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Penobscot Job Corps

BANGOR – Helping out in the Maine community has been a longstanding tradition for the Penobscot Job Corps Academy. But it’s not every day that the volunteer efforts garner national attention.

Then again, it’s not every day that Ty Pennington and the crew of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” come to town. The popular ABC Sunday night television show surprised the Ray-Smith family of Milbridge with a home makeover this fall, and the Job Corps family was there to help out in a big way.

Penobscot students and staff were among the 1,000 or so Maine volunteers working behind the scenes to make the family’s dreams a reality. During the seven-day project, Job Corps culinary arts students, under the direction of lead culinary arts instructor Valerie Moon, logged 3,200 man-hours on the makeover site.

Each day, 75 Job Corps students from the Penobscot Academy worked 14-hour shifts to serve an average of 750 meals. Welding, facility maintenance and carpentry students also pitched in keeping the grounds clean, hauling materials and assisting with the home siding.

Job Corps got involved in the Milbridge project after impressing Roy Boothby of R.H. Foster with their cooking and food service skills last August at the Senior Little League World Series in Bangor. R.H. Foster approached Moon and asked if Job Corps could team up with them to prepare and serve meals for the Extreme Makeover work crew.

“The more experience our students have, the better prepared they will be for the work force,” she said. “Getting out of the classroom and into authentic work environments is a vital part of their training.”

Arts in Learning grant

Classes at 12 area high schools, including five in Greater Bangor, will benefit from a $40,000 Arts in Learning grant received by the Maine Alliance for Arts Education from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The grant was received for the dance and drama artist residency program, Building Community Through the Arts, now in its ninth year. The program received national recognition as the Nonprofit Innovation of the Week for Sept. 19-25 by the New York-based Leader to Leader Institute.

The Building Community program sends theater and dance educators into high school classrooms, mostly English classes, for two weeks. The visiting artists help students explore social issues and-or themes using dance and drama as their medium.

The program this month includes dance residencies at two of teacher Susan Thibedeau’s English classes at Bangor High School with artist Katenia Keller; and at one of Kelly Nobles’ English classes at Hermon High School with Bates College dance teacher and artist Sarah McCormick.

The three classes, along with eight classes from Piscataquis Community High School in Guilford, Schenck High School in East Millinocket, Penquis Valley High School in Milo, Lee Academy and Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln, will perform original works on the collaborative experience 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8, at the Unitarian-Universalist Society, 120 Park St., Bangor. Admission is free, and the public is invited to attend.

The program will be repeated in April at seven other schools, including Brewer High School, Hampden Academy and John Bapst Memorial High School.

For information, including a performance schedule, visit www.maineartseducation.org or call Susan Potters, 676-9494.

Chinese Culture Day

BANGOR – The Bangor Chinese School, a nonprofit organization, will hold a Chinese Culture Study Day 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at Husson College:

. 9 a.m., “Globalization and the Rise of China” and “The Regular Formulas and Etiquette of Doing Business in China,” with XiaoLu Li.

. 10 a.m., calligraphy and feng shui with Christine Chow.

. 10:45 a.m., cooking Chinese food with Lillian Luo.

. Noon, lunch, Chinese food.

. 1 p.m., tea shop.

. 1:30 p.m., Chinese folk arts, philosophy, religion, gong fu and tai chi performance, Steven Boardway.

. 2:30 p.m., Chinese music, instruments, Jennifer Chang. Guzheng with Jing Zhang.

. 3:30 p.m., trip to China slide show, including Tibet.

For information call Jing at 990-0710, e-mail zhangjing2000@yahoo.com or visit www.bangorchinese.com.

John Bapst Memorial High School

BANGOR – Twenty-nine students from John Bapst Memorial High School earned the designation of AP Scholar by the College Board for exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement Program Exams. Compared to 18 percent nationwide, more than 21 percent of John Bapst students who took the exams earned the designation.

Eleven John Bapst students qualified for AP Scholar with Distinction Award with an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken and grades of 3 or higher on five or more: Anna DeLong, Blue Hill; Matthew Edwards, Emily Lad and Hailee Romain, Glenburn; Justin Frye, Nathaniel Hewett, Nicholas Hubbard and Samuel Rioux, Holden; Kelsey Shaler, Veazie; Meagan Tilton, Corinth and Lukas Wong-Achorn, Amherst.

Three students qualified for AP Scholar with Honor Award with an average grade of at least 3.25 and grades of 3 or higher on four or more exams: seniors Cassandra Alley, Glenburn; Erin Keim, Veazie and junior Owen Firestone, Bangor.

Fifteen students qualified for AP Scholar Award with grades of 3 or higher on at least three exams: seniors Julianne Alex, Old Town; Charles Bergeron and Danielle Reider, Veazie; Naomi Freeman, Bradley; Torri Gibson, Carmel; Nicholas Gramlich, Holden; Rebekah Green, Brewer; Alison Krause, Stockton Springs; Ilka Lin and Caroline Openshaw, Hampden and Daniel Wheeler, Eddington; and juniors Maren Askins, Bangor; Frederick Eyerer, Newburgh; Joseph Moore, Orrington and Brian Porter, Holden.

Colleges

Bangor Theological Seminary

BANGOR – Come explore opportunities for theological education at an open house 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5, at Bangor Theological Seminary on the Husson College campus. Lunch will be provided.

Learn about classes, degree programs and financial aid by speaking with faculty, staff and students.

The seminary offers small classes and a commitment to part-time, commuter and second-career students. Answer a call to ministry or seek answers to spiritual questions.

To obtain information or to reserve a space, call Fae Gilbride, assistant director of admissions and financial aid, at 800-287-6781, ext. 126, e-mail fgilbride@bts.edu or visit www.bts.edu/prospective.

Open house at Husson

BANGOR – Husson College will hold its fall open house on Saturday, Nov. 10. It is an opportunity for students and parents to tour the campus and meet students, faculty and administrators. It is an opportunity to learn firsthand about Husson’s academic and athletic programs, extracurricular activities and financial aid.

Faculty from each academic program will be on hand to talk about their programs and answer questions.

Registration is at 9 a.m. in the Dickerman Dining Commons and activities begin at 9:30 a.m. Lunch is free at the Dining Commons noon to 1 p.m.

For information, e-mail admit@husson.edu or call 800-4HUSSON.

Maryann Hartman Awards

ORONO – For the 22nd year, the University of Maine Women in the Curriculum and Women’s Studies Program will honor three Maine women with Maryann Hartman Awards. Named for the late associate professor of speech communication, distinguished educator, feminist and scholar, the awards recognize women whose achievements in the arts, politics, business, education, health care and community service inspire other women.

The event, set for 5-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6, at Buchanan Alumni House, will honor:

. Bangor Daily News arts journalist Alicia Anstead of Castine, who will be recognized for her work reporting on the arts around Maine and beyond.

. Sally Jacobs of Orono, who has contributed to land preservation in Maine for more 30 years. Her commitment to saving open spaces for physical recreation and spiritual nourishment serves as a model both locally and nationally.

. Harriet H. Price of Portland, who has a long history of involvement in peace and social justice issues.

For the seventh year, the UM programs will recognize a young woman with the Young Women’s Social Justice Award – Hannah Hudson of Columbia Falls. She volunteers for the after-school EDGE program, where she has been a leader and mentor to children in fourth through eighth grade. She volunteers at a local center which serves migrant workers in the summer. In 2006, as a part of the Maine Youth Summit, she went to Honduras with a group to rehabilitate dorm rooms and transport medical help to those in need.

The event is free. Those interested in attending are encouraged to register by calling Angela Hart, 581-1228.

University of Maine at Farmington

FARMINGTON – Twenty-eight University of Maine at Farmington students were inducted into the university’s inaugural chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society for First Year Students by national representative Lisa Ruch on Oct. 14.

The UMF student candidates, now sophomores and juniors, qualified during their first year by maintaining a 3.5 or higher GPA as a fulltime student.

Alpha Lambda Delta, an honor society since 1924, seeks to “encourage superior academic achievement, to promote intelligent living and a continued high standard of learning, and to assist students in recognizing and developing meaningful goals for their unique roles in society.”

Included in the group of student honorees are:

. Andrew Major, Orono.

. Erin Porter, Bangor.