News and Events
The McConnell Community Center: doors wide openPosted: September 27, 2007 Autumn Allen worked with third-grade students from Dover public schools to create tiles for the “Adventures in Art” program; each student will create a tile to be displayed in a mural at the McConnell Community Center (McCC). • Denise Reddington of the Adult Learning Center instructs three students in their new space. • Staff check out the new computer lab. • One of the wooden tiles to be displayed at the McCC. It is always rewarding to see philanthropy bear fruit— and when the fruit nourishes a whole community, while strengthening nonprofits and municipal agencies, the taste is very sweet indeed. That fruit is the McConnell Community Center of Dover (McCC). The Foundation’s Piscataqua Region has provided sustained support to this municipal/nonprofit partnership for more than four years. A former school building owned and renovated by the city, McCC now houses multiple city programs—the Recreation and Human Services departments, youth programs, and the Senior Center, while nonprofits lease space that each was responsible for renovating. Stories from those who use the center convey the impact: • Adult Learning Center teacher Denise Reddington noticed a difference immediately after the move. “Our students come more regularly, stay longer and have a greater sense of commitment in our new space.” • McCC coordinator Erika Hunter is organizing McCC’s “Adventures in Arts” program, which will create a mural of 1,000 individually decorated wooden tiles. Thanks to Dover Rotary’s financial support and the skills of Dover High’s woodshop students, every public school third grader is crafting a tile. “This project is fabulous—so much fun and learning for the students,” said Horne Street School teacher Maureen Sheahan, whose students decorated the tiles with the landmarks of Dover. The mural will be unveiled in October… another community-building event! • The Dover Recreation Department, the Senior Center and the Adult Learning Center have built a new partnership around the computer lab—owned by the city, scheduled by the Recreation Department and managed by the Adult Learning Center. Each week volunteer proctors open the lab to Senior Center members. • New resources are also coming into the city as a result of this vibrant facility. Easter Seals is a new tenant, Ageless Dreamers was launched here (like Make-A-Wish, but for our community’s elders), and UNH established a social work outreach program for student internships. What lies ahead is more exciting still. Tenants envision greater integration of Senior Center members as they become computer-lab proctors, adult literacy tutors and helpers at Dover Children’s Center’s new McCC location. Arts activity will increase as the local creative community discovers how McCC can showcase exhibitions and host public forums. The planners’ vision—a centrally located community center to serve residents of all ages, interests and socioeconomic levels, has been fully realized. Our citizens talk with pride about this new “gem in the heart of the city.” Thanks to donors who give through the Foundation, projects like this come to fruition. Click below to read more about the Piscataqua Region in their latest edition of NEWS. Related Link:http://www.nhcf.org/page17074.cfm |
