Page 48 July 2014 By Christina Surrano What are your plans for the summer? Will you be spending time with your family? In spite of efforts to keep them together, about 7,500 of the 10,000 children with siblings placed in foster care in Arizona are separated from one or more of their siblings. The pain of this additional loss to an already traumatized child can be acute. Conversely, one can imagine that the positive impact of maintaining a lifelong relationship with a sibling, someone who shares the same history, can be profound, particularly in a life filled with challenges, change and uncertainty. For that reason, native Phoenician JoAnne Chiariello, director of family support services at Aid to Adoption of Special Kids (AASK), has devoted years to creating a sustainable foster siblings program within the nonprofit support organization. She and the team at AASK launched their siblings program about a year ago. The program currently includes bimonthly, but eventually monthly, two- hour-long activities such as bowling, trips to the Arizona Science Center and similar activities. This July will be the very first weeklong siblings event for AASK. According to Chiariello, far more siblings will be able to participate in the camp than in the bimonthly activities. Transportation for the siblings, who may Keeping connections alive for siblings in foster care live at opposite ends of the sprawling greater Phoenix area, has proved to be the biggest challenge for the short, two-hour-long events. But for the camp activities, that will not be an issue. Located in Payson, the camp is a cooperative endeavor with ASU, their College of Social Work and a nonprofit organization which manages Camp Tontozona. Ninety campers will be guided by 42 counselors (mostly ASU social work students) and seven staff members through activities which most of the campers have never before experienced such as kayaking, rappelling, horseback riding, photography, orienteering and a hike to a large swimming hole. Inspiration for the AASK siblings program and summer camp comes from a similar nonprofit program offered in other states and Australia called Camp to Belong whose curriculum Chiariello assisted in developing about 13 years ago. She is still involved in the lives of some of those siblings and can see firsthand the impact. Chiariello shared, “One year, one little girl said, ‘You know, I get one hour a month with my siblings. That’s 12 hours a year. At camp, I’ve had an opportunity to have an entire week. How many years would it take me to get that much time with my brothers?’” Chiariello continued, “It’s really powerful when the kids talk about it and you hear it from their perspective and what it means to them. You see it in their faces; you see it in how they play.” Chiariello has spent 20 years in social work and you can hear in her voice no superficial bubbling optimism of blissful ignorance. But what is apparent from her work and the genuine smile that peeks in and out during conversation is that hope and love remain. Thanks to the dedication, vision and kindness of AASK and those who support it, 90 siblings in foster care will enjoy a magical week this July. For more information about AASK, visit www.aask-az.org. For more information on child welfare, visit www.childwelfare.gov. 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Page 49 July 2014 AHS students travel overseas in sister cities program By Christina Surrano Living in a foreign city, navigating life in another language, eating unfamiliar foods and living with a host family might seem intimidating to some, but not to five area high school students participating in the Phoenix Sister Cities Youth Ambassador Exchange Program. Of the 80 applicants who applied for the program, 23 were selected, and five of those are from Arcadia. They are Henry V. Mackey, 17, of Arcadia High School traveling to Catania, Italy; Rae Aaron, 17, of Arcadia High School traveling to Hermosillo, Mexico; Elena Pierson, 17, of Arcadia High School traveling to Himeji, Japan; Ari Bradshaw, 16, of Phoenix Country Day School traveling to Prague, Czech Republic; and Emily Rauch, 18, of Arcadia High School traveling to Taipei, Taiwan. This year’s program sent the students to nine of Phoenix’s 10 sister cities around the globe, where they stayed with host families. The students will then return home and open their homes to their host family’s son or daughter when they come to Phoenix in late July. “There is only so much you can learn from books and shows to really understand someone’s walk of life,” Pierson said. “This program helps you learn about teenagers around the world, and gathering that and taking it to heart can help you go a long way.” To qualify for the program, high school sophomores and juniors have to go through an application and selection process. The students are selected on the basis of their communication skills, maturity, flexibility, leadership and self-confidence, said Misty Cisneros- Contreras, youth and education program manager for Phoenix Sister Cities. The students then attend a series of meetings to prepare them for their trip. The students do not get to choose which city they will visit. During the trip, they have a fairly structured agenda of sightseeing, learning and meeting the mayors of the Sister Cities, Cisneros- Contreras said. When their counterparts come to stay in the U.S. homes, they will also get to experience many uniquely Arizona experiences, such as visiting the Grand Canyon and attending a Diamondbacks game. The visitors even take a trip to Disneyland. Bradshaw, who was assigned Prague, Czech Republic, said he was happy with the decision. He studied the language in preparation for the trip. “I’ve always loved Eastern European culture,” Bradshaw said. Cisneros-Contreras said that the students are excited to travel, but that oftentimes they are most excited for the part of the experience when their host family’s son or daughter comes to the United States. “I’m excited to brag about how cool my city is and show off everything we have to offer,” said Mackey. “I’m really looking forward to the son of my host family’s expression after a really hot day and jumping into the pool.” Mackey’s mother, Laura Mackey said she is excited about her son’s opportunity. “He is an only child, so it’s really great for him to be able to grow this way and have these experiences before he goes to college,” she said. Pierson’s mother, Margaret Pierson is also excited and looks forward to the lessons her daughter will learn. “I want her to realize that the world is not as big as it may seem,” she said. Rauch said she is hoping to learn from the experience and also test herself. “I’m hoping to gain new experiences, and having to do new things and seeing how I adapt to new situations and being placed in different cultures,” Rauch said. opportunity many years t much time “It’s really about it and pective and see it in their play.” ars in social her voice no of blissful ent from her that peeks in is that hope , vision and who support will enjoy a out AASK, hild welfare, (From left to right) Elena Pierson (AHS Junior), Henry Mackey (AHS Junior), Emily Rauch (AHS Junior), Ari Bradshaw (PCDS Sophomore), and Rae Aaron, me, (AHS Junior). Program executive director, Paula West said the experience is “life changing” and that it not only opens students’ minds to new cultures, but also prepares them for today’s global society. The nonprofit program, created in 1972, is funded through private donations and students’ families. Phoenix Sister Cities funds half of the airfare between Phoenix and the selected sister city through private funds, while the remaining half is the responsibility of the youth ambassadors and their families. The purpose of the partnerships between Phoenix and its Sister Cities is to offer a forum for fostering and encouraging mutual understanding, friendship and peace through cultural, social, educational and economic exchanges between the people of Phoenix and the people of the Sister Cities. Aaron, who was assigned to Hermosillo, Mexico said she understands the importance of her trip. “I’m hoping to establish a relationship that will last, not just between the other student and me, but between our two communities, my family and her family that will help to ease tensions and break stereotypes,” Aaron said. “It seems kind of crazy to think you can make a difference as a high school student traveling to another country, but I hope I can learn a lot and share it with my community.” CELEBRATE RECOVERY In Christ We Grow That Others May Know Sunday Worship 8:00 & 10:45 A.M. –Traditional 8:30 & 10:30 A.M. –Contemporary 12:30 P.M. –Spanish Service Wednesday Worship 7:00 P.M. Saturday Worship 5:00 P.M. Saturday Youth-Led Worship 6:00 P.M. Sunday School / Bible Classes 9:40 A.M. (Nursery Care At All A.M. Sunday Services) 3901 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix (602) 955-4830 visit our website www.cclphoenix.org e-mail us at christchurch@cclphoenix.org www.BolickforArizona.com 602.842.1912 A rizona needs smart , principled , and sensible leaders , and that’s why I enthusiastically endorse Shawnna Bolick for the State Legislature. ” -former U.S. Congressman John Shadegg “ PAID FOR BY ELECT BOLICK FOR ARIZONA