Rosy Maria of Hampton, England, has brought youth together inside of her project, titled Hampton’s Street Dance and Music Festival, while taking Landmark’s Self-Expression and Leadership Program. The project she created, with the partnership of fellow youth worker Peter Moorcock, attracted the attention of The Informer newspaper of the Hampton area. The article appears below.

Hampton’s Musical Youth

Young performers showcased their talent at a streetdance and music festival organised by the Hampton Youth Project on Sunday.

Four youth bands led the dancing and singing at the event, which is the first time the youth project has put on a public display. It was organised by youth workers Peter Moorcock and Rosy Maria, who said:

“The aim was to give a chance for some of the great talent of the area to show off its paces. The event was a great success, and it brought together the whole Hampton community, both young and old.”

Several hundred onlookers came to the show, at the project’s Tangley Road studio, which starred twelve streetdancers and 23 singers. Bands included Groove Academy, The Long Game, The Substitutes and Adam Cleaver.

Third grade teacher Tracey Mott decided to make her Landmark Education Self-Expression project be something that would directly impact her students, as well as the lives of students around the world. She decided to bring the “Pennies for Peace” program to the Hickory Grove Elementary School where she works.

Pennies for Peace is a program that inspires students to get involved in making a difference by collecting pennies to build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pennies may not seem like a lot, but they add up, and besides, they enable children without access to much money to gain the experience of contributing and making a difference.

“The [program] teaches children the rewards of sharing and working together to bring educational opportunities to less fortunate children,” remarked another teacher.

Despite a rainy day, Hickory Grove students went out on May 8 and collected change from the car line at the school. Through the May 8 work and other penny collection efforts, the students have so far raised more than $1,000 for these schools in need. Two local television stations covered the children’s remarkable efforts. The plan is to continue to collect money until the end of the year.

To read more about the national program, go to the Pennies for Peace website.

Linda Kamka created “Project with Love” as her community project in Landmark Education’s Self-Expression and Leadership Program. The project was a fundraisher which inspired her local community in Orange, CA, to donate new jewelry, which would then be passed on to kids in the care of the Children’s Hospital of Orange County. These children weren’t able to get presents for mother’s day, and with the help of the project, each one was able to select a piece to give to their mother.

Linda’s intention was to allow her community to come together and give from their hearts, as well as to empower and move children.

The event itself was held Saturday morning on May 10. Linda and her friend Kamii delievered more than 100 pieces of jewelry to the hospital on a silver platter. The jewelry was individually wrapped in clear bags with ribbons, and each one game with a gift card that the children personalized for their mothers.

Dr. Bryce Crowley, of Centerville, Utah, recently put on a safety event, Helmet Heroes, to protect young bike riders from head injuries. About 500 young people were fitted with and given new, high quality bicycle helmet. Crowley chose this as his project in landmark’s self-expression and leadership program based on personal experience – He recently had a close call in a bike accident where the third vertebra in his neck was crushed. Only his bike helmet saved him from severe injuries. 

Based on his own experience as both a doctor and a bike rider, Crowley is adamant that parents make sure their youngsters use helmets. “Just like every time you buckle your child with a seatbelt in a car, you ought to have a helmet on your child anytime they’re out and about on a bike,” he says. He hopes his work will reduce Emergency room visits for young riders.

Crowley’s “Helmet Heroes” was covered extensively by local television stations, including KSL News and KUTZ 2 Noon News.

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For Monet Critchley’s Self Expression and Leadership program project, she didn’t have to look further than her own life. As a single mother, she is acutely aware of what single moms have to deal with in their lives.

“Single mothers have a more difficult time than some may realize,” says Critchley, a Draper, Utah resident. “They rarely get time for themselfves, and children may go without any extra activities because of time and money constraints.”

In the Landmark Education program, Critchley created a project to address these concerns titled Soul 2 Soul, which was a special day for single mothers and their children.

“The event was an opportunity for single mothers to have a break. It’s important for single moms to take care of themselves so they can come home, be rejuvenated, and take care of the kids,” she says.

The Soul 2 Soul event was held May 31 at the Axis Dance Center from 1 to 5pm, and was free for single moms and their children aged 6 to 12. Mothers received a free goodie which included beauty and self-help items. While moms relaxed during the afternoon, the kids learned to sing and perform a song, which they did at the end of the afternoon for all their mothers.

This moving event was covered extensively by the local media, including KUTV 2, a CBS affiliate, the Draper Journal, South Mountain Living, ourcommunity.com, and LDS Living.

Nagendra K.S. took on being a source of happiness, innovation and leadership. During his participation in Landmark Education’s Self Expression and Leadership Program that started in February, he created a project called “ULLASA” (In English it means Joy).

The specific intended result of the project was to unite orphan kids and old age people. The old people have rich experience sof life which are very valuable for kids of present generation. These values and experiences of aged people are not tapped for the development of kids. On the other hand the orphan kids do not have the privilege of being with their grandparents and thereby they are deprived of love or affection of grandparents and also the value that they could derive from old people. To fill the gap in between these two communities and also bring in the atmosphere of belongingness and joy to these communities the project was created.

Anatha Shishu Nivasa at Basavanagudi in Bangalore, a NGO taking care of orphan kids and Asha Jeevan at Huli Mavu, Bangalore, a residence for old aged people, took part in the event of the project that happened on 11^th May 2008.

Nagendra and his community of friends at Office and SELP community arranged four vans for the transportation of kids to Asha Jeevan, where old people reside. The kids reached at 2 .45 PM. The Old people were eagerly waiting to meet kids. When the kids arrived at the place there was lots of joy and warmth in the expression of aged people.

Many activities were evolved to engage kids and old people together. All the activities of the day are narrated briefly here:

1. Singings & Dancing: Kids and old people sung devotional and songs of moral value. One song of Yaswanth, who is about 10 years old, was in appreciation of mother. This song moved everyone and we all remembered our mothers in those moments. Many kids performed dances. Also an old lady had a small cat walk! It was full of fun and joy.

2. Story Telling: Old people shared lots of stories, which were rich in experience and there was some value to take home from each of the stories. One old lady shared how much she likes Gandhiji and she urged that all kids should go on the foot steps of Gandhiji.

3. Balloon blowing and Bursting: This event was very exciting and fun-filled. All the kids and old people were asked to blow balloons. There were about 100 balloons in various sizes and shapes. Once they were ready, they were instructed to burst them. It was full of self-expression of everyone. Each and everyone were so much involved in that exercise that they were lost in happiness and joy.

4. Drawing: Kids and old people made drawings for each other. The drawings of kids were retained by old people and the writings and drawings of old people were retained by kids as token of appreciation and remembrance.

Nagendra’s friends had got few books for distribution among kids. The same were handed over to the management of orphanage home for the Library. Everyone had cake, cool drinks, chips and also butter milk and enjoyed each other’s company for till 6.45PM. By 7.30 PM all the kids were dropped back to their homes and we all went home fulfilled and looking forward for one more such opportunity.

The intention of the project, belongingness, joy, and acknowledgement, were present in the event and the project was a huge success.

The same team is wiling to organize such events regularly. Not only that Nagendra has taken on uniting 15 orphanage homes and 15 old age homes for such regular events so that the possibility of the project is alive forever.

The project event was mentioned by a local daily, Vijay Karnataka, on May 24, 2008. The media appreciated and acknowledged the project for creating fun and joy in the lives of old people.

When Claudia Beltran tutored for the East Village Youth Program (EVYP) a couple of years ago, she was impressed by the ambition of the young people she worked with. The EVYP provides tutoring and mentoring youths in Chicago, with the mission of encourage and prepare primarily low-income, Latino youth for a college education. She worked with 5th graders who were already clear about their profession and determined to succeed.

When she took Landmark Education’s Self-Expression and Leadership Program, creating a new way to empower the potential she saw in youths working with the EVYP was a natural fit for her.

“I’m passionate about latinos being productive in the world,” Beltran says.

So she created “Stepping Into Your Shoes”, a project which allowed 30 high school sophomores and juniors to go on a job shadowing day with a professional of their choice. Beltran partnered with e-hispanics.com, a leading Chicago website for the hispanic community, to find a committed group of professionals to support the students. Then she created an April 11th event day where each student would spend 2-4 hours finding out about and actually working in a profession that interested in. For instance, a student that went to a press firm got to write a real press release.

Katherine Moone, EVYP’s program director, said that feedback from the youths was fantastic. In fact, she’s working to make job shadowing events part of EVYP’s regular curriculum. For more information or to get involved with EVYP, go to www.evyp.org.

In Northern India, in the State of Hamachel Pradesh, there is a discouraging state in the social affairs of the local people. This area remains to be one of the most backward regions of India with an average income of $200 dollars per year for most native residents. Outlying communities remain poor with little hope for government funding to improve their way of life.There are eight facilities in the district of Chamba that serve orphans, and battered or homeless women and their children. These facilities have extremely poor living conditions, broken windows, little or nonexistent sanitary facilities, no hot water, poor or no beds and bedding, lack of clothing, minimal kitchen facilities, little or non-existent educational resources and a lack of training or vocational programs to help the local people.

Scott Bedall took Landmark Education’s Self Expression and Leadership Program and decided that the area he wanted to make a difference in was the health of kids. Kids take fitness in stride, and then some

From: Times Colonist, Victoria Canada
By: Jeff Bell

The collective energy of a bunch of eight- and nine-year-olds goes a long way.

At Cloverdale Traditional School, students in Gale Penner’s Grade 3 class and Ian Macpherson’s Grade 3/4 group are two weeks into the Victoria School Wellness Challenge — and have already charged past one of their major goals.

Wellness Challenge creator Scott Beddall, whose godson Logan Diamond is one of Mrs. Penner’s students, said all of the children have been given pedometers to keep track of how far they walk and run each day. The hope was that they would make it across Vancouver Island by the time the program wraps up June 12.

Logan Diamond and Tasmin Laal show off the pedometers they’ve been putting to good use at Cloverdale Traditional School.

“The original goal was just to cross Vancouver Island in 30 days,” Beddall said. “But these students are doing so well we’ve had to shift it up to crossing Canada because they’ve already walked so far. They did 904 kilometres in four days.”

Fresh from an in-class striding-and-exercise session led by Mrs. Penner, nine-year-old Solan Baragar said he knew just how far he and his friends had already travelled.

“We’ve walked across the Island and halfway back!”

He said his classmates are using their pedometers every day and having fun keeping track of how far they go.

Mrs. Penner said the students are full of enthusiasm for the Wellness Challenge, which also emphasizes healthy eating.

“It’s fantastic,” she said. “They love it. They’re actually moving.”

The students have even taken to doing high-step walking in the halls to maximize their movement, she said.

Beddall said the Wellness Challenge is a full-fledged community effort. Several businesses have given their support by supplying all of the pedometers and healthy snacks the program requires, and the Greater Victoria school board has been supportive since it was all just an idea.

He said a leadership program he was taking in Vancouver through Landmark Education inspired his plan.

“It centres around building a community project that makes a difference. I wanted to set it up in a way that kids could really stay interested and get motivated about physical fitness and nutrition.”

The program comes at time when health issues and their relation to diet and exercise are very topical, Beddall said.

“Diabetes rates are flying up, and childhood obesity is tied right in with that.”

The Wellness Challenge also fits into the goals of the province’s two-year-old ActNow B.C. initiative, which promotes a range of health- and fitness-related issues, Beddall said.

He said he had a lot of help getting the program up and running, particularly from Winona Pugh, and is hoping to do more in the future.

“We’re going to look at ways next year that we can build this up and include more schools.”