Latest news with #Here'sToYouKid!
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Girl Scout helping a dying bat population with bat boxes
DELAWARE WATER GAP, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Girl Scouts are known for helping the community and selling cookies, but embracing bats? That is exactly what is behind a local Girl Scout's mission in the Poconos. Kendra Collins is not supervising a major construction project, but she hopes what she is teaching girls to build brings major benefits. 'It really goes back to loving the unloved, you know, because people don't like bats. They're scary, you know,' said Kendra. But those wing-thinged, flying mammals are beneficial to the environment. Bats consume large amounts of insects, including many agricultural pests. They are also considered crucial in pollination and spreading seeds. 'There used to be, like, millions upon millions of bats,' Kendra explained. But that was before a virus called 'white nose syndrome' emerged nearly two decades decimated the bat population, especially in Pennsylvania. 'It went down to 15,000. There used to be way more, and that's a big issue, I feel that I want to combat myself,' said Kendra. 12-year-old shares his talent in and out of the pool That's why Kendra learned to build bat boxes to give the nocturnal creatures a safe place to multiply. 'It's just a flat box, you drill some holes for them to breathe. You've got to waterproof it. You know, that bad fungus, and it's just drilling little lines for them to hold onto. Easy peasy. Anyone can make one,' Kendra explained. Kendra has turned protecting bats and other critters into a Girl Scout Gold Award project in hopes of achieving the highest honor given to a Girl Scout. Her advisor says Kendra's effort checks a lot of boxes. 'It had to make a difference in the community, then had to have longevity in the ecosystem. It had to be well thought out and planned, and who their target audience was. It had to show leadership qualities,' Ann Summa, Kendra's advisor and adjunct educator at Kettle Creek Environmental Center, said. She says Kendra exhibits those qualities every time she focuses on nature. 'You can just tell she takes a closer look at everything she finds,' Summa said. While earning a Girl Scout Gold Award would be quite a personal accomplishment, it is pretty clear that it is not Kendra's only motivation. 'Nature is important. You've got to take care of it. If you're not stepping your foot in to take care of them, who's going to do it?' Kendra said. Kendra says she plans to share with others her passion for nature after graduating from high school. Here's to you, Kendra. If you have a kid you think should be featured on Here's To You Kid!, send in a nomination online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Teenager SHINEs through at local after-school program
HAZLETON, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A local teenager is drawing on his experience from his days in an after-school program to help other students. His volunteer work encourages other children to expand their minds and put them on a path for career success. Meet Angel Sandoval, a junior at Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences, but that's not where he is on a late afternoon. He is navigating a second-floor classroom at Maple Manor Middle School in Hazleton. It serves as home to the after-school program called SHINE, which stands for Schools and Homes in Education. Angel is a SHINE volunteer passing out posters, giving advice, and lending a hand wherever the after-school students may need one. 'Usually I help them with, if they have math problems, social studies, I usually help them with their homework,' explained Angel. Teenager using music and positivity to make an impact He says he finds it personally rewarding. 'It's always really exciting to see the students get involved, get engaged with the activities, and it's always fun just doing anything that they do here,' said Angel. SHINE is familiar territory for Angel. He was enrolled in the program for several years, including as a third grader when he and a couple of other students collaborated on writing a book called The Three Lost Dinosaurs. 'So they worked together as a team, and they tried to show a lot of leadership skills. It works on their grammar, their spelling, and they also do get to draw a little bit,' said Katie Lykon-Bond, director at SHINE. Lykon-Bond worked with Angel for several years, serving as a mentor to him. 'So throughout the years, I've seen him grow through leadership skills, his volunteer skills. He's dedicated, and then he promotes a lot of positive energy for the students as a role model. They look up to him,' stated Lykon-Bond. She is not the only one to take notice of how far Angel has come. 'I've just seen him grow as a person, you know. Just, you know, be able to you know speak up for himself and you know help others, and it's been great to see him, watch him grow,' said Kelly Cook, lead teacher at SHINE. 'The SHINE program has really shaped who I've become. It's helped me be more extroverted more, it's really helped me broaden my horizons,' said Angel. And now Angel wants others to have the same results. It is why he is serving as a SHINE volunteer and helping in any way he can. 'He's a wonderful kid. He is such a great role model for the students here, and he's just a wonderful representation of what we want our students to become,' explained Cook. 'I would really like to set an example to other students, to give back to their community, give back to the people who have given so much to them,' said Angel. SHINE has nine centers and six participating school districts. Roughly 450 students are enrolled in the grant-funded program. Here's to you, Angel. If you have a kid you think should be featured on Here's To You Kid!, send in a nomination online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Teenager using music and positivity to make an impact
BEAVER MEADOWS, CARBON COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Getting through the teenage years can be challenging for many children, but some manage to channel their energies toward making a positive impact. A Beaver Meadows teen is an example of the latter by making a joyful noise in his community. 'I've been interested in music and playing the piano for a long time,' said Sam. 16-year-old Sam Parker has such confidence at the keyboard, it's as if the Immanuel Christian School sophomore was born to play. He plays a worship song called 'Sinking Deep', which is his own musical arrangement. With each key and chord Sam strikes, a melodic prayer resonates for all to hear. 'It's just like relaxing, and also it's just great because then it's also a way to make some good friends. Like you could all be hanging out and there could be a piano there and just people could start singing, you could start playing, and it's lots of fun,' explained Sam. This shared love of music plays out during most school lunch periods, but not at Immanuel Christian School. 'It's always nice, especially when the kids come and sing. It just fills us with beautiful music,' states Mark Peterson, Executive Director at Hazleton Art League. Sam and his fellow students often collaborate in song at the nearby Hazleton Art League. 'He's the leader of the choral group that comes in. When he sits down at the piano, everybody just bursts into song, and you know it brings a lot of positivity to this space,' explained Peterson. Elementary student wins national handwriting competition Positivity is something Sam's pastor says happens even when Sam steps away from the piano. 'He's also been super involved with a lot of parts of our church, whether community service, serving the community, being a part of the behind-the-scenes aspect of the production that goes on for our Sunday morning services,' said Pastor DJ Galade, Fairth Church Hazleton. These are just some of the reasons why Sam is considered a blessing to those whose lives he touches. 'He has a genuine care for others and just enjoys being of service and can make any event more fun,' stated Pastor Galade. 'You can tell it's, it's Sam who's there helping everything along, and it's really great,' said Peterson. Looking toward the future, Sam says he could see a life in music, or ministry, or both, but for now, he'll keep making a joyful noise and inspiring others. 'So, I think if you make anything fun, then people are actually excited to be part of something,' said Sam. Sam also dabbles in drama and will co-star in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Show dates are May 8, 9, and 10 at Beth Israel Temple in Hazleton. Here's to you, Sam! If you have a kid you think should be featured on Here's To You Kid!, send in a nomination online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Child's heartwarming TikTok soars author to bestseller
BERWICK, COLUMBIA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — There are not many preschoolers who become a viral TikTok sensation, but we have one right in our own backyard. Her pure act of kindness is getting noticed near and far and has had a major impact on an author from Duryea. Four-year-old Ella Dinelli likes books and likes to help people, so it only makes sense that a bookstore is where the Berwick girl provided the most help of all. Ella and her mom, Taylor, spotted author Jonathan Stanley holding a book signing at Barnes and Noble near Wilkes-Barre. Dual enrollment student graduating twice this year They all came to the 28/22 News studio days later to talk about it. 'I explained to her that he wrote these books. They were all stacked on this table. I said 'He wrote them by himself,'' said Taylor Dinelli, Ella's mom. The book is called Purposeful Performance: The Secret Mix of Connecting, Leading and Succeeding. Just one problem: Stanley was not succeeding in getting much foot traffic the day of the book signing. 'Several people were passing me by, and little did I know Taylor shot a video of that and shared her compassion and her empathy for me, which was extraordinary,' explained Stanley. Taylor also had Ella approach the author and buy a copy of his book. He signed it, 'Ella, the greatest gift you have to offer is you!' Her mom posted the encounters on TikTok. What happened next almost seems like a work of fiction. Tens of millions of people saw the TikTok videos within the first week. Stanley's book, which was languishing in sales, became a number-one bestseller. 'The messages I'm receiving by the minute, which are thousands by the way, has been an outpouring of support of love and kindness, and encouragement,' stated Stanley. The story captured America's heart. It's appeared in print, and even on NBC's Today Show, which shared an emotional TikTok video Stanley made in response to the public outpouring. Stanley says, 'You've given me hope. I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. This community has been incredible.' From this experience, a fast friendship between the Dinellis and Stanley, and a lesson which Ella learned that bears repeating. 'I think it's so important to just be with people, you know, whenever they're brave enough to be putting themselves out there in any situation,' said Taylor Dinelli. Ella says she would like to become an author someday. For now, she is just learning how to read. Here's to you, Ella. If you have a kid you think should be featured on Here's To You Kid!, send in a nomination online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
