Awards, Film, and Ozomatli Bring NSLC to a Close
awards, film, and ozomatli
The 18th Annual National Service-Learning Conference's final days began with workshops, moved into the presentation of a $10,000 grant, and capped off with an explosive performance by Grammy Award-winner Ozomatli.
On Friday, March 30, activities in the Youth Room kicked off with Youth Voice!, presented by NYLC's Youth Advisory Council. The "sold out" workshop used an introductory presentation, skits, and breakout sessions to cover the basics of youth voice and service-learning. After covering the fundamentals, the YAC members — who provide similar trainings to educators and community-based organizations — shared techniques with the youth participants to help them get their opinions heard and influence their organizations.
A morning plenary session featured educator, author, and NYLC Senior Fellow Verna Cornelia Price, and participants from her Girls in Action program — an international leadership and mentoring project for the next generation of women leaders. "There is something in you that is so powerful [that] when you decide you are going to do something about that thing, nothing is going to stop you," Price told attendees.
The Girl in Action members performed Rights to Passage, a dance-theater performance. The seven performers had researched their rights to leadership, service, power, and education, and worked with theater artist Rose McGee to create the performance. Beautifully designed, lit, and performed, the work highlighted the rights, rites, and challenges girls wrestle with on the path to adulthood. Following the performance, Girls in Action hosted an International TeaLit — a ritual "tea" that engages girls and women leaders in dialog about their rights.
Friday night culminated with the Project Ignition Award Festival and Dance Party — a lavish event that saw Shallowater (Texas) High School named Best of the Best in this year's Project Ignition competition. A program of State Farm and NYLC, Project Ignition helps high school students reach their peers through creative teen-driver-education campaigns. A three-time participant, Shallowater finally took top honors for its campaign, Roll Right: Get REAL. State Farm presented Shallowater with a $10,000 grant to continue its work.
The following morning saw the world premiere an educationally enhanced edition of the award-winning film TV Junkie: Faces of Addition. The documentary traces Inside Edition correspondent Rick Kirkham's professional rise and battle with substance abuse. The enhanced edition includes curricular connections, interactive tools, and printable materials. The screening was preceded by a panel discussion focusing on the synergy between Hollywood and education and followed by a Q&A session with Kirkham.
As the conference drew to an end, attendees gathered for one final session at the Albuquerque Convention Center. A video produced by students from New Foundations Charter School in Philadelphia (see gallery below) capped this year's event, and another, produced by NYLC's Youth Advisory Council, looked a head to next year's conference, April 9-12, 2008, in Minneapolis. In a closing reflection, Youth Service America's Steve Culbertson left the crowd with an important reminder: "We don't need young people to be the leaders of the future," he said. "We need their energy to tackle issues now."
With the videos and speeches out of the way, Ozomatli took the stage and brought down the house with a powerful mix of rock, rap, and Latin sounds — a fitting end to an amazing conference.
