The event will take place from 7-11pm downtown at the Pink Ultra Lounge on 6th and Pine. Dates with ten men and ten women will be auctioned, with the package including a complete date experience such as a romantic dinner, a movie night, dancing or even rock climbing.

The event is intended to raise $10,000 for children’s scholarships and provoke awareness about what it will take for Kenyan children to get real opportunities.

Tickets cost $15 in advance, or $20 at the door. For more information visit the Date to Educate event page.

The reason for the day is environmental education, creation and inspiration, and features a variety of workshops, crafts and musical activities.

The day is being held Saturday, June 5th, starting at 9:30 in the morning with a compostable waffle breakfast, for which a $5 donation is suggested. At 10 there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the new school garden. The garden actually began in the fall with planter boxes provided by the school’s Dad’s Club – student grown vegetables from the planter boxes will be on sale at the Green Day.

According to Opas, the project was designed to “create community, empowerment and education centered around caring for our planet and for each other.”

To find out more, call Opas at 510-879-1220. Here is the Oakland Local story.

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.

In addition to the fun of book swapping, the event if featuring raffles, drinks and donations, all of which will go towards Pelican Post, thus funding great books as well for those in Africa who may not otherwise have access to them.

The event is taking place on June 1, 2010 at the Royal College of Physicians.

Book: What would you say to your younger self?

By Julia Ogden

A BOOK of letters written by a Peterborough women to their younger selves has been put together to raise money for two important charities. Features editor Julia Ogden went to meet Benita Nwulu, the woman behind the initiative: MOST women find it hard to accept a compliment.

Few find it easy to admit they are good at what they do, and many struggle to recognise their achievements.

It is somehow distasteful to admit you are an attractive, competent person who deserves to be happy.

But is it easier to praise yourself in the written word? And if you were to write a letter to your younger self, what would you say?

These was the interesting questions Benita Nwulu, from Peterborough, considered before embarking on an inspirational project to help women take more pride in themselves.

The project is called A Letter To Yourself.

Benita, a dentist in the city, invited female friends and family to write a letter to themselves when they were young. She urged them to be completely honest about who they were and what they had achieved in their lives.

The result is amazing.

The letters are truly inspirational. Some will make you laugh, others cry, some will touch a nerve, others will offer comfort – all of them are guaranteed to touch the reader in some way.

Benita was so overwhelmed by the response she decided to put all the letters together in a book which she hopes to get published and raise money for two charities close to her heart – The Ikenna Education and Work Training Trust and Equality Now (for more information see below).

The 31-year-old is also encouraging more women to post their letters on a website, and would like some of them to record a video of themselves reading their work, in the hope that other women all over the world will follow suit.

If any woman reading this is interested in contributing a letter or wants to be recorded on the website, they should e-mail Benita at bnwulu@googlemail.com.

Benita said: “I created the project while participating in a Landmark Education leadership programme. Part of the course work was to create a project which benefits the community.

“My thought to compile a book/website of self-written letters came largely from the idea that, as women, we find it hard to acknowledge and celebrate ourselves. For various reasons, we are naturally inclined to encourage and compliment others around us but we find it hard to do that for ourselves.

“I asked 70 women I know, many from a Christian faith background, to write themselves a letter in the second person, as if they were writing to a younger sister or a daughter, except that person was actually them.

“My question was: ‘If you dared not to self-criticise, down play or limit the person you were created to be, what would you say to yourself?’ ”

“It was really interesting the different responses I got – some people were really happy to be involved, others were more reticent but all the letters I got back made me realise how lucky I am to have so many inspirational women in my life.”

Landmark Education is an international training and development company, which is known for offering their flagship course The Landmark Forum.

The course is specifically designed to bring about positive and permanent shifts in the quality of a person’s life.

Benita said the course helped her see “the person you have become is not necessarily the person you really are”.

“For example. My parents had a death in the family just before I was born and my mum always said I was a really good child and a great comfort to her at a time when she was grieving.

“And I have continued in this role of comforter as an adult. Of course it is a good personality trait to have, but it has also become a habit that I had picked up from childhood and sometimes it is important for other people to take over that role, not always to rely on me.

“This knowledge, along with my Christian faith, has helped me develop the tools to tackle problems as and when they arise.

“I am definitely not the same person I was before I started the course – I think it has really helped me to accept myself for who I am and who I am not.”

Benita was born in Nigeria but her family moved to Scotland when she was two. They then moved to Rotherham, near Sheffield.

Her father, Dr Bernard Nwulu, was a psychiatrist and her mother, Sabinah, was a health visitor.

Benita describes her childhood as “very Nigerian”.

“Basically, it was all about education, education, education,” she said.

“I had no option but to go to university and I chose to go to one in London, in part to spread my wings and in the hope I would discover who I really was.

“I made some fantastic friends, but I wasn’t particularly happy. After I graduated from dental college in 2002, I basically looked for a job somewhere which was not too close to home, but was not too far away from London, where the bulk of my friends remained – Peterborough seemed the perfect choice.

“But what seemed like a random act at the time, was, I now see, part of God’s plan for me.”

In the preface of the book, Benita admits to always having dreams to be a writer, but said ‘life got in the way of her plans’.

She wrote: “I wanted to be a writer – to write something that really mattered – but I always felt I had nothing to say, nothing new anyway. I left that dream behind in my childhood and life continued and that initial insecurity grew layers which sounded like ‘I am too busy’, ‘my creative juices have all dried up’, ‘I don’t have the time’, but what I really meant is ‘I’m not good enough’.

“But when I was at university and really unhappy, writing really helped me answer all those raging questions which kept me awake at night, I hope Letter to Yourself might help other people in a similar position.”

Benita’s next step is to try to get the book Letters to Yourself published and to work on developing the website.

She said: “I would really love it if people wanted to contribute to the website and would agree to be interviewed for it.

“I cannot promise all the new letters I receive will be featured in the book, but they can be put on the website.”

Cedar Grove students get creative

Cedar Grove Elementary School has rewarded two deserving and creative students with a bursary.

Last week, students Jillian Dueck and Raven Gonzales received the Desire to Inspire Creative Curiosity Bursary.

On Jan. 31, the stage at the Heritage Playhouse came alive as students, parents, teachers and grandparents gathered together and demonstrated their talents in an evening appropriately called Desire to Inspire.

“Our children are blessed with many opportunities to sing, play, dance and share throughout the school year. Why not offer the adults the same opportunity,” said event organizer Heidi Riggs, who created the community program to complete her participation in the Landmark Education Self Expression and Leadership program.

Born of her love of theatre, her first career as a professional ballerina, and the suggestion for an adult talent show from her friend Lisa, the evening was a great success, evident from the laughter and applause of the enthusiastic audience. An inspired idea appeared inside the original plan — to award a bursary for two Cedar Grove students to participate in classes in the arts, classes that they may not otherwise have the opportunity to attend.

“I believe our future lies in the development of our creative gifts,” Riggs said.

Several local businesses and individuals have generously donated to making these bursaries a reality.

Desire to Inspire has become an annual Cedar Grove event, so mark your calendars for Jan. 30, 2010.

The Bucks County Courier Times of Pennsylvania recently published a story about the Landmark Self Expression and Leadership Program of Vicki LaRosa, whichy  raised money for the Dress for Success Organization.

Helping women dress for success

by Kate Fratti

The hardest part of the work day, in my estimation, is getting dressed.

What to wear? What to wear?

And the thing is I’m under no pressure to be fashionable at work. The newsroom dress code is fairly liberal. The rule of thumb is that a print journalist ought to be dressed to cover either a fire or funeral. Mostly, I think editors are just relieved when some of us don’t wear our underwear on our heads or sport two different colored shoes.

Which reminds me that a guy in the office recently sidled up to my desk to show me that he had, in fact, gotten dressed too quickly and pulled on two different loafers. He thought it was hilarious, not job threatening.

Rumpled, even mismatched, is OK most days if you’re a columnist.

However, it is most definitely not OK if you are seeking to climb a corporate ladder.

Vicki LaRosa, at the ripe old age of 27, knows it all too well. Clothes matter.

A graduate of Penn State, she frequently travels on business. She consults with large companies about their operations. Most recently, she’s been consulting with American Greetings in Ohio.

Being taken seriously means looking sharp. And sharp can cost a bundle.

Vicki said she’s been blessed in her life. But it often has struck her how difficult it must be for women trying to transition into professional jobs out of poverty or bad marriages or any other situation that leaves them counting pennies.

Job hunting is a tough enough challenge. How do those women also fold in the challenge of dressing the part?

Enter a longstanding non-profit group called Dress For Success.

It’s the one Vicki chose when she was looking for a community outreach project. She’s enrolled in something called the Landmark Education Self Expression and Leadership Program. It teaches that part of leading is identifying challenges, then finding ways to transform them into opportunities for positive change

Vicki’s Bought into the notion

Dress for Success Philadelphia (www.dressforsuccess.org/philadelphia/), which serves women living in the Delaware Valley, is based at 1043 Spring Garden St. in Philadelphia. There are 90 affiliates all over the world, according to its Web site. With retail and corporate sponsors, Dress For Success is a volunteer-driven program that provides low-income women with free professional outfits for work – suits, separates, shoes and other accessories.

It’s not just about fashion. It’s about providing some very basic keys to a woman’s independence and self-sufficiency. Call 215-232-7292 for information.

Vicki is inviting you to keep the evening of May 1 open, from 7:30 to 11:30, so you can help the mission. That’s when she’ll host a Dress For Success benefit at Main Street Catering in Tullytown.

A $30 ticket will buy you dinner, beer and music by the band Johnny Pompadour. There will be raffles, a 50/50 and a silent auction. One of the big items will be tickets for the Phillies versus the Mets on July 5. Think fireworks.

If you can’t make it to the benefit in Tullytown, Vicki invites you to drop off new and gently used contemporary women’s business clothing to the Beer-A-Rama at 200 Levittown Parkway in Tullytown. The store is owned by her dad, Frank LaRosa.

If you could wear it to a professional job interview, Vicki is happy to have it for Dress for Success. Drop-off days at Beer-A-Rama are April 20 to April 30 during business hours, Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

I’m telling you about the benefit this early because Vicki hopes other business owners will come forward to donate raffle items. If you cater to women, what better way to get the word out about your place? You can reach Vicki at 267-994-0031.

Here’s to hoping that helping will always be fashionable.

Tessa Mills created a fundraising event to raise £1,000 for new classrooms at a Himalayan school. The event, which was her project in the self expression and leadership programme, actually raised £1,500 and the attention of the London Informer.

Chelsea Party for Indian Kids

by Ellie Dyer

A Chelsea resident has been inspired to throw a party to help build a new classroom at an Indian school, nestled in the foothills of the world’s largest mountains.

Tessa Mills, 56, is hosting an event at World’s End Studios, in Lots Road, tomorrow night to help children in the famous tea-growing district of Darjeeling.

She hopes to raise £1,000 for the 55 pupil English-speaking school, so it can extend its educational reach and improve the lives of youngsters, after a visit to the institute.

“It was truly amazing place, on the foothills of the Himalayas. But there was a huge contrast between the beauty and the simplicity of the classrooms”, said Tessa.

“Raising the money will means the school can continue.”

Tickets for the party cost £15 and it starts at 6pm. The ticket includes an Indian beer and entertainment.

It will be held at the World’s End Studio, 134 Lots Road, Chelsea.

When Mike Jones of Dallas took Landmark Education’s Self-Expression and Leadership program (SELP), he knew he wanted to make a difference in his community in a way that related to basketball and the community – Jones works for ESPN, and formerly played basketball at Mansfield High School. He found his project in helping nearby James Madison High School, whose facilities weren’t nearly as nice as those at Mansfield. How he brought two high schools together and put on a basketball clinic in the process was the subject of a number of newspaper stories, including this one in the Dallas Morning News.

A team effort for two squads

Mansfield players assist in makeover of Madison’s locker room

By Matt Wixon

Two months ago, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition documented a home renovation in Keller. On Saturday, it was time for Extreme Makeover: Locker Room Edition.

There were no television cameras at Madison, but the project was worth prime-time attention. Madison’s players and coaches renovated their cramped, outdated varsity and junior varsity boys locker rooms with help from some people they had never met: the basketball players at Mansfield.

“I liked the idea of bringing the two communities together,” Mansfield coach Richie Alfred said. “I think my kids don’t know how good they have it. We have very nice facilities, and I think sometimes we take it for granted.”

The Madison and Mansfield varsity and junior varsity boys worked with about 40 other volunteers on the project, which included sanding and painting lockers, tearing out carpet and installing tile, replacing a window-unit air conditioner, putting up blinds for the windows and installing space-saving desks and cabinets.

They also installed a trophy case, which could be of good use next month because Madison is No. 1 in the Class 3A state rankings.

“The locker room is going to be a whole lot better,” Madison senior forward Nick Moore said. “There’s a lot more room.”

The project was the idea of Mike Jones, a Dallas resident who works in advertising sales for ESPN. As part of a leadership development course in the fall, Jones created Basketball United, a volunteer organization with the goal of bringing people together through basketball.

Then he began looking for a project.

“I was driving around and looking at community centers and basketball areas,” said Jones, a 1992 Mansfield graduate. “Then I came up to Madison, and I saw the basketball team walking into the gym. I thought this might be perfect.”

Madison athletic director Ronald Johnson and principal Marian Willard liked the idea. So did Madison coach Damien Mobley, who had spent the last two seasons with his desk in a drab, cramped locker room.

Jones, who played for Alfred, knew he could get his former team involved. But he also knew he would need people to donate money, materials and time. Jones raised about $3,000 for materials and got Radio Shack to donate a flat-screen TV, a DVD player and a stereo system. He got JK’s Cuisine to cater breakfast for everyone and Pizza Hut to provide lunch.

Jones also made sure the day wasn’t just about renovating the varsity and junior varsity locker rooms. He set up a basketball skills clinic for the players, led by Cameron Hill, the former director of player development at Kentucky and head coach for the United States Basketball Academy. Hill’s father, former NBA head coach Bob Hill, gave a speech to the players during lunch.

“It was a great experience,” Mobley said. “The locker room looks great, and the kids not only had fun, they learned some things.”

Lansing High School students get a view of veterinary medicine

First year students from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University visited J.W. Sexton High School in Lansing last Thursday to talk about their experiences in Veterinary Medicine.

This was part of a program called “Reach for your dreams”. Five students from the first year class visited the high school. They made and displayed posters describing what high school students should do to apply to veterinary schools, what activities and opportunities are available while students are in the school and career options after completing the DVM (doctor of veterinary medicine) degree.”Veterinary medicine is one of the fastest growing professions in the country and there is a need to increase the diversity in our colleges and the profession to match the changing demographics”, said Sheba MohanKumar, faculty advisor for the program. This is one of the community projects that she has started from being part of the Self Expression and Leadership program conducted by Landmark Education.

“There are only 28 veterinary schools in the country and we need to use every chance we get to reach out to students in elementary, middle and high schools to increase the number of qualified minority applicants”, said Doris Roberson, pre-vet advisor.

Veterinary students Nick Barbu, Aimee Campbell, Daniel Cole, Crystal DeGroot and Ashley Taylor shared their personal experiences.

They talked about how they developed an interest in the subject, and how they got admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine. High School participants were given a survey to complete and interested students will be contacted to provide more specific information.

They were all invited to the “Vet-a-visit” program, a free, open-house event at the College of Veterinary Medicine, MSU that is being held on Saturday, April 18, 2009.