4/28 - 5/2 Week in Review

Sky High Farm and Kingston Land Trust collaboration at the Rondout Community Garden on a beautiful sunny day 

Hello Friends,

Word of the week: Empowerment

This week for the last week of April we focused on empowerment, what it means to feel truly capable, bold, and limitless. In our morning sessions, we asked the question: What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? Answers ranged from earning degrees in every subject, to launching global beauty salons, to becoming best-selling authors. These dreams reminded us all that empowerment isn’t about the absence of failure, it's about having the courage to try, to grow, and to believe in ourselves no matter the outcome.

Under the hot spring sun, some of us kicked things off at the Rondout Community Garden, a vibrant collaboration between Kingston Land Trust and Sky High Farm. We even had a quick hello from Frank of MyKingstonKids! As we worked, people walking by paused to admire the garden and share how beautiful it looked. It felt empowering to know our hard work is not only visible but also valued by the community.

Back at homeroom, the season’s first grill session was in full swing. The sizzling sounds of steak tacos, grilled chicken, and seasoned veggies filled the air. During the afternoon, fellows made roasted potato foil pouches and had fun experimenting with seasoning blends like chili powder, garlic, paprika, and Cajun spice empowering their culinary creativity!

At CPW, we selected the final photos for our upcoming tile workshop with Lex from Kingston Ceramics. The fellows all joined Lesly for 1:1 photo sessions while others finalized their picks for the exhibit. It was a reflective and proud moment to wrap up the month of April by choosing work that will be publicly shared.

In Arts with Aurora, we moved from last week's small scale cyanotype tests to large scale photo-based cyanotypes. Fellows turned their CPW photos into photo negatives and used an exposure unit to develop prints on light sensitive paper. These pieces, created with care and intention, will be part of the CPW exhibition, a powerful display of their vision and voice.

During Financial Literacy, we learned about High-Yield Savings Accounts and how even small habits, like saving $20 a week starting at age 20, can lead to significant growth over time. We explored options like Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union and Capital One for the best APRs. Understanding how money can work for us even passively was both practical and empowering, especially as fellows prepare to receive their final grant checks.

At HRMM, progress continues! We installed the keel and oarlock pads, finished the tiller, and applied primer to the rudder, daggerboard, and hull. Max ordered the paint colors, so next up is painting and final touches. We’re so close to launch and it’s been amazing to watch this project come together piece by piece.

We ended the week with exit interviews with our Service Study Partners: TrustUp, HudsyTV, CPW, The Broadway Bubble and KV Beautique. What an empowering moment it was. In just eight weeks, fellows built meaningful relationships, developed new skills, and left with a professional reference to carry forward. The growth and success we witnessed were nothing short of inspiring. We’re deeply grateful to each of our partners for opening their doors, mentoring with care, and SERV(E)-ing our fellows with such generosity. These partnerships continue to be a vital and transformative part of our program.

Here’s to a week ahead filled with empowerment in all you do, big or small.

Have a good weekend,

Place Corps Team 

:)