Arizona Spark at the Arizona Opera Company

 

Arizona Opera
Image: azopera.org

A longtime entrepreneur based in Nichols Hills, Oklahoma, Lew McGinnis has led a real estate investing career that has spanned more than 50 years. Also an active member of the community, Lew McGinnis has served as director of numerous nonprofit and cultural organizations, including the Arizona Opera Company.

For nearly five decades, the Arizona Opera Company has enriched the state of Arizona’s cultural life by holding world-class concerts and opera performances in multiple locations across the state. Today, the company also hosts a range of programs and auxiliary groups, including the Arizona Opera Orchestra, the Arizona Opera Studio program, various collaborative events, and the Arizona Spark initiative.

Founded by a group of Arizona Opera patrons in 2014, Arizona Spark cultivates new operatic works through its Arizona Bold initiative, which provides support for new projects over a 24-month period. Though operas covering all subjects are considered, the Spark committee gives preference to projects that focus on Arizona history, military communities, and minority interests.

The current project, The Copper Queen, is led by composer Clint Borzoni and librettist John de los Santos. It tells the tragic story of Julia Lowell, an early-20th century resident of the Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee, Arizona.

The Five Components of Reading

reading

Lew McGinnis, an accomplished real estate investor based in Oklahoma, divides his time equally between business endeavors and charitable activities. Beyond serving on the board of several organizations, Lew McGinnis has also tutored several children and taught them how to read.

There are five essential components of reading. These components are briefly described below.

1. Phonemic awareness. When spoken, every word and syllable is formed from phonemes, which are small segments of sound. Knowing how to manipulate these phonemes can dramatically improves a student’s ability to read.

2. Phonics. In language, phonics refers to the relationship between letters of words and the sounds of those letters. It is one of the earliest reading skills that children should learn because it’s essential to helping students grasp the concept of both spoken and written words.

3. Vocabulary. When a reader has a large vocabulary, they have an easier time understanding written tests. Most students learn vocabulary through indirect and direct learning, such as reading a book or listening to others talk.

4. Fluency. Fluent students are capable of reading and speaking a language with appropriate accuracy and speed. People are considered to be fluent when they read and speak at the same level and don’t have to pause to decode each and every word.

5. Comprehension. Skilled readers are capable of visualizing the characters in a story, hearing the dialogue in their heads, and imagining details. These are strong indicators that students fully comprehend a language.

Volunteering Duties at Arizona Opera

 

Arizona Opera
Image: azopera.org

After launching his career at the age of 12 with a box refurbishing business, Lew McGinnis started several other entrepreneurial endeavors before turning to his current work as a real estate investor. A dedicated philanthropist who has given back to the community through a variety of arts organizations and charities, Lew McGinnis formerly served as the director of Arizona Opera.

Founded as the Tucson Opera Company in 1971, Arizona Opera seeks to uplift its audiences through music and story with numerous concerts, operas, and other productions and programs. In order to achieve its mission, the company relies on the efforts of volunteers who support the company as individuals or groups.

Volunteers at Arizona Opera serve the important role of ushering in the audience for each performance. In addition to acting as ushers to greet and seat the company’s patrons at the Opera House and the Tucson Music Hall, volunteers can also work will-call at the Symphony Hall’s box office or assist with other projects as needed.

Artists for Conservation Annual Exhibit to open at ASDM in September

 

Artists for Conservation
Image: artistsforconservation.org

Oklahoma entrepreneur and real estate investor Lew McGinnis has launched multiple business ventures and purchased properties across the Midwest and the West throughout his 50-year career in business and real estate investing. Lew McGinnis has also held board positions with several history and cultural organizations in Arizona, such as the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum (ASDM) Foundation. The museum’s Ironwood Gallery will present the Artists for Conservation (AFC) 2018 Annual Exhibit in September.

The exhibit features an assortment of nature-themed art and highlights the exceptional pool of artists working within the AFC. Its focus is on sharing nature-inspired art with new audiences and using art sales and education to support conservation. Since its inception, the AFC exhibit has become the top conservation-themed art show and among the most anticipated annual events for nature-inspired artists.

An international nonprofit based in Canada, AFC advocates for environmental education and wildlife and habitat conservation through art inspired by the natural world. In addition, it promotes artistic excellence and provides passionate artists with the tools and resources to serve as effective environmental advocates. The organization represents 500 artists in the nature and wildlife genre from 30 countries, including some of the world’s most recognized names.

The Artists for Conservation 2018 Annual Exhibit at the ASDM’s Ironwood Gallery will open to the public on September 22 and run through November 25, 2018.

Common Obstacles for Young Readers

 

Young Readers
Image: readinghouse.com

Lew McGinnis, a real estate investor who has been in the field since the 1960s, has spent much of his life doing charitable work. One of the most common ways Lew McGinnis has helped others is by tutoring young people with language difficulties, helping them build the skills necessary to read and write well.

There are often many challenges for beginning readers, especially those with learning disabilities. One way in which a reading tutor can help a child is by identifying the source of the problem.

Some issues have to do with the shapes of words or letters. Children can have difficulty with letters that are shaped similarly, such as p and q, or which are inversions of each other, like u and n. They might also not be able to break up words well, leading to lines of text that look like long, unreadable words. These issues can be addressed by focusing directly on letter and sound recognition, as well as by having the child place a finger at the end of a word when writing, making the spaces between words more pronounced.

Other difficulties have to do with reading text in the right order. Some children start reading in the middle of the page, rather than going from top to bottom and left to right. They may also have difficulty doubling back at the end of a line, due to weak eye muscles. To help with these problems, tutors can find books with fewer lines, or place a sticker on the reader’s left hand as a reminder to start reading on the left.

The Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum’s Efforts to Fight Buffelgrass

 

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Image: desertmuseum.org

Real estate investor Lew McGinnis began his career as an entrepreneur when he was 12 years old. Early success led to numerous ventures that included auto sales and real estate. A longtime philanthropist as well, Lew McGinnis has served as an advocate for literacy and education. He has served as the director of a number of organizations, including the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Foundation.

On its 98-acre campus in Tucson, Arizona, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum blends exhibits that feature zoological, botanical, artistic, and historical themes. Unlike other museums, Arizona-Sonora Desert successfully brings different disciplines together to inspire residents and visitors and to increase their understanding of the Sonoran Desert ecosystem.

A key element of the museum’s endeavors includes a commitment to conservation and education. The Conservation Education and Science Department serves as a regional hub for ongoing educational, awareness, and research programming. The department is currently an integral part of the region’s fight against buffelgrass, an invasive plant that is a significant threat to the Sonoran Desert’s ecosystem.

Indigenous to Africa and Asia, buffelgrass was introduced to the region in the 1940s in an experiment to test the grass’s effectiveness in preventing erosion. Unfortunately, the grass spread and now competes with native species for precious water, nutrients, and space. Researchers have noticed a significant reduction of saguaro cactus populations since buffelgrass was introduced.

In addition to damaging the Sonoran Desert’s ecosystem, buffelgrass poses a risk to life and property. The grass is drought hardy, extremely durable, and fire resistant. Fires that start in areas with prolific buffelgrass burn hotter and spread faster.

Efforts to remove buffelgrass include manual and mechanical removal, chemical application, and biological control. Awareness campaigns have been launched to educate the public about the risks of buffelgrass. Conservation efforts also involve recruiting volunteers to manually remove the plants.

Tips for Great Tutoring

 

Reading
Image: ahaparenting.com

Lew McGinnis has been part of the real estate investment field for more than five decades, but has always made time to give back to the community. One of the ways in which Lew McGinnis has helped others is through tutoring underprivileged children, building their literacy skills to help them succeed.

While tutoring can seem like an easy job, getting good results requires care, thought, and a detail-oriented mindset. These tips can help any tutor get the most out of a tutoring session.

Keeping the focus on learning is one of the most crucial elements. Ignoring minor distractions and misbehavior while trying to keep the student on task goes a long way, as does consistent encouragement and commitment. Showing up on time, recognizing good behavior, and remaining diligent in the face of anything but egregious misdeeds all create an environment which helps the child learn effectively.

Attentiveness and a positive attitude also help a child learn a great deal. While it can be tempting to stay quiet except when mistakes are made, acknowledging success and good behaviors can teach a child to associate successful learning with good feelings. In addition, adjusting the student’s understanding as soon as an error is made can help minimize future mistakes and make the difference between the right and wrong answer clearer in the student’s mind.

Pima Air and Space Museum’s Programs for Kids

Pima Air & Space Museum
Image: pimaair.org

Based in Nichols Hills, Oklahoma, Lew McGinnis guides Consolidated Capital Investments where he leverages more than five decades of real estate investment experience. Community involved, Lew McGinnis is active with the Methodist Church and has past experience as director of the Pima Air and Space Museum.

Situated on 80 acres and encompassing a half dozen indoor exhibit hangars, the Tucson, Arizona, museum maintains an extensive World War II collection and also features iconic aircraft such as the Wright Flyer and the 787 Dreamliner.

A focus of the museum is educating youth on aviation history through Soarin’ Saturdays events that take place in the Space Gallery Classroom and are free with admission. One popular event is the monthly Model Airplane Make N’Take, which provides children with snap-together model airplanes they assemble with guidance from Sonoran Desert Model Builders volunteers.

Every second Saturday of the month is reserved for a rocket science-themed experiential program that provides children with knowledge of the laws of motion through building and testing experiments. Another offering is How Things Fly, which explores aerodynamics through hands-on exercises and demonstrations. All Soarin’ Saturdays events require parent participation, with advance reservations recommended.

Conserving the Sonoran Desert’s Native Pollinators

 

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Foundation
Image: desertmuseum.org

An accomplished entrepreneur, Lew McGinnis has been involved in business for over 55 years. Active in civic organizations, Lew McGinnis has served as a director of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Foundation.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is engaged in numerous projects to conserve pollinator species native to the area. Pollinators support plant pollination, which is essential for the formation of fruits and vegetables. They also maintain biodiversity. The Sonoran Desert is home to numerous springs and other water sources, making it an ideal home for native pollinators such as the monarch butterfly. Unfortunately, climate change and human encroachment are reducing the number of these natural water sources, causing the pollinators to migrate en masse.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is working with professional teams from various organizations to advance pollinator species conservation, and has started a number of projects aimed at improving conservation efforts. These include performing milkweed surveys, collecting seed varieties, improving natural habitats, propagating native plants, monitoring pollinator breeding areas, determining migration patterns, and identifying migration flyways.

The Upcoming Season of the Arizona Opera Company

Arizona Opera Company
Image: azopera.org

An experienced entrepreneur, Lew McGinnis began his first business as a child. He worked his way up to success in real estate development, overseeing projects such as the Williams Center in Tucson, Arizona. Moreover, Lew McGinnis has served as the director of the Arizona Opera Company.

Since its establishment in 1971, the Arizona Opera Company has produced concerts, operas, and collaborative programs on a seasonal basis. The upcoming season of operas will feature the following shows:

1. Maria de Buenos Aires: Seeking freedom, Maria leaves her life of innocence behind and is consumed by the darkness of the Buenos Aires slums.

2. Charlie Parker’s Yardbird: This tale of an American saxophonist delves into the dark struggles of his life; it features distinctive jazz influences.

3. La Traviata: Violetta chooses to sacrifice her accomplishments for the love of Alfredo Germont, ultimately facing heartrending decisions and complex truths.

4. Silent Night: During World War I, German, French, and British soldiers call a temporary truce, meeting in no-man’s-land in honor of Christmas.

5. The Marriage of Figaro: Mozart’s classic pits Figaro, a groom-to-be, against his master, Count Almaviva, who is determined to seduce the bride-to-be; there is a complex cast of characters, all of whom are seeking their own happiness.