Jubilee Family Development Center’s Post

A great poem at the end of this article from an inspiring Intergenerational pioneer Build Bond-fires, A Poem Dedicated to the 2023 Class of Erikson Alumni by Helene Block Fields Light up our world. Light up the darkness of loneliness, separatism, ageism, and egocentrism in our society. Help reconnect the generations through GrandFriendships. Build bond-fires that will remain glowing embers in children’s memories throughout their lives. Build bond-fires of mutual kindness, empathy, character, and love. Bring the young and old together in schools, communities, and families. Listen to their words, their voices. They are sending smoke signals that say, “We need each other”. Let the weakest voices in our society point us back to real strength.

As many of you know I'm fortunate to chair the board of directors for BeWell in School, a Nashville nonprofit that teaches students movement and mindfulness techniques as tools for self-regulation. Over the last four years working with BeWell, I've seen firsthand how impactful our work is not only for students in schools, but also for their hardworking teachers and families. Our founder and executive director, Riki Rattner, who is always looking to grow our impact, approached the board over a year ago with a vision to provide BeWell's incredible, proprietary work to more students using technology. Thus, BeWell Digital, an online library providing students with 24/7 virtual access to BeWell's content, was born. The upside of this vision would be countless students accessing our work. The challenge would be funding a nearly $200,000 capital expense. Leading a capital fundraising campaign for a nonprofit has been an incredible learning experience and an opportunity to share our mission with many interesting and interested people. After over twelve months of meetings, Zooms, and calls, I am thrilled to share that we are 85% of the way to our goal. To date, we have gotten here thanks to the partnerships and trust of The Phoenix Club of Nashville, Barge Design Solutions, Mildred's Dream Foundation, Nicol Investment Company, our own board of directors, and Anchor Investments, LLC. Micah Lacher at Anchor specifically wanted to structure their support as a matching gift, knowing that their network could help us raise the remainder of the dollars needed. So I'm excited to report that Anchor has pledged to invest up to $10,000 alongside other matching gifts to help us raise the remaining $30,000. I'm asking you to share this with your networks, much like Anchor and their team are doing, to assist us in reaching this monumental goal. If, by our potential partners' good graces, we exceed this goal, any overage will be invested back into this project to either 1) create additional content in future years, or 2) pay for ongoing hosting costs associated with maintaining an online library. If you want to learn more about BeWell in School, check out our website: bewellinschool.org If you want to see BeWell in action, check out this video: https://lnkd.in/gFQpPDMz If you want to learn more about BeWell Digital, check out this one-pager: https://lnkd.in/gjfjXb9c Finally, if you want to learn how you can support us in this or in future initiatives, please message me here directly to set a time to discuss.

Happy Birthday, Welman. - A Candid Note from A Co-Founder Today is Welman’s 8th birthday!! That means we are somewhere around the 3rd grade mark. Man, 3rd grade. It’s the time when math gets harder, you’ve bumped up to the older kid category at field day, and you’re officially now a pawn for state testing. On our birthday I usually talk about our humble beginnings and how we’ve grown. But we are 8 now, and there are a few birthday wishes I have that I’d like to share. Birthday Wish 1: I hope you know how much we love you. Welman exists because of you and for you. Educator focused, community driven, and with all the respect to Mama Nature. Welman is not about stuff. It’s about people exchanging ideas, offering support, giving their time, spreading joy and finding common ground to uplift the common good. Ok, and free stuff. Birthday Wish 2: Keep fighting the good fight. Welman shouldn’t have to exist. Teachers should be paid more with infinite access to resources and support. The planet should be loved on through responsible policies, intentional business practices, and careful consumerism. #nomoresingleuseplastics Birthday Wish 3: Stay involved. Vote for initiatives and laws that support teachers and protect our planet. Hone your critical thinking skills and ask hard questions. Education should not have sides and students should not be measured by what they know but rather by what they think, wonder, and create. Public education should not just be the only option for some but a great option for all. Earth doesn’t need more carbon footprints. Birthday Wish 4: See the world for what it could be, not for what it is today. Let hope and curiosity drive you to make this world better and brighter. Get mad, get sad, but don’t give up. Find a buddy and be part of a solution. Birthday Wish 5: A second bathroom at Welman HQ. Seriously, with 5,000 educators served just this summer…phew. Happy Birthday, everybody! Here’s to 8. Love & glitter & beautiful oopses, Vanessa #nonprofit #education #environment #sustainability #artseducation #artsandcrafts #fortworth #fortworthtx #happybirthday #teachers #savetheplanet

Thank you WMU for featuring me in the Alumni Association Spotlight! Please take some time to read and learn more about me! Here is one of the questions: What is your advice to current students? Do not be afraid to try something new, college is a time to branch out and get involved in things you haven't tried before. If you think there is a need on campus, start an RSO just because it doesn't exist doesn't mean it isn't needed. https://lnkd.in/e6V7hVxr

It was an honor to be interviewed by Authority Magazine on the five things you need to know to be a highly effective educator or teacher. As CEO of Brooklyn Lab Charter School, it is my responsibility to set up an environment in which my team — from classroom teachers to custodians – are set up for success. Here’s what we prioritize: · Compensation · Supporting teammates’ wellbeing · Investing in development · Representation · Cultivating a culture of belonging I hope you’ll read the full piece to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gD9rqmDy

As admissions season is underway for many schools, parents will often say that what they are looking for in a school is strong academics. However, what they ultimately are looking for are the other things—who you are, the space you occupy in the academic world, your history, traditions, and culture, how the curriculum is delivered—that cement your brand identity. Your gravy. All the other things that you are, the things that make you, you. Thank you Kim Pawlak and the Nonprofit Communications Report for highlighting Gregory Abel and my work. #independendentschools #enrollmentmanagement #admissions #brandidentity #whatmakesyouyou

I trust if I keep posting the facts, eventually enough of the right people will understand why REED Charitable Foundation exists, how the literacy crisis is enormous and growing and how it truly impacts us all. I also trust that those same people will also see the tremendous, collective opportunity we have to positively change literacy outcomes for ALL - children and adults. It starts with training and supporting the educators, tutors and educational professionals that are entrusted to ensure everyone can read. That is a fundamental part of our programming REED Charitable Foundation. And we make it accessible. What could be better or more life-changing?!?! Join us! (Excerpts from the attached article) “Two-thirds of American 4th graders who can’t read at grade level […] will soon be adults who can’t read.  The 95% of 8th-graders in Detroit who can’t read proficiently? Same.  And then what? Forty-eight million adult Americans read below the third grade level. Forbes Magazine reported in 2020 that the plague of low literacy skills could be costing the US $2.2 trillion annually in health care, social services, and lost wages. Worse, low literacy is handed down to children; the biggest indicator of a child’s literacy fate lies in the mother’s reading level If the numbers of children currently reading below grade level are correct, we are heading into an even worse adult literacy crisis than we have now. The rallying cry for effective instruction methods for children is loud and clear. But it is time to sound the bell for the refugees of the broken reading education system as well: all those children who didn’t learn and are now adults, still not reading.”

My second article!

🌟 Hey, San Antonio Families and Students! 🌟 We know that finding the right school can be a game-changer. That's why we at San Antonio Charter Moms are eager to share your school choice success stories! Have you navigated the school choice journey and found the right match? Are you a student thriving because you found the perfect educational fit? Your experiences can offer hope and guidance to others. Why share your story? 🌱 Highlight the positive effects of school choice. 🌱 Offer a helping hand to families on the same path. 🌱 Celebrate your achievements and spread joy! We welcome: ✍️ Heartfelt stories. ✍️ Tips and advice for others exploring school choice. ✍️ Contributions from students (of all ages!) sharing their positive experiences. Excited to share? Drop us a DM or comment below and we'll reach out! Let's create a collection of inspiring stories that showcase the transformative power of choosing the right education! 💖 #SchoolChoiceStories #CommunityVoices #EducationJourney #ParentPerspective #StudentPerspective

After graduating with my MBA from the University of Florida - Warrington College of Business in Spring 2022, I, untraditionally, decided to continue my education and pursue a Graduate Certificate in Disability Studies from the University of Florida. While I have my own experiences with disability, by no means would I label myself as an "expert” in disability. I recognize the diversity within disability and accept that my experiences are unique to myself. With that in mind, my goal in learning about disability studies was to gain further knowledge on what I can do to make the corporate environment, and our world in general, a place that fosters inclusion and belonging for individuals with disabilities. As part of the certificate program, one of my course assignments was to create a grant proposal (real or fictional) relating to disability. Because I had very minimal familiarity with grant proposals, I was initially worried about the assignment and if I could actually create something meaningful. However, rather than taking the easy way out and writing a fictional grant proposal, I challenged myself to craft something that can be utilized by Laughing At My Nightmare, Inc., where I have the great honor of serving as Board Chair. The majority of individuals and families we assist through the organization do not have the financial resources to independently obtain the equipment or services they need as a result of their disability. Reflecting on this further, I felt that it was essential to provide a sustainable pathway that would hopefully lead to financial independence and security for people with disabilities. I fully believe in the power of education and how it can unlock a higher earning potential and benefits for the disability community, which can then result in independence, but I recognize that barriers often exist. As a result, my grant proposal assignment ultimately led to the creation of the new Laughing At My Nightmare, Inc. Academic Scholarship Program. This year, we are thrilled to offer 1-2 individuals living with muscular dystrophy a full-ride scholarship (covering all tuition, fees, & course materials) to obtain an undergraduate or graduate degree, removing cost-associated barriers to higher education. The application is now available and will remain open until April 5, 2024. It is still difficult for me to fully comprehend how a class assignment, which I was not entirely thrilled about, resulted in an actual scholarship program that will hopefully help so many people with disabilities for years to come. Above all, I am most excited that our future recipients will be able to obtain an education and pursue their dreams. #disability #education #scholarships #scholarshipopportunity #musculardystrophy #nonprofit #LAMN