15th Annual Menlo Park Pancake Breakfast Benefits Burn Victims

Menlo Park, CA – Sept. 21, 2015 – One of the community’s favorite events, the 15^th annual Pancake Breakfast will be held on Saturday, October 3 at the Menlo Park Fire District Headquarters at 300 Middlefield Road.

This popular annual event, co-sponsored by the Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula (JLPA•MP), the Menlo Park Firefighters Association, the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, the Stanford Park Hotel and the Menlo Grill Bistro & Bar, benefits the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation. Volunteers will be flipping pancakes and serving breakfast at the fire station from 7:30 to 11 a.m. that morning.

Advance ticket purchase is not required; a suggested donation of $10 per adult and $5 per child will be requested at the door.

The event includes something for guests of all ages. Breakfast will feature pancakes cooked to perfection by the Menlo Park Firefighters, delicious Hobee’s coffee cake and Peet’s Coffee. Junior League volunteers are organizing several fun activities for kids. The Fire District will host a silent auction featuring items such as a visit with “Old Tom,” their antique fire truck at your birthday party or event, dinner at Menlo Grill Bistro & Bar, and a night stay at the Stanford Park Hotel.

“The Pancake Breakfast and open house at the fire station is a family favorite every year,” said Fire Marshal Jon Johnston of the Menlo Park Fire District. “It’s a pleasure to partner with the Junior League and other local community organizations to raise money for this worthy cause.”

“We’re honored to support the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation in their life-changing work with burn survivors,” said Jan Hickman, JLPA•MP President. “As the Junior League celebrates 50 years of volunteer service in the community, we look forward to this fun and important annual event.”

Last year’s breakfast raised approximately $8,000 for the Alisa Ann Ruche Burn Foundation, and organizers hope to top that number this year. Proceeds from the event help the foundation provide much-needed programs for burn survivors in California. In 2010, the Foundation worked closely with local hospitals handling burn victims of the San Bruno fire.

Junior League Celebrates 50 Years of Community Impact

Since its founding in 1965, the Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula has contributed thousands of volunteer hours to the local community, supported nearly 100 community service projects, and awarded grants to 192 area nonprofit organizations. In its 50 years, the League has tackled important social issues such as affordable housing, societal violence, literacy and education, homelessness, drug addiction, and at-risk children and youth.

The League has also played a key role in starting several local nonprofits, including The Tech Museum of Innovation, Daybreak Shelter, The Stanford Health Library, Rebuilding Together Peninsula, East Palo Alto Charter School, and Rosalie Rendu Center.

Additionally, delegates from JLPA•MP participate in the State Public Affairs Committee of the Junior Leagues of California (SPAC), a non-partisan education and advocacy organization representing more than 11,000 women voters. SPAC’s efforts have resulted in passage of two critical bills dealing with domestic violence (Senate Bill 563) and health care (Assembly Bill 40).

About the Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula, Inc.

The Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula, Inc. (JLPA•MP) is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. The JLPA•MP serves the Peninsula communities of Atherton, Belmont, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos, Stanford, Sunnyvale and Woodside, and invites women of all races, religions and national origins who demonstrate an interest in and commitment to voluntarism to join our ranks. For more information, visit www.thejuniorleague.org.

About the Menlo Park Firefighters Association

The Menlo Park Firefighters Association exists to protect, improve and preserve the lives of the citizens of the fire district and the members of the Firefighters Association. The motto of the Menlo Park Firefighters Association is "Our Family Helping Your Family." www.mpffa.org

About the Menlo Park Fire District

Formed in 1915, the Menlo Park Fire Protection District is located in the southern most part of San Mateo County. The Fire District covers the communities of Atherton, Menlo Park and East Palo Alto and some unincorporated areas of San Mateo County. The District has seven stations that are strategically placed to provide the most efficient response times. The District responds to approximately 8,500 emergencies a year with about 60% of them being emergency medical incidents.

Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula and The Tech Museum of Innovation Partner to Promote Girls in Tech

Junior League Marks 50^th Anniversary with $100,000 Grant to The Tech Museum

Menlo Park, Calif. – The Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula (JLPA•MP) is partnering with The Tech Museum of Innovation to encourage girls in technology, part of a new community focus area for the League. The Tech Museum, founded by JLPA•MP in 1976, will benefit from a $100,000 grant in celebration of the League’s 50^th anniversary, as well as significant volunteer and outreach support over the next three years.

One joint project will provide funding to establish "Girls @ The Tech Days," a new program focused on engaging girls with STEM education and educating teachers to support them. Girls will participate in hands-on workshops, interact with exhibits, and hear from women working in tech today.  Another project will pair JLPA•MP members with middle school girls participating in The Tech Challenge, an annual team design challenge that reinforces the scientific and engineering process. JLPA•MP members will also aid in establishing the Girls @ The Tech Committee, which will help to provide future community and financial support for the museum. 

"The Tech is enormously grateful for the support provided by the JLPA•MP," said Jessica Christie, Director of Individual Giving at The Tech. "Without their efforts the museum would not exist, and their renewed support will allow us to focus on the crucial issue of inspiring girls to connect with STEM."

“Getting and Keeping Girls in Technology” emerged as a pressing issue in Silicon Valley as a result of a community needs assessment conducted by JLPA•MP. The JLPA•MP believes it is uniquely qualified to make an impact on the issue due to its location, membership, and mission. 

"We are thrilled to partner again with The Tech to create new programs that focus on sustained engagement of girls in STEM, an issue we determined critical to our local community," commented Project Development Committee co-chair and immediate past president, Joy Baker Peacock.   

Celebrating 50 Years of Community Impact

Since its founding in 1965, the Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula has contributed thousands of volunteer hours to the local community, supported nearly 100 community service projects, and awarded grants to 192 area nonprofit organizations. In its 50 years, the League has tackled important social issues such as affordable housing, societal violence, literacy and education, homelessness, drug addiction, and at-risk children and youth.

The League has also played a key role in starting several local nonprofits, including The Tech Museum of Innovation, Daybreak Shelter, The Stanford Health Library, Rebuilding Together Peninsula, East Palo Alto Charter School, and Rosalie Rendu Center.

Additionally, delegates from JLPA•MP participate in the State Public Affairs Committee of the Junior Leagues of California (SPAC), a non-partisan education and advocacy organization representing more than 11,000 women voters. SPAC’s efforts have resulted in passage of two critical bills dealing with domestic violence (Senate Bill 563) and health care (Assembly Bill 40).

About the Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula, Inc.

The Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula, Inc. (JLPA•MP) is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. The JLPA•MP serves the Peninsula communities of Atherton, Belmont, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos, Stanford, Sunnyvale and Woodside, and invites women of all races, religions and national origins who demonstrate an interest in and commitment to voluntarism to join our ranks. For more information, visit www.thejuniorleague.org.

About the Tech Museum of Innovation

The Tech is a hands-on technology and science museum for people of all ages and backgrounds. The museum — located in the Capital of Silicon Valley — is a non-profit experiential learning resource established to engage people in exploring and experiencing applied technologies affecting their lives. Through programs such as The Tech Challenge presented by Cisco, our annual team-design competition for youth, and internationally renowned programs such as The Tech Awards presented by Applied Materials, The Tech endeavors to inspire the innovator in everyone.

 

Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula and Technovation Partner to Bring the World’s Largest Mobile App Startup Competition to More Bay Area Girls

Menlo Park, Calif. – June 22, 2015 – The Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula (JLPA•MP) is partnering with Technovation, the world’s largest mobile app entrepreneurship competition for girls, to inspire the next generation of technology leaders. Technovation will benefit from significant volunteer and outreach support from the JLPA•MP as the organizations join forces to educate the female technology entrepreneurs of the future.

In this first joint project between JLPA•MP and Technovation, the organizations will work together to address the shortage of girls who pursue STEM careers. JLPA•MP volunteers will reach out to local teachers, women in technology, and community leaders to educate them about Technovation’s free online curriculum and competition, and equip them to lead Technovation groups in their schools and neighborhoods. JLPA•MP will also provide support to volunteers throughout the competition and organize local events related to the project.

Samantha Quist, JLPA•MP member and the former executive director of Technovation, states, “I’m proud to see JLPA•MP focusing on girls in STEM and working with Technovation to bring mobile app development and entrepreneurship education to more girls in our community.”

Studies have shown that just 18% of computer science majors are women (a decrease from 35% of computer science graduates in 1985), and only 7% of technology entrepreneurs are estimated to be women. JLPA•MP and Technovation aim to improve the ratio of women in computer science and entrepreneurship by providing training and education to young women in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

Technovation challenges girls ages 10 to 18 to create a mobile app and business plan to address a real problem in their community. Bay Area students have chosen to address issues including graffiti, bullying, and peer pressure in previous years. The 2015-16 project will begin this fall as teachers, community members, women in technology, and other volunteers register to participate in Technovation. JLPA•MP is excited to collaborate with volunteers and students as they begin work on Technovation’s curriculum by January, in order to prepare their apps for submission to Technovation’s international competition by next spring.

 

About the Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula, Inc.

The Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula, Inc. (JLPA•MP) is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. The JLPA•MP serves the Peninsula communities of Atherton, Belmont, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos, Stanford, Sunnyvale and Woodside, and invites women of all races, religions and national origins who demonstrate an interest in and commitment to voluntarism to join our ranks. For more information, visit www.thejuniorleague.org.

About Technovation

Technovation’s mission is to inspire and educate girls and women to solve real-world problems through technology. Technovation began as a pilot program in 2010 with just 45 girls. Over the past five years, it has transformed from an in-person program taught by Technovation staff to a global competition reaching thousands of girls in 28 countries. Technovation is a program of Iridescent, a 501c3 non-profit that trains engineers and scientists to mentor young people, inspire them to develop a sense of wonder about the world, and guide them in tackling real world challenges.

 

Project Development Helps Launch the League’s New Focus Area

By Amy Truel, Project Development Committee

The Tech Museum was little more than a dream in 1978 when the Junior League of Palo AltoŸMid Peninsula (JLPAŸMP) hit upon the idea to create a dynamic learning center devoted to science and technology. This idea led to the founding of The Tech Museum of Innovation, incorporated in 1983 as a nonprofit in Junior League member Julie Rose’s kitchen.

With a new focus on encouraging girls to engage with technology, we have re-teamed with The Tech to launch three exciting initiatives. One will pair league members with middle school girls participating in The Tech Challenge, an annual team design challenge for 4-12 grade that reinforces the scientific and engineering process with a hands-on project to solve a real-world problem.  The league will also provide funding to establish "Girls @ The Tech Days," a new program focused on engaging girls with STEM education. 

Girls from the Peninsula will be transported to The Tech, where they will participate in hands-on workshops, interact with exhibits, and hear from women working in tech today.  Members will also aid in establishing the Girls @ The Tech Committee, which will help provide future community and financial support for the museum.

"The Tech is enormously grateful for the support provided by the JLPAŸMP," said Jessica Christie, Director of Individual Giving at The Tech. "Without their efforts the museum would not exist, and their renewed support will allow us to focus on the crucial issue of inspiring girls to connect with STEM."

We are also launching an exciting new project with Technovation, a program that was founded right here in Mountain View in 2010 and now reaches girls in 60 countries around the world.  Technovation runs an annual mobile
app startup competition for girls, challenging them to create apps for the purpose
of solving real problems in their communities.  The girls work with volunteer coaches
(or teachers) and women professionals who serve
as mentors. 

As a capacity building project, the goal is to increase the number of girls ages 10-18 who develop competence and confidence in technology and entrepreneurship in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties by engaging local teachers and women in technology to coordinate the program for local students.  Committee members will participate in outreach and collaboration with local school, community and corporate leaders, and organize events such as workshops and a regional pitch event.

These partnerships are the result of a long-term planning process during which league members engaged with several community organizations to assess needs and identify potential projects.  The new focus area, Getting and Keeping Girls in Technology, will take effect in June of 2015, and will continue for five years. 

"Our team did an outstanding job of becoming experts in each issue area and identifying various strategies for our membership to create meaningful and measurable community impact," commented Project Development Committee co-chair and immediate past president, Joy Baker Peacock.  

Two of our committee members will be leading the new projects, a testament to their commitment.  Kate Thome will be chair for the Tech Challenge Mentors project and Samantha Quist will be co-chair for the Technovation Capacity Building project.  “We are grateful for their support and fortunate to have continuity from project selection to execution,” commented Project Development co-chair Noelle Santamaria.

Thank you to the 2014-15 Project Development Team!

Bullying is a Pain in the Brain!

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by Claire Pomeroy

 This week's MPower session focused on life skills exercises to better know and understand “The Communication Basics” – specifically how to deal with bullying.  Unlike previous sessions, which typically have been very active and encouraged learning through actions, this week’s session was quieter and focused on discussion rather than action.  After a delicious dinner of lasagna and salad, small groups comprised of Leaguers and foster children sat together to read one of four books – “My Secret Bully” by Trudy Ludwig, “Nobody Knew What to Do” by Becky Ray McCain, “Trouble Talk” by Trudy Ludwig, and “Just Kidding” by Trudy Ludwig.  

 Dana, Carmina and Claire had the opportunity to read “Just Kidding” and talk with the kids about how mean things, even when said in a joking tone, can be hurtful.  The children were very insightful about how to deal with this form of bullying: take away the bully’s power by embracing the joke and playing it off as no big deal, talking with friends, and seeking advice from an adult.  After a good discussion, we watched the movie “Bullies are a Pain in the Brain!” to see these solutions in action.  Finally, we wrapped up the evening by creating caring chains - each child created a paper caring chain made up of kind things they could say to each other to remind us all to be more caring.  If the other Junior League volunteers and the foster children felt  the same way I did upon leaving Monday’s session, I think we now have that many more people MPower(ed) to confront bullying head on!