Our Latest Grant: Supporting the 2010 "One Book" Event The Bolton Community Education Foundation (BCEF) has awarded a grant of $1,235 to once again support the "One Book One Region" event, in which high school students and community members all read the same book over the summer, and then in the fall several events are planned that are connected to the book. The 2010 book chosen is "A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean," a memoir by Tori Murden McClure, the first woman to row alone across the ocean. The book details her quest in the summer of 1998 to row across the Atlantic Ocean in what became the worst hurricane season in the North Atlantic. The book has been called "a thrilling story of high adventure and romantic quest." Tori Murden McClure will be visiting Bolton for a community-wide discussion about her book on Saturday, Sept. 18, at 4 pm at Bolton Center School. All are invited to attend this free event; preregistration is not necessary. Anyone interested in bringing learning opportunities to Bolton residents of all ages is welcome to apply for a grant from our Foundation. We invite you to read more about grants we've given in the past. You also may click here for an online grant form. Community Conversation on "The Greening of Bolton" The Bolton Community Education Foundation (BCEF) has acquired grant funds to present a Community Conversation on "The Greening of Bolton," in which residents come together for dinner and to look for ways to focus attention on a greener community that supports programming and education on sustainability for all ages. Anyone interested in being a part of this event is encouraged to participate, including residents, business people, teachers, students, and town employees. The time commitment is minimal. Here are the events:
If you would like to participate, please email Ann Walsh (ann.walsh@boltonct.org) to sign up. Upcoming Program: Cosponsoring a "Lemon Tree" Discussion The Bolton Community Education Foundation (BCEF) will join with the Bolton Congregational Church to cosponsor a luncheon and book discussion on Sunday, October 24, 2010, from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm at the church's Chandler Hall, 228 Bolton Center Road in Bolton. The book to be discussed is "The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East," by Sandy Tolan. Publishers Weekly summarized the book this way: "Tolan offers an easy-to-follow journey through a maddeningly stubborn conflict that has infused global politics since the 1940s. Based on his 1998 NPR documentary, Tolan personalizes the Arab-Israeli conflict by tracing the intertwined lives of a Palestinian refugee named Bashir Al-Khairi and (Israeli citizen) Dalia Eshkenazi Landau." Present at the Oct. 24 discussion will be Yehezkel Landau, a professor at Hartford Seminary who was married for 25 years to Dalia Landau. Landau is Faculty Associate in Interfaith Relations at Hartford Seminary. After earning an A.B. from Harvard University (1971) and an M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School (1976), Landau made aliyah (immigrated) to Israel in 1978. A dual Israeli-American citizen, his work has been in the fields of interfaith education and Jewish-Arab peacemaking. From 1991 to 2003, he was co-founder and co-director of the Open House Center for Jewish-Arab Coexistence and Reconciliation in Ramle, Israel, situated in the house with the famous lemon tree in the backyard. He lectures internationally on Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations and Middle East peace issues, has authored numerous journal articles. At Hartford Seminary, Prof. Landau directs an interfaith training program for Jews, Christians, and Muslims called Building Abrahamic Partnerships. To attend this free event, please register by calling the church office at 860-649-7077. Become a Foundation Supporter! The Bolton Community Education Foundation (BCEF) is grateful to the individuals, families and businesses below who donate $25 or more a year to become supporters of the Foundation. Click here to see the names of our 2010 supporters. If you'd like to become a supporter, please click here for a donation form. New! Save a stamp and make your donation securely online using PayPal: When you make your donation with PayPal, you'll see a link that reads: "Add special instructions to the seller." Please click this link and tell us:
Book Collection Bin Benefits Our Foundation
Got Books is a national organization that collects books and then gives them away to schools, libraries, overseas troops, and groups in need. The organization also sells books and other items to benefit various charities. Each time the collection bin fills, Got Books sends a truck to empty it, and the Bolton Community Education Foundation receives cash for each pound of books donated. So far our total income from this venture has been nearly $1,000! The Foundation uses the funds to support programs and provide grants for the town. Got Books accepts all books in basic functional condition including hardcover and paperback books, children’s books, cookbooks, and limited copies of textbooks. Also accepted are CDs, DVDs, videotapes, and books on tape. The only reading materials not accepted are encyclopedias, magazines, newspapers, and catalogues. When you donate books, please give them a good toss so that the back of the bin fills as well. The Bolton Community Education Foundation is dedicated to the education of all residents of Bolton, Connecticut. Volunteers from the Bolton community serve on the Foundation's Board of Directors. The purpose of the Foundation is:
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