Session 4

For session 4 we put in to practice what we had been working on in the previous sessions. The youth were divided into 5 different groups. They each chose a "model" and the rest were the "designers". They had 30 minutes to design and create a outfit that would be appropriate for an interview. The catch??? The outfits were made out of paper and other craft materials. We set up a "catwalk" and each model walked the "runway" to show off their duds. The designers also joined the model for a 2nd walk down the runway. Through this experience the youth were able to work in a team and work together to come up with the design and the construction. I will be placing photos up soon along with the winning group picture.

We also worked on turn around thinking. Basically turnaround thinking is taking a negative statement or feeling and turning it in to something positive. Maybe you are having a bad day and you say to yourself," Self, I am such a failure, I keep messing up and this day is just going so bad." For most of us, things always seem to go wrong at once, but if we get down on ourselves things will just continue to get worse. So go ahead and acknowledge that you are having a bad day we all have them, but instead of continuing to be negative tell yourself,"Self, this is a bad day but tomorrow I have off and I get to go swimming, or some other activity you may enjoy." Having something to look forward to and by staying optimistic, can change your whole attitude as well as maybe even your day.

Peaceable Environment

What is a peaceable environment?

Peace: a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations.

Peaceable: fond of, inclined toward or promoting peace; not argumentative or hostile.

Community: a group of people working together according to mutual interests or similar rules.

Session 3

For session 3 we continued on about first impression and body language. We watched clips of the movie Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_rlhF8NmKE&feature=PlayList&p=BB3363A4DDCADC50&index=3
(Fast forward to 9:00).

How are people reacting to Vivien, when she is walking down Rodeo Drive looking for new clothing? How did the women in the store treat her? It took only a short amount of time from the moment she walked in the door for the women to judge her. They took one look at Vivien and right away knew she was not in the right neighborhood. They refused to help her and told her to leave. They did not even get to know her as a person all they saw was the way she was dressed. Now watch this clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHbSmXKpFq8&feature=PlayList&p=BB3363A4DDCADC50&index=6
(Fast forward to 1:00).

Now what do you notice? How are people treating her now that 1 they know she has money and 2 she is dressed in high end clothing?

This is a very sad fact of the society we live in. We judge people the minute we see them. We look at them up and down from the shoes they are wearing to the way their hair is combed, we automatically are drawn to a conclusion. Is it fair? Absolutely not. From a young age children are effected by this. Cliques are created because of a child's wealthiness or lack there of. You have the children that are always in the newest styles in a group. Then you have the group of children whose families can only afford hand me downs in a completely separate group. Think about how gangs are identified, by colors. A gang member may see someone wearing the wrong color and they way shoot them. Do they know this person? How could they judge someone so unworthy by just the color of their shirt?

Something we teach in our sessions is how to live in a peaceable environment. One way is to not rush to judge someone. Get to know that person before you judge. Who knows you may find your future best friend in a clique that is completely opposite of the one you are in. So much violence is created by people making judgements, but if we as a society took the time to get to know the person behind the expensive shirt or behind the worn out jeans, we could live in a much more peaceful world.

Great First Impression!!!

Session 2

Session 2 was devoted to first impression. Did you know that it only takes 7 seconds to make either a good impression or a bad impression? That is why it is so important that when we go for interviews or important meetings, that we not only dress for success, but we also have to remember that our body language speaks louder then our words. Everything from the way we sit or stand can indicate how we are feeling about a situation. For this session the youth were in groups and they came up with a skit to show the importance of making a good impression. By participating in an activity such as this, the youth are able to see different situations and how certain instances can be avoided. The youth also drew on a stick person to show how to dress for an interview. All drew nice work wear on their little person, as well as good hygiene by drawing nice hair, which we spoke about taking a shower everyday and making sure our hair is properly done, deodorant is worn, perfume or cologne is light, makeup is light, teeth are brushed, nails are clean, etc. These all seem like such minimal tasks, but people don't realize the impact it can have on giving a great impression.

Session 1

For session one, our youth watched 2 videos one about how Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream is made and distributed and the other about Community Action's services. Everyone introduced themselves as well as gave us their age, school they attend, and who their hero was. It was a good opportunity to get to know everyone, as we will all be working as a team for the next 12 weeks.

Holistic Education

Going Strong.

We are well on our way to a great training session. We have had a consistent group of 45 awesome youth all of whom are eager to learn. We had over 100 people attend our orientation which was an outstanding turnout. It seems now more then ever, youth are looking to gain the basic skills needs to be successful in the workplace, rather then just diving right in. It is important to have a good foundation, that is why we use a holistic approach in our educational workshops. We work from the inside out. Holistic education is a philosophy of education based on the premise that each person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life through connections to the community, to the natural world, and to spiritual values such as compassion and peace. Holistic education aims to call forth from people an intrinsic reverence for life and a passionate love of learning.

Not only are we teaching our youth employment skill, we are also teaching them life skills that will stay with them for their whole life.

Deadline has passed

Hopefully everyone who wanted to participate has submitted their application. I received over 100 application, which is awesome. You should have received a confirmation letter with details of orientation. Remember you must RSVP by May 8 by 5pm to continue on in the program. If you have not received a letter from me please call 612 767 1712.