Nominate A Teen For A Heart Of Pelham (HOP) Award!
Pelham is a community with loads of amazing teens who perform acts of kindness and generosity daily - big acts and small acts. It is exceptionally important that adults notice and let kids know they matter, particularly in our larger community. Knowing they matter impacts confidence, self-reliance, and motivation to continue.
The Heart of Pelham award is given to students for exhibiting such traits as compassion, kindness, leadership, determination, perseverance, and integrity. Anyone in the community can nominate a middle school or high school student.
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Only The Costumes Should Be Scary This Halloween. . .
In the last year there has been an increase in copycat edibles - meaning, candy that looks almost exactly like a popular branded candy or snack, except that it also contains THC (the substance in marijuana that produces the high).
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We Are Hiring!
PT is looking for a Director of Community Programs to join our team! If you are interested, please see the full job description here and send a resume and cover letter to contact@pelhamtogether.org.
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Introducing Our Pelham Together School Liaisons!
Thank you to our volunteers in our new role of School Liaison! At each building, these PT representatives are your go-to for all things Pelham Together—where to get the BIG Pelham calendar, what resources and programs are available to parents and youth, including our new PT Counseling program, bringing affordable, short-term therapy to young people ages 5-20. You can also share thoughts and/or concerns regarding topics of interest to support a particular age group, which will drive PT programming.
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Pelham Together Summer Internship '23 - Another Great Success!
During July and August 2023, Pelham Together hosted their popular Summer Internship program with almost 30 teens and 25 mentors, and two recent graduates of the program were mentors for this years’ interns. The program included two sessions with mentors, as well as a 3-day leadership training seminar focused on communication skills, learning and leading styles, goal setting and team building.
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The 803 Podcast: Starring Laura Caruso from Pelham Together!!
We’re so thrilled that The 803 chose to include our very own Laura Caruso - Pelham Together’s esteemed Executive Director. We think when you listen to this episode, you’ll also be impressed with her and the work she is championing for our teens.
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Crush It At Work & School Summit - Aug. 18-20, 2023
Join 15 of the best ADHD experts who share their own strategies and hacks so you can get prioritized, beat the overwhelm, transition easily from summer...and be ready to CRUSH IT at work or school this fall.
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You Need to Talk to Your College and College-Bound Teenager About Fentanyl
One of my childhood friends just lost his 22-year-old son to an accidental fentanyl overdose – accidental because when he took the pill, he had no idea it contained fentanyl. At the funeral, another friend said this was the sixth similar fentanyl death among families they know.
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Summer Interns Are Off And Running!
The 2023 Sumer Interns have completed their 3-day leadership training and are off to begin their assignments with mentors for the next three weeks. The interns spent last week working together, facilitated by a Youth Leadership Trainer , Pelham Together Youth Advocate Danielle Marrero, and two graduates of the program, Akaylah Ng Saye and Nora Tahbaz. They participated in various activities intended to tap into their individual personality strengths to develop their communication skills and how identify ways to best collaborate with others, as well as how to advocate for themselves. There were conversations about how to best connect these insights to what they might face at work. They also got to know each other and met their mentors.
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PT Hosts Summer Internship Welcome Event at TD Bank
Pelham Together held a Communications Workshop for our 2023 Summer Interns on May 18th at TD Bank. Many of our summer internship mentors were able to attend, as well as some local adult volunteers. The workshop included a number of “conversation-starter” activities, followed up by small group conversations between interns and mentors. Our summer interns were able to practice speaking to adults who they generally don’t know, which is a skill they will all need this summer as they head into jobs with local or locally-connected businesses and organizations.
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SummerFest '23 Was A Roaring Success!
SummerFest took over Chester Park on June 3rd, 2023 and everyone had a great time. This was the best family day in Pelham yet again. The teen bands were exceptional, the food by Depot Dave Catering fueled the day, kids loved the crafts and the obstacle course, tie dye was awesome, some grooved to Thrive, and all the dogs were the best (especially Maggie, Blanche, and Larry, who won our various contests)!
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SummerFest '23 Is Coming - June 3rd, 3-8pm - at Chester Park!
June 3rd from 3-8pm….SummerFest is back!! Join Pelham Together and your neighbors in Chester Park to enjoy a day full of fun for every age! As usual, the event will begin with our super popular Dog Parade, and the rest of the day will include activities such as tie-dye, mini-golf, carnival games, an obstacle course, face painting, volleyball/badminton, lawn games, kids’ crafts, and….center stage….our teen musicians! Depot Dave will be there serving his delicious food from the grill (burgers, including veggie, hot dogs, chicken); Pelicones ice cream, cotton candy and a beer garden (21+).
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Teenage Drinking is More Complicated Than It Seems
By Melissa Ronan, LMSW, Pelham Together Executive Board Member, and Chair of the Pelham Together Mental Health Committee
It’s not just that your teen is drinking. The bigger issue with teenage drinking is that many kids drink to cope instead of learning to cope. And teens with mental health problems often drink to self-medicate, camouflaging the symptoms of underlying issues that are developing. Studies show that the later kids start drinking, the less likely they are to ever develop a substance abuse problem. So delaying or minimizing teen drinking has significant long-term benefits to their physical and emotional well-being.
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Dog Therapy for Mental Health Awareness!!
What a great way to de-stress from the tests!! PMHS, PMHS PTA, and Pelham Together Youth Council organized some much-needed time with the most adorable dogs on Thursday, May 11th. Lulu, Addie, and Minka were so lovable! We look forward to doing this again in the future!
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What I Wish My Parents Had Known About ADHD
When I was 45, I had my son tested for ADHD. Looking over his shoulder, I read the questionnaire. “Don’t finish projects you start,” “difficulty sustaining attention,” “struggle to get organized,” “avoid, dislike or are reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort,” -- these were characteristics of a diagnosable mental illness that could be treated?? I got distracted from helping my son take the quiz because a light bulb had gone off in my head about so many of my own lifelong struggles.
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How Do I Tell If My Child Has An Eating Disorder
Second in our series for Mental Health Awareness Month is this podcast by Lisa Damour, PhD, "How Do I Tell If My Child Has An Eating Disorder." While the episode first aired during the pandemic, the topic and her suggestions are still relevant, insightful, and actionable. We have been asked for information on this topic more and more, among all genders, across ages, races, and ethnicities.
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May Is Mental Health Awareness Month!
During the month of May, we will be posting weekly about a variety of mental health issues . We chose these topics because they are brought to us by parents most frequently. Each week we’ll post them on social media, and add them to this blog post, so keep checking back!
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Pelham Together Receives $40,000 In Support From County Legislator
Pelham Together is deeply grateful for a significant show of support from Terry Clements, the Westchester County Legislator for District 11. This support will enable Pelham Together to expand youth programs including summer internships, year-round employment opportunities, connections with trusted adults, connections to peers, and mental health support for all Pelham youth.
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8th Grade Skate Night!!
On Saturday, March 25th, Pelham Together and the Pelham Middle School PTA hosted ANOTHER open skate night, and this time it was the 8th Graders turn!! Another fun night for all! Thank you to the parent chaperones, without whom we could not host these events. Click through for some GREAT PICS!!
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Bullying Prevention and Intervention: What Works and What Doesn't
On March 8, 2023, Make Caring Common of Harvard University hosted a webinar with bullying expert, Dr. Dorothy Espelage, to discuss bullying prevention and intervention. It was EXCELLENT. Check out a write up of key takeaways—including a discussion of what is bullying? What does and doesn’t work to prevent it?—and a recording of the full webinar is at the end.
This event was chocked full of resources, recommendations, and fabulous information for parents, schools, and communities.
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