Founded in Washington, DC, in 1996, Urban Alliance expanded to Baltimore, MD, in 2008 and will grow to serve Chicago, IL, in the fall of 2012. It is the only year long employment program for under-resourced high school seniors in the District of Columbia. Their goal is to give youth access to professional growth and experiences. The program prepares students for a life of work and self-sufficiency through paid internships, formal training, and mentorship, challenging them to work, aspire, and succeed.

Urban Alliance interns are selected after a rigorous application process. During the school year, each Urban Alliance intern works part time with a job partner in the public or private sector. On Fridays, they attend life skills and job readiness workshops. During the summer following their senior year, Urban Alliance interns work full time Monday through Thursday. They attend financial literacy workshops on Fridays. After finishing the program, alumni have access to Urban Alliance Alumni Services.

Urban Alliance interns are paid for their work and can earn over $6,000 over their senior year.

To learn more about being an Urban Alliance Intern, Job Partner, Volunteer, or to make a donation, click here.

Ms. Mansfield has made a remarkable commitment to donate $10 every Friday to one of her favorite nonprofits. She calls it Fundraising Friday. Her goal is to inspire each of us to give more often. You can follow this effort on Twitter at #FundraisingFriday.

This seems like a great idea to me. I am going to give it a try; how about you?

Ready to do a little shopping in Old Town Alexandria, VA, and support over 30 charities at the same time? The Old Town Boutique District is pleased to announce its 2nd Annual Boutiques Give Back Day taking place on Saturday, May 19, 2012. This creative small-business driven yet community-focused event is staged to be the largest charity collaboration in the DC Metro area.

Each boutique has hand-picked an organization to support and honor on this special shopping day. fibre space™, located at 102 North Fayette Street, is delighted to host a fundraiser for my wonderful client, Project Knitwell! On Saturday, May 19th from 10 am- 7 pm, fibre space™ will donate 20% of sales to Project Knitwell to support their mission to bring the healing properties of knitting to those who most need it.

About Project Knitwell
Project Knitwell is a non-profit organization bringing the joy of knitting to people facing difficult situations. Most Project Knitwell participants are patients who have spent a considerable amount of time in a local hospital or their family members.

The Mission: To bring the joy of knitting and its therapeutic benefits to persons facing stressful situations by providing expert instruction and quality materials. Through knitting, participants obtain a myriad of wellness benefits, find comfort in becoming part of a larger knitting community, and gain a sense of satisfaction by completing hand-knit items for themselves and others.

I hope to see you there!

The Commission promises information on a new grant structure, review panels, deadlines and more. It’s sure to be informative.

See you there!

For teens in and around Montgomery County who are passionate about art, Arts on the Block is a place to learn about the world of art, the world of work, the community, and themselves. It is a place to make new friends, make art for real clients, and make plans for successful futures. And it is a provider of out-of-school-time art workshops to middle school students as well!

For lovers of art and others passionate about supporting the work of talented young people, Arts on the Block is a source of beautiful handcrafted artwork from t-shirts and greeting cards to large public art installations!

Come see the work these teens have created at the AOB studio at 11501 Georgia Avenue, Suite 104, in Wheaton, MD. From noon to 4pm on May 5th, guests will have an opportunity to tour the studio, view and purchase works of art, handmade cards and other items, enjoy refreshments, and visit with the youth artists and AOB supporters.

More information is here or contact Arts on the Block at 240-645-0730.

They are looking for a handful of extras and are respectfully asking all interested aliens (and others) to get in costume and come to Dupont Circle on Saturday, February 25, 2012 from 1-3 p.m. They intend to select 2-4 extras. Those cast as extras will appear in the program Shakespeare in Klingon II: The Wrath of (Michael) Kahn and receive complimentary passes to the post-performance VIP after-party with special guests Michael Kahn (Shakespeare Theatre Company), Sue Palka (Fox 5), Marc Okrand (creator of the Klingon language), and Christopher Henley (WSC Artistic Director).

Mr. Henley will select and cast all Klingon extras. Winners will be announced at 3 p.m., Saturday, February 25th in Dupont Circle. Those auditioning are encouraged to dress in appropriate Klingon costumes, but others – whether in costume or not – are invited to come watch this one-of-a-kind event.

For more information, click here.

There will be an introductory class and Grand Opening reception on Wednesday. February 29, 2012, from 4 to 7 pm. 4:00 – 5:30 pm – Proposal Writing Basics, 5:30-6:00 pm -Tour the new Cooperating Collection, and 6:00-7:00 pm – Reception with remarks by Terri Lee Freeman, President, Community Foundation for the National Capital Region.

The evening is free, but one must register at http://grantspace.org/Classroom/Training-Calendar/Washington-DC/Proposal-Writing-Basics-and-Grand-Opening-Reception-2012-02-29-University-of-the-District-of-Columbia.