Delaware Division of the Arts Announces 12 Finalists for Delaware’s 2024 Poetry Out Loud State Finals

Twelve students to compete to advance to the National Finals in Washington, DC

 

Wilmington, Del. (February 27, 2024) – Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud State Finals returns to the Smyrna Opera House on Thursday, February 29, 2024, at 6:00pm. Twelve student finalists will compete for the opportunity to represent Delaware and advance to the National Finals in Washington, DC from April 30-May 3, 2024, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed. The event is FREE to the public and seating is limited.

At their school, students selected and recited works from an anthology of more than 1,200 poems. Their teachers or facilitators ran their school’s local Poetry Out Loud competition that then selected a winner to be moved on to the state finals.

 “Congratulations to the twelve talented and creative high school students who have been selected as finalists in the 2024 Delaware Poetry Out Loud competition,” says Division Director Jessica Ball. “Your hard work and passion for the arts is truly inspiring. The arts play a critical role in creating well-rounded individuals, fostering imagination, creativity and critical thinking skills that are essential to success in all aspects of life. Keep up the great work and we can’t wait to see where your passion for the arts takes you in the future.”

The twelve finalists are:

2024 Delaware State Semi-Finalists

Jono McGarvey, Delaware Valley Classical School

Grace Sullivan, MOT Charter High School

Olivia Stevens, Mount Sophia Academy 

Maiss Hussein, Paul M. Hodgson Vocational Technical High School

Hunter Brown, Red Lion Christian Academy

Abigail Ehemann, Saint Mark’s High School

Perrin Brown, Sanford School

Joelle Caternor, Smyrna High School

Harrison Dabbs, Sussex Academy of Arts & Sciences

Nife Anawo, Sussex Central High School

Caliana Velasquez, Sussex Technical High School

Jamie Feldman, Wilmington Friends School

 

Those wishing to watch the event from the comfort of their own home can do so via the link below.

 

Poetry Out Loud—presented in partnership with the Delaware Division of the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and Poetry Foundation—is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.1 million students across the country have participated in Poetry Out Loud.

At their school, students recite works selected from an anthology of more than 1,200 poems. Judges will evaluate student performances on criteria including voice and articulation, evidence of understanding, and accuracy. The National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation have created free, standards-based curriculum materials to support Poetry Out Loud including a teacher’s guide, lesson plans, an online anthology, posters, and video and audio on the art of recitation. These resources are available for free at PoetryOutLoud.org.

The Delaware state champion will receive $200 and will advance to the national finals next spring where $50,000 in awards and school/organizational stipends will be distributed. The representing school or organization of the state champion will receive $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for their school or organization. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers all aspects of the monetary prizes awarded and travel arrangements for the Poetry Out Loud National Finals.

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Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications

302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@delaware.gov

The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is dedicated to cultivating and supporting the arts to enhance the quality of life for all Delawareans. 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. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.


CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack Registration Now Open

CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack Registration Now Open
CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack offer free, fun game-like activities for high school and college students

Dover, Delaware — Delaware’s Governor John Carney and the Chief Information Officer (CIO) Gregory Lane today announced that high school and college students can register for the CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack programs. These national programs, sponsored by the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation and the SANS Institute, provide participants with the opportunity to explore their potential cybersecurity talent and assist Delaware students with gaining problem-solving skills that enhance knowledge post-graduation. The programs are split by high school student levels grades nine through twelve and college student level, and any participant has the chance to win scholarship prizes as well as statewide recognition.

“All Delawareans need to understand the potential of cybersecurity both for their professional and personal development. Whether cybersecurity is a potential career pathway or learning about self-protection against cyber criminals, it’s on all of us to learn more to keep Delaware secure,” said Governor Carney. “The CyberStart and Cyber FastTrack programs allow high school and college students to learn more about cybersecurity and how it affects all career paths. I encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity.”

“With cyber-attacks happening every day to well-secured, high-profile organizations, the need for this next generation to fill the skills gap in cybersecurity is essential. These major breaches not only affect the organizations directly attacked, but typically have far-reaching impacts. We must continue to be vigilant, and we need the next generation of cyber defenders to protect against sophisticated bad actors. With programs like these, participants can develop the cyber skills that will serve them well in any career field,” said CIO Gregory Lane.

The CyberStart and Cyber FastTrack programs both offer a series of online challenges that allow participants to act as cyber protection agents to solve cybersecurity-related puzzles and explore related topics such as code-breaking, programming, networking, and digital forensics. For the high school level, the program can be assigned as part of homework, form the basis of an extracurricular club, or students can simply try it on their own. Participating students and their teachers do not need knowledge or experience in information technology or cybersecurity to take part. Everything they need can be learned in the game; however, support and communication about the program to students are needed. Both programs are free for schools and students.

Students who do well in the program can earn access to scholarships and advanced training. During the previous competition, Delaware had 261 high school student participants with 6 award winners in CyberStart America and 76 college students with five award winners in Cyber FastTrack. To see more about this program and last year’s winner, visit Delaware’s CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack webpage.

To learn more about CyberStart America or to register, visit cyberstartamerica.org. College students can view the program details and register to participate at cyber-fasttrack.org.

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About the Delaware Department of Technology and Information

The Department of Technology and Information (DTI) is the state’s central IT organization, chartered to deliver core services to other state organizations and exercise governance over the technology direction and investments of the state. DTI provides enterprise services that enable other organizations to effectively fulfill their missions. DTI.delaware.gov

About CyberStart America

CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack are free national programs for high school and college-level students, aiming to uncover hidden cyber talents, and to identify and develop the next generation of cyber superstars. The immersive gamified learning platforms can take students from zero cybersecurity knowledge to possessing the skills necessary to compete in a national level Capture the Flag challenge in a matter of weeks. Students new to the field with a strong aptitude, as well as students with existing interest in the field, can use the platform to train and qualify for the National Cyber Scholarship Competition, allowing them to compete for life-changing college scholarship opportunities.

About The National Cyber Scholarship Foundation (NCSF)

The National Cyber Scholarship Foundation (NCSF) is a national nonprofit whose mission is to identify, nurture and empower the next generation of cybersecurity experts and eliminate the cybersecurity skills gap in the United States. NCSF aims to support the entry of thousands of highly talented students to the cybersecurity industry by providing enrichment opportunities, world-class training, and scholarships to fund advanced skills training.

Media Contact:
Christina Dirksen, Strategic Communications Manager, DTI

(302) 739-9736 w Christina.Dirksen@state.de.us 


Governor Carney Declares October Delaware Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Register for Activities Statewide Throughout October 2023

 

Dover, Del. — It has been two decades since the federal launch of October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Over the past twenty years, cybersecurity protection strategies have changed drastically. In response to the ever-evolving cyber landscape, Governor John Carney and Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long are providing their support by again proclaiming October as Delaware’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month. This allows resources to be made available to provide free events including informational tables, presentations, workshops, and other activities throughout the State to help Delawareans of all ages to learn how to improve their security posture.  These programs cover topics on Protection (social media security and privacy information), Device Security (hands-on instruction on setting up device security on Android and Apple devices), and Detection (identifying, reporting, and learning about current scams).  Cyber Security Awareness Month will culminate with the 14th Annual Secure Delaware Workshop on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the University of Delaware’s Clayton Hall.

“We must learn to protect ourselves in the digital age and it takes all of us to help keep our data secure. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the free activities and resources made available during Cybersecurity Awareness Month,” said Governor John Carney. “I want to thank the Delaware Department of Technology and Information for their efforts in educating the public of the risks and keeping Delaware safe from cyber-attacks.”

“We love to see advancements in technology for the convenience to the public and accuracy of data for business uses, but there is always an inherent risk that the technology can be used criminally. We’ve seen recent occurrences of cybersecurity attacks in the news, but much more common are incidents of credit card and identity theft — all of which can have devastating impacts,” said State of Delaware CIO Gregory Lane. “Bad actors only get more sophisticated, which is why it is so important that everyone learns how to protect themselves and stay safe online. Delaware Cybersecurity Awareness Month events provide opportunities that everyone can leverage to learn to be more vigilant.”

Delawareans of all ages are encouraged to join the events offered throughout October, including the Cybersecurity Awareness Month finale event — the 14th annual Secure Delaware Workshop. Presented by the Delaware Department of Technology and Information (DTI) along with the Delaware League of Local Governments, Delaware Small Business Development Center, and the University of Delaware; the 2023 Secure Delaware Workshop provides training for businesses, students, and government employees that work, study, or live in Delaware. This free, in-person event is being held on Tuesday, October 24th from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the University of Delaware’s Clayton Hall and will include two keynote speakers and nine breakout sessions designed to have something for everyone.  Whether you are a student just getting into the field and want to learn more about creating your own cyber range, a business manager concerned with the newest cyber laws and cyber insurance changes, or a long-term IT professional interested in attack simulation, deception technology, or ChatGPT, this conference has something for you.  This event offers the perfect opportunity to network with cyber professionals and technology vendors.

To learn more about cyber events happening in Delaware including Secure Delaware Workshop 2023 with registration information, visit the event page at https://digiknow.dti.delaware.gov/events/. There is no cost to attend any State of Delaware’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month activities. Please note that registration is limited for each of the events and final registration to attend the Secure Delaware Workshop closes October 6th.

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Media Contact:

Christina Dirksen, Strategic Communications Manager, DTI
(302) 739-9736 w Christina.Dirksen@state.de.us

About the Delaware Department of Technology and Information

The Department of Technology and Information (DTI) is the state’s central IT organization, chartered to deliver core services to other state organizations and exercise governance over the technology direction and investments of the state. DTI provides enterprise services that enable other organizations to effectively fulfill their missions.

 

 


Delaware Division of the Arts Announces First Round of Grants for Arts Projects for Fiscal Year 2024

 

Statewide, DEL. (August 8, 2023) – The Delaware Division of the Arts is investing nearly $4 million in more than 112 arts and community organizations that will serve Delawareans statewide with arts programming and services, arts education, and arts marketing and promotion. This first round of funding for FY2024 includes General Operating Support, Project Support, Arts Stabilization, StartUp and Education Resource grants.

“We are thrilled to announce the Delaware Division of the Arts’ commitment to supporting Delaware’s non-profit creative sector with an additional $1 million in grants for arts programming, education, and operations,” stated Jessica Ball, Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. “These funds will play a crucial role in fostering a vibrant cultural environment and ensuring that the arts remain accessible to all Delawareans throughout the state. We extend our gratitude to Governor Carney, Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock, the Delaware General Assembly, and the National Endowment for the Arts for their continued support in making this investment possible.”

Funding for the Delaware Division of the Arts comes from the Delaware General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, an independent federal agency. In addition, the funds for capital improvements grants—provided by the Arts Stabilization Fund—are drawn from the Arts Consortium of Delaware, Inc. (ArtCo) endowment. A complete list of grants for the first round of FY2024 can be found here.

Grant review panels made up of Delaware artists, arts educators, arts and nonprofit organization administrators, corporate and fundraising managers, and interested community members, provided an impartial peer review of these grant applications based on established evaluation criteria, reflecting the importance of having diverse public and expert participation in the grant-making process.

The awards include:

  • General Operating Support for sixty-three (63) arts organizations.
  • Project Support for twenty-eight (28) community-based organizations that provide arts programming for children and adults with physical or intellectual disabilities; students whose schools are under-resourced and face multiple barriers, individuals and family members dealing with cancer; and young children and community members from across Delaware.
  • Seven (7) Arts Stabilization projects that support capital improvements and repairs to facilities owned by arts organizations.
  • StartUp Support for one emerging arts organization, Culture Restoration Project, providing a combination of technical assistance and financial support for this organization.
  • Fourteen (14) education-based partnerships between Delaware’s schools, arts organizations and artists that provide teacher training and standards-based arts learning experiences for pre- K-12 students statewide, in alignment with the Delaware Standards for Learning in the Visual and Performing Arts.

The Division also awards grants on an on-going basis throughout the year, including Arts Access grants, Artist Residencies, Individual Artist Fellowships, and Individual Artist Opportunity grants. Full grant descriptions are available on the Division’s website and at the end of the release.

Interested members of the public, artists, arts organizations, and community leaders are encouraged to visit the Division’s website to learn more about these programs. Notification of grant deadlines, guidelines, and applications, as well as technical assistance opportunities are published in the monthly e-newsletter, Arts E-News. Please visit our website at arts.delaware.gov for more details.

 

GRANT BREAKDOWN BY TYPE

 

Grant Program # Grants Dollars Awarded
General Operating Support 63 $3,502,940
Project Support 28 $238,560
Arts Stabilization 7 $113,000
StartUp 1 $2,500
Education Resource 14 $121,495
TOTAL 113 $3,978,495

 

GRANT PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

Arts Organizations: Non-profit Delaware organizations whose primary mission is the promotion, production, presentation, or teaching of the arts.

General Operating Support – support of annual operating expenses to ensure that year-round participation in the arts is available to the people of Delaware. This grant category utilizes a three-year application cycle. Full applications are due every three years, with Interim applications due in the “off” years. Annual March 1 deadline.

Arts Stabilization – supports improvements to facilities owned (or under long-term lease) and operated by the organization. Arts Stabilization grants are funded through the Division’s participation in the Arts Consortium of Delaware, Inc. (ArtCo) endowment. Annual March 1 deadline.

StartUp – a comprehensive program of financial support, training, and consultation to develop and strengthen the management capacity of emerging arts organizations so that they can operate in a sustainable manner. Completion of the StartUp program is a prerequisite for emerging organizations seeking General Operating Support. Annual March 1 deadline.

Arts Access – supports small budget projects that include the presentation of performing, visual, literary, media, or folk arts in communities throughout the state. Applications must be submitted at least six weeks prior to the project start date, and are reviewed as they are received, beginning on July 1 of each year. Organizations that receive General Operating or Project Support from the Division are not eligible to apply. Rolling deadline.

Community-Based Organizations: Non-profit Delaware organizations, colleges, universities, and government entities that do not have the arts as their primary mission.

Project Support – supports arts programs provided by CBOs that assist in the growth of a vibrant cultural environment by encouraging the continued development of arts activities in communities throughout the state. College and university projects must be non-credit and serve the general community.  Annual March 1 deadline.

Arts Access – supports small budget projects that include the presentation of performing, visual, literary, media, or folk arts in communities throughout the state. Applications must be submitted at least six weeks prior to the project start date, and are reviewed as they are received, beginning on July 1 of each year. Organizations that receive General Operating or Project Support from the Division are not eligible to apply. Rolling deadline.

Schools: Delaware pre-K through 12 public, charter, private, and parochial schools.

Artist Residency – grants for residencies with visual, literary, performing, or media artists working with students in the classroom or in professional development workshops with teachers. Rolling deadline.

TranspARTation – grants that support transportation costs for schools to travel to Delaware arts and cultural institutions and venues for students to attend arts performances, events, and exhibits.

Arts Organizations and Schools:

Education Resource – grants to strengthen standards-based arts education projects, programs, and activities that utilize the arts education resources of the Delaware arts community or strengthen arts organizations’ capacity to serve as professional development resources for teaching artists and educators.  Annual March 1 deadline.

Individual Artists: Delaware residents, 18 years of age or older, not enrolled in a degree-granting program.

Artist Fellowships – supports individual artists in their work as visual, performing, media, folk, and/or literary artists. Applications are received and processed by Mid Atlantic Arts. FY2024 Masters categories are Dance, Jazz, and Music. Annual August 1 deadline.

Artist Opportunity Grants – provides up to $1,000 to support individual artists with unique professional and artistic development or presentation opportunities. Quarterly deadlines: January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1.

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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.

Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications

302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@delaware.gov

The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is dedicated to cultivating and supporting the arts to enhance the quality of life for all Delawareans. 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. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.


Delaware’s Dr. JoAnn Balingit receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award for 2023-2024

Wilmington, Del. (June 6, 2023) – The Delaware Division of the Arts is pleased to announce that Dr. JoAnn Balingit has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in Literature: Creative Writing to the Philippines for the 2023-2024 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Dr. JoAnn Balingit headshot

Dr. JoAnn Balingit served as Delaware’s 16th poet laureate from 2008 to 2015. A poet and essayist, her work has been honored as a 2022 Individual Artist Fellow in Creative Nonfiction from the Delaware Division of the Arts and from the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation. She received a 2021 Pushcart Prize nomination and was featured in Poetry Magazine’s August 2021 Poetry Podcast. Her poems and essays are published widely. 

As an advocate for arts-in-education and community arts access, JoAnn has directed state-wide programs such the Delaware Writing Region of Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for middle school and high school students; led poetry workshops and writing retreats for adults, and has taught poetry writing at the University of Delaware. Dr. Balingit also teaches creative writing classes at New Castle County Libraries for the Creative Aging program, with an emphasis on storytelling through memory work. She has been a coordinator and teaching artist for Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud program for the past 15 years.

“Dr. Balingit is deserving of this prestigious award,” said Governor John Carney. “Throughout her career — and especially during her time as Delaware’s poet laureate — she has shown a passion for sharing creative storytelling with our community. I want to congratulate Dr. Balingit on this achievement and look forward to seeing her future work.”

“Congratulations to Dr. JoAnn Balingit on being awarded the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Dr. Balingit’s selection for this esteemed honor is a testament to her exceptional talent and dedication to the literary arts. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a deep commitment to storytelling and fostering arts-in-education and community arts access. Her contributions as Delaware’s poet laureate and her extensive work in the field exemplify her passion for nurturing the artistic growth of others. We are thrilled for Dr. Balingit and look forward to the valuable cultural exchange and insights she will bring during her Fulbright journey. Congratulations once again on this well-deserved recognition,” said Jessica Ball, Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts.

Dr. Balingit’s project, entitled WHAT WERE the NAMES of the TREES? A Memoir, is a hybrid-genre lyrical work about growing up bi-racial in the American South, and coming of age in the aftermath of the violent loss of her parents. Separated from her eight younger siblings, the lonely teen enters adulthood desperate to belong. During her stay in Pampanga Province, she will seek an understanding of her Filipino family history and the forces that shaped her father’s education and environment as a U.S. colonial subject before he migrated to the United States.

With archival research, interviews, and a fuller view of race and empire, especially as it relates to erased Filipino American history, and diaspora, the mestiza writer traces her parents’ lives and her own path of survival to becoming a writer. Most compellingly, she traces how her attitude toward her mixed identify and her father’s legacy has changed. As a poet who experiences language as the rishest living tie to a silenced history, during this Fulbright grant she will continue to study in depth her father’s native language and culture, Kapampángan.

Dr. JoAnn Balingit is among over 800 U.S. citizens who will teach or conduct research abroad for the 2023-2024 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Fulbrighters engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs, and classrooms, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad.

As Fulbright Scholar alumni, their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Notable Fulbright alumni include 62 Nobel Prize laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize recipients, 78 MacArthur Fellows, and 41 who have served as a head of state or government. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants from over 160 countries – chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential – with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to challenges facing our communities and our world.

In addition, over 2,000 U.S. students, artists, and early career professionals from all backgrounds in more than 100 different fields of study receive Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards annually to study, teach English, and conduct research overseas.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program. In the United States, the Institute of International Education supports the implementation of the Fulbright U.S. Student and Scholar Programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships.

For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit https://fulbrightprogram.org.

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Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications

302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@delaware.gov

The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is dedicated to cultivating and supporting the arts to enhance the quality of life for all Delawareans. 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. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.