At Black River we understand that bringing school and community assets together will help our young people succeed. Below are opportunities that are emailed to the school by outside organizations wishing to keep students and families in the community informed. Please feel free to see if any of these opportunities would be helpful for your student.

Hope College Summer Camps

Thank you for your patience as we created materials to share regarding our upcoming summer camps.  I am attaching a PDF of our Summer Camps Postcard as well as a slide deck that was created specifically for Middle/High School Grade Level Level Camps. 

City of Holland Junior Police Academy

JPA is a 3 week summer camp style program hosted by the Holland Department of Public Safety. It is run each summer for students who will be entering the 7th or 8th grade and is designed to teach them about First Responders (Police, Fire, and Medical), as well as develop teamwork and leadership skills. 

This summer JPA will run from July 15 to August 1st. We meet each day, Monday through Thursday, from 8am to 1pm. The best part, the program is completely free!

We have the ability to take between 30 and 40 students for this summer's academy, and applications will be reviewed on a first-come first-serve basis, in addition to being reviewed for academic standing and behavioral criteria. 

Please use the link below to learn more or complete the application. If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. 

https://www.cityofholland.com/340/Junior-Police-Academy

Parenting Courses

Arbor Circle is offering upcoming parenting courses - both in person and virtually. There is content for parents and kids and dinner is provided. Strengthening Families 10-14 Program, designed to foster communication, resilience, and positive family dynamics will be starting soon! Check out their website for times and dates - https://arborcircle.org/programs-services/parent-education-classes-and-groups/

Lakeshore Little Read Resources

Lakeshore Little/Mini Read Information and Events for Ottawa and Allegan County. We hope to see you there!

Fellinlove Farm

Fellinlove Farm welcomes students to complete community service hours with them. They can assist in chores Monday-Saturday 10 am -12 pm or help at events as Open Farm on Saturdays 2-5 pm. Find out more about the farm at their website fellinlovefarm.com.

Camp Good Grief

This camp is especially designed to be of assistance to any child who has suffered from a significant loss this past year. It is our hope that we can be supportive to any student who has lost a loved one. Please see our flyer for more details regarding registration deadlines and who to contact for questions.

Tulip City United

Tulip City United, our local minor league soccer team, is looking for local high school students in the greater Holland area to volunteer during our games this summer!

Beyond receiving free entrance to the game you will earn volunteer hours for National Honors Society and/or graduation requirements in a new and exciting way!  Plus, this is a great opportunity for those looking at a potential future in sports and/or business operations. I have attached a document that has all our game days and times as well as a link to the Sign Up Genius for all the games.

Check them out on their website. 

Our City. Our Club.

Sign Up Genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094AA8A72BA1F5C07-gameday

Herrick District Library Author Event

Afternoon with an Author: Kelly J. Baptist

Friday, March 10, 2023

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Herrick North Branch, 155 Riley St.

Community Room

For kids, tweens, and teens

Spend some time with Kelly J. Baptist, award-winning Michigan author of the picture book The Electric Slide and Kai, and middle grade novels including the Isaiah Dunn series and The Swag is in the Socks. Her newest middle grade novel in verse, Eb & Flow will be released in March. Kelly will talk about her background, writing process, and engage in a question-and-answer session with a book-signing to follow.

Hope College Summer Science Camps--Summer 2023

Want to encourage your child to continue to explore over the summer? Sign up for a Hope College's Summer Camp!

Middle and high school programs allow students to explore careers and a day in the life of scientists and engineers.

Topics include programming Raspberry Pi, Neuroscience, Solar Cell Research, and a peek into bird research. 

Learn more about the STEM camps here.

Scholarships available. 

Click below to learn all about camp offerings for Summer 2023 as well as information on the schedule and how to register.

https://www.blackriverpublicschool.org/docs/building/2/Summer Science Camps Booklet_2023.pdf?id=5442

HS Employment Opportunity - Dietary Aide Openings at Resthaven

Resthaven has multiple openings for Dietary Aides at its Care Center located in Holland, MI. These positions are great for high school students seeking hours from 3:30-8:00pm with the ability to work day or night shifts on the weekends. 

Students can apply online at Resthaven.org

Tulip City United Volunteers Needed

Tulip City United is a new soccer club that is kicking off its first season in a few weeks.  The club is a non-profit and is completely volunteer run.  

Volunteer opportunities are available on game days, and possibly for other non-game related opportunities.  

They need:

• someone interested in filming the game for our live stream 

• help with set up/tear down

• working with admissions to the games  

All of the home games are played at Holland High School. 

Contact Matt Davis amkdavis294@gmail.com, and David Schroeder dds681@hotmail.com for more information.

Think First for Parents & Young Drivers

ThinkFirst for Parents of Teen Drivers is a virtual 90-minute evidence-based traffic safety program to educate parents on Michigan’s GDL law. Supported by a grant from General Motors, ThinkFirst has partnered with the Michigan State Police, the Office of Highway Safety Planning, and several Michigan hospital trauma centers. The goal of the program is to reduce new driver crashes and the resulting injuries and fatalities by increasing parents’ awareness and enforcement of Michigan’s GDL law.

Click Here for the brochure and to sign up! 

Interested in Joining Girl Scouts?

Click here for information on joining the Girl Scouts. Our Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore Facebook Page link is below:

https://fb.me/e/2t9wTj70u

Laura M Cunningham, Community Membership Manager
Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore
Office (231)220-0503 x3503
lcunningham@gsmists.org

Sunrise Movement - Holland Hub

The Sunrise Movement is a national youth-led organization for environmental and social justice, and as of 2021, there is a local hub for the Holland area!

Due to COVID-19, we can't meet in-person yet, but we're still going to have an awesome virtual kickoff meeting! Attendees will spend some time meeting and getting to know each other, jam out to some music, enjoy a few group activities, and then learn about what Sunrise is all about and how to get and stay involved in 2021! Go to Bit.ly/SunriseKickoff to sign up! 

 SouthWest Michigan Mutual Aid Network

Greetings! IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: 

There is an organization called the SouthWest Michigan Mutual Aid Network that is trying to connect with Black River families to figure out what needs you may have as we begin this school year. By clicking this link: https://m.facebook.com/groups/1083718001989995/ to join their FaceBook group today, you can:

1.  put out a post to ask a question or share about a need you have

2. Chat live with volunteers (in Spanish or English) who are equipped to discuss in detail what your needs are and how the network can help meet them by connecting you to resources

3. Join subgroups designed around folks’ needs through the platform GroupMe (for example, a GroupMe where people who are in need of childcare support and tutoring can meet and build relationships with people who are able to provide those services) 

And more! 

We are committed to building unity in our communities that will enable us to help each other through these difficult times. 

We are in this together. 

Please join the SouthWest Michigan Mutual Aid Network group today!

¡Saludos! ANUNCIO IMPORTANTE: 

Hay una organización llamada SouthWest Michigan Mutual Aid Network que está tratarando a conectar con familias de Black River para averiguar qué necesidades podrías tener al empezar este año escolar. 

Hacienda clic en este enlace: https://m.facebook.com/groups/1083718001989995/ para unir el grupo de Facebook de SouthWest Michigan Mutual Aid Network, puedes: 

1. Publicas una publicación en Facebook para compartir sobre una necesidad tú tienes 

2. Puedes chatear con volunarios que están equipados a discutir cuáles son sus necesidades y cómo SouthWest Michigan Mutual Aid puede ayudar a cumplirlas conectándote a recursos

3. Unes subgrupos que son construyen alrededor las necesidades de personas a través de la plataforma GroupMe (por ejemplo, un GroupMe para personas que necesitan apoyo para el cuidado de niños y tutoría pueden conocer personas que pueden brindar esos servicios) 

¡Y más!

Nosotros estamos comprometidos a construir la unidad en sus comunidades que nos permitirá ayudar unos a otros en estos timepos difíciles. 

Por favor ¡únete al grupo de SouthWest Michigan Mutual Aid hoy!

Ottawa  Food Launches Real Food Can Campaign
Promoting healthy eating and sharing accessible food resources with Ottawa County residents

Ottawa Food has just launched a public awareness marketing campaign that encourages Ottawa County residents to consume more fruits and vegetables. The Real Food Can campaign addresses identified barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption, including cost and lack of knowledge about how to prepare these items. Real Food Can aims to show that eating fruits and vegetables can be: Accessible, Affordable, Convenient, Delicious, Local, and Safe.

Educational messages are being disseminated through a variety of methods, including print, social media, billboards, restroom ads, etc. Social media and other ads link viewers to RealFoodCan.org, where users can find tips, recipes, videos, information about local produce, and other resources related to fruits and vegetables. There are also a variety of resources available in Spanish.

Parent Resources from the Ottawa County Health Department 

Information about health-related school requirements and community resources for parents and families. Visit www.miOttawa.org/ParentPage. For more information, contact Rita Huron at 616-393-5772 or rhuron@miottawa.org.

Michigan Hot 50 Jobs Brochure

http://milmi.org/Portals/137/publications/Hot_50_Brochure_2026.pdf

Camp Sunshine Camp Counselors and Volunteers Needed 

Since 1983, Camp Sunshine has been offering people ages 12 – 50 with developmental disabilities the opportunity to attend summer camp in a safe, caring and inclusive environment. We offer 4 day/3 night camp sessions at two locations in Michigan--Camp Blodgett in West Olive and Camp Henry in Newaygo. 

We are always looking for summer counselors and volunteers! A neat thing about Camp Sunshine is that we have a 1:1 camper to counselor ratio.

Contact: Katie Arnold 
Camp Sunshine, Marketing and Communications Coordinator
campsunshinemichigan.org

Ottawa County Health Department Local Resources List

Call 2-1-1 or visit call-211.org for information about resources closest to where you live. 24 hours a day 7 days a week. For questions or changes, contact Kristina Wieghmink at 616-494-5597 or kwieghmink@miottawa.org. (Updated June 25, 2018)

Local Resources List - English
Local Resources List - Spanish

Volunteer at the Zeeland Historical Society

A BRPS student has been volunteering this summer with the Zeeland Historical Society as a junior docent. She has enjoyed this experience and ZHS has enjoyed having her as a volunteer. ZHS would like to have a few more students train as junior docents. Students should enjoy history and like meeting new people. For more information, please contact Arlene Steenwyk at 616-340-5369 or amshgrl15@aol.com.

Does your Child Need Dental Services? Mile of Smiles Can Help!

Miles of Smiles (MOS) mobile dental unit is scheduled to be in Holland throughout the school year. Our mobile dental unit provides free, preventive and restorative dental services for financially-qualifying children. Please click here for more information.

Recruiting for Adelante LAUP Youth Organization - Student Opportunity

My name is Karen and I am the coordinator for the Adelante Group. We are a group comprised of majority 9th and 10th graders who meet with the mindset to excel academically and individually, learn about different career opportunities and invest in the local community through volunteering. We typically meet Wednesday from 6:00pm to 8:30pm, with the last hour focused on tackling homework (and receiving assistance). Excelling individually, in this case, means that every first Wednesday of the month we take the time to highlight one of the seven habits from "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" by Sean Covey, complete fun activities and apply it to our life. Please contact me at adelante@laup.org for more information.

Karen Moreno
Adelante Coordinator
adelante@laup.org