Miss Brooklyn 2009

I'm moving!

2010-03-23T20:01:00.000-04:00

Or at least, my blog is...

Hit me up at: www.keeliesheridan.blogspot.com for my most recent shenanigans!

Miss Mohawk Valley 2010!

2010-03-22T12:48:00.001-04:00

I'm so glad I was able to attend this weekend's Miss Mohawk Valley pageant! As always, the production was phenomenal, (I'm officially nominating Miss Mohawk Valley for best pageant soundtrack 2010, with such hits as "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred for SS and "Gettin' Jiggy With It" by Will Smith for crowning).

The competition was fierce- talents were strong across the board, the contestants were all stunningly beautiful, and everyone seemed so put-together!

Congratulations to 4th runner up- Jennifer Wolf, 3rd runner up- Lauren Crandall, 2nd runner up- Danielle Trumbull, 1st runner up, Colleen Gagne, and... drumroll please....

MISS MOHAWK VALLEY 2010, KIEREN SHERIDAN!!!!! YESSSSSSS!!!! Ok, so obviously I'm biased- I'm her sister- but I can say without reserve that Kieren has worked harder than anyone I've ever met to achieve her goal of competing in the Miss New York State Pageant this summer. As someone who's known her, well, her entire life, it's such an awe-inspiring experience to look back at who and where she was when she began participating in the Miss America Organization, and the progress she has made since. And she's had her fair share of close calls- before winning today, she was 1st runner up at Miss Empire Rose 2009, Miss Lake Country and Miss Central Region 2009, Miss Finger Lakes 2010 and Miss Empire Rose 2010. I'm asked all of the time about competing with my sisters, and I constantly tell people how grateful I am to have found such a powerful and life-changing hobby that I share with my sisters. Both have blossomed into such tremendously inspiring individuals, and I am so grateful to the Miss America Organization for all we've gained from it.

From L to R, Heather Schaffer- Miss Fulton County 2010, Courtney Sheridan- Miss Empire Rose 2010, Me, Kieren Sheridan, Miss Mohawk Valley 2010, Amy Valenti- Miss Finger Lakes 2010 and Katie Birchenough- Miss Albany 2010

Myself with the beautiful Colleen Gagne- 1st Runner Up. I love this girl. Seriously.

Team Sheridan. With kind of messy hair... There was a lot of jumping and hugging going on...

Kieren and Shawn- pageant boyfriend extraordinare. He's been around so long, he's practically a Sheridan.

Special thanks to Amy Valenti, Miss Finger Lakes 2010, who recorded the crowning (this is her video, above)!

"The Big Idea-- it's bad education policy"- by Diane Ravitch

2010-03-18T13:36:00.000-04:00

I found the following opinion piece by Diane Ravitch in the LA Times, and thought I would share... I'm always interested in hearing people's opinions on the new education reform proposals.

OPINION

The Big Idea -- it's bad education policy

One simple solution for our schools? A captivating promise, but a false one.

By Diane Ravitch

March 14, 2010

There have been two features that regularly mark the history of U.S. public schools. Over the last century, our education system has been regularly captivated by a Big Idea -- a savant or an organization that promised a simple solution to the problems of our schools. The second is that there are no simple solutions, no miracle cures to those problems.

Education is a slow, arduous process that requires the work of willing students, dedicated teachers and supportive families, as well as a coherent curriculum.

As an education historian, I have often warned against the seductive lure of grand ideas to reform education. Our national infatuation with education fads and reforms distracts us from the steady work that must be done.

Our era is no different. We now face a wave of education reforms based on the belief that school choice, test-driven accountability and the resulting competition will dramatically improve student achievement.

Once again, I find myself sounding the alarm that the latest vision of education reform is deeply flawed. But this time my warning carries a personal rebuke. For much of the last two decades, I was among those who jumped aboard the choice and accountability bandwagon. Choice and accountability, I believed, would offer a chance for poor children to escape failing schools. Testing and accountability, I thought, would cast sunshine on low-performing schools and lead to improvement. It all seemed to make sense, even if there was little empirical evidence, just promise and hope.

Today there is empirical evidence, and it shows clearly that choice, competition and accountability as education reform levers are not working. But with confidence bordering on recklessness, the Obama administration is plunging ahead, pushing an aggressive program of school reform -- codified in its signature Race to the Top program -- that relies on the power of incentives and competition. This approach may well make schools worse, not better.

Those who do not follow education closely may be tempted to think that, at long last, we're finally turning the corner. What could be wrong with promoting charter schools to compete with public schools? Why shouldn't we demand accountability from educators and use test scores to reward our best teachers and identify those who should find another job?

Like the grand plans of previous eras, they sound sensible but will leave education no better off. Charter schools are no panacea. The nation now has about 5,000 of them, and they vary in quality. Some are excellent, some terrible; most are in between. Most studies have found that charters, on average, are no better than public schools.

On the federal tests, known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress, from 2003 to 2009, charters have never outperformed public schools. Nor have black and Latino students in charter schools performed better than their counterparts in public schools.

This is surprising, because charter schools have many advantages over public schools. Most charters choose their students by lottery. Those who sign up to win seats tend to be the most motivated students and families in the poorest communities. Charters are also free to "counsel out" students who are unable or unwilling to meet expectations. A study of KIPP charters in the San Francisco area found that 60% of those students who started the fifth grade were gone before the end of eighth grade. Most of those who left were low performers.

Studies of charters in Boston, New York City and Washington have found that charters, as compared to public schools, have smaller percentages of the students who are generally hardest to educate -- those with disabilities and English-language learners. Because the public schools must educate everyone, they end up with disproportionate numbers of the students the charters don't want.

So we're left with the knowledge that a dramatic expansion in the number of privately managed schools is not likely to raise student achievement. Meanwhile, public schools will become schools of last resort for the unmotivated, the hardest to teach and those who didn't win a seat in a charter school. If our goal is to destroy public education in America, this is precisely the right path.

Nor is there evidence that student achievement will improve if teachers are evaluated by their students' test scores. Some economists say that when students have four or five "great" teachers in a row, the achievement gap between racial groups disappears. The difficulty with this theory is that we do not have adequate measures of teacher excellence.

Of course, it would be wonderful if all teachers were excellent, but many factors affect student scores other than their teacher, including students' motivation, the schools' curriculum, family support, poverty and distractions on testing day, such as the weather or even a dog barking in the school's parking lot.

The Obama education reform plan is an aggressive version of the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind, under which many schools have narrowed their curriculum to the tested subjects of reading and math. This poor substitute for a well-rounded education, which includes subjects such as the arts, history, geography, civics, science and foreign language, hits low-income children the hardest, since they are the most likely to attend the kind of "failing school" that drills kids relentlessly on the basics. Emphasis on test scores already compels teachers to focus on test preparation. Holding teachers personally and exclusively accountable for test scores -- a key feature of Race to the Top -- will make this situation even worse. Test scores will determine salary, tenure, bonuses and sanctions, as teachers and schools compete with each other, survival-of-the-fittest style.

Frustrated by a chronic lack of progress, business leaders and politicians expect that a stern dose of this sort of competition and incentives will improve education, but they are wrong. No other nation is taking such harsh lessons from the corporate sector and applying them to their schools. No nation with successful schools ignores everything but basic skills and testing. Schools work best when teachers collaborate to help their students and strive together for common goals, not when they compete for higher scores and bonuses.

Having embraced the Republican agenda of choice, competition and accountability, the Obama administration is promoting the privatization of large segments of American education and undermining the profession of teaching. This toxic combination is the latest Big Idea in education reform. Like so many of its predecessors, it is not likely to improve education.

Diane Ravitch, a historian of education, is the author of "The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education."

CommonGround 2010- I. CAN'T. WAIT.

2010-03-17T22:38:00.000-04:00

Technically I'm supposed to be doing my homework right now, but I took a short break to look over the seminar offerings at this year's Common Ground conference happening next week, and I am so very excited! What is CommonGround, you ask? From the NYSAAE's website: CommonGround is the annual New York State arts-in-education conference that brings over 150 administrators, teachers, teaching artists, and community members together for three days of policy setting, planning, exchange of skills and inspirational speakers. This gathering contributes to fresh curriculum design, school reform and new models for classroom learning. I'll only be able to attend on Thursday, so I want to cram as much in to my trip to Albany as possible. Here's a sampling of the sessions on Thursday that pique my interest... HOW AM I GOING TO CHOOSE?!

Connecting Arts Organizations To Colleges And The Community
Thursday - Session I
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM / Ballroom D
Colleges are developing new and exciting ways to bring learning from the classroom into the
community. From service learning opportunities to partnerships with community organizations, the arts
are a natural bridge that addresses both learning goals and community needs in a fresh context. The
Arts in Education Institute created a program for college freshman which connected them to senior
citizens at a nearby community center. Using digital media, the students engaged the seniors in
conversation, conducted interviews and recorded family histories. Seniors provided newspaper
clippings, photos and valuable first hand accounts of their history and the history of Buffalo. Doors
were opened and relationships were formed. The learning was first hand and involved research,
community building and creative work. As a culminating event, a film festival was held and the end
products of this exciting partnership were shared at a gathering of the college and senior
community.

Behind The Scenes! Classroom Strategies For Student-Produced Arts Events
Thursday - Session I
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM / Ten Broeck
Authentic opportunities for showcasing their work motivate students to show their best. This workshop
is designed to help you prepare students to produce their own exhibit, performance, or concert. We
offer strategies, structures, and activities for you to use to prepare students to fundraise for and
market their production. As students take on tasks required for a successful event, they learn career
possibilities of behind the scenes jobs in theater, dance, music, and visual art.

Tell Me A Story, Dance Me A Dance
Thursday - Session I
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM / Ballroom C
Children love to move and can use their kinesthetic intelligence to learn and develop literacy skills
and vice versa. Descriptive language, sequencing, keeping track and composition are all skills
needed to be a good reader, writer, dancer and choreographer. Focusing on Laban based dance
making activities, we will Hear it, Imagine it, Move it, Write it. We will reflect and evaluate how these
activities provide options defined by the UDL guidelines across grade levels 3-8.

We Are Here! Local Capacity Building
Thursday - Session I
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM / Ballroom E
In this workshop you will have a chance to meet and hear the story of Ellie Balk an Artist Teacher,
muralist and activist who built capacity for a community vision with her school partners in Brooklyn,
NY. Hawley Hussey the Local Capacity Building Coordinator from Brooklyn, NY will talk about building
partnerships from the ground up with this supportive NYSCA network. We will share ideas about
building sustainability for the arts and how to utilize NYSCA Roundtables for support and sharing Arts In
Education practice.

Backwards Design For Teaching Artists
Thursday - Session II
1:00 PM - 2:15 PM / Ten Broeck
Backwards design seamlessly incorporates curriculum design, assessment, and arts creation work.
This process can help to sharpen the focus of a residency or instructional unit, help students to aim for
and achieve success, and assist teaching artists to create more effective curriculum. This workshop
represents lessons learned during a decade of work with teaching artists and arts specialists, and
includes components from several curriculum design models in an effort to find the most arts-friendly
approach.

Beyond The Residency: Re-envisioning The Role Of The Cultural Partner
Thursday - Session II
1:00 PM - 2:15 PM / Beverwyck
In 2007, DreamYard launched the Bronx Arts Learning Community (BALC), a network of schools that
come together regularly to improve the access to and quality of arts learning in their buildings,
support school-based arts leadership and build K-12th grade arts learning pathways for their students.
Through the building of this community, we are recognizing a powerful new role that emerges for
ourselves as a cultural organization - one of an organizer of creative and passionate school-based
educators from across the Bronx. Participants in this workshop will be challenged to re-envision their
relationships with schools, re-evaluate the resources they have to offer that go beyond providing
direct arts instruction, and map out new directions for engagement in public education.

Forum: Advancing Arts In Education In New York State
Thursday - Session II
1:00 PM - 2:15 PM / Ballroom C
In light of all the new NYS Education Department initiatives to increase student achievement, along
with the research that supports the arts as instrumental in achieving these initiatives, this facilitated
forum invites panelists to address how those in the arts in education field (teachers, artists,
administrators, cultural and educational organizations, Parent-Teacher Associations, etc.) can work
together with other leaders in New York State to advance arts in education and positively impact
achievement for all students in New York State.
What can we do to improve education incorporating core arts education and arts-in-education in a
systemic and lasting way? What proven models can be effective in NYS? When and how can these
be applied?

Taking A Risk: Theatre-in-Education For Curriculum And Decision Making
Thursday - Session II
1:00 PM - 2:15 PM / Ballroom B
Participants in this workshop will explore how Theatre-in-Education (TIE) can provide opportunities to
explore Language Arts curriculum and decision making skills. Participants will experience "The Third
Child", a TIE program for 4th graders and then reflect on their experience. This workshop is designed
for both Teaching Artists and Classroom teachers interested in exploring how participatory theatre
effectively provides opportunities for learning, and how it can be adjusted and applied to their work.

Developing The Professional Identity Of The Teaching Artist
Thursday - Session III
2:30 PM - 3:45 PM / Ten Broeck
What are the strengths, needs, and professional expectations of the experienced Teaching Artist
today? How do the TA's objectives align with the mission and imperatives of the organizations that
hire them? We will tackle these questions, and others, through: an ethnographic performance piece,
dialogue, small group work, and action-oriented interactive reflection.

Give That Kid A Camera! Student Voices In Sharing Partnership Process
Thursday - Session III
2:30 PM - 3:45 PM / Van Rensselaer
How do we learn from students? How do we share partnership work and assessments in an
accessible and engaging way? In this workshop, participants will explore strategies for incorporating
student voices in documenting, assessing, and sharing the learning process in an AIE partnership.
Teachers from the BRIC Contemporary-Campos School partnership in Brooklyn will present a case
study where students utilized a variety of documenting techniques and technologies to assess
student learning and share partnership process.

In Search Of The Missing Story
Thursday - Session III
2:30 PM - 3:45 PM / Ballroom A
Workshop participants will be actively engaged in numerous learning experiences throughout the
presentation. An object exchange will be completed as a warm-up in order to guide the group to
discover whether or not they are present and available to receive a story. Discussion will occur
regarding focusing, listening attentively, respect, treating people and their stories with care and
consideration, and gratitude. Each group member will choose a WOA from the Picturing America
collection. Each participant will brainstorm and develop a story by creating a monologue based on
the WOA. Partners will share their stories with each other. There is no wrong story but the inferences
made to create the story will be based on what they see in the WOA- evidence should be sited in the
WOA in order to form basis for story. Questions will be asked in order for the presenter to fully develop
their story. The group will come together and a few volunteers will be chosen to share the story they
received from their partner. A reflection will occur regarding how it felt to observe someone telling
their story, how it changed perspective, how it impacted the story, etc.. Teachers will briefly share
how they implemented the concept of focusing a WOA as a focal point to a story in their classroom.

Research In Action Dialogue: A Radical & Accessible Approach To Creative As
Thursday - Session III
2:30 PM - 3:45 PM / Ballroom C
Inspired by NYSCA‘s ETSL protocol, Urban Arts Partnership will present the Research in Action Dialogue
(RAD), a case-study based assessment tool used in an after-school setting that examines student
artwork as data to inform and drive differentiated instruction as well as build connections in the core
academic curriculum happening during the school day. Participants will study a recently completed
RAD from PS 48 in Queens and then work in teams to plan their own action research projects.

Improving Literacy With Story Drama & Active Participation
Thursday - Creative Engagement
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM / Ballroom D
What will education look like in 20 years? How will this effect teaching artists? We are preparing
students for the 21st century in an ever shrinking world. This workshop will provide an example of how
teaching artists and classroom teachers are able to provide an engaging, 21st century learning
approach to education. Participants will be actively engaged in a story drama from the book Strega
Nona by Tomie dePaolo and introduced to the concepts and structure of story drama creation. Story
drama is a teaching pathway that involves students in important critical thinking processes. It
requires that students listen for direction and follow through with action. By interpreting narrative into
believable actions using their bodies and voices, students are making choices and taking risks. Story
drama is a pathway to social skills and brings students together as a team and community, each with
an equal voice. Participants will see how this experience can launch into the classroom through
literacy activities enhancing 21st century skills.

Congratulations!

2010-03-15T22:03:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to the two newest editions of the Miss NY Class of 2010, Inga Schlingmann and Faren Collins! Both are bright, talented, beautiful women who I'm honored to call my friends, and will be fantastic ambassadors for both the Miss America Organization and the southern region of NY. Also, a special congratulations to the beautiful runners-up: Catherine Cosmai- 3rd RU, Amanda Mason- 2nd RU, Cassie Franklin- 1st RU. All of the contestants were awesome- it was a pleasure to get to know you ladies, and I hope our paths cross again soon! And thank you to the Miss Jubilee Organization and the outgoing Miss Jubilee- Claire, for such a smooth, organized and enjoyable experience!

I had hoped to get a photo with every contestant, but there just never seems to be enough time! Here are a few pictures from the day.

With my homegirl, Inga, before talent.

With Farren after the crowning! The only picture I have with her! *sniffle*

With Debra before evening gown!

With Elise before evening gown (no, I didn't wear the robe on stage...)

With the fabulous Dominique!

What a wonderful surprise to see Marina after the show!

A Video Contest from Wafels and Dinges (A Miss Brooklyn Sponsor)

2010-03-13T11:42:00.001-05:00

Do you love Belgian wafels? You should. And you should check out the video contest that Wafels & Dinges is currently holding. Follow the link below for a video complete with instructions to enter- the best video of someone eating a wafel in a strange place wins a wafel party for 30 people! You can also win a Wafels & Dinges sweatshirt or a coupon for 5 WMDs (Wafels of Massive Deliciousness). If nothing else, the video is funny, and the guys are cute (though they're both taken- the one on the left, by me!).

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=388658494514&ref=nf

Food for thought...

2010-03-12T09:08:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend Arts Day 2010 in Albany, where fellow arts advocates lobbied for the maintenance (not increase) of the New York State Council on the Arts' local assistance funding. I heard the day was quite successful, despite weather challenge. I wanted to share with you some of their talking points, which demonstrate quite effectively the nuts and bolts of funding the arts:

ARTS DAY 2010 MESSAGE

“HOLD THE LINE”……keep NYSCA local assistance funding LEVEL at $41.6 million. The Executive budget cut the arts by 15.5% or $6.5 million reducing it from $41.6 million to $35.150 million for FY 2010-11. This takes us back to 1985 funding levels for the arts. And given the rate of inflation totaling 104 % since that time, this funding is actually worth 48 cents on the dollar today….or less than $17 million.

THE ARTS ARE A GREAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT

• The arts have an economic impact of $27.5 BILLION in New York State.
(Source: The Arts as an Industry Report: NYC and NYS 2006, Alliance for the Arts)
• The NYSCA local assistance budget is only 1/300 of 1% of the State’s $134
billion budget.
• •For an investment of less than $42 million, $27.5 billion is pumped back into the economy.

THE ARTS CREATE JOBS

• In 2008-09 there were 54,000,000 arts related businesses in New York State.
(From American for the Arts Cultural Industries Study for New York State)
• The arts employed more than 340,000 people in the State.
(From American for the Arts Cultural Industries Study for New York State)
• Almost 50% of arts spending by cultural organizations support JOBS. An additional 12% is spent on professional services….more JOBS. (From Alliance for the Arts…Arts as an Industry Report 2005)

So the arts are an answer in an economic crisis. As we rebuild our economy we need the people and the organizations that teach our children to think creatively, that sustain our souls, and help change and build

our communities.

ARTS DAY 2010 FACT SHEET

2010 - 11 EXECUTIVE BUDGET

• The Governor’s proposed NYSCA Local Assistance (grants) budget is $35.150 million.
That is a 15.5% or $6.5 million cut from the current 2009-10 fiscal year when it was $41.6 million.
• This takes us back to 1985 funding levels for the arts
• This is less than 1/300 of 1% of the proposed 2010 - 11 state budget.
• Funding for The Egg (Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center Corporation) was eliminated completely.
• Funding for NYSTI (New York State Theatre Institute) was cut by 50%, or $1.5 million, in the first year of a two year "phase out".
• Governor Paterson announced a proposal to allocate $420 million per year to continue the state's film and television production tax credit program through 2014. Last year, the state offered $350 million for its program that gives a 30 percent tax credit on production costs, and that money was almost completely used up.
• The New York State Executive Budget is $134 Billion.
• The NYS fiscal year begins on April 1.

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE ARTS….ASK ME WHY?

• The economic impact of the arts in NYS is $27.5 BILLION
(Source: The Arts as an Industry Report: NYC and NYS 2006, Alliance for the Arts)
• In 2008-09 there were 54,000,000 arts related businesses in New York State.
(From American for the Arts Cultural Industries Study for New York State)
• In the same year, the arts employed more than 341,000 people in the State
(From American for the Arts Cultural Industries Study for New York State)
• Taxes generated by the arts industry in 2005 put $1.2 billion back into New York State
(including income tax, sales tax, taxes on visitor spending , business taxes)
• Cultural organizations are labor intensive; almost 50% of total spending goes to JOBS. Arts workers pay taxes, rent, mortgages, tuition, buy food, gasoline, clothes, etc.
• An additional 12% goes to professional services….more JOBS
(From Alliance for the Arts…Arts as an Industry Report 2005)

ARTS DAY 2010 TALKING POINTS

ARTS BUDGET

• “HOLD THE LINE”……keep NYSCA grant funding LEVEL at $41.6 million. The Executive budget cut the arts by 15.5% or $6.5 million reducing it from $41.6 million to $35.150 million.
• This takes us back to 1985 funding levels for the arts.

THE ARTS CREATE JOBS

• In 2008-09 there were 54,000,000 arts related businesses in New York State.
(From American for the Arts Cultural Industries Study for New York State)
• In the same year, the arts employed more than 341,000 people in the State.
(From American for the Arts Cultural Industries Study for New York State).
• Almost 50% of arts spending by cultural organizations support JOBS. In 2005 that was more than $10 billion in wages. An additional 12% is spent on professional services….more JOBS
(From Alliance for the Arts…Arts as an Industry Report 2005)

THE ARTS ARE A GREAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT

• The ARTS have an economic impact of $27.5 BILLION in New York State
(Source: The Arts as an Industry Report: NYC and NYS 2006, Alliance for the Arts)
• The NYSCA local assistance budget is 1/300 of 1% of the State’s $134 billion budget. For an investment of less than $42 million, $27.5 billion is pumped into the economy.

WE NEED ENTERTAINMENT AND INSPIRATION IN THIS ECONOMY

• As we rebuild our economy we need the people and the organizations that teach our children to think creatively.
• We need the voices that sustain our souls and help change what is not working.
• The ARTS are an answer in an economic crisis.

MY SPONSORS ARE AMAZING!

2010-03-11T09:36:00.000-05:00

I have the best sponsors. It's true. This is no exaggeration. Without them I don't think I'd have been half as successful as I was at the Miss NY competition this past June. And I lucked out, because not only are all of the businesses listed below incredibly generous, but they're also REALLY good at what they do.

The following businesses/ individuals were in-kind service sponsors throughout my year as Miss Brooklyn, particularly in preparation for the Miss NY competition.

Ellen Stein- Personal Trainer (w8lifter222@aol.com, http://kettlebellen.blogspot.com/)

Bikram Bay Ridge- http://www.bikrambayridge.com/

Bend and Bloom Yoga- http://bendandbloom.com/

Pacific Tanning- http://pacifictanningsalon.com/

Bensonhurst Dental Care- http://www.bensonhurstdentalcare.com/

Karolina Almanzar- Makeup Artist- http://ikandymakeup.com/

David Gardiner Photography-http://davidgg.zenfolio.com/

Bond St. Studio- http://bondstreetstudio.com/

J Taylor Salon- (No Website)- 8505 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209

The following businesses either contributed to the gift package I received when I was crowned or offered financial support to the Miss Brooklyn Organization during my year as Miss Brooklyn.

Wafels and Dinges- http://www.wafelsanddinges.com/

Spartak Chocolate Company- http://www.spartak.by/

Collage Jewelry- http://www.collagejewelry.com/

Nature Pure Spa- http://www.naturepurespa.com/

Miss Jessie's- http://www.missjessies.com/

Aqua Health Therapy- http://www.aquahealththerapy.com/

North American Crystal- http://www.nacrystal.com/

My Darling Diva- http://www.mydarlingdiva.net/My_Darling_Diva/Welcome.html

NY Steakhouse- http://www.ny-steakhouse.com/

Covenant Ballet Theatre- http://covenantballet.org/

Galit Couture- http://www.galitcouture.us/

Miss Brooklyn on Sheepshead Bites!

2010-03-10T17:37:00.002-05:00

Sunday AM I headed over to Tete-a-Tete to do an interview with Ray Johnson of Sheepshead Bites, and then headed over to the bay to take some photos with Ned Berke, both of which turned out great! Check it out: Sheepshead Bay's Beauty Queen: Keelie Sheridan

Photos by Ned Berke

The end is near...

2010-03-10T11:34:00.001-05:00

I thought that things would start to wind down at this point in my reign as Miss Brooklyn, but I find myself just as busy as I was this time last year, when I was newly crowned! (Fun bonus- I was crowned on February 22nd, 2009, and I give up my crown on March 28th, 2010, so I got to be Miss Brooklyn for over 13 months- SCORE!)

On Wednesday, March 3rd, I returned to Block Institute to do one of my favorite appearances- Read Across America Day- for the second time! The kids, as always, were fantastic; bright, engaging, and ADORABLE! And I've said this many times, but THANK YOU to Todd Adelman of Block Institute for all you've done for me this year!

The following evening, I headed to Superfine for a Women's History Month celebration of Brooklyn-based female author-illustrators! What an honor to support these amazing artists, including the lovely and talented Melanie Hope Greenberg (who gifted me copies of her beautiful books- YESSSS!)

On the way home, I ran into some folks on the subway who had attended the National Day of Action to Defend Education- I had wanted to attend but was booked all day, so this was a fun coincidence!

My sisters are beautiful, talented, smart, hilarious, and pretty much the best sisters around (don't tell them I said that, though); and I'm so obnoxiously proud of them. From left to right, Lauren Crandall- 3rd RU, Colleen Gagne- 2nd RU, KIEREN SHERIDAN- 1st RU, COURTNEY SHERIDAN- Miss Empire Rose 2010, and Katie Birchenough- Miss Albany 2010. Congratulations, ladies!

And last but not least, I'll be competing this weekend for the titles of Miss Jubilee/ Miss Southern NY for the opportunity to represent the entire southern tier of NY (don't worry, Brooklyn- I'm not abandoning you)! Wish me luck!

Wait... WHAT? It's MARCH already?

2010-03-01T10:38:00.002-05:00

How did that happen? Where did January and February go? Where was I?! 2010 has been insanely busy, but awesome at the same time. Brace yourself. This is going to be a long one.

FIRST AND FOREMOST- The deadline for Miss Brooklyn 2010 paperwork has been extended, thanks to the overwhelming response we've received from the awesome media coverage of Brokelyn (Living Big on Small Change). See their two recent articles: Ladies, become the next Miss Brooklyn and Miss Brooklyn is a cheapskate too! Plus 2010 pageant deadline extended! Go the the Miss Brooklyn Website to submit an application! And thank you, Brokelyn, for helping us continue to introduce the Miss Brooklyn Organization to our community!

Secondly, CONGRATULATIONS to the new Miss Fulton County 2010, Heather Shaffer, and the new Miss Finger Lakes 2010, Amy Valenti. Both are amazing women who've worked to achieve their goals of becoming titleholders, and I'm thrilled for them both!

From L to R, Myself, Heather Shaffer- Miss Fulton County 2010, Lynn Tryon- Miss Mohawk Valley 2009 and Kristina Ferris, Miss Thousand Islands 2010.

From L to R- Jen Starkey, 3rd Runner up, Kieren Sheridan (YAY SISTER)- 1st Runner up, Amy Valenti- Miss Finger Lakes 2010, Corri Dartnell- 4th Runner Up, and Chelsea Prophet- 2nd Runner (I hope I got the placements right!)

Yesterday I attended The Queen's Corner- a fundraiser for the Miss Brooklyn Organization. Thanks so much to Amaris Acosta for organizing such a wonderful event!

It's hard to believe that I'm beginning my last month as Miss Brooklyn. I intend to make the most of it! Last week, I joined Todd Adelman at Brooklyn's Block Institute to bake cookies for a Children's Miracle Network Bakesale. THANK YOU, TODD! This Wednesday, I'll return to Block Institute for Read-Across-America Day- a nice close to my year as this same event last March was one of my first appearances as Miss Brooklyn 2009. On Thursday evening, I'll be attending the Women's History Month Celebration of Brooklyn female-authors at Superfine, reuniting with author/ illustrator Melanie Hope Greenberg, who I met at an appearance in October. Check the Brooklyn Heights Blog for more info!

The Queen's Corner Pageant Networking Event- This Sunday!

2010-02-24T07:08:00.000-05:00

This Sunday, Amaris Acosta (the new director of the Miss Brooklyn Organization) has organized a fantastic day of pageant networking for titleholders, volunteers, family and friend in the Northeast! The Queen's Corner Expo will take place on February 28th from 11a-4p at the Newark Hilton Gateway (take NJ Transit to Newark Penn- it's connected to the hotel!). Below is some information on the event. The expo is an official fundraiser for the Miss Brooklyn Organization, and it promises to be an exciting and informative day!

Join us for a fun afternoon filled with fashion, glamour and pageantry! Meet titleholders and competitors from the Tri-State area and beyond! Get ready for pageant season with workshops featuring industry experts. See the newest styles for sale in our fashion show featuring clothing from Red Carpet Pageant & Prom. Get a head start on your competition with CROWNSHOTS by Carter Studios. Enter for a chance to win great prizes! Meet coaches, trainers, and representatives from pageant systems. Bring your sash, crown, and your camera-you won't want to miss any of the fun!

~Take photos & sign autographs with local and state titleholders

~Learn from the best at our "Insiders' Workshop"!

~Wear your crown, banner and/or medallion if you have a current title-and be featured during the event!

~Enjoy an overstuffed goodie bag, courtesy of our sponsors

~A free raffle ticket is included with each ticket purchase. Raffle prizes are high quality gifts that every pageant girl would love!

If you compete in pageants, there is no need to travel; you can meet other contestants, represent your title and enjoy camaraderie and photo opportunities with your peers-while learning from pageant and industry experts! This event is for the newbie and the seasoned vet-don't miss it!!

Check out the website at www.the-queens-corner.com

Since the event is in Newark, this would make a great afternoon activity before attending the Light For Haiti event co-organized by Claire Buffie, Miss Jubilee 2009, that evening!

Light for Haiti

2010-02-23T11:28:00.001-05:00

Free Sunday PM? Interested in having a great time while making a difference? Then check out the event below, sent to me by none other than the awesome Claire Buffie (Miss Jubilee 2009).

In light of the recent disaster that has devastated Haiti, a group of New York artists are coming together to produce a benefit concert to fund medical relief. The music and voices of Broadway, the passion of spoken word and slam poetry, the rhythm of Indie rock, R&B and reggae will all come together in one night at The Canal Room in New York City. Sunday, February 28 at 8:00 pm, please join us in celebrating our gifts of song, word and laughter to benefit the Haitian people.

Purchase tickets at www.canalroom.com

Make donations by contacting Claire at 646.469.7559 or emailing lightforhaiti@gmail.com
And for more information, a complete (and incredible) list of performers, and to see exactly where our money is going, the GHESKIO Medical Center, go to www.lightforhaiti.net

Advocating for the arts, from the comfort of your computer chair!

2010-02-10T21:12:00.000-05:00

Do you think all students should have an equal opportunity to flourish at school, regardless of their specific talents?

Do you believe creativity is important to the development of students?

Do you have 2 minutes of computer time to spare?

The Americans for the Arts has set up a wonderful tool which allows you to express your concerns (in your own words, if you'd like, or through pre-written talking points) to your national, state, and local representatives with the power to support important upcoming arts funding decisions and oppose the drastic budget cuts proposed for the Fiscal Year 2011.

It took me approximate 2 minutes to email Representative Anthony D.Weiner and Senators Kristen Gillibrand and Charles Schumer, expressing my concern about the state of arts funding for the upcoming fiscal year. A few short clicks and I was done, no lengthy exposition needed.

So... What are you waiting for? Stop reading this blog!

Write your elected officials here: http://capwiz.com/artsusa/home/

Students as a Group of Individuals, Not Just a Group

2010-02-09T07:37:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share a post I read this morning on the Association of Teaching Artists blog. It really gets at the essence of the need for individualized, creative education reform.

AXIS MUNDI

Education Week reports on a new study that finds that "achievement gaps between students of different genders and racial, economic, and linguistic groups are large and persistent...even as they seem to be narrowing for K-12 students as a whole."

Also: An excerpt from How Do We Think about Our Craft? an essay by Maxine Greene published by Teachers College, Columbia University.

"Gradually becoming aware of all this, we are beginning to recognize that every young person must be encountered as a center of consciousness, even as he or she is understood to be a participant in an identifiable social world. Each one may be encountered as a being who is at once a distinctive individual and someone whose consciousness opens out to the common, an intersubjective world in which he or she is inextricably involved."

-Posted on 2/9/10 by Michael Wiggins

GOOD LUCK TONIGHT, ALYSE!

2010-01-30T16:10:00.000-05:00

Alyse winning Preliminary Swimsuit!

In only a few short hours, Miss America 2010 will be crowned! As soon as I finish up my homework, I'm heading over to Inga's to set up camp in front of her big screen TV and cheer the beautiful Miss NY 2009, Alyse Zwick! My Vegas source (Kim Cantoni) has kept me abreast as to Alyse's performance, and as expected, she's as fierce as ever! We're so proud, girl! Tune in to TLC at 8p EST tonight to watch!

WORK IT, ALYSE!

Looking Ahead: Women's History Month

2010-01-28T07:25:00.000-05:00

The talented Brooklyn-based author and illustrator Melanie Hope Greenberg, just sent me the following information on the upcoming Women's History Month festivities to take place in Brooklyn. I hope you can attend!

WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION: Brooklyn Honors Local Artists and Literature, March 2010 with Six Author-Illustrators, Three Bookstores and a Gallery

* Mar. 4 Thur. 6-8pm SUPERFINE EXHIBITION - OPENING RECEPTION

Artwork from picture books by illustrator/authors SELINA ALKO, MIRIAM COHEN, PAT CUMMINGS, MELANIE HOPE GREENBERG, AILEEN LEIJTEN, and MEGHAN MCCARTHY Exhibition: March 2- March 14

LOCATION: 126 Front St. (DUMBO) Brooklyn NY 11201 718.243.9005

* Mar. 6 Sat. 10:30am GREENLIGHT BOOKS presents SELINA ALKO and AILEEN LEIJTEN

LOCATION: 686 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217 INFO: 718.246.0200

* Mar. 13 Sat. 10:30am GREENLIGHT BOOKS presents MELANIE HOPE GREENBERG and MIRIAM COHEN

LOCATION: 686 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217 INFO: 718.246.0200

* Mar. 14 Sun. 11am - Noon BOOKCOURT presents a panel discussion featuring illustrator/authors SELINA ALKO, MIRIAM COHEN, PAT CUMMINGS, MELANIE HOPE GREENBERG, AILEEN LEIJTEN, and MEGHAN MCCARTHY.

LOCATION: 163 Court Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 INFO: 718.875.3677

* Mar. 20 Sat. Time: TBA GREENLIGHT BOOKS presents MEGHAN MCCARTHY

686 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217 INFO: 718.246.0200

* Mar. 21 Sun. 4-6pm P.S. BOOKSHOP Group Story Time with illustrator/authors SELINA ALKO, PAT CUMMINGS, MELANIE HOPE GREENBERG, AILEEN LEIJTEN, and MEGHAN MCCARTHY.

LOCATION: 147A Front Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 INFO: 718.222.3340

* Mar. 27 Sat. 10:30am GREENLIGHT BOOKS presents PAT CUMMINGS

LOCATION: 686 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217 INFO: 718.246.0200

Emergency Clothing Drive in Brooklyn for Haiti Earthquake Victims

2010-01-17T23:22:00.000-05:00

I received the e-mail below as a forward from a friend, and wanted to pass on the information to anyone interested- sorry for the late notice! Please stop by if you're free!

As we all turn our thoughts and prayers to our brothers and sisters in Haiti, this message comes to you in the same spirit of humanity, seeking to help, assist, and serve. The men of Epsilon Chapter, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. have organized an emergency clothing drive which will take place on MONDAY JANUARY 18th from 11am-4pm in Brooklyn, NY. We are asking for any gently used clothing or new underclothes that can be sent to assist those in need and help with the overall disaster relief effort.

This is not a Que thing. It's not a Greek thing. It's the right thing to do. All are welcome. Feel free to represent your frat, sorority, university, block association, or just come as you are. The most important thing is getting a substantial amount of donations to help make a difference. What better service on Dr. King's birthday than to help those in such dire need?

The address is:

The Academy for Business and Community Development

141 Macon St. (Macon at Marcy Ave.)

Brooklyn, NY

All we ask for is for a little bit of your time and a few articles of clothing. Please let's make this happen. Forward to as many networks as you can so that we can generate a great response.

Hope to see you Monday,

--
Charles F. Coleman, Jr.
The Underdog
Basielus, Epsilon Chapter

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

01-07-E

The Search for Miss Brooklyn 2010 is ON!

2010-01-17T21:32:00.000-05:00

ARE YOU:

Between the ages of 17-24?

Interested in scholarship assistance to fund your education?

Passionate about your community?

Eager to share your talents?

Then be sure to visit the Miss Brooklyn Website and fill out an application for information on how to become Miss Brooklyn 2010!

Haiti Earthquake Relief

2010-01-14T20:03:00.004-05:00

Catastrophic tragedy with the magnitude of this week's earthquake in Haiti has a way of overloading our minds. Truly, we can't even begin to comprehend a disaster of this scope, and with the death toll estimates between tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands, the damage is just too much to fathom. Most will experience a fleeting feeling of thankfulness for the safety and well-being of ourselves and our family, but with so much going on, it's easy to move on without much additional thought. The impact of this tragedy is all too real, however, for our Haitian brothers and sisters here in Brooklyn and across the US who cannot reach their loved ones, who are not sure if their families and friends are among the survivors. It's easy to feel powerless and perhaps a bit complacent in the face of such a tremendous tragedy. Modest donations to charitable groups can sometimes feel like drops in a well, but your small donation, plus my small donation, plus the small donations of others help fund the desperately needed relief-efforts of humanitarian organizations.

Below are a few options for those looking to give but not sure where to begin:

The Mayor's Fund to Advance NYC is accepting donations, 100% of which will be directed to agencies DIRECTLY involved in relieving earthquake victims.

The U.S. Fund for UNICEF is absorbing all associated administrative costs so that 100% of every dollar you give to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF will support UNICEF's relief efforts for children in Haiti.

No middle men. No cuts for executive salaries. Just your donations, going to the people who need them.

Write Your Senator to Ensure Compliance with NYS Arts Education Mandates! Now easier than ever!

2010-01-11T10:33:00.000-05:00

You'd think that if something was a LAW, then a publicly-funded institution, like a PUBLIC school would be inclined to comply. Right? I mean, schools don't break laws, do they? Do they?

In short, yes. They do. Nearly every day. Right here in our own great city of New York, in our own beautiful borough of Brooklyn. The New York State Standards for Arts Education (a 40 or so page document that I've read- thanks to my Drama in Education teacher) lays out a pretty clear and cohesive set of MANDATES (not guidelines or suggestions) of how arts departments are supposed to be run in NYS public schools. The requirements are rigorous, but appropriate for optimal benefit for the students and the school, both. But these mandates are not being followed. Sometimes pretty blatantly, and sometimes by cutting corners and glossing over details.

Who's to blame? Thoughts on this vary. Teachers can only work with the resources they provide. School boards cannot be in every class for every art lesson, so knowing what's really going on ALL THE TIME isn't feasible... Adequate support and reinforcement is lacking from policy makers... All are true, but none fully address the solution. Healthy arts programs depend on support and commitment at EVERY level, and the parents and community have to do their part, as well. The action and agendas of legislators should be determined by the interests of their constituents, so keep quality arts education off the back burner by letting your legislator know that you care.

Click here to let your senator know that NYS Arts in Education Mandates MUST be implemented in your area!

And while you're at it, check out the awesome "Arts Bill of Rights" on the Center for Arts Education NYC's website: Every Child in Every School | The Center for Arts Education of New York

Expect the Unexpected...

2009-12-22T19:53:00.001-05:00

It's been a busy past few weeks, and a definite test of my ability to go with the flow. I FINALLY finished up my finals for this semester (agonizing but well worth it), which was a huge relief. I had planned a holiday party for Saturday 12/19, but as many of you know, Brooklyn (and most of NYC) got an insane snowstorm on Saturday, which kept many of my party guests from attending. A special thanks to the troopers who braved the storm to make it to my party! It was a small group, but I got the chance to reunite with some of my Miss NY sisters, and make cards to be donated to a NY shelter. The cards were a fun and inexpensive way to send a little holiday cheer to a fellow New Yorker who was down on their luck. Many soup kitchens, nursing homes and hospitals will welcome these thoughtful gifts, so go on- host your own holiday card party!

If you're looking for a last minute way to give without breaking the bank this holiday season, please consider the Brooklyn Public Library's Adopt-A- Book program! For as low as $5.99, you can purchase a new book to be put on the shelves of a branch of the Brooklyn Public Library! If you'd like, you can pick out which book you donate, or if you don't have a preference, you can simply make a dontation and the library will purchase a needed selection!

Warmest Holiday Wishes!

Keelie

Holiday Stocking Project with Services for the Underserved AND Photo Shoot with MoDeZinz

2009-12-05T21:19:00.002-05:00

The holiday season is officially upon us! As if this time of year weren't hectic enough, it's also finals time for those of us in school! My schedule has been insane, but in a good way! I've had a lot of really great opportunities in the past few weeks, and though I'm a trifle overwhelmed, I'm certainly grateful!

As I had mentioned in an earlier post, I participated in Services for the Underserved's Holiday Stocking Drive- this year contributing two stockings-one from me, one from my mom (pictured above) for two adults living with developmental disabilities. It's pretty amazing how easy and affordable (my stocking and it's contents totaled $15) it can be to extend a gesture of kindness to a stranger in need.

I traveled upstate to visit my family for Thanksgiving, and while I was there, I had the opportunity to reunite with Monica Dodge, an old friend who has become a gifted photographer in the years since I last saw her. We did a quick shoot, and incorporated some Miss Brooklyn elements (crown, sash and my Miss NY gown). Below are a few of the photos from the shoot! Be sure to check out the rest of her work at www.modezinz.com

It was so nice to spend a few days with my mom and sisters on my trip upstate. My family and I have gotten into the tradition of finding a project to volunteer for on the holidays, and it serves as a wonderful reminder of all we have to be thankful for. On Thanksgiving day, my sisters and I, our boyfriends and my mom headed to Schenectady to help out at the City Mission. We joined the assembly line and helped stuff and wrap over 100 care packages, to be distributed to a local apartment complex that houses individuals and families with a variety of special circumstances.

I hope your Thanksgiving was as enjoyable as mine, and I look forward to updating you on some exciting opportunities and events coming up involving arts education!

Best,

Keelie

An Article from the Harvard Crimson

2009-12-01T09:33:00.000-05:00

Project Zero Returns to Square One of Artistic Education

By Daniel K. Lakhdhir, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Published: Friday, November 06, 2009

“Everybody assumes that to be a scientist or a mathematician requires thinking and problem solving and so on. But a lot of people assume the arts are just a matter of inspiration, or God giving you a message, or primarily about emotions,” says Howard E. Gardner, a former co-director and one of twelve Principal Investigators of Project Zero, a research group at the Graduate School of Education.

Founded by philosopher Nelson Goodman in 1967, Project Zero claims its mission is “to understand and enhance learning, thinking, and creativity in the arts, as well as humanistic and scientific disciplines.” In the aftermath of the success of the Soviet Sputnik space program, Americans focused on determining ways in which people in the scientific disciplines learned. Project Zero was created in response to this move to emphasize scientific instruction, which its founders felt unfairly ignored learning through the arts. The group’s name refers to Goodman’s belief that nothing—or “zero”—had then been established about how learning happens in the arts. Goodman accepted an offer to run Project Zero with the idea that it would combat assumptions about artistic practice and ameliorate the lack of rigor in cognitive investigations of arts education.

Many of the major ideas which emerged from Project Zero in its first two decades of existence were a result of its focus on the arts, which in turn greatly influenced the field of arts education. One of these theories, developed during the mid-1980s, is that of “teaching for understanding.” This idea draws on an inherent characteristic of the arts, as it suggests that individuals demonstrate true understanding of a concept only when they are able to put it into action. “It borrows the idea of performance from the arts. It says, ‘It’s not what you know, but what you can do with what you know,’” says Shari Tishman, the current Director of Project Zero.

These concepts began Project Zero’s transformation from what had been a primarily theoretical enterprise into a more applied, hands-on organization. “I guess my sense is that Project Zero has always been interested in that line between—the bridge between—theory and practice,” says Principal Investigator Mara Krechevsky.

More recently, this emphasis on application has grown to encompass many of the toughest questions in education today, both arts-related and not. Much of their current research, such as teaching children to understand complex causality, can be applied across a number of subjects. Principal Investigator Tina A. Grotzer provides an example of the latter: “Kids come into the cafeteria, and they talk a little louder to be heard over the person next to them…and pretty soon the lunch lady’s yelling at them. They’re all upset because it’s not their fault…their intentions are just to be heard,” she says.

Grotzer explains that this situation provides an analogy for the current state of climate change, which has escalated to a dangerous degree because of the cumulative effects of heedless individual actions.
“It’s taking those understandings that kids have today and helping them live better in the world they’re going to live in tomorrow,” she says.

Though Project Zero has broadened its scope significantly in recent years, it has not lost sight of its roots in the arts and how arts-oriented programs can contribute to improving the future, specifically that of education.
“I’m personally very interested in looking at how art can help young people understand the power of thinking,” says Tishman, the Principal Investigator of Artful Thinking. Artful Thinking was developed to help teachers integrate art into the classroom, and to use analytical thinking about art to encourage similar ways of thinking in other subjects. The “Artful Thinking Palette,” which includes concepts such as “reasoning,” “comparing” and “finding complexity,” suggests a number of aspects of thinking which art may help cultivate.

According to Gardner, Project Zero is constantly looking ahead to the future of education. “We need to have entities that try to imagine what education could be like, instead of tinkering at the edges,” he says. The group’s progressive perspective has led it to identify globalization, the digital revolution, and the biological revolution (the rapidly changing understanding of how the brain functions), as three important points that will transform education for this generation of students.

“Clearly the digital revolution makes possible new media. In terms of Project Zero, one of the things we’ve learned from the digital revolution is that we can’t just think of canonical art forms—dance, theater; we have to think of other art forms that are arising because of digital possibilities,” Tishman says. “The digital revolution makes possible certain kinds of tools that provide opportunities to engage in the arts much more widely and in different ways.”

While the foundational focus on the arts has contributed to the formulation of its larger theories, ultimately the goal of Project Zero is to advance education as a whole.

“When you’re saying there is this whole bunch of things that people need to learn, and they need to learn them well, and all these diverse students need to be able to learn them well, it’s like trying to plant a field without having the seeds,” Grotzer says. “You have to know what to do to nourish them, to make them grow. Unless you know what to do on the ground, you aren’t going to change education.”

Six Practical Reasons Arts Education is More Than a Luxury

2009-11-24T06:58:00.000-05:00

Please enjoy this article from The Washington Post I received as a part of the Association of Teaching Artists' Digest. It does a great job outlining all the reasons why the arts NEED to be a part of every child's education.

Six Practical Reasons Arts Education is More Than a Luxury

By Daniel Willingham

Johns Hopkins University and the Dana Foundation hosted a conference titled “Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts and the Brain.” As the title implies, the goal was to bring together researchers considering, from an educational point of view, the impact of the arts on the brain. A book-length summary of the May conference just became available as a free pdf, available here.

Some great neuroscientists participated, including Mike Gazzaniga, Liz Spelke, and Mike Posner. The keynote speaker was Jerry Kagan, one of the leading researchers in developmental psychology. His address offered six reasons that the arts should be included in school curricula.
Kagan commented that Americans are pragmatists. They respect endeavors that cure a disease or make money, and they view the arts as luxuries. Kagan was careful to point out that his arguments stuck to the practical.

First, he estimated that something like 95% of children are capable of doing the work necessary to obtain a high school diploma, yet the dropout rate hovers around 25%. Too many of these students quit because they decide (usually in about the fourth grade) that school is not the place for them. This decision is based largely on their perception of their performance in reading and mathematics. The arts, Kagan argues, offers such students another chance to feel successful, and to feel that they belong at school.

Second, Kagan argues that children today have very little sense of agency—that is, the sense that they undertake activities that have an impact on the world, however small. Kagan notes that as a child he had the autonomy to explore his town on his own, something that most parents today would not allow. When not exploring, his activities were necessarily of his own design, whereas children today would typically watch television or roam the internet, activities that are frequently passive and which encourage conformity. The arts, Kagan argues, offer that sense of agency, of creation.

Third, Kagan argues that the arts offer a unique means of communication, using representations in the mind other than words, which are at the core of most school subjects. Kagan offers an evocative personal example. He had read about the distinction in Japanese culture between two modes of social interaction. One emphasizes politeness, and one cannot always express all that one thinks. In the other mode, appropriate for intimate associations, one may speak freely. Kagan noted that his understanding of this distinction was much richer after viewing paintings at the Tokyo museum that used this theme, for example, one of two gulls flying, one with its feet visible, the other with its feet tucked out of sight. The arts communicate in ways that words do not.

Fourth, participation in the arts allows children to see the importance of creating beauty, of creating an object that others may enjoy. When a child gets an A on a math test, the immediate benefit is to the child alone. But when the child creates a drawing, she makes something for the pleasure of others as well.

Fifth, the arts offer an opportunity for children to work together. Most school work is solitary, but when a band is congratulated for a performance it is the band as a whole that receives the compliment, not the individual child. Kagan ties this value to a larger moral complex. Too many of children’s activities are solitary, and solely for the child’s benefit. Morality and concern for others grows, in part, from understanding what it means to have a common fate.

Sixth, the arts provide a chance for children to express feelings that they otherwise might be unable to express. Kagan cites data showing health benefits for this sort of self-expression; several studies have shown that writing, even briefly, about emotional conflicts reduces illness and increases feelings of well-being. Kagan proposes that similar benefits might accrue from artistic expression.

Yes, core subjects like reading, math, history, civics, geography, and science are important. But the arts should not be treated as a luxury to be indulged should time allow.

New Website/ New Director

2009-11-23T13:29:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update: Amaris Acosta has taken over the ED duties of the Miss Brooklyn Organization. She can be reached at: missbrooklynorg@gmail.com

Check out the new website: www.missbrooklyn.org

A Quick Belated Congratulations!

2009-11-20T06:42:00.000-05:00

I meant to include this in the Brightest Star post, as it happened the same evening, and then I promptly forgot!

Congratulations to Jennifer Scacco, Miss Staten Island 2010! You have big shoes to fill, and Kim Cantoni, Miss Staten Island 2009, will be greatly missed. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful year!

(L- Kim Cantoni, Miss Staten Island 2009, R- Jennifer Scacco, Miss Staten Island 2010)

2009 Brightest Star- Calvin Greene

2009-11-19T08:35:00.001-05:00

From L to R, Alyse Zwick (Miss NY 2009), Amanda Mason (Miss Metropolitan 2009), Melanie Gowrie (Miss Brooklyn's Outstanding Tenn 2009), Calvin Green (Block Institute's First Brightest Star), Me, and Inga (Miss Manhattan 2009) at the Block Institute's Brightest Star Awards Gala

Sorry about the belated nature of this post- I've been swamped with school and work and my internship! This past weekend, Block Institute held it's first Brightest Star Awards Gala, to recognize the outstanding achievements of the adults that Block Institute serves, all of whom are living with developmental disabilities. After walking the red carpet, each finalist was featured in a video segment highlighting their achievements. I can only imagine how difficult it was for the judges to choose ONE finalist to represent Block Institute for the year- it was an incredibly impressive group. Congratulations to Calvin Green, who captured the title of the first annual Brightest Star! And a special thanks to Dr. Manhattan (Matt) and the Baron of Brooklyn (Joe), for being awesome boyfriends and volunteering at the event! You made very handsome escorts! And another special thanks to my mom for driving down to Brooklyn to attend!

At left, Matt escorting Hanan. At right, Inga escorting Hoa Hua.

At left, Kim escorting Calvin(who would later take the title of the Brightest Star)! At right, Joe escorting Benita.

Joe and I walking the red carpet!

Catching up with some of my MNY 2009 sisters! It's always a pleasure to spend time with these ladies!

With Joe Carrera, talent finalist, and my partner for the mentoring process.

Thank you to Todd of Block Institute, Kim (Miss Brooklyn ED), and Jeff (head of documentary), for working diligently to put together what will surely become a cherished tradition!

Community Word Project

2009-11-11T08:36:00.000-05:00

You may have heard me mention the internship/ training program I was accepted to earlier this fall in previous posts. I'd like to take a moment to explain exactly what it is I'm doing, and with whom, because I'm excited about this program!

Community Word Project was founded in 1994 by Michele Kotler in Chicago. "Believing strongly in the role of the arts and creative expression in facilitating social change and building future community leaders, she set out to create opportunities for young people to develop and share their visions with one another and their communities." The project was soon moved to NYC, where it has remained.

Community Word Project provides students real, meaningful interactions with art by placing practicing artists in the classroom, charged with the goal of sharing their artform in a meaningful and socially relevant way.

Community Word Project also hosts a fantastic Teaching Artist Training and Internship Program, which I began in September. This Thursday, I'll begin the internship portion of the program at PS 27 in Brooklyn, and I can't wait!

For more information on Community Word Project, please check out their website.

STAYING IN SCHOOL- Arts Education and NYC High School Graduation Rates

2009-11-03T13:24:00.000-05:00

As an art educator, I understand that one of the biggest obstacles in getting funding and support for quality arts education in public schools is the often intangible nature of its benefits. Because of the abstract and asomatous qualities of art and art-therapy, it's often difficult to produce immediate and easily discernble research that proves the good art can do. And this is why I, along with other arts educators, jump for joy every time a new study produces documented, peer-reviewed evidence that supports the case we make daily. An October 2009 Report from the Center for Arts Education entitled "Staying in School- Arts Education and NYC High School Graduation Rates" studied over 200 NYC high schools over a two-year period, and found that those schools with the most certified arts teachers, dedicated and appropriately equipped arts classrooms and arts and cultural projects had the HIGHEST graduation rates in the city. Click on the link above to read the full report.

Block Institute's Brightest Star Awards Gala

2009-10-25T17:43:00.001-04:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm working with Block Institute on it's inaugural Brightest Star Award- a pageant that recognizes outstanding achievement in the developmentally disabled community. The program pairs up outstanding members of the Block Institute community with mentors from the pageant community who prepare them for stage, and a Brightest Star is selected out of the ten finalists who best embodies the core values of the program (Spirit, Leadership, Wellness, Talent, Independence, Mastery, Fellowship, Citizenship, Growth and Community). I'm mentoring Joseph Carerra, talent finalist, and I had the privilege of meeting him in person for the first time last week at Block Institute! Joe's a gifted visual artist (and a pretty snazzy dancer), and I look forward to getting to know him better through this process!

Joseph and I with his sister, Rosemary, at a Brightest Star Rehearsal

The Brightest Star Awards Gala will be held a Block Institute on Saturday, November 14th from 7:30-10p at Block Institute (376 Bay 44th St, Brooklyn). If you're interested in attending, tickets are $20, and can be purchased through Anne Marie Russo (718-906-5414, amrusso@blockinstitute.org)

Holiday Stocking Project with Services for the Under-Served

2009-10-22T10:59:00.007-04:00

Just a quick post to let you know about an amazing project I took part in last year, and will be participating in again this year:

Services for the Underserved, a NYC-based non-profit that helps individuals and families that face a variety of issues such as mental illness, developmental or physical disability, homelessness, AIDS, unemployment or poverty, hosts an annual "Holiday Stocking Drive", where they assign volunteers to an individual/ individuals (you can do more than one stocking if you'd like) and provide volunteers with some basic info about the client you'll be making a stocking for. Volunteers then create a stocking to be mailed to their client or dropped off at the SUS office in Chelsea. The stocking can be filled with small gifts, toiletries, gift-certificates, stationary, toy... It's not about any particular religious holiday and it's not about spending lots of money- it's simply a gesture of compassion to someone who needs it. The usual range of stocking value is $25-$50, but you give what you can. I did a lot of bargain shopping for my stocking last year, and including the stocking itself, spent just under $20.

If you'd like to get involved, simply e-mail Sarah Petrey at volunteer@susinc.org, and include your name, address, phone number and number of stockings you'd like to create. Stockings must be mailed out or dropped off by December 4th.

"The Reality: No one has the answers; Everyone has the Responsibility"

2009-10-22T06:58:00.003-04:00

As I mentioned earlier, I'm slightly obsessed with TED, and since subscribing to their "TEDTalks" podcast, I've come across approximately ONE HUNDRED MILLION videos I'd like to share with you. For the sake of time and cohesiveness, I promise to keep what I post on here related to arts in education or the Miss America Organization in general (though feel free to contact me if you'd like suggestions on some other TEDTalks to check out!) Please enjoy Liz Coleman's riveting discussion on some of the issues that face our liberal education system today, and what changes must be made now to alter the course that American pedagogy is currently barreling down.

Why Arts in Education?

2009-10-19T13:05:00.005-04:00

I'm swamped with homework, but since my educational endeavors are so closely related to my platform, I'm constantly finding things I want to blog about. I recently stumbled across this excerpt from Larry O'Farrell's essay "Writing Arts Curriculum in a Public Sector-Private Sector Partnership", which explains quite succinctly how beneficial the arts are in education.

"Experiences in the arts -- drama, dance, media arts, music and the visual arts -- play a valuable role in the education of all students. The arts nourish the imagination and develop a sense of beauty, while providing unique ways for students to gain insights into the world around them. All of the arts communicate through complex symbols-- verbal, visual and aural -- and help students understand aspects of life in different ways. Students gain insights into the human condition through exposure to works of art. They can imagine what it would be like to be in the same situation as a character in a play, an opera, or a painting, and try to understand that character's point of view. They identify common values, both aesthetic and human, in various works of art, and in doing so, increase their understanding of others and learn that the arts can have a civilizing influence on society. In producing their own works, they communicate their insights while developing artistic skills and aesthetic judgment. Since artistic activities are closely connected to play and human interaction, students experience a sense of wonder and joy when engaged in the arts, which can motivate them to participate more fully in cultural life and in other educational opportunities."

DEADLINE TOMORROW- FUNDING FOR AFTERSCHOOL CULTURE PROJECTS

2009-10-09T11:32:00.004-04:00

The NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and the NYC Department of Youth & Community Development have recently announced the availability of After-School Arts Partnership awards; $5000 one time grants for city-funded after-school programs to create cultural art projects. The deadline to apply for this generous grant is 10/15/09, so if you know anyone involved in a city-funded after-school program, pass this info on to them FAST! The application can be found here.

October is National Arts and Humanities Month! Awesome!

2009-10-08T07:16:00.003-04:00

Coordinated by the Americans for the Arts, October is National Arts and Humanities Month! Click here for Ten Simple Ways Parents Can Get More Art in Their Kid's Lives, or here for a list of 101 Things to Do to Celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month!

Busy on Columbus Day?

2009-10-07T08:57:00.003-04:00

If you're free in on Monday, 10/12, and you're looking for a fun way to spend the evening, get an awesome free dinner in TriBeCa, and help make a difference, then listen up! I've been invited to attend PFLAG NYC's Annual Dinner & Fundraiser by my friend Claire (Miss Jubilee), who's an activist with this group. She informed me that they're still looking for volunteers and in-kind donors, so read the excerpt from her blog, below, and send an email to: MissJubilee2009@gmail.com or ks@pflagnyc.org .

VOLUNTEERS for the PFLAG NYC Annual Dinner & Fundraiser
Monday, October 12 at Tribeca Rooftop (2 Debrosses Street, NYC), 6pm-10pm

We need volunteers to work the silent auction, the VIP cocktail reception, greet people, etc. You get a free GOURMET meal!! (I've been on the tasting committee...wow, you're in for a treat - email me for a menu) There is a volunteer training meeting on Wednesday, October 7 6:30-8 at the PFLAG NYC Office at the GMHC Building 119 W. 24th St. (between 6th and 7th Avenues) 9th Floor Board Room. Please RSVP by contacting Kara at 646-403-3682 or via email ks@pflagnyc.org. Even if you cannot attend the meeting, but can volunteer for the dinner, we need you! Email Kara (or me).

IN-KIND DONATIONS for the PFLAG NYC Annual Dinner & Fundraiser
If you are a local business owner, or have any services you'd like to donate to the dinner auction, please contact me with details or Drew Tagliabue dt@pflagnyc.org

Silent and Live Auction Contributions
Past auctions have covered the range - from a week in a Tuscan villa to theatre tickets and dinner for two to goods and services of many local businesses. Donors will be recognized at the auction, in the dinner journal, in the PFLAG NYC Newsletter. If you are not able to make a donation in-kind, consider also making a tax-deductible gift to PFLAG NYC for the purpose of the auction and we'll do the shopping for you!

Atlantic Antic

2009-10-04T14:47:00.004-04:00

With Melanie Hope Greenberg, author/ illustrator of Mermaids on Parade!

With Tammy Hall, storyteller, at the Atlantic Antic!

With the ladies of GUMBO (493 Atlantic Ave), after reading a few stories to the kids!

Reading Melanie Hope Greenberg's Mermaids on Parade!

What a day! And it's only 3p! I arrived at the Atlantic Antic a bit early to scope out the scene, and sample some of the delicious street fair food offerings. Have I mentioned that I LOVE STREET FAIR FOOD? At around 12:30p, a nice little crowd had gathered in front of GUMBO, lured in by the incredible talents of Tammy Hall, a local storyteller. I was up after Melanie, and I read first her fantastic book, Mermaids on Parade. I then read Two Bad Mice- one of my favorite tales from The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter. I took a brief trip up and down the street fair, and though there was still lots to see and do, headed home (but not before picking up a cupcake and kettlecorn for Joe). I have an ominous pile of homework staring at me from across the room, so it's a good thing I got all my fun in earlier!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2009-10-01T09:41:00.004-04:00

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and my good friend Inga (Miss Manhattan), passed some important information to me that I'd like to share with you. From 11a-2p on 10/11, Lynn Calat, NP, of Midwood Wellness and Lutheran Medical Center (Brooklyn) will be offering free breast cancer screenings.

About Lynn:

"At the Midwood Wellness, I will provide compassionate and comprehensive care, to women of all ages. Whether it's your first gynecological exam or you are entering the preliminary stages of menopause and beyond. I will provide a safe haven with time to listen and deliver individualized care...I look forward to helping you achieve your goal of overall health and well being" -Lynn Calat Latino

Her services include:

Routine Gynecologic Exams

Pap Smears

HPV Screening

Family Planning

Birth Control

Adolscent Health

Perimenopause and beyond

Alternative Medicine

She also has medical aesthetic services like Botox and Cosmetic Fillers.

Location:

1318 Avenue H

Brooklyn, NY 11230

Phone: 718-434-0081

Living in an area as populous and diverse and Brooklyn, I understand how intimidating it can be to attempt to navigate the vast sea of medical care providers available. Selecting a practice from a long list at random is incredibly unnerving, and I know it meant a lot to me to hear first hand from my local friends who they had seen, and why they liked them. Referrals are valuable, and Inga was incredibly enthusiastic about Ms. Calat both as a person and a medical professional. Thanks for the info, Inga!

Upcoming Event: Atlantic Antic 2009!

2009-09-29T18:36:00.004-04:00

This weekend, I'll be joining in the celebration of Brooklyn's 35th Annual Atlantic Antic!

Think street fair, but bigger, and with live entertainment, face painting, pony rides, and vendors who's stuff you actually WANT to buy! Awesome! The Atlantic Antic runs along Atlantic Ave from the Hill (4th Ave, Boreum Hill) to the Heights (Hicks St, Brooklyn Heights), from 10-6p RAIN OR SHINE this Sunday, October 4th. I'll be at the kiddie store GUMBO (493 Atlantic Ave) at 12p, where I'll join Melanie Hope Greenberg (a Brooklyn-based illustrator and author of children's books), to help her read some of her favorites, including Mermaids On Parade, about Coney Island's own Mermaid Parade!

In case you weren't aware, I am OBSESSED with street fairs. Truly. I. CANNOT. WAIT. See you there! I'll be the one reading Mermaids on Parade, and then stuffing my face with mozzarepas, roasted corn and crepes!

A little bit of everything...

2009-09-23T21:00:00.008-04:00

Life is good. It's been a busy but AMAZING past few days, and I wanted to share the excitement with you!

As I mentioned in my last post, school has officially started, and I'm very lucky to be doing four independent studies this semester that are 100% in line with what I want to do with my life! Next semester, however, I will be cramming in my last few gen-ed requirements that I THOUGHT I had already taken care of. Sigh... But until then, school is great!

I've also begun my new job at the YWCA-NYC's after-school program at PS 209, where I serve as the dance specialist and a 5th grade counselor. The kids are AWESOME.

And new since last we spoke, I've been accepted into the Teaching Artist Training and Internship Program at the Community Word Project of NYC! YAAAAAY! I applied for this back in early August, and just heard the news this AM. CWP's TATIP (abbreviations totally necessary) will give me even more insight into effective integration of arts in education, along with practical experience in NYC classrooms! AWESOME!

This doesn't mean I'll be shirking on my Miss Brooklyn responsibilities, however! Saturday night, I attended the first Miss Black Manhattan Scholarship Pageant, directed by Christina Joseph, who has previously competed in the Miss New York Program, and who choreographed the opening number for Miss Brooklyn this year! I also got a chance to catch up with my friends, Inga (Miss Manhattan) and LaMonica Falkquay, who was one of my Miss NY 2008 sisters! Here's a photo of Melanie and I with Pamela, the newly crowned Miss Black Manhattan 2009!

WARNING- My inner geek is about to surface. I wanted to share an awesome video of Sir Ken Robinson speaking at the 2006 TED Conference, which I WILL ATTEND one day- perhaps as a speaker (seriously, it is without a doubt within my top 3 life goals). For those of you unfamiliar with TED , it can most simply be described as a community and annual conference celebrating ideas and innovations in a variety of fields that will change the way we live and think. Is that a gross over-simplification and incredibly vague definition? Yes, but TED is sort of hard to explain. The spectrum on which the speakers and presentations at TED each year span is tremendous. And for those of you who are unfamiliar with Sir Ken Robinson, let it suffice to say he's a saucy Brit with a brilliant mind who is revolutionizing the way we think about the arts in education (and he's been knighted- so there!). Some of his most popular quotes came from this very presentation, and trust me- it's 18 minutes well spent! (Fun fact- all TED presentations are 18 minutes long).

Judging the Miss Fonda Fair Pageant and Mentoring with Block Institute's Brightest Star Program

2009-09-13T10:44:00.006-04:00

At the Miss Fonda Fair Pageant with the newly crowned Junior Miss Fonda Fair, Corey Lais!

Courtney (Miss Fulton County) and myself congratulating the new Princess Fonda Fair, Kaylee Cappuccio!

Long time, no talk! I wanted to squeeze out one last long blog before I officially dive into the craziest semester EVER! (Four- 4 credit advanced level completely self-constructed independent studies). In addition to my studies, I'm thrilled to announce my new position with the YWCA-NYC as Dance Specialist at PS 209's After School Program! I'll still be working part-time at the pilates studio in Manhattan, and rejoining the Niall O'Leary School of Irish Dance after my summer hiatus (many thanks to Niall, for his un-ending "Coming to lessons this week?" emails). AND, either this week or next week, I'll be beginning my work with the students of Block Institute through Building Blocks- a drama program for students ages 4-7! YEAH DRAMA!

But before I get a head of myself, let's backtrack. Recently, I had the honor of judging the Miss Fonda Fair Pageant, in Fonda, NY (near where I grew up). This was the first pageant I ever competed in, and becoming Miss Fonda Fair in 2002 (and later Miss Fonda Fair Scholarship Queen in 2008), introduced me to the Miss America Organization.

I would like to start off by saying this: JUDGING IS AGONIZINGLY HARD! And probably something I won't do again in the near future, because I had the toughest time assigning scores to girls who have the courage to get up on stage, tell the world a little about themselves and ask to be considered for the job of representative and role model. I also have a hard time scoring the younger ones on appearance and presentation, knowing that a five year old has absolutely nothing to do with what dress she is wearing and how her hair looks and whether or not she's wearing makeup! She's FIVE! Her mom styled her! How can I judge her on the efforts of someone else?! Can't they all win? Am I alone in this? Maybe I'm just not cut out to be a judge...

None of this is to detract from the amazing benefits the Miss Fonda Fair Contestants reap from participating. The ability to speak comfortably in front of a large group of people is truly invaluable, and we cannot expend enough energy convincing young women that they are important and interesting, their contributions are valuable, and they have something to offer the world.

I've said it approximately a million times, and I'll say it again: Pageants can be relevant. Pageants can be important. Pageants can change lives. Not enough attention is paid to the fact that some pageants celebrate the strengths and accomplishments of women as individuals, and award the person who's unique achievements and attributes best suit the job of a titleholder. This stands in stark contrast to the widely held (and sometimes true) belief that pageant participants spend countless hours trying to force themselves into a mold of what the perfect titleholder should be. I cannot stress enough that of all the things I've learned competing in the Miss America Organization, one of the most important is a strong sense of who I am, what I stand for, and what my goals are for myself; Keelie Ashlen Sheridan; Gemini, liberal, Irish, carnivore, artist, student, idealist, advocate, etc, etc... And that's pretty cool. I know myself a lot better now than when I started competing, and the Miss America Organization has helped me find my voice, and given me a platform on which to stand and tell the world who I am and what I care about, and why they should care, too.

Pageants, in their varying existing forms, are not for everyone, though, which is why I'm thrilled to announce an opportunity for a new population to reap the benefits of pageants. Block Institute, in partnership with the Miss Brooklyn Organization, will hold it's first annual Brightest Star Competition this fall. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you're familiar with the work Block Institute does. If not, I encourage you to take a moment to check out their website. Through various services and programs, Block Institute serves individuals of all ages who are living with disabilities. The Brightest Star Program is a competition designed to recognize the outstanding individuals (both male and female) in Block Institute's community who exemplify the following categories:

Spirit, Leadership, Wellness, Talent, Independence, Mastery,
Fellowship, Citizenship, Growth, Community

Ten finalists were selected last night at the preliminary reception (out of a field of 32 applicants- bigger than any pageant I'VE ever competed in!), and each finalist will be paired with a member of the pageant community (current and former titleholders, directors, contestants...), who will work with them as a mentor to prepare for the Final Gala on November 12th (save the date!), where each finalist will be judged on their finals night presentation, in addition to a 3 minute video to be filmed by the documentary film crew covering the project. I just got off the phone with Kim Thomas (former Miss Brooklyn ED and co-director of the Brightest Star program), and I'm thrilled to have been paired with Hanan Makovitski- Wellness Finalist, and Joseph Carrera- Talent Finalist!

Todd Adelman of Block Institute has big plans for the Brightest Star Program, and hopes to grow from a one-institute program to a nationwide event! Wish us luck!

That's all for now! Photos from the events mentioned above and a video from the Miss Fonda Fair pageant are forth-coming!

Best,

Keelie

Good Luck to New York's Sweetheart, Inga Schlingmann!

2009-08-26T20:41:00.002-04:00

Labor Day Weekend, our very own Inga Schlingmann, Miss Manhattan, will represent New York at the National Sweetheart Pageant in Hoopeston, Illinois. For those of you unfamiliar with the Sweetheart Pageant, it's essentially a mock-Miss America, with many of the 1st runners up to the Miss America state pageants competing. I've heard it's great fun, and the group makes plenty of appearances while staying with host families.

I've seen Inga's new gown by Chen-Huai Chuang who made her Miss NY gown, and IT IS STUNNING. That, coupled with the facts that this girl is fiercely intelligent, ridiculously talented, and stunningly beautiful (see exhibit A ^), I have no doubt she will make a lot of people say, "Wow- have you seen New York?" Good luck, girl! Make us proud!

Exciting News on the Platform-Front: A Brief Update

2009-08-21T11:01:00.003-04:00

I'll admit, I've been a bit lax with my blogging lately, but don't think it's because I have nothing to write about! Quite the contrary- I've been so busy I've had a hard time keeping up! Here's just a brief update on the exciting things going on right now.

I've partnered up with Block Institute in Gravesend, Brooklyn, to develop a performing arts curriculum addition for their students ages 4-7. Block Institute serves students with developmental disabilities, and there's substantial research that supports the idea that dramatic arts facilitate strong personal and educational development in special populations groups, such as kids living with disabilities. I'll be developing a creative improvisation program linked with the existing curriculum which will culminate in a performance at the school in November. More details to follow.

I'm also doing several independent studies this semester as I begin my senior year at Empire State College to deepen my understanding of using drama as a therapeutic and educational tool. I'll also be studying theatre as a tool for social change, about which I am very excited. There are a lot of amazing groups out there that use drama to educate and promote change, and I'm thrilled to learn more! Again, more details to follow.

And finally, check out this video from the Sean Casey Animal Rescue Fundraiser I attended. It gives you a feel for the type of work Sean Casey does (and I'm in it at appx 2:25).

Miss Thousand Islands 2010 and Brooklyn Independent Television Appearance

2009-08-17T17:50:00.008-04:00

What kind of sisters would we be if we didn't make a sign with an incredibly unflattering photo and an embarassing nickname?

With some of the Miss NY Class of '09! From L to R, Katie Birchenough- Miss Empire Rose; Angela Galasso- Miss Lewis County, Me, Kristan Lettiere- Miss Thousand Islands, Courtney Sheridan- Miss Fulton County, and Lynn Tryon- Miss Mohawk Valley.

Waiting to get our photos taken with Miss Thousand Islands 2010!

With Kristina Ferris- Miss Thousand Islands 2010

Because no pageant would be complete without a sassy Sheridan photo...

This past weekend, I traveled up to Clayton, NY for the Miss Thousand Islands 2010 pageant! "Where's Clayton?", my fellow Brooklynites might ask. Upstate. REALLY far upstate. Like, a stone's throw from Canada (literally)- farther north than Binghamton, Albany, Ithaca, Syracuse, Watertown and practically every other major upstate city you can name. It was a 3 hour drive from my mom's house in Fort Plain to Clayton, but an attractive 3 hour drive, so I didn't mind. I find that I miss the Adirondack area most in the summer, where it can easily be 10 degrees cooler than the city. Irony is talking on the phone with your mom who's complaining about how chilly it is that evening, while you're literally peeling your sweaty body off the subway seat...

Clayton = beautiful. Such a picturesque little waterfront town; I was reminded of downtown Lake George (over in Warren County, for those of you who've never been), but with more water... We noshed on "the best pizza in the Thousand Islands area" (uhoh- here comes the Brooklyn pizza snob- the pizza wasn't bad, but couldn't hold a candle to the giant, crackly, chewy, sweet and salty deliciousness that is Brooklyn-pizza), and some tasty homemade ice cream, and then headed into the beautiful Clayton Opera House to grab seats for the pageant!

The show was a lot of fun- very well thought out and fast paced! I was joined by some of my 2009 pageant sisters- how nice to be reunited with them! All eight contestants were just lovely, and I was particularly impressed with each lady's onstage question answer. This is usually one of the toughest phases of competition, because there's really very little you can do to prepare for a random question, but each young lady demonstrated eloquence, awareness and intelligence! Nice! Congratulations to Amy Valenti, who won the Community Service and Children's Miracle Network Awards; to my awesome sister, Kieren Sheridan, who won both the Talent Award and Miss Congeniality; and to the court- 3rd RU Elizabeth Quencer, 2nd RU Stacey Minchin, 1st RU Corri Dartnell and Miss Thousand Islands 2010 Kristina Ferris!

Also- be sure to check out Brooklyn Independent Television's coverage of the Wafels & Dinges truck! Wafels and Dinges is a sponsor of the Miss Brooklyn Organization, and Brooklyn Independent Television just so happened to be featuring them on the day we held a fundraiser for my state expenses! I'm interviewed about food (of course), and get to chat a little with the host on why the Brooklyn food scene is so great, and what makes Wafels and Dinges a perfect match for Park Slope (appx 2:30 into the video)! Check out the video here. (Click on the link, and then on the video menu on the right, select the 2nd video- "Wafels and Dinges"). And yes, the cute guy in the hat and yellow t-shirt serving wafels is the Baron of Brooklyn (my boyfriend, Joe)!

Miss Long Island USA 2009

2009-08-11T17:48:00.003-04:00

Claire, Marina and I after the pageant.

This past Sunday, I hopped on the LIRR with Claire to watch our very own Marina compete in Miss Long Island USA 2009! How exciting! I had never seen a USA pageant aside from Miss USA on television, so it was really fun to experience another aspect of pageantry! Marina was AMAZING (1st runner up in her 1st USA pageant!), and I sincerely hope that she goes to the state pageant in November, because I'll be there watching!

Congratulations to Jamie, Miss LI 2009! And a fun side note: the director of Miss LI USA was one of my judges at Miss Brooklyn!

Guest Ringmaster at the Coney Island Boom-A-Ring Circus!

2009-08-01T10:38:00.008-04:00

With another excited circus goer!

Visiting with some of the stars of the show!

Introducing myself, and talking a bit about being Miss Brooklyn!

With Jason, feeling under-rhinestoned for the first time in my reign! The circus costumes were incredibly sparkly!

With my girl, Melanie, after the show!

Ellen and I "assuming the position" (we've realized we have WAY too many pictures in this pose). For those of you who don't know, Ellen is Miss Brooklyn's trainer/ surrogate mom/ booking manager!

Melanie and I with some of the talented (and very cute) Negrey Troupe!

What a night! After a slightly hectic delayed start (I got stuck on the train, and my ED Kim accidentally went to Staten Island!), I was greeted by members of the PR and Production teams of the circus, and give a backstage tour! I was able to meet some of the animals (see above), including their three beautiful Asian elephants! It was amazing to touch their gravely skin, and feel their trunks! The Ringling Bros are doing some amazing work through their Center for Elephant Conservation.

I was then escorted backstage at the big top, where I got to meet some of the performers, all of whom were very kind and welcoming! As the show started, I introduced myself and was able to talk a bit about the Miss America Organization, and the work I've done with my platform. I was then escorted to the audience, given fantastic seats with the rest of the Miss Brooklyn entourage, and got to enjoy the show!

All of the acts were incredibly impressive! There was a Wheel of Steel, Motorcycle Globe, balancing acts, clowns, an incredibly talented bicyclist, a nerve-wracking crossbow act, some amazing acrobats, jugglers, and of course, elephants and tigers!

Below is a video of an adorable daschund act. I watched in awe and amazement, and laughed to myself imagining my mother training our two (far less disciplined) daschunds to do similar tricks.

I was quite excited when I heard that the circus would be coming to Coney Island. I live only a couple of miles down the shore in Manhattan Beach, and I truly love this part of Brooklyn. It's been a rocky past couple of years for Coney Island, but additions like the circus are helping to revive the old magic that some thought this family-fun destination had lost. The Boom-A-Ring will be at Coney Island for the rest of the summer! Shows are Wednesday-Sunday, with a final performance on Labor Day (9/7). Haven't been yet? GO! Already been? GO AGAIN! Being the Guest Ringmaster at the Coney Island Boom-A-Ring Circus was quite possibly my favorite appearance of the year, not only because it was fun, but because EVERYONE I encountered was incredibly kind and enthusiastic! Thank you for a wonderful evening!

Gardening in Brooklyn Bridge Park with OneBrick and Inga!

2009-07-29T10:14:00.004-04:00

We're ninjas...

Despite what it looks like, we're framing the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy's logo on our new organic cotton t-shirts donated by Anvil- seriously!

Framing the Brooklyn Bridge

They weren't even posing for the picture. Seriously... Too cute.

Matt found these sunglasses while weeding and put them on. Inga and I might have tried to stop him if we weren't laughing so hard...

We don't mess around: Inga and I getting into the thick of things while weeding...

You may not be able to read it from there, but one of the volunteers was wearing a shirt that read "Beauty Pageants Are So Overrated"- too funny!

Dr. and Miss Manhattan lending a hand...

Me getting down and dirty with grass and weeds!

Last night, I joined OneBrick and gardened in the Brooklyn Bridge Park. The 69 park areas in Brooklyn are serviced by only 13 full time staff, so they depend on volunteers for much of the manual labor. I was thrilled to be joined by Inga (Miss Manhattan) and Matt (Dr. Manhattan).
We spent a few hours weeding the grass and de-vining the trees. It was a lot of fun; not only spending time outdoors, but getting to know the other volunteers as well. The weather cooperated for the most part- it was a little humid, but rain-free, and the view of both bridges was breathtaking!

Though helping to beautify one of my favorite parks in Brooklyn was the highlight of the evening, it didn't hurt that the park mere blocks away from Grimaldi's and the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. I met up with Joe afterwards, and we shared a ricotta pizza and banana split- the perfect end to the perfect evening!

Baby Buggy with One Brick (and Inga!)

2009-07-28T10:10:00.005-04:00

With Anna, another first-time OneBrick volunteer!

Inga and I testing the toys for distribution. Seriously- that was our job. TOO COOL!

Last evening, I spent a few hours with some wonderful women (and one man) in Baby Buggy's warehouse sorting toys and clothing to be donated to needy families throughout the five boroughs. I was joined by Miss Manhattan, Inga, and we had a great time!

Upon initial arrival, I began sorting children's clothing from a heaping pile on a table. Jasmin Rosario, Baby Buggy's Volunteer Program Manager asked us to thoroughly examine each individual article of clothing for any defects, even the small and seemingly unnoticeable, and to immediately separate those items into the "To Repair" bins. I was very impressed by the quality of the donated items. Corporate sponsors such as Target, Children's Place, Babies'R'Us and many more donate brand new, never used clothing, sometimes in perfect condition, other times needing a little TLC. I was also impressed by Jasmin's attitude towards the sorting process. "Quality over quantity," she told us, meaning, do a good job and make sure that nothing is donated that has any defects- even though this inevitably slows down the process.

Once Inga arrived, she and I, along with Anna (another new volunteer) were assigned to the toy department (YES!). Our task? To play with the gently-used toys to make sure they work. Seriously. SO MUCH FUN! After making sure everything was in working order, we cleaned it and moved on to the next toy. The work itself was pretty rewarding, but it was also a great opportunity to meet new people. Our toy-cleaning partner, Anna, was a photographer from Italy.

A highlight of the evening was watching the video HBO put together for Baby Buggy explaining the work they do, and how they impact the community. This organization is truly worthwhile, and I would absolutely recommend learning more at their website, donating if you can, and volunteering an evening to help out in the warehouse! A special thanks to OneBrick for organizing the event!

UPCOMING EVENT- Guest Ringmaster at Coney Island Boom-A-Ring Circus

2009-07-23T14:23:00.003-04:00

MISS BROOKLYN TO SERVE AS GUEST RINGMASTER FOR THE CONEY ISLAND BOOM A RING Keelie Sheridan To Step Into Center Ring July 29 at 7:00 p.m.
WHO: Keelie Sheridan, the reigning Miss Brooklyn WHAT: Miss Brooklyn to take on Guest Ringmaster duties at The Coney Island BOOM A RING WHEN: Wednesday, July 29 @7:00p.m. WHERE: At the corner of 21st Street and Surf Avenue in Coney Island. WHY: Because Keelie and The Coney Island BOOM A RING are both celebrating a revitalized Coney Island -- and because Miss Brooklyn and The Greatest Show On Earth make for a beautiful photo op! For a complete schedule of performances and more information on The Coney Island BOOM A RING, including ticket sales, visit www.Ringling.com/ConeyIsland, or call 1-800-745-3000. Group orders are available through "Group Sales Box Office" at 800-223-7565 or BestofBroadway.com. Follow The Coney Island BOOM A RING on Facebook and on Twitter. Access a comprehensive set of media materials at www.Ringling.com/ConeyIslandMedia.

MISS BROOKLYN TO SERVE AS GUEST RINGMASTER
FOR THE CONEY ISLAND BOOM A RING

Keelie Sheridan To Step Into Center Ring July 29 at 7:00 p.m.

WHO: Keelie Sheridan, the reigning Miss Brooklyn

WHAT: Miss Brooklyn to take on Guest Ringmaster duties at The Coney Island BOOM A RING

WHEN: Wednesday, July 29 @7:00p.m.

WHERE: At the corner of 21st Street and Surf Avenue in Coney Island.

WHY: Because Keelie and The Coney Island BOOM A RING are both celebrating a revitalized Coney Island -- and because Miss Brooklyn and The Greatest Show On Earth make for a beautiful photo op!

For a complete schedule of performances and more information on The Coney Island BOOM A RING, including ticket sales, visit www.Ringling.com/ConeyIsland, or call 1-800-745-3000. Group orders are available through "Group Sales Box Office" at 800-223-7565 or BestofBroadway.com.

Follow The Coney Island BOOM A RING on Facebook and on Twitter.

Access a comprehensive set of media materials at www.Ringling.com/ConeyIslandMedia.

UPCOMING EVENT- Baby Buggy with Miss Manhattan!

2009-07-21T18:24:00.005-04:00

On Monday, July 27th, I'll be joining Inga, Miss Manhattan 2009, at the Baby Buggy in Manhattan to sort and patch gently used baby clothes for low-income families in all five boroughs. I'm always willing to help out the underserved populations in our city, and Inga specifically works to give infants a safe and healthy start to life with her platform, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity for us! Plus, we're all about the inter-borough love; she'll be with me helping out the following evening at the Brooklyn Bridge Park gardening event (see previous blog post).

This event, like the one at the Brooklyn Bridge Park, is organized by One Brick- a national volunteer effort service dedicated to connecting willing volunteers with small but significant opportunities to make change!

Sean Casey Animal Rescue Summer Celebration/ Adoption Open House/ Fundraiser!

2009-07-20T17:11:00.003-04:00

With Sean Casey, of Sean Casey Animal Rescue

Socializing with some of the human and non-human event participants!

That's a whole lot of iguana.

This past Saturday, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend Sean Casey Animal Rescue's Summer Celebration/ Adoption Open House/ Fundraiser! Set up much like a mini-street fair, the public was welcome to come socialize with the animals, enjoy refreshments and peruse the adoption facility/ pet supply store. I was thrilled to hear that the event was very much a success- lots of animals found good homes that afternoon!

If you're interested in learning more about the Sean Casey Animal Rescue, please visit: www.scarnyc.org

P.S. I learned from Sean Casey's lovely mother that they're always looking for volunteers to drop in and walk/ socialize the animals. I LOVE DOGS, but my apartment/ lifestyle/ allergic boyfriend keep me from owning one here in Brooklyn- look to see me walking some deserving pups in Windsor Terrace in the VERY near future!

UPCOMING EVENT- Gardening with One Brick at the Brooklyn Bridge Park

2009-07-09T13:48:00.006-04:00

On Tuesday, July 28th, from 6-8p, I'll be joining One Brick of NYC to help the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy with gardening maintenance to keep the park beautiful! If you're interested in helping out, visit this event's info page to see if spots are still available!

UPCOMING EVENT- Sean Casey Animal Rescue Fundraiser/ Adoption Open House

2009-07-08T07:08:00.008-04:00

Princess- A 4 year old cocker spaniel mix from SCAR NYC looking for a home

Nick- A 5 year old Neopolitan Mastiff mix from SCAR NYC looking for a home

Ceasar- A 4 year old Chihuahua mix at SCAR NYC looking for a home

The Hamilton Dog House and The Sean Casey Animal Rescue

Present

A Summer Celebration and Adoption Open House!

Saturday, July 18th: 12-5p

Join us for a fun-filled day of pet-friendly activities, food, games, music, prizes and free goodies for our four-legged friends! Come visit our cuddly adoption animals, and maybe even take one home! We will be selling hot dogs, hamburgers and more to help raise funds for the Sean Casey Animal Rescue Adoption Van!

The event is located at 155 E. 3rd St., Brooklyn, NY between Caton Ave. and Ft. Hamilton Parkway. Take the F train to the Ft. Hamilton Pkway stop.

All of Sean Casey Animal Rescue's wonderful adoption pets are looking for loving homes, either at this event or every day at the Adoption Facility: 153 E. 3rd St., Brooklyn, NY from 11a-7p. Visit: http://www.nyanimalrescue.org/

I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to help out at this event, though I don't yet know in what capacity! Please join us, or consider making a donation on the website to allow SCAR NYC to continue the meaningful work they do with NYC's cast-off, neglected and abandoned animals.

Explore Brooklyn- Part 3- Shore Parkway Bike Trail

2009-07-05T21:03:00.007-04:00

You'd never be able to tell that the Belt Parkway was 100 feet away...

Though I was certainly in the minority, I wore my helmet with pride!

Windsurfing on Plumb Beach (less than a mile from the Knapp St. entrance to the bike trail)

Sand travels....

One of the entrances to the beautiful, somewhat secluded and delightfully un-crowded Plumb Beach.

The view from the overpass.

This post is dedicated to Joe, who bought me a bicycle for my birthday, after MONTHS of my hint-dropping. I'd heard from other Brooklynites how wonderful it was to have a bike here, and I can now say, from experience, that I agree completely!

I entered the bike path at the Knapp St. entrance in Sheepshead Bay, and headed east. The trail was in decent condition for the most part, and not terribly busy for a holiday weekend. I quickly came upon Plumb Beach- a close cousin to Manhattan and Brighton beaches, but smaller. MUCH smaller- downright cozy, in fact... But very inviting. There's a parking area and picnic tables, along with what seemed to be a small restroom/ changing facility. It looked like a great place to picnic!

I continued down the trail, which runs right along the waterfront, and came to a bridge with a BEAUTIFUL view of the beach and ocean (photo #6). The bridge crossed into Marine Park, where the already lush scenery got even greener! It was surprisingly easy to ignore the Belt Parkway, which parallels the bike trail.

I took a little detour through Marine Park, passed Floyd Bennett Field, and then stopped just short of the first bridge over Jamaica Bay. The ride back seemed a bit quicker, maybe because I had seen the scenery once already... Probably because most of the way back is downhill...

Things I learned on my trip:

-By and large, my fellow borough bike riders DO NOT wear helmets. Yes, they look dorky, but they're a lot cooler than severe head-trauma, so strap one on, Brooklyn!

-I know absolutely nothing about bikes, besides the fact that they're fun to ride. Evidently, mountain bike tires grip the ground, and make your ride brutally slow, no matter what gear you're in.

-There are A LOT of really skilled windsurfers on Plumb Beach- next on my list of fun sports to learn!

-I love bike riding! I want to try out the Ocean Ave Bike Path next, and maybe ride up to Prospect Park for the farmers market!

Happy Summer!

Best,

Keelie

P.S. My front tire is now flat as a pancake and will not hold air when I try to re-inflate it. I'm taking it to Roy's Sheepshead Cycle- I'll let you know how it goes!

Canajoharie- Fort Plain Drama Club- "Peter Pan"

2009-07-04T17:13:00.004-04:00

Taking notes from the house.

Observing a scene

The Pirates!

Giving notes on the relationship between your character and your physicality.

Immediately after the Miss NY Pageant, I spent a few days at my mom's house in Fort Plain, NY before heading back down to Brooklyn. While there, I was thrilled to be invited to do an impromptu acting workshop with the cast of Peter Pan, currently being produced by the Canajoharie- Fort Plain Drama Club in the beautiful Arkell Performing Arts Center (special thanks to Shawn Barnes, director of Peter Pan). Any opportunity to work with kids and theatre is my idea of a good time, but this visit had special meaning because the C-FP Drama Club is where my life changing involvement in theatre began.

Finding refuge in the theatre while growing up with considerable financial hardships in this economically depressed area inspired me to use theatre as a tool for social change, impacting both the cast and the audience. Acting Out (the no-cost performing arts program I developed) focuses mostly on using theatre as a means to obtain personal growth, development, emotional release and empathy- I've developed it to be process driven (a mainstage production, or product, is secondary). This is not to say that production based programs have no benefits, and I was thrilled to speak with the cast about the fundamentals of good acting!

The kids were awesome. Their natural ability to accept imaginary circumstances and react realistically never ceases to amaze me. There are, of course, common traps that nearly every high school or community theatre production falls into, and I was pleased to have the opportunity to point out, both from the perspective of a professional actor and an audience member, what these issues were, and how to fix them.

Unfortunately, arts are quickly cut from schools and communities when finances are tight, so the idea of being an artist for a living was all but unheard of when I graduated from high school. If nothing else, my visit was worth it solely to see the looks on the faces of these young actors when I introduced myself. "Hi, I'm Keelie. I'm a professional actress who now lives in NYC, and I got my start here."

A Bit of Back-Tracking (Sponsor Appreciation and Sendoff Party)

2009-07-02T08:05:00.005-04:00

Melanie and I with Cheryl and Keyana Williams- I don't know what we'd do without these ladies! Thank you for everything, including the use of your beautiful club for our party!

Dermond- The Official Pageant Dad of the Miss Brooklyn Org

The lovely Karolina Almanzar! Keeping it pretty as Miss Brooklyn's official Makeup Artist!

Friends- The people I don't get to thank often enough!

The Baron of Brooklyn- My boyfriend, Joe. He gets to deal with the less glamorous aspects of being Miss Brooklyn (it's possible stress makes me REALLY cranky...)

Momma and I napping- too much excitement!

Melanie and I love us some Kim! BEST E.D. EVER!

With Todd Adelman of Block Institute. I cannot begin to describe how much of an asset Todd has been to my reign as Miss Brooklyn thusfar!

Evening Gowns!

Body by Ellen.

Talent Costume! A little blurry, but you get the idea. And all 1800 Swarovski crystals? Individually hand-applied by my mom. I know- I'm a lucky kid.

Because Kim and I operate secret-agent-stealth-style, we wanted to keep my wardrobe under wraps until I arrived at the Miss NY Pageant. This meant not posting ANY photos from my awesome sendoff party, so enjoy them now!

Miss New York 2009!

2009-07-01T15:24:00.005-04:00

At the NY State Capitol Building in Albany with the other 20 Miss NY Contestants!

From L to R: Marina Montes, Miss Suffolk County, Me, and Courtney Sheridan, Miss Fulton County in Swimsuit

Not bad for a $175 gown!

Dancing with the other contestants in the Opening Number!

Wow. What a week. I had intended to keep up my blog, but things got crazy the moment we arrived in Albany (Kudos to Claire for somehow managing to blog TWICE while at MNY)! I am therefore obliged to give you one VERY dense and informative post.

The week was great. Many thanks to all the local businesses who made our pageant such a success, and to Art Huntsinger, who served as a liason between the media, the Albany community, and the Miss NY Organization and contestants. Also, many thanks to the Miss NY Organization Board of Volunteers, for taking time out of your personal lives to give myself and the other contestants an experience of a lifetime. Also, a special thank you to Kent, who kept things fun and light, and encouraged us all to constantly improve ourselves, and to keep the pageant process in perspective.

The other 20 local titleholders are amazing. Truly. I don't really know how else to describe them. Our first night in Albany, we got the chance to go around the room and tell everyone what our platform was (good idea, Inga), and it was really inspiring to hear all of the different ways that we, as a group of young women, were changing the world around us. The platform is a very important aspect of the Miss America Organization, and one that's frequently discussed, but the opportunity to communicate face-to-face about the social issues we were dedicated to promoting, changing or improving, and why we cared so much, was a powerful thing.

My shock at being called to the Top 10 was visible, I've heard; and doubly so when I was called into the Top 5. Don't get me wrong- I knew I had the potential to do very well, but as I've told people before, pageants are incredibly subjective, and there were A LOT of perfectly viable choices for the judges. Not making it into finals (as was the case for me last year) is not so much a testament to your weaknesses as it is to the strengths of the girls you're competing with. I'm so honored to have gotten as far as I did, and I wish a very special congratulations to Alyse Zwick, Miss New York 2009. Make us proud!

Hair Sponsor and the NY Post!

2009-06-22T16:43:00.004-04:00

At J Taylor Salon with Ellen Stein (My trainer/ unofficial booking manager and community liason) and Joe Taylor (Hair Artiste!)

The Pageant Wave!

We only had one chance to get this shot, because there was only one batch of confetti!

At home, in bed, surrounded by plays. Ahh... Paradise.

Hey everyone! This post will be noticeably less verbose than it's predecessors, but only because I am literally scrambling to get everything ready for tomorrow!

Though a little belated, I NEED to give a shout out to J Taylor Salon, the official hair sponsor of Miss Brooklyn 2009! Joe kindly squeezed me in for a last minute cut and trim, and I was thrilled with the results! It was important for me to not change anything drastically- I wanted to look like me, but better, and he did just that! And an additional thanks to the fabulous Ellen Stein (yep- my trainer) for knowing EVERYONE in Brooklyn. (Photos to follow ASAP)

Also, if you haven't already, be sure to check out the fantastic spread the NY Post did on some NYC titleholders, myself included! We each did individual interviews/ photo shoots of us relaxing in our homes, and then we went to the NY Post's HQ for a glamorous photo shoot, complete with makeup by Smashbox and hair by Prive! The link to the article online is here.

Builders of the New World- Actor's Theatre Workshop

2009-06-18T11:35:00.003-04:00

One of my absolute favorite non-profit programs here in NYC is the Actor's Theatre Workshop's Builders of the New World program. A self described "...Theatre, Education and Community-Building Program for Homeless Children and At-Risk Youth", Builders of the New World "is a a life-changing after-school theatre and education program for homeless children that improves reading, writing and presentational skills, instills discipline and self-esteem, and inspires the children to make educational choices today to achieve success tomorrow". Developed by award winning actor/ director Thurman E. Scott, this award-winning program, now in it's 15th year of operation, uses theatre as a medium for change, social awareness, and creative expression.

For more information on the Builders of the New World Program, click here.

NY Post Feature, Meet & Eat and Miss Delaware Pageant!

2009-06-17T07:26:00.005-04:00

At the Miss DE pageant with Miss America 2009, Katie Stam, and Miss Jubilee 2009, Claire Buffie!

Signing an autograph at the Meet & Eat with Miss Brooklyn 2009 and Wafels and Dinges!

My official duty at the fundraiser was to dispense free whipped cream!

With Inga, Miss Manhattan 2009, at the NY Post photo shoot!

Though the Miss NY Pageant is rapidly approaching, my duties as Miss Brooklyn have not slowed down yet! This past week was exceptionally busy and exciting!

On Wednesday morning, Danica Lo of the NY Post, along with photographer Christian (a Sheepshead Bay resident!), came to my apartment to do an individual interview/ photo shoot about being Miss Brooklyn, but also being a regular person (I got to do my own makeup and wear my own clothes)! After the individual shoot, I rushed into the city to do a group shoot with a few other titleholders at the NY Post building, this time all done up, pageant-glam style! The shoot was lots of fun, with hair provided by Prive Salon, and makeup by Smashbox Cosmetics! Thanks to everyone for a fantastic experience!

After this, I rushed back out to Brooklyn for a volunteer appreciation party at Club Nocturnal. It was great to get to thank many of the people who've helped keep the Miss Brooklyn Organization running, and who've made my year so enjoyable thusfar.

I was incredibly lucky to have my mom visiting Tuesday and Wednesday, to help me get myself organized! My mom is the unofficial seamstress/ costume designer/ organizer/ personal manager/ stress reliever of Miss Brooklyn 2009, and I couldn't do it without her! On Thursday AM, she drove me to my appointment with our dental sponsor, Bensonhurst Dental (see post below), and then dropped me off at work in Chelsea before heading back upstate to attend to her other Miss NY Contestant (my little sister Courtney, Miss Fulton County 2009)!

Saturday, I visited the Wafels and Dinges truck in Park Slope, where I gave out free whipped cream and signed autographs! It was great to see some familiar faces in addition to all the new people I met! BCAT (Brooklyn Cable Access Television) came for a quick interview, and after chatting about waffles and Brooklyn, we got to taste them! YUM!

Then I was off to Manhattan to meet up with Claire (Miss Jubilee), and embark on our voyage to the Dover Downs Casino and Resort to watch the Miss Delaware 2009 Pageant! (Special thanks to Claire's friend Ilan for letting us use his awesome car!) The highlight of the night was getting to meet Katie Stam, Miss America 2009! The venue was beautiful- congratulations to the Miss Delaware Organization for a great show, and congratulations to Miss Delaware 2009, Heather Lehman!

I've got another busy week ahead of me, and then we move in to our hotel for Miss NY on Tuesday, June 22nd! I'll keep you posted!

Best,

Keelie

No/Low- Budget Drama Clubs

2009-06-15T15:27:00.002-04:00

I recently stumbled across an insightful interview with Kevin Maedel, a middle school special education teacher who runs a theatre program for the students in his school on absolutely no budget. His work is exactly in line with what I'm attempting to establish and help flourish right here in New York: a grassroots effort to get kids thinking creatively and expressing themselves in beneficial ways through the medium of theatre.

When asked, "How do you feel about keeping the performing arts intact?", Maedel responded,

"I think it's vital.

It gives them a voice. It helps them find who they are. I have a lot of kids who came to me and were just quiet in the classroom and they just blossom. In drama they become a whole different person. Their confidence gets built. Their social skills, their tolerance and acceptance of other people because in this drama club it's not the popular kids, it's not the best students. It's a whole range of students from special education, regular education, struggling students, the brightest students.

So much of school is, as you know, testing, and it's stripped down to the basics. It's just such a release for them. It's a physical release."

Like myself, Maedel incorporates improvisation and scripted shows to give the kids an optimal opportunity to both create, explore and express themselves while acquiring the discipline demanded of any actor in a full production. We do disagree fundamentally on the successful implementation of a drama program. Maedel says, "I wish more people did it, but not all people have degrees in theater like me and study directing. That's the thing - you have to be qualified. You can't just do it,". I disagree; at least in part. Certainly, if the main goal is a polished production, experience on both the production and performance ends is necessary, but I strongly feel that simply interacting with the fundamentals of theatre is where the real benefits begin, and a volunteer does NOT need a degree in theatre to use drama as a therapeutic tool to help local kids.

To read the full article by the Daily Bulletin's Sandra Emerson, click here.

Dental Sponsor

2009-06-12T17:08:00.005-04:00

With Dr. Marina Rubinshtein of Bensonhurst Dental Care

The word "dentist" strikes terror in the hearts of many, myself included; maybe because the mouth is one of the most sensitive and vulnerable parts of the human body. I'll admit- it had been a while since I'd sat in the dentist's chair; my lack of dental insurance combined with my denta-phobia being to blame. And I'll also admit, initially I was a bit nervous about visiting my cosmetic dentist sponsor, Bensonhurst Dental Care, but I assure you, my trepidation was both unfounded and unwarranted!

First, I'd like to thank Daniel Rubinshtein of Bensonhurst Dental Care, for contacting the Miss Brooklyn Organization with their interest in being my sponsor! After a few e-mails back and forth with Daniel, I was referred to the wonderful Danielle, who quickly set up my appointment with surprising ease, considering my near impossible schedule of late.

When I arrived for my appointment, I felt more like an old friend than a new patient- the entire staff was incredibly warm and welcoming. I was introduced to the lovely Khrystyna, who administered my ZOOM Whitening Treatment. I felt nothing throughout the entire process (I was so relaxed that I dozed off once or twice- no joke!), and emerged 1.5 hrs later with visibly whiter teeth! After a quick photo shoot with Dr. Alexander Rubinshtein and Dr. Marina Rubinshtein, I departed with a whiter smile and a much more relaxed view of dental care. In addition to cosmetic dentistry, they also provide traditional dental services, and I would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking for quality dental care in Brooklyn!

Thank you, Bensonhurst Dental, for my beautiful smile!

Broken Crayons

2009-06-11T15:41:00.005-04:00

Early last year, I had the honor and privilege of serving as casting director for Broken Crayons, a Cinema Poattica film written and directed by Alessio Cappelletti and co-produced by Mind The Art Entertainment (the entertainment networking group of which I'm a core member). A description from the director: "A microcosm of America is told through the eyes of a young recently orphaned Hispanic boy who is forced to choose between action or silence when pitted face to face with the tensions and inequalities perpetuated by a bereaved teacher."

Upon initial reading of the script, I was struck with the profound potential this piece had to hold a mirror up to society and force it to look at a problem many would argue no longer exists. Pieces like this are a true testament to the eternal relevance of the performing arts as a tool for social change. Casting challenges arose as we attempted to find the perfect actors (a majority of which needed to be under the age of 14) to work with emotionally charged and rather heavy material. We eventually were able to piece together a dream cast, however, and the uncanny ability children to imagine and pretend helped create this film.

Though my schedule didn't permit me to participate on set, I'm proud to have taken part in this brilliantly conceived and executed piece, and look forward to this film's bright future in the festival circuit and beyond. I'm constantly in awe at the talent and brilliance of my colleagues, co-workers and friends, and this piece is no exception.

Miss New Mexico 2009 Pageant!

2009-06-08T12:46:00.007-04:00

With Kira, Miss Santa Fe 2009 and Top 10 Finalist at Miss NM 2009!

Kira with Nicole Miner, Miss New Mexico 2009!

On an impromptu hike to the bottom of a canyon!

Kira and I at the White Sands National Monument for the Sunset/ Full Moon Party!

My chariot for the trip- Kira's tricked-out Jeep Comanche. And when I say, "tricked-out", of course I mean, "No air conditioning, no radio".

Last Wednesday, I hopped a flight to Albuquerque to cheer on one of my best friends from college, Kira Hirschfeld- Miss Santa Fe 2009- at the Miss New Mexico Pageant! It was my first time out West aside from visiting Lake Tahoe, and nothing could have prepared me for the 100 degree heat! Luckily, the landscape was so breath-taking that I was able to overlook the extreme climate, the 4 hour drive south to Alamogordo, and the fact that Kira's Jeep Comanche has neither air-conditioning nor a radio. And I got to see one of my very best friends whom I hadn't seen since the Miss NY 2008 pageant!

Kira did a fantastic job, placing in the Top 10, and winning a special award for individuality. Congratulations to Nicole Miner, Miss New Mexico 2009, and all of the other contestants! And a special thanks to both the Miss New Mexico Organization (who gave me a fantastic deal on tickets as a local titleholder), and the Hirschfeld family for taking care of me while I was there!

Why Arts?

2009-06-06T10:43:00.002-04:00

I was recently introduced to Project H.O.W. (Helping Others Worldwide), and was thrilled to see that they too have embraced the importance of art as a therapeutic and educational tool for kids dealing with intense struggles. Their Kidz Art Heart Therapy Program uses art therapy to help African orphans cope with the trauma they've experienced, while paving the road to a better future. As a performing arts therapy advocate, I work specifically with local kids living in poverty; an experience I can relate to personally- but the fundamental ideals and goals of Kidz Art Heart Therapy ring very true to the work that I strive to do right here in my borough and my state:

"Needless to say, these children are never given the opportunity to deal with the intense emotional trauma of their past tragedies. The universal language of the arts is a way to cross cultural and language barriers in order to give them a positive outlet to reflect on their past and cope with their present situation. Since these orphaned and abandoned children cannot care for themselves they need us to provide a healthy and positive space for education and creative self-expression, love and growth,"- Kidz Art Heart Program Description

Some would trivialize the arts by suggesting that they do not provide immediate, transparent, measurable benefit to participants; they'd be wrong though. For those of you who like statistics, try these on for size:

"Young people who participate in the arts for at least three hours on three days each week through at least one full year are:

-4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement
-3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools
-4 times more likely to participate in a math or science fair
-3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance
-4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poemk

Young artist, as compared with their peers, are likely to

-Attend music, art and dance classes nearly 3 times as frequently
-Participate in youth groups nearly 4 times as frequently
-Read for pleasure nearly twice as often
-Perform community service more than 4 times as often"

("Living the Arts Through Language and Learning: A Report on Community-based Youth Organizations," Shirley Brice Heath, Stanford University and Carnegie Foundation For the Advancement of Teaching, Americans for the Arts Monograph, November 1998)

It's easy to generalize about the irrelevance of something when you've not yet seen the facts- now you have.

5th graders CAN learn Shakespeare!

2009-06-02T15:44:00.004-04:00

The Hobart Shakespeareans with Sir Ian McKellen! I'm SOOOOO jealous!

Please do not adjust the channel- this is not a test! Yes, I said Shakespeare and fifth graders in the same sentence! It's not only possible, but Rafe Esquith, author of Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire and There Are No Shortcuts is doing it day after day, month after month, year after year, with astounding results; especially considering English isn't the first or only language of most of his students. Rafe Esquith teaches at Hobart Elementary, an inner-city Los Angeles school where his primarily Asian and Hispanic students are for the most part children of recent immigrants, and 92% of the student body comes from families living below the poverty level.

In the prologue to Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire, Rafe acknowledges the struggles with proposing elevated curriculum in a struggling school district; struggles that often discourage those who want to give the kids a fair chance to excel. "Expectations for children are often ridiculously low. Racism, poverty, and ignorance often reign supreme on campus. Add to this mix ungrateful students, and even mean-spirited people in the teaching profession itself, and the hardiest of souls can be crushed. Each defeat usually means that a child's true potential will not be developed,". Though he has experienced the same hardships, he's found a way to continue to put the best interest of his students first, and has turned his classroom into a safe haven for young souls where ANYTHING is possible. Rafe writes of Room 56 (his classroom), "It's a world where character matters, hard work is respected, humility is valued, and support for one another is unconditional,".

If you've not yet seen it, the PBS documentary that explores Mr. Esquith's work, The Hobart Shakespeareans, takes a look at the truly extraordinary approach that Rafe takes towards improving the minds and lives of his students.

Summer time, and the living is... Hectic? But in a good way!

2009-06-01T14:45:00.006-04:00

With Miss Brooklyn's Outstanding Teen, Melanie, at the Miss Brooklyn Bowling Party!

With my trainer at the Miss Brooklyn Bowling Party!

Wow. It's truly hard to believe that there are only three short weeks until I leave for Miss NY! After being crowned Miss Brooklyn on February 22nd, I thought that March was my busiest month ever- in life! Until April happened, and then May, and now June...

On Sunday, the Miss Brooklyn Bowling Party took place at Melody Lanes in Sunset Park. It was so much fun to reconnect with some friends from Block Institute along with other sponsors, and I bowled two strikes! (This is a serious accomplishment... I'm fairly certain my high score is appx. 75...). We also enjoyed some delicious birthday cake (I turned 23 on 5/27)!

Earlier today, I spoke with Meredith Deliso from the Bay News about my preparations for Miss NY and my incredibly generous sponsors! Look for the interview in this Thursday's Bay News! I'll also be doing an interview/ photo shoot with the New York Post about fashion, beauty and pageant prep! Stay tuned!

I'd also like to give a shout out to the newest member of the Miss Brooklyn 2009 State Preparation Dream Team- Bensonhurst Dental, who'll be providing me with free whitening services before Miss NY!

On Wednesday, I'll be flying out to New Mexico for the Miss New Mexico Pageant! My good friend from college is Miss Santa Fe, and hopefully the next Miss NM!

When I return on Sunday, I'll have my hands full organizing myself for our upcoming Miss Brooklyn events (see the website and earlier blog posts), the cost-free performing arts education template I'm developing, the show I'll be opening the week before Miss NY (and then passing on to my understudy), and Miss NY itself! I'm often asked how I don't go crazy being involved in so many different things, and my answer is always the same. I don't do anything I'm not passionate about, so my love for my activities keeps me going.

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it,"- Henry David Thoreau

Meet and Eat with Miss Brooklyn 2009 and Wafels & Dinges!

2009-05-28T17:17:00.005-04:00

Yummy-looking! ... And the waffles look good too! (Yes, for those of you who were wondering, that's my boyfriend, Joe).

On Saturday, June 13th, I'll be appearing as Miss Brooklyn at the Wafels & Dinges truck, parked in Park Slope on 7th Ave at Carroll St. from 10a-1p for a "Meet and Eat with Miss Brooklyn 2009 and Wafels & Dinges". I'll be signing autographs and posing for photos, in addition to helping out in the truck. Come buy a freshly made traditional liege or brussels style waffle with your choice of sweet or savory toppings (waffles start at $5). A portion of the day's proceeds will go to the Miss Brooklyn Scholarship Organization.

Explore Brooklyn- Part 2- Prospect Park!

2009-05-22T10:47:00.006-04:00

Camperdown Elm- a 12 foot high, 137 year old tree that looks like a giant bonsai plant! Look for it near the Boathouse.

Long Meadow. Inhale deeply. Sigh. Relax.

Taken on one of my visits to BBG a few years back!

Out of focus, but too much fun not to post!

Taking in the sights at Prospect Park!

Better late than never! For the second installment of my "Explore Brooklyn" series, I'd like to tell you about a recent visit to Brooklyn's beautiful Prospect Park. On a sunny afternoon a few weeks ago, I packed a picnic, grabbed some friends and headed to our borough's illustrious 585 acre "urban oasis".

What a tremendous recreational and educational resource this park is to our borough! Not only does it contain Brooklyn's only forest, it's also home to the Prospect Park Zoo, the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, and Kensington Stables (yes, as in horses... in Brooklyn! I've ridden with them a few times, and had nothing but wonderful experiences! And they're very reasonably priced!). GreenMarkets bring fresh, local produce and farmgoods to the borough on Saturdays (Grand Army Plaza) and Wednesdays (Bartel-Pritchard Circle). While you're there, be sure to stop by Lefferts Historic House, a 200 year old Dutch remnant from the pre-Colonial farming village that used to be Flatbush! Prospect Park is also home to some of the best nature trails in the area. Seriously- you can't hear traffic or see buildings (take that, Central Park!).

If you don't feel like schlepping your food from home, there's a tremendous selection of cuisine steps away from the park in all directions (nearby neighborhoods include Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Windsor Terrace and Flatbush). There's also a cafe at the Boathouse, a snack bar near the Carousel and the Parade Ground, and near Wollman Rink during ice-skating season.

There's truly something for everyone at Prospect Park year round. So what are you waiting for? Grab your running sneakers/ riding pants/ tennis racquet/ soccer ball/ picnic basket and head over. It's immediately accessible by the B/Q to Prospect Park/ Parkside, 2/3 to Grand Army Plaza, S to Prospect Park, B41, B71, B69, B75 and B68.

And the sponsors keep coming...

2009-05-21T15:27:00.002-04:00

Preparations for the Miss New York State Competition are in full swing, and I'm thrilled to announce the two latest additions to the "State Preparation Dream Team" (as Kim has affectionately dubbed our sponsors).

Bend and Bloom Yoga of Park Slope offers a fantastic flow series, in addition to pre and post-natal yoga and yoga for kids! On Tuesday, I attended their open level community class, taught by studio owner Amy, and never once felt out of place, despite my relative beginner status! The class was wonderfully relaxing, but boy, did I feel it the next day (in a good way)! I can't wait to go back! Their beautiful studio is located on Sackett St. between 4th and 5th Avenues. Check out their website here!

This morning, I attended my first class at Bikram Bay Ridge. I had attended one psuedo-Bikram class before, so I had some idea as to what I was getting myself into... For those of you unfamiliar with Bikram, let me break it down- 105 degrees room, 50% humidity, 26 postures, 90 minutes. I'm fairly certain that I have NEVER, in my entire life, sweat that much in an hour and a half! Graham was an amazing teacher, and I look forward to my next session! Bikram Bay Ridge is located on 5th Ave between 85th and 86th Streets. Check out their website here!

Both of these fantastic studios are providing their services to me free of charge as I prepare for Miss New York, and I'm extremely grateful for their generosity!

The Miss Brooklyn Scholarship Program/ Talented Youth Development, Inc. Talent Show!

2009-05-17T21:05:00.001-04:00

The Miss Brooklyn Scholarship Program along with Talented Youth Development, Inc. is sponsoring a Youth Talent Show on Saturday, June 6th. We are searching for singers, dancers, instrumentalists, and groups ages 18 and under to come show New York City your stuff!

Please pass this information on to any talented young people you know! Those interested should send an email stating interest to participate to missbrooklynmao@aol.com or call Kimberly Thomas (Executive Director of the Miss Brooklyn Program) at (313) 492-0946. Entry deadline is May 22nd. Entry fee is $25 for all acts. The entry will be refunded if contestant sells a minimum of 10 tickets @ $10 each. A maximum of 20 acts will be allowed to participate so don't delay!

Explore Brooklyn- Part 1- Coney Island!

2009-05-13T20:10:00.008-04:00

In addition to blogging about my regular appearances and platform work, I'll be dedicating some posts to all of the fun and awesome things you can do in the best borough (because seriously... we are...). Our Borough President, Marty Markowitz, has an amazing Brooklyn Tourism Website, which highlights the fact that you don't need to leave Kings County to find awesome food, entertainment, recreation, arts and adventure. Think of this as my own little tribute to his initiative. With that said, allow me to present: Coney Island and Brighton Beach!

William's Candy! TOO MANY OPTIONS! (We decided on cotton candy and chocolate covered strawberries- not shown here)

Keyspan Park- Home of the Brooklyn Cyclones!

On the pier

BOARDWALK FOOD!

The NY Aquarium is one of my favorite places to visit!

I can't help myself! Freezing cold, but totally worth it!

Summer's just around the corner, so on my day off, I decided to beat the crowds and hit one of my absolute favorite warm weather spots in Brooklyn- Brighton Beach and Coney Island! I live in Manhattan Beach- a short walk down the shore from Coney Island, so Joe and I grabbed the camera and headed out for our first visit of the season. We headed over to Brighton Beach Ave, where we usually spend a few blocks checking out all the fun little fruit and veggie shops, mixed in with salons, jewelry stores, bakeries... you name it! Once we hit Ocean Ave- we usually head to the boardwalk, to begin the beach experience!

Once on the beach, we were greeted by the usual horde of brazen, people-friendly seagulls (everyone who's been to Coney Island/ Brighton Beach has a seagull story... keep that in mind when you visit). We headed down the boardwalk for a stretch; a prime place for people watching (seriously... I've seen some incredibly strange things happening on this boardwalk). After a bit, we hit the sand and made our way to the shoreline to wade in the 45 degrees water. I truly cannot help myself- I'm a huge water person, and just have to go in, no matter what the weather!

Once we hit the NY Aquarium, we headed back up to the boardwalk, where we passed all of the food stands and bars, along with the all the rides, including the Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone! (I've ridden it twice, and that's quite enough- thank you!). We continued down to the pier (see above), made a quick stop at Keyspan Park (GO CYCLONES!), and made our way down to the Eldorado Arcade (not the one on 12th St- the one on Surf Ave). Now THIS is what Coney Island's all about! Dimly lit, well-worn, slightly sticky old school fun! After schooling Joe at Skeeball, our Air Hockey game was a draw (because Joe crawled on the table, which registered interference and ended our game!).

By this time, we had worked up an appetite, so we headed to Nathans for lunch! Don't judge- YES, I know I'll be in a bikini on stage in less than 2 months; YES, I know that there is very little on the Nathan's menu that comes anywhere close to being nutritionally sound; and YES- it was delicious! (Everything in moderation, right?) Of course NO trip to Coney Island would be complete without a stop at William's Candy. They have every sweet treat imaginable (seriously- if it's 50+% sugar, they probably carry it), and they make the most amazing fudge and caramel/ candy apples! Joe and I made our selections, and happily headed to the train (the thought walking back was a bit daunting to Joe). Stillwell Ave is the last stop on the D, F, N and Q (hint, hint). All in all, another fantastic day at Coney Island!

Check out the Coney Island Fun Guide to learn about all of the wonderful things going on this summer.

Miss Brooklyn Bowling Party!

2009-05-12T22:05:00.002-04:00

Miss Brooklyn 2009 Bowling Party

Join us as we raise funds for the Miss Brooklyn Scholarship Organization, have lots of bowling related fun (terrible bowlers welcome), and celebrate my birthday!

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

2p-4p

Melodie Lanes Bowling Alley

461 37th St. between 4th & 5th Ave

Brooklyn, NY 11232

$20 Donation- 2 hours of bowling, shoe rentals, autographed photo of Miss Brooklyn & Miss Brooklyn's Outstanding Teen 2009, birthday cake and the chance to win entrance to the "Invitation Only Miss Brooklyn Wardrobe Showing and Sendoff Party"

Americorps Pre-Mother's Day Celebration and Darling Divas Fasion Show!

2009-05-10T11:40:00.006-04:00

Inga and I with one of the most flirtatious little dudes I've ever met. Don't let the photo fool you... he was totally into us!

At the Americorps Pre-Mother's Day Celebration!

Christina Joseph (Miss Barbados Heritage 2009), Melanie Gowrie (Miss Brooklyn's Outstanding Teen 2009) and myself at the Darling Divas Fashion Show!

What a week! Block Institute on Wednesday, Americorps on Friday, and Darling Divas on Saturday! I've already told you about my Earth Day Experiences at Block Institute, so I'll pick up with my appearance Friday with Inga (Miss Manhattan) at Americorp's Pre-Mother's Day Celebration at Project Reach Youth!

The day got off to a rough start when the usually reliable hopstop.com gave me atrociously inaccurate directions. After 20 minutes of texting Inga and calling my mom for help, we determined where I was, where I needed to go, and how I was going to get there!

I arrived at Project Reach Youth and was immediately greeted by Inga and the rest of the friendly Americorps staff, along with a bevy of adorable children and their fantastic moms! I salute Americorps for organizing such a fantastic celebration of some of Brooklyn's hardworking moms! Among the stations I observed were free massages, manicures and waxing, a lotion making table, and makeovers! After posing with the kids and their moms for some photos, Inga and I joined a classroom rehearsing a song and dance. They were having so much fun that we couldn't help ourselves, and then next thing we knew, we were both dancing and singing along (despite the fact that we didn't know the words to the song)!

We then enjoyed a delicious pot-luck lunch, where we got the opportunity to chat with the participants and their kids. Inga's platform is "Healthy Mothers: Healthy Babies"- and she got the opportunity to speak with one uninsured mother about her options for healthcare should she decide to have another baby- talk about a relevant, meaningful platform! I got the opportunity to discuss my platform as well, and I'm very excited about the new opportunities I was introduced to at this appearance! I'd love to work with Project Reach Youth in the future to provide performing arts opportunities to Brooklyn's youth.

Saturday evening, I rushed from work in Chelsea to Club Nocturnal on Flatbush Ave. to judge the Darling Diva's Fashion Show! I arrived just in time to watch Melanie (Miss Brooklyn's OT) perform her monologue, and then I took over judging where she left off! It was a reunion of sorts, seeing Amaris Acosta (Miss Caribbean United States 2008 and host of the Miss Brooklyn 2009 Pageant) and Christina Joseph (Miss Barbados Heritage 2009 and Choreographer of the Miss Brooklyn 2009 Pageant). I settled into judging, and enjoyed watching the girls perform talent routines and strut their stuff down the runway! Congratulations to all the winners! Check out the Darling Divas website!

All in all, a great weekend. Check back for photos from my experiences with Americorps and Project Reach Youth, coming soon!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-09T21:54:00.006-04:00

Hey Brooklyn! Times are tough, and money may be tight, but that doesn't mean you can't show your momma plenty of love! Check out the list below for some fun, free/ cheap things to do with the Queen of Your Genes tomorrow right here in Brooklyn! (Events gathered from the Brooklyn Paper and the Sheepshead Bites Blog!)

Fort Greene-$0- Make free Mother's Day paper flowers at the Ft. Greene Visitor's Center!

Park Slope-$0- Nurture's Day Festival (Potluck Dinner + Canned Food Drive) at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture

Dyker Heights- $10- Mother's Day Concert at Regina Hall

Coney Island/ Brighton Beach/ Manhattan Beach/ Sheepshead Bay (HOLLA)- $3- "Brighton Beach and Beyond" Walking tour of the shore!

Sadly, I won't get to spend this Mother's Day with my mom, so in her honor (in addition to her fabulous Mother's Day Gift), I've compiled this list of reasons why my mom rocks. Please note that this list is 100% factual. I couldn't make this stuff up...

My mom is awesome because:

-when I was born, instead of the usual mushy-poo maternal gushing that happens immediately post-partum, she said to the doctor, "She's an ugly mutt, isn't she?".

-she paraded my infant-self around in a onesie that read "Nipple Freak".

-for one of my younger birthdays (6th? 7th?), she made a GIANT slip & slide out of garbage bags that seemed like it was a mile long!

-she often went without so that my sisters and I didn't have to.

-she forced me to start Irish Step Dancing, and stick with it.

-she didn't make me wear clothes at home until I was 12! I still remember the day she told me I was too old to run around naked...sigh...

-she wasn't the least bit concerned that I was OBSESSED with the X-Files as an 11 year old.

-she ensured that my sisters and I knew that no matter where we came from or what we had, we were just as good as anyone else.

-she helped me become a leader.

-she let me quit piano lessons!

-she didn't give me anything- I worked for and earned all the good things in my life. She taught me to appreciate everything and feel entitled to nothing I haven't worked for.

-she humored my severe career indecision in high school ("Of course you can be a chef, fire-fighter, marine biologist AND forensic pathologist").

-she taught me the true meaning of independence.

-she let me move to NYC as an 18 year old to study acting (every parent's worst nightmare).

-she allowed me to become my own person, and make my own mistakes.

-she taught me to respect myself and others.

-she loves even when I'm REALLY BAD! ("I don't like you, but I always love you").

Happy Mother's Day!

Keelie

Do YOU have a library card?

2009-05-09T12:37:00.002-04:00

C'mon, Brooklynites. There's no need to schlep all the way into Manhattan to get your read- research-or-recreation on! The Brooklyn Public Library system (separate from the New York Public Library) offers: "thousands of public programs, millions of books and use of more than 850 free Internet-accessible computers" at their 60 locations! And they are, literally, EVERYWHERE, from Greenpoint down to Brighton Beach, and Fort Hamilton over to New Lots! And best of all, you can now apply online for your free membership!

So what are you waiting for? Apply online here, visit the Brooklyn Public Library's website, and find a branch near you!

The Emerging Importance of the Right-Brain

2009-05-09T11:53:00.008-04:00

I must begin this post by giving kudos to Inga, Miss Manhattan, for turning me on to this interview between Oprah and Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind (2006. Riverhead Books: New York) about the burgeoning evidence suggesting that development of our right brains (the 1/2 of the brain responsible for the creative stuff) will be especially important in the future. Until very recently, there's been a large emphasis on the left-brain (responsible for logic and the like), and it's associated careers- accounting, computer programming... It's becoming apparent, however, that, "in the same way that machines have replaced our bodies in certain kinds of jobs, software is replacing our left brains by doing sequential, logical work," (Pink). Pink argues that, to be successful professionally, our posterity MUST begin to develop their right-brain, and the creative skills that machines cannot replicate and outsource.

This information is of monumental importance to arts advocates, like myself, who struggle to promote education in the arts as an integral, vital, relevant and scientifically backed necessity for the young people in our country. I picked up A Whole New Mind this morning- I can't wait to read it!

Read the full interview here.

Are you right-brained or left-brained? For a fun test, try the Art Institute of Vancouver's Right Brain vs. Left Brain Creativity Test. ( I can't speak for the scientific validity of this test, but it's fun, and gives some pretty in depth analysis).

Photos from Earth Day!

2009-05-07T11:21:00.004-04:00

With Todd Adelman, infront of the classroom projects display for Earth Day!

With a classroom group outside near the composting station!

Yes, those are worms in my hand.

Recycling!

Planting marigolds infront of the school.

In the garden with a class, watching an amazingly large worm squirm through the grass.

Turning the soil, getting ready to plant!

Sorting compost worms from the compost, bare-handed!

As promised, here are photos from Earth Day at Block Institute. Special thanks to the wonderful Todd Adelman, who took these photos!

A busy week ahead...

2009-05-06T20:26:00.005-04:00

PHOTOS

1)My wooden flowers from Earth Day at Block Institute.

2) Walking lunges with Kettlebell, infront of my house (What you don't see is the cheering section of adolescent boys across the street).

3)MORE walking lunges (And you can see my cute Kettlebell camisole- it's PINK!)

4)Ellen and I, pressing it out (Notice my tongue sticking out- SUPER FOCUS IN ACTION!)

5) Are we done yet?

6)I like the exercises that involve laying down...

Happy Earth Day! This morning, I went over to the Block Institute on Bay 44th to have some green fun with the students! This is by far one of my favorite places to visit as Miss Brooklyn (they had me as their guest for Read Across America day a few months back); the staff is friendly, the kids are adorable and enthusiastic, and it's less than a 10 minute ride from my apartment!

First stop: the lobby, where a plant sale was held! I spotted tomato and basil plants, to name a few (and now I'm in the mood for pizza!). I helped set up a display to sell some beautiful wooden roses- and ended up buying myself a dozen, which are now brightening the window sill in my kitchen (see above)!

Next, we headed outside to the composting station, where I helped the kids separate composting worms from compost that was ready to go to the garden! Much to the delight of the students (and horror of the teachers), I dug right in, bare handed, to play with the worms and dirt! We then headed to the garden, where we picked rocks, tilled some soil, and weeded (again, barehanded- I'm such a lady...). After sorting plastics and cans for recycling, I helped one class plant marigolds in a large planter infront of the school, and then headed back inside to check out the "green" projects each classroom had on display. As always, it was a pleasure visiting Block Institute, and I hope to return soon! (Photos to follow- I had some technical issues w/ my camera, but Block Institute's wonderfull Todd will email me pictures from his camera soon!)

I had a few hours to relax (it's my day off, after all!) before Ellen, the official fitness sponsor of Miss Brooklyn 2009, came for my routine butt-kicking... and she brought presents!!!! (Two adorable kettlebell tank tops- one of which is featured in the above photos, and wrist guards- because I'm a little wimpy!) When she decided I had been abused enough, we called it a night, and scheduled our next appointment for Sunday!

On Friday, I'll be appearing with Miss Manhattan 2009, Inga Schlingmann, at Americorp's Pre-Mother's Day celebration, held at Project Reach Youth in Brooklyn. We'll be posing for/ signing photos, and there will be all sorts of fun Mom-appreciation-esque stuff (pampering makeovers, chair massages, stress relief stations, recipe exchanges...).

Saturday PM I'll be appearing at the Darling Diva's Fashion Show at Brooklyn College!

Photos from earlier today and this weekend to follow!

Best,

Keelie

Workshop Weekend!

2009-04-27T09:03:00.005-04:00

PHOTOS (From top to bottom)

1. Kim Thomas (Miss Brooklyn Executive Director), Melanie Gowrie (Miss Brooklyn's Outstanding Teen 2009), Leigh Taylor Smith (Miss Brooklyn 2008/ Miss New York 2008) and myself!

2. BROOKLYN, REPRESENT! Miss Brooklyn '08 (and Miss NY '08) with Miss Brooklyn '09!

3.Myself with the lovely Kim Cantoni (Miss Staten Island), my roommate for Miss NY 2009!

4.Being divalicious with my sisters (Courtney- Miss Fulton County, and Kieren-former Miss Mohawk Valley)

5.With my lovely OT Melanie and a MNY board member!

6.With Albany's Mayor Jennings

7.The Miss NY Class of '09 (Minus Inga!)

This blog will be short (school ends this week and I have A LOT of writing to do!), but I wanted to update everyone on our fantastic weekend in Albany.

I rose at 4:30a on Saturday to shower and finish packing, before leaving at 6:30a to meet Kim Thomas (my ED) and Melanie Gowrie (Miss Brooklyn's Outstanding Teen) at Atlantic Terminal at 7:30a. Things got off to a SLOW start (Thanks, BQE) but after a side trip to Queens, we were finally through Jersey and on the thruway, heading up to Albany. We chatted the whole way up, some pageant talk, some not, and listened to Cosmo radio (surprisingly informative!).

We arrived at the Crown Plaza Hotel just in time to check into our rooms, check in with the Miss NY board, and then begin filming our individual video sessions. This was followed by a series of meetings, and then rehearsal with Kent (YAY!), a swimsuit preview (sigh) and then a choreography session. We had just under an hour to return to our rooms and prepare for a reception that evening with Albany's own Mayor Jennings. (Photos above).

The next day, after breakfast and check out, we returned to the Egg for a talent show of sorts, which was a lot of fun! Talent is definitely one of my favorite phases of competition, and it always makes me wish I was out in the audience so I could watch rather than be stuck backstage. We received lots of helpful critiques (special thanks to the reality panel, plus Claire and Stacie!), and our friends and family got to watch too! We learned a little about a new fundraiser for Miss NY (more info coming soon), spoke with Miss America 1998 (Kate Shindle) about interview, rehearsed a bit more before Kent had to leave, and then sat down with Leigh Taylor for a chat.

We also drew our competition order somewhere in that mix. I'm #19, and my sister, Courtney, is #20! What are the odds of us drawing numbers right next to each other? This puts us in Group B, which means we'll be competing in Swimsuit and Evening Gown on Thursday night and Talent and Onstage question Friday night.

Tickets are available for purchase NOW! Go to www.theegg.org/events to purchase tickets!

I promise to write more as soon as this week is over! For now, I'm off to hit the books!

Best,

Keelie

The Headshot

2009-04-24T09:07:00.002-04:00

Once again, many thanks to everyone who donated their time and services to make our headshot shoot a success!

David Gardiner Garcia- Photographer- http://www.davidgardinerphoto.com/

Karolina Almanzar- Makeup Artist- http://www.ikandymakeup.com/

Bond Street Studios- Location- http://www.bondstreetstudio.com/

The end (of the semester) is in sight!

2009-04-21T22:14:00.006-04:00

PHOTOS (From Top to Bottom)

1) The Headshot Dream Team! L to R: Melanie Gowrie (Miss Brooklyn's OT), Karolina Almanzar (Makeup Artist), David Gardiner Garcia (Photographer) and Me!

2)My girl Melanie (Miss Brooklyn's Outstanding Teen) working it during her photo shoot. David's behind the camera, Kim Thomas (Miss Brooklyn ED) looks focused, and I think Karolina is trying to warn Kim about the photo!

3)Myself and the lovely Karolina in the makeup room

4)Maria (my airbrush tan guru from Pacific Tanning) and I

What an amazing/ hectic month April has been! In addition to my duties as Miss Brooklyn, I also go to school full time, Irish Step Dance, work at a Pilates studio, and work as an actor. Everything seemed to happen at once this month, and luckily, I was/ will soon be wrapping up a few of my more time consuming activities! School finishes up this week, and I'm thrilled to have extra time to dedicate to my Miss Brooklyn 2009 duties and Miss NY prep!

I've been continuing my personal training with the fabulous Ellen Stein, who is determined to give me a "bell-butt" (as in kettlebell) for Miss NY. I thought I was in decent shape before I started working with her, but most anyone would feel wimpy next to a Powerlifting Champion! Though I continue to stay in shape on my own when I'm not working out with Ellen, my sessions with her are always more fun and productive. You can always tell I've had a training session the previous day when I'm super smiley (working out makes you happy) and walking funny (working out also makes you sore)! Check out Ellen's blog for videos and photos of her lifting INSANELY heavy stuff! http://kettlebellen.blogspot.com/

I've also continued using the graciously donated airbrush tanning services of Pacific Tanning on 9th St. and 6th Ave in Brooklyn. Maria keeps my pasties away (as in pale-ness...not the other kind of pasties) with her expert airbrush-gun wielding. http://pacifictanningsalon.com/

This afternoon, I had my photo shoot with the amazing David Gardiner Garcia. He was quick, efficient and such a pleasure to work with! I only got to see a few shots while we scrolled through his camera, and I am absolutely thrilled to see the final photos! David's also a skilled fashion, wedding and event photographer. Check him out at : http://www.davidgardinerphoto.com/ . Makeup was provided by the lovely Karolina Almanzar (http://www.ikandymakeup.com/). Karolina made me look gorgeous but not overdone, and was a true delight to work with. Check out her website for samples of her work and her contact information. We were lucky enough to come into contact with Robert from Bond Street Studios, who graciously allowed us to use his beautiful space on literally a day's notice. Check out their studio at: http://www.bondstreetstudio.com/.

All in all, a great day! This weekend, I head up to Albany for the Miss New York workshop weekend. I'm excited to get to see all of the contestants again(I think there's only one or two that I haven't met!) and learn more about this year's production. Expect the proofs from my headshot session, along with photos from the workshop in my next blog!

Best,

Keelie

Come Support the Arts!

2009-03-31T08:27:00.004-04:00

‘Mind the Art’ Entertainment Party

Join us for an amazing evening of LIVE ENTERTAINMENT, ARTS NETWORKING and PARTY!!!

What it takes.-

$15 for FREE BEER & over 10 different performances varying from SLAM POETRY, to live MUSIC and COMEDY!!!

PLUS! Don't drink beer???

RIDICULOUSLY CHEAP RECESSION SPECIAL CASH BAR!!!

$3 mixed drinks!
$3 glasses of wine!
And CHEAP CHEAP SHOTS!!!

PLUS! Don't like to drink at all???

Then look at what talent you will see that night!!!

*A performance of the Outrageous Farce Comedy ‘DIE’- written by Joe Kurtz, directed by Christian De Gre'

*Michael Berberich- Spoken Word, Rap and Music Extravaganza

*Julia Weldon- Original Singer/Songwriter

*Ashley C. Williams- Performing Highlights from "Spellbound the Musical Adventure"

*Alyssa Robbins- Original Singer/Songwriter

*David Williams- Will showcase never before seen pieces from his new Spoken Word Play

*Chuk Obasi- Rap and Dance Machine

*Ariana Paganetti- Straight from her Miami Tour with Dance House Music!

*Keelie Sheridan- Miss Brooklyn Winner and Irish Step Dancing Fiend!

AND a few other suprise guest artists!

The proceeds of this function will go to 'Mind The Art' to help fund our upcoming events and future endeavors!

Directions:
YEAH ITS BROOKLYN, BUT ITS ONLY 20 MINUTES FROM MANHATTAN!
SO RELAX ITS FREE BEER AND GREAT ENTERTAINMENT ON A FRIDAY NIGHT!

Take 4 or the 3 train to Utica Ave - Crown Heights Station. #227 Utica Ave. Stratosphere Studios
*You can take any train that goes to Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn and transfer to the 4 or 3 train, get off at Utica Ave.
Its about a 3 minute walk to the Studios from the train station.

DON'T MISS OUT! THIS WILL BE A MASSIVE GATHERING OF EPIC PROPORTIONS!!!PLEASE RSVP TO: Mindtheart@gmail.com

For More Information on Mind The Art Entertainment, Please Visit: http://www.mindtheartentertainment.com/

Welcome Home, Miss Brooklyn!

2009-03-28T13:51:00.006-04:00

I live in an amazing neighborhood, located in an amazing borough full of involved, compassionate, generous and kind individuals.

I'm humbled to have been the guest of honor at this past Thursday's "Miss Brooklyn 2009 Homecoming Party" sponsored by my neighborhood, the NY Steakhouse, and the Be Proud Foundation. I was amazed at the fantastic turnout- guests included local politicians, media and press, local entertainers and my neighbors! Special thanks to the NY Steakhouse for kindly hosting this event, Galit Couture for providing a beautiful gown for me to wear as well as doing my makeup, Raisa Chernina for her tireless effort planning this party, and all of the amazing sponsors of the Miss Brooklyn Organization!

I've begun working out with the official fitness sponsor of Miss Brooklyn 2009- Ellen Stein (see my earlier post for all of her contact info and certifications)! The training we're doing together is primarily focused around Russian Kettlebells. We've only had two sessions, but I'm feeling the burn already, and Ellen promises to "toughen me up", so I can't wait to see what she throws at me next! (See the above photo of me doing a "windmill"- awesome for the obliques!)

I also had my first airbrush tanning session with the official tanning sponsor of Miss Brooklyn 2009- Pacific Tanning in Park Slope! Thank you to Maria for helping me achieve a healthy glow the healthy way! Pacific Tanning ( http://www.pacifictanningsalon.com/ ) is located on the 2nd floor of 376 9th St. in Park Slope, and offers traditional tanning beds in addition to custom airbrush tanning and Mystic tanning. Pacific Tanning will be generously donating their services weekly from now until the Miss NY pageant. Their number is: (718)499-5274. Summer is just around the corner, Brooklyn- stop by and get glowing!

Congratulations to this weekend's new titleholders- Miss Sullivan County 2009- Felicia Ramos, Miss Southeast NY 2009- Melanie Hildebrant, and Miss Mohawk Valley 2009- Lynn Adele Tryon. I'm so excited for the opportunity to get to know each of you at Miss NY this year; and a special note to Lynn- you've got big shoes to fill (my amazing sister Kieren was Miss Mohawk Valley 2008), but I'm confident you're up for the challenge!

On a related note, congratulations to Kira Hirschfeld- Miss Sante Fe 2009! Kira's my best friend from acting school who moved back home to New Mexico but came all the way to NY to see me compete in last year's state pageant! After some convincing, I finally was able to talk Kira into competing in Miss NM prelims this year. This girl embodies the values of the Miss America Organization and truly LIVES her platform. She was obviously a perfect match for the program!

I can't believe the Miss New York Workshop weekend is only a few short weeks away! Although prep for the state competition is always on my mind these days, I'm sure attending the workshop will only amplify my excitement!

Each week as Miss Brooklyn 2009 brings a new surprise or opportunity, and I am constantly humbled by the amazing responsibility and honor I've been given as a representative for our illustrious borough. I promise to keep up the hard work!

Best,

Keelie

"To be prepared is half the victory."- Miguel De Cervantes

2009-03-23T11:34:00.002-04:00

Preparations for the state pageant are beginning- this week marks the "3 months until Miss NY" point, and while it seems like an eternity, I'm sure it'll fly by!

I've been so amazed at the incredible outpouring of support from my fellow Brooklynites in my quest for the title of Miss New York. We've been able to secure multiple hair sponsors, a photography sponsor, and fitness sponsor, and are in talks with potential tanning and gown sponsors- more about that later. As the Miss Brooklyn Organization grows, it's exciting to see all of the new connections and partnerships being built between our community and the scholarship program.

The past two weeks have been relatively quiet on the appearance front- convenient for me, because it's crunch time for the spring semester. With just over a month of classes left, I can use all of the study time I can get!

I was scheduled for an appearance on St. Patrick's Day (this Irish Step Dancer's favorite holiday!), but was unable to attend due to aggravation of an old injury- how disappointing! After some rest, I was back on my feet, and a few days later I went gown shopping in Bayridge. Understand that, unlike most girls involved in pageants, I truly dislike gown shopping- I love having an amazing gown, but the shopping part itself KILLS me! After two or three dresses, they all look the same to me, and I find the process exhausting! I did find some very promising prospects, though!

This week will be a bit busier. Kim and I are going gown shopping tomorrow AM. On Thursday, my mom's coming to NYC for the "Welcome Home Miss Brooklyn 2009" party my neighborhood is throwing! I'll be wearing a gown from Galit Couture, who will also be providing hair and makeup services! Many thanks to the wonderful Raisa Chernina- who knows everyone in Brooklyn, for her planning expertise, and the wonderful New York Steakhouse in Sheepshead Bay for hosting this event! My mom and I will probably do some more gown shopping on Friday, and then I'm competing in the Big Apple Feis (Irish Dance Competition) in Manhattan on Sunday!

Also, at some point this week, I'll have my first session with Miss Brooklyn 2009's Fitness Sponsor, Ellen Stein. We'll be focusing our training on Russian Kettlebells, which I've heard a lot of wonderful things about, and am extremely excited to start! She's certified with ACE, NASM, NSCA-CPT, RKC and IKFF. Visit her on the web at www.livingroomgym.net or www.kettlebellen.blogspot.com. She can be reached by phone at (917)846-1146 or by e-mail at w8lifter222@aol.com.

As a final note, I send my condolences to the family of Joyce Shelby, and her friends at the NY Daily News. Joyce was a Brooklyn reporter for the NY Daily News who passed away this weekend. I was interviewed by Joyce twice- once before the Miss Brooklyn Pageant, and once after winning, and I, along with the Miss Brooklyn Organization, are extremely grateful for the publicity she provided us, and the interest she showed in our program.

Kind Regards,

Keelie

Calling All In-Kind Sponsors!

2009-03-12T15:36:00.000-04:00

As a resident of Manhattan Beach, I am proud to have been selected the new Miss Brooklyn 2009 and look forward to representing our beautiful and diverse borough during the 2009 Miss New York State Scholarship Program this summer. Last year’s Miss Brooklyn, Leigh-Taylor Smith, won not only the Miss New York State title but also made her way into the Top 5 at the Miss America Pageant bringing her total scholarship winnings to $24,000!

The Miss Brooklyn Scholarship Organization provides young women the opportunity to achieve their educational aspirations by issuing scholarship awards. Along with winning the title, a $1000 cash scholarship will help me continue my studies in Theater & English at Empire State College.

Here’s where I need your help. I am looking for the following in-kind sponsors to help me in my quest for the state title of Miss New York 2009:

Gown Sponsor

A gown to be donated to wear during the Evening Gown segment that I can keep or borrow from your boutique. (Teen & Miss)

Fitness Sponsor

A personal trainer to donate his or her service to help me achieve the winning spot in the Lifestyle & Fitness in Swimsuit segment. (Miss only)

Hair Stylist

A stylist to make me look my best during the state pageant. A new hairstyle, trim, color, or whatever it takes to give me the winning look. (Teen & Miss)

Spray Tan

A tanning salon that specializes in spray tans to help me achieve that glowing look. (Miss only)

In exchange for your kindness and generosity, The Miss Brooklyn Scholarship Program will name you as the official Gown, Fitness or Tanning Sponsor or Stylist of Miss Brooklyn 2009; list your business name and website link on its website during my entire reign; place your business name on an advertisement to be placed in the 2009 Miss New York State Scholarship Program; and provide free mention in all press releases and on air interviews.

The Miss America Scholarship Fund is based on a rich scholastic tradition, which has been the cornerstone of the Miss America Organization since 1945. Today, educational advancement, achievement, and public service continue to be the primary objectives for the Miss America Organization, Miss New York Organization, and the Miss Brooklyn Scholarship Program in the face of changing roles for women in American society.

If you are interested in supporting me, please contact Kimberly Thomas, Miss Brooklyn Scholarship Program Executive Director, at MissBrooklynMAO@aol.com or at (313) 492-0946.

Local Season is in Full Swing!

2009-03-05T14:55:00.000-05:00

First and foremost, congratulations to the newly crowned Miss Westchester County 2009- Alyse Zwick, Miss Hudson Valley 2009- Katie Martin and Miss Suffolk County 2009- Marina Montes! I'm so sorry I wasn't able to attend the pageant, but I'm thrilled that you'll all be returning to Miss NY 2009!

On Tuesday, I received a surprise phone call from our Borough President himself, Mr. Marty Markowitz! After congratulating me on winning the title of Miss Brooklyn, Marty invited me to entertain at Brooklyn Borough Hall's St. Patrick's Day Breakfast! What an honor- I can't wait.

On Wednesday, I took a trip to Borough Hall to pose for a photo with Mr. Markowitz. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to see me and introduce me around Borough Hall!

Thursday morning, I met with Kim (Miss Brooklyn ED) to do our first round of gown shopping! We got some great ideas, but the search for the perfect gown is far from over!

Friday morning, I was a special guest at the Block Institute for Read Across America Day! The theme of the day was "Diversity in Our Community", and after the morning assembly, I had the opportunity to visit a few classrooms, meet with the kids and read to them! Thank you to everyone at Block Institute for being so welcoming! I had a great time! Also, an extra special thank you to Block Institute for your assistance in raising funds for the Children's Miracle Network!

I took a bus upstate Friday evening to attend Saturday's Miss Empire Rose Pageant, where I was joined by the lovely Miss Lewis County 2009- Angela Glasso, Miss Fulton County 2009- Courtney Sheridan and Miss Northern New York 2008 Jessica Cagwin. It was great to see Miss Empire Rose 2008- Stacie Duda! Congratulations to Miss Empire Rose 2009-Katie Birchenough, 1st Runner Up Kieren Sheridan, 2nd Runner Up Colleen Gagne and 3rd Runner Up Brittany Dunham!

Sunday it was back to NYC for an afternoon dance rehearsal and then on the the NYC sweeper pageant! I had the pleasure of taking in the show with Miss Westchester County 2009- Alyse Zwick, Miss Suffolk County 2009- Marina Montes, Miss Hudson Valley 2009- Katie Martin, the very newly crowned Miss Jubilee 2009- Claire Buffie, Miss Staten Island 2009- Kimberly Cantoni and Miss Finger Lakes 2009- Lorna Rose. Miss NY 2008- Leigh Taylor Smith did a fantastic job emceeing! Congratulations to the new Miss Manhattan 2009- Inga Schlingerman, Miss Metropolitan 2009- Amanda Mason, and Miss Greater Gotham 2009- Danielle Roundtree.

My 1st Week as Miss Brooklyn 2009!

2009-02-26T17:52:00.000-05:00

What a whirlwind! I've only been Miss Brooklyn 2009 for a week, and I've already had many wonderful experiences! Here's a brief summary:

Monday- Interview with Joyce Shelby from NY Daily News

Wednesday- Interview with Mike McClaughlin from the Brooklyn Paper

Thursday- 1st Official Appearance at the Aqua Health Rehabilitation Center's new Flatbush Location. (www.aquahealththerapy.com) Many thanks to Aqua Health for their kind support of the Miss Brooklyn Organization.

Friday- Interview and Dance Demo with Andrea Grymes from News 12

Saturday- Appearance at the Miss Finger Lakes 2009 Pageant- Congratulations to Miss Finger Lakes 2009- Lorna Rose!

The Miss Brooklyn 2009 Pageant!

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Friday Night: Rehearsal- Friday night was the first official meet and greet for all of the contestants. I had met some of the girls at previous fundraisers for the pageant, but this was the first time we were all together at once. I won't lie- I was intimidated. Each of the other contestants was beautiful and well put together. It was going to be a good show, and a tough competition! Special thanks to Christina Joseph, our choreographer, who eased our nerves with her wonderful sense of humor! After rocking out to Ne-Yo's "Closer" and Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music", we learned walking patterns for swimsuit and evening gown. As the night progressed and I became better acquainted with my fellow contestants I realized that not only were they all gorgeous and poised, but they were extremely friendly and intelligent to boot! I could easily imagine each one of them winning. Brooklyn should be proud!

Saturday Morning: Interviews- The personal interview is one of my favorite phases of competition, without a doubt. This certainly doesn't exclude me from the pre-interview jitters that afflict almost every contestant. Our six judges came from widely diverse backgrounds, and were knowledgeable on a variety of topics relevant to the program. I felt good about my interview, though the judges' poker faces made them tough to read!

Sunday Morning: Final Rehearsal/ Talent Run-Through- By this time, all of the contestants had gotten to know each other, so Sunday morning was fun and rather relaxing. We danced around a bit with our opening number, solidifying our blocking in the space, then practiced swimsuit and evening gown walks again, followed by a talent run-through in costume. I grabbed a quick bite to eat (I had packed a cooler full of snacks) and then headed to the dressing room to prepare for the afternoon pageant!

Sunday Afternoon: The Pageant- The media was allowed a few minutes with us in the dressing room to capture the frantic last minute preparations, but surprisingly, the mood in our dressing room was very "chill". Most everyone was ready on time, and had a few minutes to sit and relax before the show. I'm fairly certain I was the only person rushing to finish my hair! Before going on-stage, the Teen and Miss contestants formed a circle and took turns addressing the group with a few words of encouragement- my new favorite pre-pageant ritual!

After a slightly delayed start, the production went off without a hitch. All phases of competition ran smoothly. Intermission was held after the competition itself was completed, so that the scores would be ready for the crowning after Cherelle Gaines (Miss Brooklyn 2008) and Keyana Williams (Miss Brooklyn's Outstanding Teen 2008) said their good byes.

And then on to the awards! Congratulations to Jennifer Velasquez- Miss Community Service Winner, Carlon Alexandra- Miss Talent Winner, Claudia Zakrzewski- Miss Lifestyle & Fitness in Swimsuit Winner and Melanie Gowrie- Teen Talent Winner.

The teens were a truly adorable group! 3rd Runner Up-Kellie Cesaire, 2nd Runner Up- Kashema Ancrum, 1st Runner Up- Joelle Bracco, and my new pageant sister, Miss Brooklyn's Outstanding Teen 2009- Melanie Gowrie!

The Miss Court was- 3rd Runner Up- Christine Florio, 2nd Runner Up- Claudia Zakrzewski, 1st Runner Up- Carlon Alexandra and Miss Brooklyn 2009- Keelie Sheridan! Wow! I was completely taken aback. As I mentioned earlier, I could have easily seen ANY of these contestants as Miss Brooklyn 2009! Claudia, Jennifer, Diana, Jenesha, Christine, Brittnay, Nadia and Carlon, it was a true pleasure getting to know each and everyone one of you! Thank you for making this experience so enjoyable!

After what seemed like a million pictures and a brief interview, I was finally allowed to see my family and friends! Thanks Mom, Dad, Kieren, Courtney, Aunt Mooney, Uncle Chet, Mike, Shawn, Daniel, Laura, Jarred, Gen and Joe for coming out to support me!

In addition to a generous scholarship, I also received some beautiful gifts! Thank you to Nature Pure Spa for the amazing basket of beauty treats, Collage Jewelry for the beautiful necklace and earring set, North American Crystal for the stunning Crystal Vase, Spartak Chocolate Company for the decadent chocolate assortment, and Floral Art Company for the elegant floral arrangement!

And finally, thank you to all of the hardworking, dedicated volunteers and judges that donated their personal time to help the Miss Brooklyn Organization with the pageant. Special thanks to Kim Thomas, the Executive Director of the Miss Brooklyn Pageant, who has worked tirelessly to re-acquaint the borough of Brooklyn with this amazing resource for young women!

For media photos/ audio coverage of the pageant, please visit:

Brooklyn Ink: http://thebrooklynink.com/brooklyn/missbrooklyn

The Brooklyn Paper: http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/32/8/32_8_mm_miss_brooklyn.html

David Gardiner Garcia Photography: http://davidgg.zenfolio.com/

This week will be full of appearances and interviews- I'll be sure to update my blog!

Kind Regards,

Keelie