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April, 2010:

The Babe Within Helps Girls Make the Most of Life

Apr 28th, 2010
by DJacoby.
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the babe withinIn 2009, Rupa Mohan used Landmark Education’s SELP class to create The Babe Within, an eight part program to have girls live a more fulfilled life. The program focuses on key area’s in a girl’s life such as motivation, self-esteem, nutrition and fitness.

The girl’s empowerment program is designed to have each girl discover their own uniqueness, free from the biases and pressures of our culture and the media. The program offers many hands-on activities, including exploring new talents, physical exercise, healthy cooking programs, and beauty tips. Girls are given a journal to record their progress through the program.

The organization’s program was a part of the Lower Bucks County (near Philadelphia) YMCA Summer program in 2009. Events are ongoing – the organization is speaking at the Penwood Middle School’s Girls Night Out event on April 30, and the program returns to the YMCA Summer program when it starts in June.

To learn more, visit The Babe within website and Facebook group.

Foster Hope Aids Kids

Apr 27th, 2010
by Julia Taylor.
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foster hopeWhen Louise Burnie Allnut took Landmark Education’s self-expression and leadership programme in New Zealand last year, she decided to make a difference for young people heading into foster care. Many children who are placed into new homes have no possessions except for the clothes they are wearing when they first arrive at their new foster home.

Allnut partnered with foster mother Sam Weir to give children something that was there own and for them to know someone cares about them. They combined to collect 500 teddy bears and 300 other soft toys through the Bears2Care and Cuddles2Keep organisations, and gave them away to foster kids through other organisastions.

Then Weir came up with the Kits2Kids concept, through which each young person got a kit of personal items. Weir also convinced Allnut that it was worth going through red tape to form their own non-profit, Foster Hope Charitable Trust. This enabled them to receive product donations from businesses all around New Zealand.

Child development expert Ngarie Wroslie has become part of the Foster Hope Team, coordinating donations into kits and making sure they are distributed to local foster care organisations.

To find out more or contribute to this worthy organisation, visit the website of Foster Hope now.

Velo and Vintage

Apr 21st, 2010
by DJacoby.
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velo and vintageAccording to Online Broadcasting Systems, a unique show featuring fashion and bicycling in equal parts is coming to Sacramento, thanks to the efforts of cycling activist Lorena Beightler. Conceived in Landmark Education’s Self-Expression and Leadership Program (SELP), Beightler’s project, dubbed ‘Velo and Vintage’ (velo is the French word for bicycle), will take place Saturday, May 8, at Hot Italian, which OBS describes as a swanky Sacramento restaurant.

Two ‘runway shows’ will take place that Saturday, where the models will show off their outfits while riding bycycles. The outfits worn by the models are vintage clothing, and the models, who OBS describes as passionate about vintage clothing and cycling, represent small businesses. The master of ceremonies for the event will be West Sacramento mayor Christopher Cabaldon.

As for the reasons for her project, Beightler says “I’m passionate about building community, shopping locally, and helping to promote our local economy.”

Beightler was supported in organizing the event by Sacramento blogger Kari Shipman, who is an expert in eco-friendly vintage clothing.

“I am thrilled to be a part of this fashion show because it is about more than just the clothes and the bikes,” said Shipman.  “It’s about bringing together two often separate communities here in Midtown and celebrating them for the contribution they bring to our city.”

Organizers hope to make the fashion show an annual tradition. To read more about the event and those who contributed free services to allow the event to happen, view the original story from OBS.

Doggy Day Out to Celebrate Canines

Apr 13th, 2010
by Julia Taylor.
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A project created in Landmark’s SELP in Ireland, ‘Doggy Day Out’, strives to celebrate dogs in a family friendly outing taking place on May 8, in Marlay Park in Dublin, from 12 to 4pm.

The outing, created by Carolyn Huey, gives dogs and their owners a chance to compete in a wide variety of events: a Temptation Tunnel, an Agility Demonstration, Certificates of achievement for a dog walkathon, Micro-Chipping, Dog Photography and more.

Funds raised from the event will benefit the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA), a charity formed in 1840. The DSPCA fights animal cruelty in every variety and provides mobile veterinary clinics – for more information, visit their website at www.dspca.ie.

As part of the day there is also an essay competition for young dog owners titled “How my lovely dog has brought fun into my life”. Those 13 years of age or less can enter this competition by mailing their entry of 100 words or less to Huey at:

Carolyn Huey, Doggy Day Essay Competition, 33 The Rise, Boden Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.

1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will have their entries copied and distributed to the day’s attendees. Huey is also looking for more volunteers to help put on the day – to get involved contact her at 087 993 8157.


High Adventure World

Apr 9th, 2010
by DJacoby.
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high adventure 2As her project in Landmark’s Self-Expression and Leadership Program, Danielle Sheehan created the High Adventure World website which celebrates extreme adventures in the outdoors.

The site features videos and pictures of ice climbing, bungee jumping, paragliding, kiteboarding and many other activities, including pictures of Sheehan’s own outdoor treks, such as the above picture from Mt. Whitney (which is the highest peak in the lower United States). She notes that the site’s purpose is to inspire others to go into the outdoors and be adventurous. The site also invites anyone to submit their own outdoor adventures to highadventureworld@gmail.com.

Pelican Post Recognized Again

Apr 6th, 2010
by Julia Taylor.
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Pelican Post, the organization created by Nick Johnson as his project in Landmark Education’s SELP programme to increase literacy among children around the world, has again received media attention related to an SELP project.

The organization gathers books to be sent to schools in Africa. Previously, we covered King Dunsmore’s Big Book Swap which benefitted Pelican Post. The Amersham and Littlefont Examiner has now covered the SELP project of David Sommer, which also involved generating books for Pelican Post, this time through a local school:

Youngsters learned about a scheme to send books to children in Africa.

Parent David Sommer visited the Chestnut Lane Infant School in Amersham to speak to the pupils about the Pelican Post effort, which involves pledging to post children’s story books to Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda to inspire their peers in these countries to develop a love of reading.

He spoke to the children on March 3, the day before World Book Day activities got underway at the school and nationwide.