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Duke Performances brings in top artists from around the world.  As part of their residencies, these artists are given a chance to interact with the Durham community.  Last night students participating in the Girls Club at the Emily K Center had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to work with Zimbabwean dancer Nora Chipaumire.

Lauren Gardner, Chief Operating Officer

After a long day of school and an intense few hours working hard at the Emily K Center many of our students also participate in evening programming at the Center.  Hand-on science and engineering education, mentor programs, and sports all fill our evenings and add important character and leadership development to our students’ experiences here.  However, we could never do this on our own.  We rely heavily on partner programs that provide quality curriculum, volunteers, and outcomes. 

This past Tuesday we were extremely proud of the fact that two of the groups we partner with were recognized as 2010 “Sammie” Award winners during the annual Samuel Dubois Cook Society Award Dinner.  The Girls Club was recognized for their seven years of committed service to mentoring middle school girls and Professor Gary Ybarra was recognized for the array of work he does in the community including the FEMMES program that teaches math and science to girls at the Center.

Congratulations to both our partner programs!

GIRIJA MAHAJAN, Educational Programming Specialist

An intergral component of the DREAM DO ACHIEVE model is the outstanding volunteer support our students recieve on a daily basis. Nadir Ijaz, a sophomore at Duke University, has been volunteering at Emily K since his freshman year and is featured in our volunteer spotlight.

What inspired you to start volunteering at the Emily K Center?

Before my freshman year at Duke, I heard about a program called “Project Child,” in which Duke students would tutor younger children at local schools and after-school centers. I had always enjoyed tutoring in high school, so I decided to volunteer. I was placed with Emily K Center, and so it began. Now, one and a half years later, I’m glad it was Emily K.

What are some of your favorite Emily K Center memories?

I remember one time a fifth grader drew me a picture of “Gallon Man” - a way of remembering the number of quarts in a gallon, the number of pints in a quart, and so forth. It was so funny, because I had never heard of “Gallon Man,” and when I told this to my tutee, she proudly drew me one to take home so I wouldn’t forget it. I also remember helping one of my tutees write a rap for a project. It was the first time either one of us had written a rap, so finding words that rhymed and still worked in context was tons of fun. In the end, we both had a blast (even though it was a homework assignment).

How has volunteering at the Emily K Center impacted you personally?

Sometimes, I think we all tend to forget what it was like being a child or a teenager. Through volunteering at Emily K, I can unleash the kid in me! Whenever I enter the front glass double doors, I forget the outside world for 1.5 hours and just concentrate on my tutees. Emily K is honestly something I look forward to every week, and I probably owe a large part of my sanity to it, considering the stress that comes with life as a college student.

How has volunteering at the Emily K Center impacted your academic and or career goals?

I am hoping to go on to medical school, and Emily K Center has really impacted the way I interact with kids of different ages. Although I am still considering many different fields of medicine as possible choices, pediatrics is something I’ve started thinking of recently, probably prompted by my volunteering at Emily K.