offering 41 internship positions. In just six years, the demand for Academy students has far outpaced the supply.
“Part of the demand this year due to our new biomanufacturing curriculum and the additional skills it gives our students. These skills are in high demand right now,” said Education Director John Doyle.
In the second semester students learn how to insert DNA necessary to create green fluorescent protein (GFP) into bacteria. The bacteria are then grown into high density in a fermenter, producing equally high concentrations of GFP inside the bacteria. In the image shown above, a student learns how to successfully operate a homogenizer, an instrument used to break open bacterial cells and release the GFP, which is glowing after being exposed to a UV light source.
Stefan Abramo and Barbe Ennis-Abramo are donors and passionate volunteers at GMGI — Stefan lending his time and experience as an Academy volunteer and Barbe as a GMGI committee member. A rich life of professional and personal experiences has taken them around the world (and continues to do so), but it is here in Gloucester they now call home… Click here to read more.
GMGI Science Hours
Unable to attend one of our recent Science Hours? Click the links below to watch!
Musician Jeff Snow combines magical sounds from instruments with vocals and his love and knowledge of Celtic history.
This Saturday, March 5, 2022 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., the Sawyer Free Library is presenting The Softer Side of Celticwith Jeff Snow who combines the music, stories and a wee bit of history from Scotland, Ireland and England. The interactive concert will have singing, laughing, clapping and foot stomping featuring music on the guitar, bouzouki and autoharp.
Fun for all ages! No registration necessary! It is taking place on the Main Floor of Sawyer Free Library located at 2 Dale Avenue, Gloucester.
Cape Ann Community 