Volunteers and Donations Needed!

Good afternoon, everyone!

We are currently looking for volunteers to help facilitate several of our Connect After School programs this Fall. If you or someone you know is interested, please reach out to info@connectcenterfryouth.org for more information. 

Programs run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and/or Thursdays from 3-5 pm. Below is a list of some of the programs we are looking to facilitate at the Connect Center:

1. eSports Gaming - introduce students to competitive eSports, streaming, and other ways of turning videogames into a career.
2. Coding Programs - we are looking at several coding programs for our students, including hosting a Girls Who Code club, and an introduction to programming using Scratch
3. FLOSS - help students learn how to disassemble/reassemble a computer,  identify computer parts, and use open-source software during our FLOSS program.
4. LEGO League - guide youth through STEM learning with hands-on exploration
5. Homework Help - mentor 6th-8th grade students by providing homework assistance for drop-ins

If you have an idea and are interested in running music, art, or other STEAM-related programs with us, please reach out to programdev@connectcenterforyouth.org. 

We are also looking for volunteers to help us with our BackPack program. This program serves 36 families in Cohoes by delivering free, healthy weekend meals to students so they can return to school on Monday, ready to learn. 

There are two recurring volunteer shifts for this program:

1. Thursday: Dry Good packaging from 10:00-11:00 am
2. Fridays: Produce Packaging and food delivery from 7:30-8:30 am 

Food packaging involves sorting and bagging food, while delivery involves dropping food off at homes, and requires a license. 

If you have any questions, please contact programdev@connectcenterforyouth.org.

In addition to volunteers, we are also looking for donations to for several of our spaces, listed below. Donations can be dropped off or shipped to the following address:

Connect Center for Youth/49 Johnston Ave/Cohoes, NY 12047 

1. Black Box/Tech Hub - We are looking for the following gaming equipment:
   1. PS5 or PS4
   2. Gaming PCs (Laptops and Desktops)
   3. Other Consoles
   4. Other hardware: Monitors, gaming mice, controllers, etc.
2. Music Studio - we are looking for audio equipment such as the following:
   1. Turntables
   2. MIDI Keyboards
   3. Speakers
3. Art Corner - we are looking for any art supplies suitable for students in grades 6-12

If you don't have any of the items listed above but would still like to donate to us, you may do so at donorbox.org/connectcenter.