The Charlie Schultz Philosophy
The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the ‘Peanuts’ comic strip.
You don’t have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them. Then keep reading, and you’ll get the point.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade’s worth of World Series Winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies..
Awards tarnish.
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1 List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special!!
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier?
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials… The most money..or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most. (That’s the power of the SUPPORT asset!)
Thanks Cindy, for passing this along!
Win a Spot at Google Zeitgeist Americas 2011!
If you’re between 18 and 24 and regularly rock the world with your innovative solutions to social problems, we want to hear from you!
SparkAction has partnered with UK-based Livity to search for “future world changers” who are the pioneers and leaders of tomorrow. Enter the Young Minds competition and you could be one of 12 exceptional young people selected to attend Google’s annual invitation-only, two-day Zeitgeist Americas event—where you’ll rub elbows with the likes of Black Eye Peas superstar Will.I.Am, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Stephen Hawking and Queen Rania of Jordan. You’ll also get tailormade master classes from Google. The Young Minds competition is sponsored by Google and hosted on YouTube.
Need more answers? Visit http://sparkaction.org/youngminds
(reposted from Search Institute)
Looking for a Way to Get Kids Writing Creatively?
Your children/teens might like this creative writing contest for kids ages 4-13: http://www.contest.mrsp.com/Default.aspx
My 4 year old daughter started writing her story by choosing picture cards from her “Tell Me a Story” deck. Then she ordered the cards to create a story. Then she named her characters. She practiced telling the story to me, then she recorded her story with the QuickVoice ap on the ipad. Then we looked on our v-tech globe to pick places the magic boat could visit. Then she drew pictures of the main characters. Then I typed the story for her, and she added pieces to make the story longer. It was such a fun project to work on together, and I hope many more children will write stories! She’s proudly telling her friends that she has written her own book. What a great contest!
Everyday Young Hero Award from Youth Service America
Youth Service America features an Everyday Young Hero each week in the National Service Briefing. Do you know a youth hero? Nominate him/her for the award here.
Earth Day Celebration Ideas from Envirolist
Envirolist has many ideas for organizers of Earth Day events – from simple to complex, from classroom-size to citywide events. Here are some that caught my eye, but check out their full list with details for project ideas at http://earthday.envirolink.org/guide6.html.
Earth day pledge
Letters to politicians
Grocery Bags on Earth Day!
“Walkaround”
Community Report Card
Construct an environmental maze
Build a Life-sized Sculpture of Recycled Materials
Conduct an Ecothon
Give “Environmental Hero” Awards
Hold a Dirty Sock Contest
Paint an educational Earth Day mural
Teen Heroes in Environmental Service -Teens for Planet Earth
I loved reading about the Teens For Planet Earth 2010 Service Award winners from around the world! Check out the work they are doing in their communities:
Environmental Discovery Project (Ohio)has held events to educate their community about the importance of habitat conservation, sustainable practices, and energy efficiency.
Green Club and Young Earth (India) has been using conservation efforts to bridge language barriers within the community. By forming Green Clubs, they have involved previously uninterested parties in their efforts.
Kubiti Teak Plantation Group (Ghana) has planted 32,000 trees so far, restoring the forest to provide habitats and opportunities for local commerce. They will use their winnings to continue to their work, projecting 65,000 trees planted by 2015.
Plant Patrol (Utah) has removed invasive plants from a local park, benefitting endemic wildlife as well as reducing the risk of forest fires.
Teens turning Green (California) have been working to inform teens across the country of the health implications of using toxic products, influencing legislation and partnering with businesses to further their mission.
Tetra Paks Recycling Team(China) have educated their fellow students about waste management and the importance of recycling through workshops, competitions, and projects reusing Tetra Packs.
Wanna nominate your program for a service award?
Wanna learn more about ways you can serve?
Projects in Community Education.
Hasbro Community Action Hero Award Nominations
The Hasbro Community Action Hero Award recognizes outstanding young volunteers who show that you are never too young to make a difference in your local or global community. Hasbro Children’s Fund and generationOn will celebrate five young people between the ages of 5 and 18 for their extraordinary community service and volunteer activities at a special recognition event in New York City and award each winner a $1,000 educational scholarship. Nomination Deadline: 5 p.m. – Tuesday, April 19, 2011
A Hasbro Community Action Hero is a young person who makes an extraordinary mark on the world through service. The nominee’s achievements must demonstrate one or more of the following characteristics:
· Outstanding service to one’s local, national or global community
· Extraordinary effort in creating innovative solutions to community needs
· Leadership of an exceptional service or advocacy activity
Further information and to nominate a young person today, visit http://bit.ly/gMiK0Y. For more information, contact: Rebecca Kraus at rkraus@generationOn.org or (212) 850-4170.
Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes – due 4/30
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes honors outstanding young leaders who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. Nominees, who may range in age from 8 to 18 years old, must have been the prime mover of a service activity, and demonstrated positive spirit and high moral purpose in accomplishing their goals. Nominees must be nominated by responsible adults who have solid knowledge of the young person’s heroic activities, and who are not related to the nominee. Winners of the Barron Prize receive:
- $2,500 to be applied to their higher education or to their service project
- a recognition plaque
- a certificate of recognition
- a signed copy of The Hero’s Trail, by Barron Prize founder T.A. Barron
- a copy of Dream Big, our new documentary film featuring several Barron Prize winners
- a heroes study guide, curriculum, and bibliography
- the opportunity to be paired with an adult mentor who is passionate about and working in the winner’s area of interest
- the opportunity to connect with other Barron Prize winners through the Young Heroes Listserv
- numerous media opportunities – print, television, and radio
Nominations are due April 30, 2011.
Landscapes Across America Contest – Grades 3-5
Investigate your local ecosystem with your class for the chance to win exciting, eco-friendly prizes including a $5,000 grant for your classroom and trees planted in your honor.
All your class needs to do is submit a slideshow with descriptions and digital photos to demonstrate the unique ecosystem and landscapes of your local region. Tips for creating this slideshow are included in each of TurfMutt’s lesson plans found in the educator section.
Deadline May 5, 2011.
Clubs Madness at DoSomething – Celebrating Youth Volunteers
THE SITUATION:
Clubs Madness is an annual event in which Do Something Clubs show off their amazing projects in a tournament for ultimate glory…and a little community impact on the side.
THE STAKES:
The Final Four Clubs in the tournament will each win a $500 grant, and the Club Madness champ will win a total of $1000! Plus serious bragging rights.
THE SCHEDULE:
Post your project anytime between now and March 26. The project itself doesn’t have to begin or end in March, as long as a significant part of it is happening during the month. Then come back every week for news on who the strongest contenders are for the win.
Round 1: Now-March 26 (Submit your project!)
Round 2: March 27-April 2 (Sweet 16 voting period)
Round 3: April 4-9 (FINAL FOUR voting period)
THE SPREAD:
Clubs will compete by region (West, East, Midwest and South) up until the Final Four!
THE SUBMISSIONS:
Any Club Project that is posted between now and March 26th is eligible. If you want to boost your club’s chances of being noticed, e-mail us the link to your project by writing to clubs@dosomething.org, with the subject “CLUBS MADNESS” in the subject line. The e-mail should include a few sentences on what the project is and what kind of impact it will have. For full pointers on making your project competitive, take a look at “How To Win” below.
The final “Sweet” 16 Clubs will be announced the week of March 27th, after which you can vote for your favorite Club by sharing or liking their project on Facebook, or tweeting about it. The voting will continue during the week of the Final Four: April 4th-April 9th.
Find out more here.
Nashville Named One of Seven Ford Next Generation Learning Hubs
Nashville, Tenn. (March 1, 2011)
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, on Tuesday announced that Nashville has been named a Ford Next Generation Learning (Ford NGL) Hub, one of only seven in the country. Cheryl Carrier of the Ford Motor Company Fund was in Nashville to make the announcement along with Mayor Karl Dean and Director of Schools, Dr. Jesse Register. With this prestigious designation, Nashville will offer professional development as well as coaching and mentoring for other communities around the region seeking to develop a master plan for education transformation and local educational, community and business leader engagement.
Alignment Nashville will coordinate the hub activities with MNPS. Sydney Rogers and Starr Herrman will co-direct the Hub.
Click here to read the full press release.
Save Service – update from America’s Service Commissions
On February 19, 2011, the United States House of Representatives passed HR 1, an appropriations bill that essentially eliminates funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service and state service commissions. This legislation will deny local organizations and millions of Americans the resources needed to strengthen their communities. If enacted, this legislation would eliminate AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Learn and Serve America, the Volunteer Generation Fund and many other vital resources local communities rely on to address compelling community needs.
Here is the report that America’s Service Commissions compiled documenting the local impact that national and community service programs provide across America on a state by state basis.
You can download the report here
Without these highly effective national and community service programs, states will lose millions of dollars in funding, including millions annually that goes directly to support the higher education costs of members through the Segal AmeriCorps education award. Last year, more than 5 million Americans of all ages participated in community-based programming funded by state service commissions and the Corporation for National and Community Service.
With the passage of HR 1, and the proposed elimination of the Corporation for National and Community Service and its programs, America’s Service Commissions requested data from state service commissions on the impact to their state if HR 1 were enacted. This report is the compilation of the impact that the elimination of the national and community service programs would have on the nation, state by state.
Also, we have been collecting stories of service and testimonials about local programs and are compiling in a separate report that we will share soon
Sincerely,
Tom Branen
Executive Director
America’s Service Commissions
Financial Literacy – Grant from H&R Block Dollars & Sense Program
Only 15% of students leaving high school receive any formal personal finance education—this application is the first step in changing that statistic. H&R Block is excited to help increase teens’ financial fitness and invites high school administrators and teachers to apply for a personal finance curriculum grant through H&R Block Dollars & Sense™.
All private and public high schools in the United States are eligible. If selected, H&R Block Dollars & Sense will provide Knowledge Matters’ Virtual Business®-Personal Finance curriculum and lesson plans at no charge. Available online or in software, the curriculum is experience-based and teaches students about 18 financial topics such as bank accounts, credit and debit cards, bills, credit scores, taxes and investing.
Completing this application enters your school into consideration for a 2011-2012 school-year grant. Applications will not be used for any purpose other than awarding H&R Block Dollars & Sense grants. Applications will be accepted through February 28, 2011. Grants will be awarded by popular vote open to the public on March 1 – April 15, 2011. Please read the Rules and Regulations for more details.
Since 2009, H&R Block Dollars & Sense has donated more than $2 million in personal finance curriculum grants to high schools—your school may be next!
(Reposted from H&R Block’s site) (Thanks to Gina Murphy for sending us this info!)
Prudential Spirit of Community Initiative Names Top Student Volunteer Service Leaders
2011 Top Youth Volunteers Announced Today February 8, 2011
America’s 102 most outstanding youth volunteers – two from each state and the
District of Columbia – were named State Honorees today by The Prudential Spirit of
Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for exemplary acts of
volunteerism.
Every year, the top high school and middle level youth volunteers in each state and
the District of Columbia are selected as State Honorees. Each receives a $1,000
award, an engraved silver medallion, and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington,
D.C., for several days of national recognition events. In addition, two to 10
runners-up in each state are named Distinguished Finalists and receive a bronze
medallion.
Click here to see a list of these awesome youth volunteers.
Thanks to Beau Basset for sharing this info with us!
Summer Abroad – Work Studies and Service-Learning
Summer study and work in foreign countries is always eye opening, especially for teenagers who have stayed close to home. Often, these experiences are life changing. For high school students looking to spend a summer abroad, the options abound: home stays, language classes, volunteer work, internships, student exchanges, and rugged adventures. All include a service learning component. Scholarships are often available.
Find out more here. And please share the info with others–most of all, students who’d find the directory of interest.
Thanks to Barbara Cervone at www.whatkidscando.org for sharing this info with us!
