1. Trinity Choristers An after-school outreach program of Trinity Church

14. Wonderful things are happening in Asbury Park! It is coming back from past economic decline into present and future recovery.

15. But many Choristers live in yet-to-be-developed areas.

16. The Chorister Program has an important mission to unite the many and diverse areas of Asbury Park

18. Children in Asbury Park face significant challenges :

20. Asbury Park School statistics Source: NJ Department of Education NJASK (New Jersey Assessment for Skills and Knowledge) tests for 2007-2008 showed that: In 6 th Grade, 14.2 % of Asbury Park students achieved full or advanced proficiency in Language Arts compared to 57.3 % for the state of NJ overall. Math scores for full or advanced proficiency were 29.5 % of AP students compared to 72.2% for the state of NJ overall. In 8 th grade, 29.4 % of Asbury Park students achieved full or advanced proficiency in Language Arts compared to 81.4 % for the state of NJ overall. Math scores for full or advanced proficiency were 14.9% for AP students compared to 67.7% for the state of NJ overall.

21. The differences are pretty striking when you see it on a graph.

23. Trinity Chorister Program: Working for Change

25. Working for Change: Exploring Music Summer Camp A camp for neighborhood children to discover possibilities, where local musicians volunteer their time – Cost to the Program: $1500 Cost to campers: Free

27. Working for Change: Free Piano Lessons for Choristers Free piano lessons are offered to all Choristers – About half of the Choristers take advantage. They are offered on-campus, which offers another connection to the Trinity community Individual donations from members of the community are the main source of funding, which takes constant work to keep up enough to go on.

28. How Piano Lessons are done at Trinity 40 lessons per year at $20 per lesson are available to each Chorister Lessons take place at Trinity Trinity buys the lesson books The cost comes to roughly $850 per year per student – but with no charge to the student. If the student has no piano or keyboard, we loan one, or help find a donated piano. Supporters are encouraged to sponsor one student for the whole year

29. Currently, 13 students are taking lessons But there are another 11 on the waiting list

30. Working for Change: Homework Help and Mentoring Trinity Choristers have three dedicated volunteers, who come every Thursday afternoon beginning at 2:30 PM. They are present when Choristers arrive after school is out.

33. Because so many Chorister families do not own cars, our volunteers also help with transportation when the Choristers travel. Trinity does not own a bus or van, so logistics are important! They also stay through the rehearsal that follows, making sure all Choristers have the music they need, and monitoring the rehearsal behind the scenes by answering non-rehearsal related questions, supervising bathroom breaks and other needs.

34. Working for Change: RSCM Camps – a huge boost The whole choir benefits from kids returning with elevated standards, positive culture, friendships with others outside their community, and the great repertoire that they have shared. Raleigh Girls’ Course 2008 Kings’ Course, Wilkes-Barre, PA 2008 Sending kids to RSCM camps for a week each summer helps them both musically and socially.

35. By interacting positively with girls and boys from all over the country, our Choristers’ world begins to look bigger, and they learn they have value in that bigger world.

36. The cost of camp for each Chorister is $550, but the benefit is incalculable. Two Trinity Choristers at Duke University Chapel, RSCM Course 2006

46. Working for Change: Building community within our community

49. Ice Skating and Pizza

50. A Visit from England with Ms. Katherine Dienes of Guildford Cathedral

52. Christmas Caroling at the Arcade

55. Asbury Park Kwanzaa Celebration

61. Working for Change: Travel – to broaden horizons, and connect to the larger world

62. St. John’s Cathedral, Wilmington, DE

63. With the Maryland State Boychoir

64. Baltimore, MD – Maryland State Boychoir Festival and Aquarium trip, 2006

65. With the American Boychoir, Princeton, NJ

66. At Trinity, Wall Street

67. With St. Bartholomew’s, New York

68. Trinity Choristers rehearse together once a week, on Thursday afternoons. They sing about two times per month, and sometimes more often, particularly at Christmas time. Piano lessons are scheduled at the mutual convenience of the family and the teacher, usually on Mondays and Thursdays. They are also occasionally an intergenerational choir, often singing with adults who serve as positive role models.