Hodgson Vo-Tech senior to advance to
National Finals in Washington, DC

Smyrna, Del. (February 26, 2019) – From an initial field of 20 Delaware high school students and then twelve state finalists, Chelsea Anokye-Agyei, a senior from Hodgson Vo-Tech High School, earned the title of 2019 Poetry Out Loud Delaware State Champion at the state finals held in Smyrna, Del. on Feb. 26. The first runner-up was Samuel McGarvey from Tall Oaks Classical School and the second runner-up was Sarah Stevenson from Milford Senior High School.

Anokye-Agyei’s final recitation, “The Albatross” by Kate Bass, earned her high marks with the judges. The full poem can be found on the Poetry Foundation’s website.

For her winning presentation, Anokye-Agyei will receive $200 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington with a chaperone to compete at the national championship on April 29 – May 1. Hodgson Vo-Tech High School will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry materials. Samuel McGarvey, the first runner-up will receive $100, and Tall Oaks Classical School will receive $200 for its school library.

The Poetry Out Loud state competition, sponsored by the Delaware Division of the Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, is part of a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition.

Learn more

 *2019 Delaware State Finalists

All photos should be credited with – Photo Credit: Joe del Tufo

About the Delaware Division of the Arts
The Delaware Division of the Arts is an agency of the State of Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Funding for Division programs is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278. Image: 2018 Award Winners exhibition at the Biggs Museum. Painting (right) by Thomas del Porte, 2018 Established Professional, Visual Arts: painting

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Contact: Leeann Wallett, Program Officer, Communications and Marketing
302-577-8280, leeann.wallett@delaware.gov

The Delaware Department of Education is accepting applications for summer fellowships for promising future leaders and current educators who have a passion for education and want to gain hands-on exposure to policy work.

There are two opportunities, one developed specifically for current college students and recent graduates and a second for current Delaware public school teachers and specialists.

Participants in both programs will own tightly-defined projects critical to Delaware’s policy agenda. They also will participate in weekly sessions with Delaware leaders in state government, district and school leadership and community partners.  These sessions are intended to develop them as leaders and provide context on education issues of national importance. The fellowships will culminate in a presentation of their work and policy recommendations to department staff and leadership.

Delaware Future Education Leaders Program

The Delaware Future Education Leaders Program has been developed specifically for current students and recent graduates as they explore careers in education and seek exposure to state government.  Individuals from all programs of study are welcome to apply.  Past fellows have worked on a variety of projects including educator compensation reform, data analysis, and information systems design.

The program begins on Monday, June 3 and ends on Thursday, August 8.  There is a $3,000 payment for this fellowship.  Program fellows will work full days Monday-Thursday.

“I am excited to have these outstanding college students and recent graduates join our department for the summer,” Secretary of Education Susan Bunting said. “The department will benefit from the experiences and new ideas they bring to the policy challenges we are grappling with, and I hope they will end the summer having gained a better understanding of education policy and will have benefited from the mentorship of department leaders.”

Educators as Catalysts Program

Educators as Catalysts Program has been developed specifically for current Delaware teachers and specialists (of any experience level) who seek exposure to the education policy processes that impact their schools and classrooms. The program begins on Monday, June 17 and ends on Thursday, August 1. There is a $2,000 stipend for this fellowship.  Program fellows will work full days Monday-Thursday.

“The teachers and specialists currently working in our schools bring valuable perspectives to our work. This is an outstanding opportunity for us to work closely with them to help shape policy at the state level that makes the most sense for our students, educators, and community,” Bunting said.

The application deadline for both fellowships is Monday, April 1.

More information, including details on how to apply, is available here.

Media Contact: Alison May, alison.may@doe.k12.de.us, 302-735-4006

NEW CASTLE (Feb. 26, 2019) – Nominations for the Governor’s Youth Volunteer Service Awards, which recognize the contributions of Delaware’s volunteers age 17 and younger in their communities, are being accepted by the State Office of Volunteerism now through April 5. Award recipients will be honored at a special ceremony on Tuesday, May 14, at Polytech Adult Education Conference Center in Woodside.

“Across our state, I am impressed by the passion that young people have for volunteerism,” said Governor John Carney. “They identify needs in their communities and are determined to come up with successful projects that meet those needs. I encourage Delawareans to take the time to nominate a young volunteer who is having a positive impact in our communities and in the lives of others.”

The awards honor the volunteerism of young Delawareans in the areas of arts and culture, community service, education, environment, health, human needs, public service and social justice/advocacy. Volunteer efforts must have been performed during 2018, although prior volunteer activity can also be highlighted to show long-term commitment. To be eligible the nominated individuals and group members must be age 17 or younger.

“Through volunteerism and service, Delawareans of all ages can strengthen our social fabric, our quality of life and our very communities,” said Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker, a board-certified family physician and a regular volunteer. “Please join us in nominating the young people of our state who are making a difference in their communities by giving back.”

The nomination form is available on Volunteer.Delaware.gov. Nominators may also request a nomination form by emailing dhss_VolunteerDelaware@delaware.gov or calling (302) 857-5006. Prior to submission, you may email the nomination form for review and feedback.

Nominations must be delivered or mailed by Friday, April 5, to the State Office of Volunteerism, Attn: Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards, c/o April Willey, Williams State Service Center, 805 River Road, Dover, DE 19901 or emailed to dhss_VolunteerDelaware@delaware.gov.

In 2018, 15,118 Delawareans volunteered through community partners with the State Office of Volunteerism, contributing 647,848 hours of service to nonprofit and community organizations. In economic terms, those volunteers contributed nearly $16 million in service to Delaware and its residents.

The Governor’s Youth Volunteer Service Awards are sponsored by the Office of the Governor and are coordinated by the State Office of Volunteerism and the Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service.

“In honoring the contributions of time, compassion, and ingenuity by these young volunteers receiving the Governor’s Volunteer Youth Service Award, we recognize people helping their fellow Delawareans and see that we are building a stronger community through this service,” said Kanani Hines Munford, Executive Director, Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service.

For more information about the awards or volunteer opportunities, go to volunteer.delaware.gov, or contact April Willey, Volunteer Service Administrator, at 302-857-5006 or via email april.willey@delaware.gov.

DOVER – Archaeologists working at a property near Frankford, Sussex County, have discovered the site of a cemetery known to the local community to contain the remains of African Americans who lived in the area.

Under the observation of an archaeologist from the Delaware State Historic Preservation Office, archaeologists employed by a private landowner delineated 11 graves at the site, known as the Orr Property or Hall Plantation.

A headstone was also found at the site bearing the name C.S. Hall and the lines “Co. K, 32nd U.S.C.T.” (an abbreviation for U.S. Colored Troops, the designation for units comprised of African American soldiers during the Civil War.)

The headstone has not been correlated to a specific grave, and no further information is yet known about the identities of the burials at the site. The presence of the remains of enslaved persons has not yet been confirmed through archaeology or review of the historical record.

“This cemetery is a significant discovery for the community and for all Delawareans who value and appreciate our state’s rich history,” said Tim Slavin, director of the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, which oversees the State Historic Preservation Office. “As work continues at the site, we hope to learn more about those who are interred there, so that they may be properly memorialized and their personal stories retold.”

The State Historic Preservation Office will offer guidance, advice and supervision as the landowner continues archaeological work at the site. Though the site is located on private property, the state will take an active role in ensuring that the ongoing archaeological investigation is thorough, professional and carried out in an ethical and responsible manner.

The landowner was an active participant in the gathering of local information about the site, and has indicated that the cemetery will be preserved. The state will work closely with the landowner to determine a plan for preservation.

“I would also like to thank the neighbors nearby for their role in calling attention to the presence of a cemetery here,” Slavin said. “Their recollections and local knowledge about the site and its location were key to discovering these burials. They spoke up, and thanks to them we can add a new page to Delaware history.”

Annabelle Fichtner performs treatment to restore a historic photograph.

DELAWARE CITY – DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation will host a photography preservation workshop from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 5 at the Grass Dale Center, 108 North Reedy Point Road, Delaware City, DE 19706. The event is free and open to the public.

The program, “Worth More Than 1000 Words: Identifying and Caring for Your Family Photographs,” will be led by University of Delaware Art Conservation student Annabelle Fichtner. The hands-on workshop will teach participants how to identify and care for common types of photographs that may be in family collections.

Participants need not have prior experience in art or photograph conservation.

For more information, contact Jacob Miller, Interpretive Programs Manager, Fort Delaware/Fort DuPont State Parks, 302-834-7941.

Contact: Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 49, No. 44