Local Childcare Center Gives Back to the Community

SOMERSWORTH—
Children at the I Can Be Me Preschool & Childcare, Inc. program, Route 108 in Somersworth, wanted to do something to give back to the community during the NAEYC’s (National Association for the Education of Young Children) Week of the Young Child April 11 – 17, 2010. So on April 12th, the children participated in a Hop-A-Thon fundraiser to raise money for the N.H. Chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association to help children, like themselves, but who have muscle weakness.
The MDA Hop-A-Thon combined fun activities and disability awareness teaching that “everybody’s different, nobody’s perfect.” Children raised pledges and collected donations based on how many hops they could complete in a two-minute time period.
Logan C. was the Top Hopper with 291 hops and Elisabeth G. was the top donation raiser.
I Can Be Me Director, Janice Silver, would like to thank the children, their families, friends, and community members who participated and pledged or donated to help Jerry’s kids.
Photo caption: Children at the I Can Be Me Preschool and Childcare program held an MDA hop-a-thon recently. (Courtesy photo)

Dover to Hold Forum on Impact of the Arts

DOVER—
Join local business leaders, artists and others on Thursday, May 20 at a forum on the Impact of the Arts on Local Economic Development. The forum, which will be broadcast live on Channel 22, will begin at 7 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers at 288 Central Avenue.
Designed to explore the critical role that the arts play in all areas of life, including economic development, education, and health services, the forum is presented by the Dover Arts Commission, the Dover Business & Industrial Development Authority, Dover Main Street, The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, and the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce.
The forum features the following panelists:
City of Dover Economic Development Director Dan Barufaldi will describe the often overlooked role that the arts play in revitalizing the downtowns of small cities and towns, in tourism, and in attracting new business.
Dover Main Street Director Carrie Eisner will speak to the direct impact of the arts and art-related events upon downtown Dover merchants.
Jane Bard, the associate director of the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, will speak about the Museum’s work and its efforts to engage downtown merchants, the business community, and the public at large.
Jane Hamor, a founding member of the Dover Arts Commission who also handles community relations for Community Partners, will speak about the critical connection between the arts and healthcare, including the way that art can be used to address behavioral health challenges.
After the panelists’ introductions, the forum will be opened up to the public for an extended question-and-answer period.
“Art is an essential part of life,” said Dover Arts Commission Chair Joyce El Kouarti. “The process of thinking creatively is woven into the way we live, the work we do, and the activities that we enjoy.”

Granite State College Expands Presence in Rochester

ROCHESTER—
Following two years of historic growth, Granite State College (GSC) is pleased to announce plans to double its space in Rochester, with a move into newly-refurbished space at Technology Park on Industrial Way.
GSC has served thousands of students at its 6,000-square-foot location at Merchants Plaza at 1 Old Dover Road in Rochester, but student enrollments have soared over the last two years and are up 18 percent over just last year. With the influx of students continuing and the Rochester center the largest center college-wide, GSC’s move will more than double its space in Rochester to 12,000 square feet, providing additional capacity for students, classrooms and technology.
“We are very enthusiastic about our new Rochester location,” said Dr. Karol A. LaCroix, president of Granite State College. “We have seen huge increases in enrollments institution-wide and Rochester is no exception. We watched those trends closely and knew it was time to increase our capacity to teach, empower and support our students.”
The new location boasts six instructional spaces or classrooms, a student lounge, a resource center and testing center. GSC’s full- and part-time regional staff, about 17 in all, will be well-equipped to serve the increasing student traffic.
GSC’s Rochester location serves students from Rochester, Farmington, Dover, Barrington, Somersworth, Milton, Wakefield and Sanford and Berwick Maine. Granite State College also offers classes in Portsmouth, at its location at the Pease trade port.
Manchester-based Brady Sullivan Properties completed the long-term lease with GSC at 35E Industrial Way, the former Cabletron Systems building. The building currently houses a variety of technology companies, including Anseri Corp, Measured Progress and Smart Assistive Technology. The building contains approximately 210,000 square feet of class A quality office/engineering space, according to Charles Panasis of Brady Sullivan.
“We look forward in having Granite State College and its dynamic education program join the Brady Sullivan portfolio of properties as we continue the Rochester site’s redevelopment,” said Panasis.
That dynamic programming centers on GSC’s students, many of whom are adult learners juggling families, full-time work and military duty both here and abroad. The flexibility, affordability and real-world experience offered at GSC create a winning proposition for students.
GSC prides itself on providing real-world experiences and expertise, drawing adjunct faculty from the state’s business and professional communities. Strong relationships with the business community translate to graduates who are well-positioned to grow or re-position their careers.
“We are particularly pleased to expand our institution’s ability to serve Rochester and the surrounding towns,” said Dr. LaCroix.
For more information, visit www.granite.edu.