Blog Archives: September 2012
Celebrate My Drive: Minnesota!
After many months of planning, State Farm's Celebrate My Drive event finally arrived at our local Ridgedale Center in Minnetonka, Minnesota last weekend! From the moment I stepped into the rotunda and saw the huge red signs, I knew this event would live up to its charge to celebrate new drivers and young people, and I was glad to be there representing Project Ignition.
Our Celebrate My Drive event had a lot going on throughout the day, beginning with a live chat American Idol winner Scott McCreery. Voting and registration began right away with young people choosing which school they felt deserved the $100,000 grant for their region. It was great to see local high schools performing on the stage, and the giveaway contests kept bringing people back for more.
I talked to many people who came up to the Project Ignition booth asking to know more about the program. It was a great opportunity to share our $2,000 grant opportunity, as well as talk about some of the great work past Project Ignition schools have done, like Yelm High School, which placed their focus on the issue of distracted driving. They reached out to their community by providing hands-on educational activities to a local middle school, distributed fact sheets to parents during open houses, surveyed driving behavior on the streets, provided lesson plan packets to teachers, and hosted many other activities throughout the year.
Project Ignition is unique in that it funds high quality service-learning projects that are youth-led and have the support of an adult advisor. 10 out of the 25 new schools that will be funded this year will also be eligible to receive additional funding next year, as well as the opportunity to present their projects during the 2014 National Service-Learning Conference in Washington, D.C.! Getting to see the advisors and youth teams I work to support throughout the year present all of their hard work at the conference is one of the best parts of my job as the program manager, and I look forward to it every year.
I was proud to be part of a great event last weekend, one of 14 that took place that day. To view photos from the Minnesota Celebrate My Drive, check out the Project Ignition Facebook page.
Have you submitted your Project Ignition application yet, or know a school that should? Visit www.sfprojectignition.com to learn more and start your application today!
Rejuvenating the Heart
From August 10 - 12 I had the extraordinary opportunity to attend the 13th Annual Shinnyo-en Foundation Retreat at the beautiful Marconi Conference Center. The Center is located in a historic park on the shore of Tomales Bay in Point Reyes, Calif. Each year, the Foundation hosts the retreat to provide attendees with the opportunity to connect with people in the field of service, service-learning, and volunteering, and to think deeply about their own personal, cultural, and spiritual roots of service.
During the three day retreat, I had time to reflect on my own history of service, make new friends, and rejuvenate my personal commitment to serve. I also had the opportunity to celebrate with the others the appointment of
Nan Peterson of The Blake School in Minneapolis, Minn. and Steve Herrera, Deacon of San Jose Diocese and religious studies teacher at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif., as the Shinnyo-en Foundation’s 2012-2013 Senior Shinnyo Fellows. Steve and Nan received certificates of appreciation and gratitude from Ben Takagi, Vice President of the Foundation.
Senior Shinnyo Fellows are individuals who model lives of compassion and service, and lead others by their own examples of walking their paths to peace at work and in daily life. They are considered to be exemplary leaders in the field of service, education, and related fields. After three days in such company, it was impossible not to come home with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to the work ahead.
I am grateful to the Shinnyo-en Foundation, not only for their commitment to supporting organizations like NYLC, but for their commitment to rejuvenating the hearts of those who serve. Our path in service is not always easy, but when we walk together we can change the world.
Why it ROCKS to be a Project Ignition Advisor!
As Project Ignition rolls into its ninth year, we remember the dozens of advisors who have given their time to make an incredible impact on youth. Although the projects are student-led, these advisors from all across the country serve as mentors and use their professional expertise to help students brainstorm, organize, and lead their peers to safe driving habits. With the commitment and drive of our Project Ignition advisors, many, if not all, are already serving in public service fields as teachers, police officers, and school counselors, to name a few. Even though they already have busy lives serving in their careers, there is a somewhat unanimous song that they all sing: “this work matters and I’m lucky to be a part of it.”
After speaking with two Project Ignition advisors — Jennifer Wescoe, a teacher at Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Penn., and Kathy Lostroh, a teacher at Springlake-Earth High School in Earth, Tex. — it’s clear to me why they continue to stand side by side with these dynamic young people.
How did Project Ignition impact you as an educator?
Jennifer Wescoe: I believe that I have grown as an educator in multiple ways through the help of Project Ignition. Through the creation and implementation of an effective service-learning plan, [the experience] allowed me to witness first-hand how this type of learning can empower students in ways I never previously imagined.
Kathy Lostroh: Project Ignition renewed an excitement in me. My kids took the opportunity to run with their project and activities, and I was able to watch as their fears subsided and their passions exploded. I saw kids complete activities and organize events that they never thought would be possible; I observed as they made phone calls and spoke with project partners better than many professionals. I enjoyed watching their creativity excel when trying to develop unique ways to reach their audience. After teaching for 10 years, my kids inspired me to think outside the box and challenge myself as an educator.
Why should others serve as Project Ignition Advisors?
Jennifer: If I could give some advice to other educators, it would be simply to keep your eyes and ears open for wonderful opportunities, such as Project Ignition, that help those you teach grow as students and leaders. If you allow them an opportunity to take on leadership roles, you might just be amazed at how much they shine.
Kathy: Kids must have ownership of what they’re doing or it won’t mean anything. Allow them the (reasonable) freedom to do what they want/need to do. Play the devil’s advocate, but don’t shoot down their ideas. Allow them to solve the problems and deal with the issues that arise, no matter how hard it is not to just tell them what to do. You will be amazed where their ideas lead them (and you).
If you are a student at a public high school and are interested in learning more or becoming involved in Project Ignition, visit www.sfprojectignition.com to apply for a Project Ignition grant and be a positive change in your community!
Without Limits, The 24th Annual National Service-Learning Conference®
We are pleased to announce that the official conference website for the 24th Annual National Service-Learning Conference®, Without Limits, has launched! Please visit www.nylc.org/conference for anything and everything that you would ever want to know about the 2013 conference. Find answers to your questions about conference programming, transportation, registration, housing, and much more. Check back often for updates.
Mark your calendar with these important upcoming deadlines:
Workshops and Service-Learning Showcase. Workshops are the heart of the conference, providing professional development opportunities for youth and adults alike. The service-learning showcase highlights high quality service-learning projects from across the country, and is an opportunity to connect with people and share how a project was implemented, how it was connected to curricular goals, and what made it effective. Don’t miss your opportunity to share your knowledge with the nearly 2,000 attendees of the conference.
» Apply online. Deadline to apply is September 21, 2012.
Youth Emcee. Do you have the desire to be on the plenary stage? Have you ever wanted to introduce a conference keynote presenter? Do you have the skills it takes to present in front of nearly 2,000 of your fellow attendees? If you answered “Yes!” to these questions, this opportunity is for you. Youth emcees are essential to the success of the plenary sessions. They introduce keynote speakers, set the stage for the day’s session, inform attendees about upcoming events, and keep the audience smiling!
» Apply online. Deadline to apply is October 12, 2012.
Scholarships. Each year, NYLC is pleased to provide scholarship dollars to conference attendees in need of support to attend the conference. Scholarship notifications will be made by October 10, 2012.
» Apply online. Deadline to apply is October 3, 2012. Be sure to also check out our fundraising tips.
Award Nominations. Recognize someone that you believe has been a service-learning superstar. Nominate youth, practitioners, and service-learning leaders for the Youth Leadership for Service-Learning Excellence Award, the Service-Learning Practitioner Leadership Award, and the Alec Dickson Servant Leader Award. What better way to recognize and thank these individuals for their work in the community?
» Review the application criteria online. Deadline to submit an award application is October 3, 2012.
Registration for the conference opens Thursday, September 6, 2012! Register soon to receive early bird rates by October 31, 2012.
Keep on top of upcoming deadlines for Without Limits by following @nylcorg on Twitter and use the official conference hashtag, #NYLC13.
