Training & Events
What we do and how we do it!
The Grace Youth Leadership Program:
The Fields of Grace, through its Grace Youth Leadership Program (GYLP), is working with the Schoharie County Youth Bureau, and other local youth oriented organizations, to combat juvenile delinquency, advance education, and lessen the burden of local government in the county. The program endeavors to continuously design, plan, and implement leadership training, development and community building activities to promote the social welfare of local children and youth under the age of eighteen. Building and encouraging positive self-images, strengthening individual character and conflict resolution skills, enhancing personal confidence, promoting good citizenship, building constructive interaction between struggling youth and adult role models, advancing healthy habits, and nurturing a lifelong love of learning in the county's young people, is what we are about. Terrific annual activities will include: youth leadership workshops and discussion groups, after school academic tutoring, mentoring, directed service learning projects, vocational training, retreats and forums, and college preparation, as well as relevant community field trips and/or structured job-shadowing activities.
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"Leadership Training through Games" and "Boat-a-Float" Events big success!
This year's "Leadership Training through Games" Event held at Twin Oaks Campground, was bigger than ever with lots of new faces turning out for the fun and learning. We
were thrilled at the turnout of new youth. George and Nancy of the Schoharie County Youth Bureau partnered with us and led the youth and young adults, and some older adults too!, through the leadership games. Numerous new games were taught which emphasized new leadership techniques and all the participants were thoroughly engaged in each activity. 
This is our fourth year Fields of Grace has partnered with the Youth Bureau and we are very thankful for all of their terrific work with the youth in our county. This event is especially great for the youth to realize their own potential for leadership and how practicing these lessons learned will help them in, not only their futures, but in their day to day lives.
Thank you again, George and Nancy, and to JoAnne also for helping to plan for this event with the Youth Bureau. Thank you also to Twin Oaks Campground, Larry and Karen, for setting aside such a great place for us.
On Saturday afternoon, those who were camping for the overnights gathered 
for the 2nd part of the "Leadership Training" event... the 2nd Annual "Boat-a-Float" contest. Each of the five teams this year spent a hour putting together their allotted cardboard with the allotted duct tape, before setting it afloat in the lake with one of their teammates! This year's winning "Boat-a-Float" remained afloat for all of 8 minutes. Congratulations to the winning team! 
And... remember.... you are all winners in this event if your boat stayed afloat, and all did!
See you next year for the spectacular "Leadership Training through Games" and the "Boat-a-Float" events.
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2012
"INSPIRING SENIOR" AWARDS CHOSEN
This year's winners of the "Inspiring Senior" Awards are:
Karen Butler - Schoharie Central High School
Ruth Johansen - Middleburgh Central High School
Tanner Karn - Cobleskill-Richmondville Central High School
Each received a $100 award for their winning essays on the pros and cons of growing up in rural Schoharie County. They were truly inspiring essays and we congratulate you for this achievement.
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1st Youth Elected to Advisory Board
Congratulations to Sierra Diamond as she was elected to the Fields of Grace Outre
ach Advisory Board as our first Youth Representive to the Advisory Board Member.
Sierra has been very active with Fields of Grace joining in events, helping with inventory organization, and volunteering for any job where she has been needed.
We look forward to having her on our Advisory Board and working on all the upcoming programs that are planned.
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Dorwin Hamm Memorial Scholarship
Winner presents her program
Michele Watkins, a student at SUNY-Cobleskill, was selected by the Schoharie County Conservation Association to receive one of this year's Dorwin Hamm Memorial Scholarships. Fields of Grace Outreach was pleased to be asked to be among those organizations that were sponsoring this year's scholarships.
She presented her program on Thursday, May 10th at the Middleburgh Library to an enthusiastic crowd. Her project was done on the environmental capacity for salamanders at Looking Glass Pond. Her power point presentation prompted many questions regarding her project and the salamander population at the pond.
At the end of her own program, Michele presented a power point of one of the other winning projects which detailed the trout count on one of the local creeks.
Michele will be continuing her studies toward her masters in the field of environmental science, possibly teaching at the high school or college level. We were happy to be able to award her this year's scholarship.
Click here to view a further description of Michele's project.
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Thank you to Troop #2077 of Cobleskill, NY for collecting over 120 cell phones for the Cell Phones for Soldiers program. They boxed them up and delivered them to us all ready for shipping.
How long did it take them to collect all of these cell phones? Only about two weeks! Many people at their schools helped out by filling their collection boxes.
Thanks again, girls, for all your hard work and for giving of your time and hearts to help our troops far from home be able to call their loved ones.
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One of our "Leadership" projects is having youth organize and plan this Cell Phones for Soldiers program. Decorating and distributing collection boxes and collecting, packing and mailing them, all contribute to learning how to plan and complete a successful project as a leader.
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It's simple and FREE! Every phone you donate will help increase the amount of talk time that is able to be provided to our troops!
- Donated cell phones are sold to a company that recycles them. The money received by Cell Phones for Soldiers from recycling cell phones is used to purchase calling cards that they send to troops in need.
Youth volunteers working with Fields of Grace Outeach in our Grace Youth Leadership Program (GYLP) have been responsible for collecting, packing, and shipping the collected cell phones. This program has allowed them to not only give of their time to a worthy cause, but has helped them gain leadership skills through the planning and execution of the project monthly. Thank you to all the youth who have been helping with this program.
DROP BOXES are placed in many locations throughout Schoharie County at present. Many of the banks and other sites were flooded, but we are now placing new boxes, so watch for them and donate your old cell phones today!!
Here are some spots where you will find the boxes to donate your old cell phones so that our military will have free phone cards to phone their families at home. More drop boxes are being placed all the time, so check back if you need to find a box. Also, if you have a large amount of phones that you have collected and wish to drop them off to us personally, just call or e-mail us for pick up: (518) 827-5344; peterdebartolo@thefieldsofgrace.org
NBT BANKS: Middleburgh, Schoharie & Cobleskill, NY
BANK of RICHMONDVILLE: Schoharie, NY
COMMUNITY BANK (formerly Wilbur Bank): Cobleskill, NY
MIDDLEBURGH HIGH SCHOOL, Middleburgh, NY
BANK of AMERICA, Schoharie, NY
MIDDLEBURGH ROD & GUN CLUB, Middleburgh, NY
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, Gallupville, NY
The AMERICAN LEGION is also helping us collect cell phones.
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FREE "Leadership Training through Games" Day - to help youth and young adults discovery their inner leadership skills and abilities to develop more fulfilling directions for their lives.
