Latest pictures :)

That is my new window............
Below is one of the new GYMS!

That's another gym and that raised part is the stage :) :) :)

The AZ Republic Article

Boys and Girls Club members tour construction site
by Weldon B. Johnson - Mar. 24, 2009 01:20 PM

The Arizona Republic

When the brand new Compadre Branch of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the East Valley opens to the public this fall, there won't be any surprises for Tyeshea Campbell.
Campbell, 16, is part of a group of club members who have been learning about the construction of the $8 million, 32,000 square-foot building from the ground up. The club's staff has teamed up with Chasse Building Team, Inc., the general contractor for the project, to use the construction of the new club as a teaching opportunity for the kids who will use it.

During spring break, Campbell and about a dozen other Club teens got two chances to tour the construction site after work had finished for the day. The new club is being built right next to the existing one on Chandler Boulevard just east of Arizona.
"I thought it was very interesting to see just how much work goes into building something like this," Campbell said. "We got to see how much hard work and planning it takes. It makes me think about maybe going into architecture."

On the two Thursdays of spring break, club members were divided into three groups, by age, to learn about different aspects of the building process. Project Superintendent Robert Dilzer showed the kids the blueprints for the project and answered their questions about the project or the industry.

The younger groups got to make a cinder block and footing that will be used in the building. The teens got a chance to tour the building and walk its halls (even though there are no walls yet) to see how everything fits together.

"Any time we have a school or a project like this, we like to get the kids involved," Dilzer said. "Not only is it educational, but it cuts down on vandalism and things like that. It also seems like they take care of it better after it opens when they're involved."
The new building has been designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental and Design (LEED) standards. So part of the discussion with each group has revolved around some of those features included in the new building and the importance of recycling.

"I didn't know you could turn old blue jeans into insulation for the walls or have old water bottles turned into a new soap dispenser," said Kayla Geans, 11. "Now I want to recycle more."

Dilzer tailored the discussions to the maturity level of each group. With the teen group, he talked about different careers available in construction ranging from laborers to engineers.

"I'm trying to find another job now," said Matthew Solis, a freshman at Chandler Gilbert Community College. "I wouldn't mind doing this for the summer."

Learning how it's made has Jade Edwards, 12, even more excited about the new club, which should be open by September. "I think it will be an awesome building," she said.

week two of educating the kids on the building....

Today the younger kids learned about recycling materials for the new facility. Then as a group, they made a cement brick. The 4-6th graders learned about recycling as well but also touched on the facility on paper as well as the different careers/jobs that it takes to build a facility.

My teens were able to learn about all sorts of careers and trades and of course, take a walk onto the work site. (There favorite thing to do!)

The building is coming up before our eyes. In just a few days we've seen the brick rise and door frames installed..........Last picture is of me standing in the doorway of my new office :) :)

Remember this is a LEED certified project and we'll be granted a Silver Status. My kids, the great kids I serve, have learned so much from this process and we've only just begun!

Take a peek for yourself...........

~me

Kids and the building....

Part of building the new facility is having the kids involved every step of the way. It's pretty exciting to see the kids on the other end of the fence, learning about careers and recycling and their new Club.

From 5 year olds to 18 year olds, they were excited....

Walk around........

Today, I decided to just bust through the fence (with a bit of help!) and walked around the new facility.

I learned two things. One, don't wear new white shoes in all that dirt. (Keeping old shoes at the club for now on)

And two, it's amazing....see for yourself!

~me

(These are the footings in the new facility....see how the bricks are all mismatched? It's because we are recycling (remember, we have a LEED certified building).....The bricks are recycled from other job sites that didn't need so many.....we don't care what they look like because they are underground so they are mismatched!

This is the size of the new music studio..............goodness it is huge! Below that is the picture of what we currently have! The kids are going to go nuts!!!

Youth of the Year Event.....

(to read my personal thoughts and feelings (sappy) please visit my other blog...

http://mindye.blogspot.com/

Here are all the pictures from the 2009 Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley Youth of the Year!

Above, Kevin with his Nana and his mom.....Below, Kevin with Mayor Boyd Dunn.