by Suzie Boss, Edutopia.com

Leaders of an innovative arts program share the secrets of success.

Bill Strickland, founder of the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, would like nothing more than to see young people taking part in arts programs in every struggling community. After more than 40 years of working with at-risk kids, he knows that arts plus mentoring is a combination that can transform lives. He estimates that 90 percent of the teens who come to the MCG for after-school enrichment programs graduate from high school, and more than 80 percent go on to college….

For the complete Edutopia article:
http://www.edutopia.org/bill-strickland-how-to

Job-training expert Bill Strickland discusses the irony of the upcoming inauguration of an African American president when the current economic crisis has devastated the African American community.

For the video of the Tavis Smiley Show:
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200901/20090114.html#

By Mary Thomas, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

…As with glass in 2007, ceramics garnered citywide attention. The medium rode in with the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts conference in March, which inspired more than 100 exhibitions and drew an estimated 5,000 attendees.

Most of those exhibitions ran during conference week, requiring a marathon mentality to see but rewarding with similar highs. Special recognition is due the community spirit that made it all happen, particularly because Pittsburgh agreed to host the large conference with far less than usual lead time.

Kudos to Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild’s Joshua Green who was local organizer and worked with unfathomable energy, and to both arts and non-arts venues that provided help and exhibition space (including Ellis School and Armory, the Alcoa Corporate Center, Standard Ceramic and the Andrew Carnegie Free Library, Carnegie, among many laudable sites)….

For the complete Pittsburgh Post-Gazette column:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09007/939965-42.stm

Contents of Press Kit:
1) Press Release on Bidwell Training Center’s 40th Anniversary Open House
2) Press Release on Bidwell Training Center as valuable economic resource
3) Schedule of events for January 19, 2009
4) Story of Bidwell Training Center
5) Flyer for MLK: Celebrate the Dream event, sponsored by Pittsburgh Cares
6) Bio sheet for William E. Strickland, Jr.
7) Mailer for Seeing Jazz exhibition at Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild
8) Mailer for Bidwell Training Center’s 40th Anniversary Open House
9) Logos and seals

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
Monday, January 19, 2009
1:15 pm: Bidwell 40th Anniversary Cake Cutting by Bill Strickland

BTC 40th Anniversary Open House Press Kit (ZIP file)

…Students at Falk Middle School in Oakland and the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild in Manchester have been creating GigaPans of their communities and exchanging them with students at Lavela High School in Soweto, South Africa, for several months….

To read the full Global Pittsburgh article:
http://www.globalpittsburgh.org/nu_upload/GlobalPittsburghNEWS_Dec08.pdf