One Organization Shares Training And Experience With Another

One of the types of training that is offered by MBA.

There are a number of organizations that work with youth in urban areas. Sometimes the focus is on the at-risk youth, who are so attracted to the lure of the streets. When two organizations work together, they can take advantage of the strengths of both organizations.

That happened in West Contra Costa County, California, when the MIND BODY AWARENESS PROJECT (MBA) of Oakland got together with URBAN TILTH, which is focused in Richmond. MBA works with at-risk youth and engages them in mindfulness and life skills training, while Urban Tilth works with people of various age groups and teaches youth about developing a sustainable, healthy food system.



The two groups got together on June 28th, for their fifth annual session. MBA has provided members of Urban Tilth with daylong mindfulness training during these sessions. There were 50 attendees, comprised of both youth and staff members. MBA Program Director Micah Anderson and Instructor Kamal Ahmed led the training, which utilized didactic exercises on stress management and impulse control, experiential meditation, and empathy-building exercises. Through this training, participants learned about the benefits of mindfulness and how to respond to stress and trauma.

After a short meditation, the group engaged in games and exercises that helped to increase the bond between the youth and staff members. They also learned about building their empathetic skills with each other. Participants were challenged to take the risk to share with each other in less familiar ways. It was generally felt that, by the end of the session, both youth and staff had improved their connection with each other.

Some of the youth who benefit from Urban Tilth.

Micah Anderson shared, "I was impressed by the youth's level of courage to share intimately with each other." Part of the mission of Urban Tilth is training local residents to work with schools, so in being able to participate in this type of training and to see the training's application in the work, gives those resident trainees the confidence to work with, and provide guidance to, these youth in the school system and other community organizations. It's definitely a sharing of talents and strengths.

It's all about connections of the right kind with urban youth.

Thanks to information from this newsletter on the training session: http://www.mbaproject.org/july-2016-newsletter-matching-gift-challenge/; this article on Mind Body Awareness Project: http://www.mbaproject.org/urbantilthtraining2016/; and the above links.

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A Glimpse at Downtown Sailing Center

Some of the art stalls at the First Sunday Arts Festival.

On the first Sunday of every month from May through December, the City of Annapolis rolls out the welcome mat and holds its FIRST SUNDAY ARTS FESTIVAL. Part celebration, part art sale, part street festival, and even a bit crafty, everyone is invited to share in the happenings, all for free. It's a way of seeing the historic attractions of Annapolis, since it is held by the water, it's a way to check out the food offerings and the family chef can take the day off.

With the festival in mind, skippers Rick Lee and Charley Tucker, of the DOWNTOWN SAILING CENTER (DSC), piloted two cruisers to Annapolis for the event. Accompanied by five crew members, the twosome departed on the morning of August 6, a Saturday. By evening, the cruisers pulled into Annapolis dock. Crew and pilots slept on board, and then on Sunday, August 7, they took in the Arts Festival. It was reported that all had a good time.



Crew member, Am Pham, said afterwards, "Last night, I came home exhausted yet content from the Annapolis trip, such a beautiful city! Thanks to the cruising council for organizing this event." I bet you can tell that won't be Mr. Pham's last cruise, either.

If you hang out at Downtown Sailing Center, one of the familiar figures, whom you would encounter, goes by the name of Taz. He's one of the head instructors and many parents see him when they are dropping their kids off at Juniors Camp. If you come by later in the afternoon to use an Access Dinghy, you've probably had a conversation with him.

Six years he's worked at Downtown Sailing Center, moving up from his starting position as SIT. Taz has spent the majority of his time working with the juniors, but also has had experiences working with blind sailors, those with disabilities, and high risk youth.

In regard to why he has kept coming back, Taz stated, "[T]he community of staff within the DSC and what the DSC means for the Baltimore community as a whole. An absolutely inclusive sailing center is amazing. The clientele I've interacted with has been so diverse and exciting. I feel like I can truly make a difference within the community. and I know it sounds cliche, but people truly remember the DSC experience. The campers remember me, Outreach clients remember me, the staff is often very excited to see me when they do. I feel so welcomed, always, and I absolutely love it.

Taz working with the children at Junior Camp.

One nice feature of Downtown Sailing Center is how much their clients learn, since they are a teaching organization. But not just clients learn; staff does, too. Let's see what Taz has learned, as an employee. Taz reported, "I've learned the importance of proper leadership, and through that I've learned such a large sum of skills. I've learned how to effectively communicate my expectations and visions onto a diverse crowd. I've learned how to be patient with those who need a little additional guidance with their work or sailing. I've learned the importance of being flexible, proactive, responsive - and so much of what I've learned from the DSC is about leadership. I've had a ton of great lessons here, all of them unbelievably useful."

A view of the water in Annapolis, while taking a break to eat.

That's quite a lot of life skills and job skills that you've put under your belt, Taz. Anyone would be happy to meet you and work with you, given all of your talents. Now, continue to work hard and have great experiences. It won't be long until summer is finished and the kids head back to school.

Taz, now head instructor at DSC, taking a short break in the shade.

Thanks for information from the Aug. 17, 2016 post: http://downtownsailingcenter.blogspot.com/2016/08/annapolis-first-sunday-art-show-cruise.html; and July 25, 2016 post: http://downtownsailingcenter.blogspot.com/; on the Downtown Sailing Center Blog, both by Christine Moloney; and the above links.

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Campus Campaign to Change Behaviors

Raising awareness of discarded plastic bottles through art.

Bottles, bottles, everywhere! It seems that the issue of disposable bottles, in which water, soft drinks, juices are packaged is an issue even outside the continental US. So, it's no surprise that campaigns pop up that are willing to deal with the issue. That is the case on the island of Puerto Rico, a territory of the US.

In 2010, students at the UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO RIO PIEDRAS started their own campaign, NO MAS BOTELLAS, within the student organization, Eco-Environmental Society. Amira Odeh, a student, was concerned about the number of plastic bottles discarded everywhere, in university gardens, on the floors of classrooms, and in bathrooms. That led to students exploring exactly how many students used bottled water and the subsequent environmental impact. Students then started a campaign to improve the campus water fountains and to educate fellow students on the hazards of bottled water. From that beginning, the campaign moved forward to seeking to remove bottled water entirely from the campus.



According to Amira, "This project is important because bottled water consumption is part of releasing CO2 into the atmosphere, using too much water resources, and privatizing water in communities. All these problems can cause serious issues in an island whose territory depends on sea level rise and on using the limited resources available in a smaller area of land. I decided to approach this issue by starting with education at the university because the student community is usually more open to engage in environmental conservation issues than other areas in the island. By succeeding with this project at the university, there would be a community of 15,000 people in Puerto Rico that know about this problem and there will also be a bigger quantity of people interested in solving it."

One of the new campus water fountains, even reinforces students by counting bottles eliminated.

Since the campaign began, it has expanded around the original campus and into other institutions around Puerto Rico. Remember those drinking fountains that the students targeted? There are new ones all around the campus. The campaign has sparked the development of leadership events and all of the products sold on campus are in reusable bottles. The campaign is now entering the final stages of their effort to reduce the sale and consumption of bottled water on the Rio Piedras campus. The campaign is continuing its educational events for its own students and interested groups outside its university walls.

At the Co-op cafe, students can refill thermos containers with filtered water for free. Now, that's saving!

Thanks for information from this article on Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/amira-odeh-no-mas-botellas-no-more-bottles/; this article on the National Wildlife Federation: http://www.nwfecoleaders.org/projects/home/62; and the above links.

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Governor Ige Visits Kauai's Utility Co-Op

The Anahola solar array, part of KIUC.

On the island of Kauai in Hawaii, power is supplied by a small, cooperative nonprofit utility company, KAUAI ISLAND UTILITY COOPERATIVE (KIUC). This company serves 33.000 households and prides itself on being a leader in the use of renewable energy resources.

Hawaiian Governor David Ige paid a visit to the company in June, after he had been keynote speaker at the dedication of the Green Energy Team biomass plant just outside Lihue in April. This $90 million plant came online in January and uses wood chips from several sources, including the invasive albizia tree, which is being cleared from local lands. The company that runs the plant, Green Energy, is under contract with KIUC and supplies about 12% of Kauai's energy needs.



While touring the plant, Gov. Ige noted how useful Green Energy's power sources are, especially in the Kokee area, which had been swept by wildfire in 2012. That company helped clear the debris and was utilizing it as a power resource.

Gov. Ige then visited the Koloa solar array. KIUC staff members explained how the battery array operates to keep the power running when cloud cover decreases the amount of solar energy available from the array. Back in Lihue, Gov. Ige met with KIUC board of directors and senior staff. Then he also met with engineering staff, a group with whom he has much in common, since the Governor is also an electrical engineer. There, he was shown how KIUC tracks the mixture of energy resources, which fluctuates throughout a typical day.

During Gov. Ige's meeting with the board of directors, he found out how cooperative ownership differs from investor-owned utilities. KIUC president and CEO David Bissell explained how the utility had gone from only 9% renewable energy to the current 40%, while being able to utilize the flexibility provided through cooperative ownership.

Mr. Bissell said, "There's only one group we serve: our members. We don't have to try to balance the needs of the customers against the expectations of the shareholders."

Gov. Ige tours Koloa solar array (left) and meets with KIUC board of directors (right).

Gov. Ige was impressed with the work by the utility to reduce its reliance on oil for electric power. He said, "I was really impressed by KIUC's leadership and everything they've accomplished so far in pursuing their renewable energy goals, which are very ambitious. Kauai really is leading the way in showing how a mix of resources - solar, hydro, biomass - can be integrated reliably onto the grid and help move us toward our mandate of being 100 percent renewable by 2045."

Teamwork is vital in maintaining the power grid.

Indeed, KIUC is a bit different from those large power companies that abound on the mainland. But conversions like this need to happen to prevent precious resources from being depleted entirely, leaving nothing but a bleak footprint.

Thanks for information from this issue of Content Magazine: http://kiuc.coopwebbuilder2.com/sites/kiuc/files/PDF/currents/2016-06-Currents.pdf, page 6; and the above link.

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A Food Curriculum For Children

One of the students with her journal.

As much as young children need to learn to read in order to have access to the best ideas that society has to offer, there is also a need for children to learn about food, or nutrition, in order to have access to the best healthy eating alternatives. That is why there is a curriculum that has been developed at the elementary school level. It teaches all about the world of food, from how plants grow to the finer points of eating aesthetics.

The founder of the FOOD STUDIES INSTITUTE, Antonia Demas, has created the Food Is Elementary curriculum for children in grades K to 6, and has managed to fit it together with the mission of her organization. For, the Food Studies Institute strives to improve the lives of children through food-based solutions. The expertise comes from staff and board members, who have experience with health care and education. Antonia, herself has a Ph.D. in education, nutrition, and anthropology from Cornell University and has 40 years of experience in developing food-based curricula for various age groups.



The curriculum developed for elementary students utilizes many hands-on, interactive experiences. Throughout their learning experiences in this program, students maintain a weekly journal, in which they write down new vocabulary words, health information, nutrition measurements and calculations, observations, geographic information, food history, and food art. From the journaling alone, it is obvious that the approach is across a broad spectrum of learning skills and subjects.

This curriculum is written so that it can be adapted to any population of students, including those in special education and outside of the recommended grade range. Parental participation is encouraged, as parents are invited to help with any part of the curriculum. In fact, part of the program involves students interviewing the parents about aspects of family food use. Once the school year has ended, students are encouraged to bring the journals home to share with their parents.

Some of the methods incorporated in the curriculum include:
"* Educating children about the relationship between food choices and disease prevention.
 *Encouraging a child's natural curiosity and creativity to be the foundation of learning.
 *Providing children with the life skill of food preparation through hand-on interactive experience.
 *Introducing healthful foods through the traditions and arts of different cultures.
 *Involving families and community in classroom teaching, school meals, gardens, and collaborative mural projects."

Hands-on in the garden.

Denise Jackson, a parent aide, had this to say about the curriculum,"This is the most creative, organized, and crucial program I have ever been involved in. What a wonderful thing for our children not only to learn to cook and eat healthy, but to be exposed to so many different cultures. I love it!"

Part of food preparation is cutting up tomatoes, with adult supervision, of course.

Since there is still a great deal of concern about children who are overweight and inclined to eat calorie-laden foods, a curriculum that provides hands-on opportunities, including sampling healthier food choices, may be one way of addressing this issue. After all, you can't make healthier food choices if you don't know about them.

Thanks for information from this article on Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/antonia-demas-food-studies-website-development/; this article about the curriculum on the Food Studies Institute: http://www.foodstudies.org/#!curriculum/ccei; and the above link.

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Alan's Story About Colon Cancer In His Life

Alan

Nothing can really describe adequately how a person feels when he/she receives a diagnosis of cancer. Each person's story, though, is unique. Here's the story of what happened to Alan.

Alan recounted, "When I received the diagnosis it was very surreal for me. I always thought of myself as a strong guy, even at age 54, who never got sick, and avoided the doctor because I knew my body, I was stubborn, and didn't have a colonoscopy at age 50 because I didn't feel bad and figured I'd save myself the time and money. After I began losing weight without really trying, my wife became concerned and insisted I go to the doctor. A routine colonoscopy revealed a tumor which was eventually diagnosed as being cancerous. The doctors told me it was nothing to be concerned about. They would remove the tumor and I would need maybe one round of chemo just to make sure they got it all. However, after seeing my oncologist, I learned that I was in stage 3 and would need 12 rounds of treatment. I was numb. How could this be happening? It really shocked me....I have cancer, and my life was about to change."

There are generally many struggles along the way during treatment. Alan shared, "The greatest hardship has been the change of lifestyle to which I had become entrenched. As a result of the surgeries and chemo treatments, there are a lot of activities that I am limited in or can no longer do. I have to be much more careful with things I always took for granted, and have to pay attention to my body. The mounting medical bills have also created a financial strain for my family. We were already a paycheck to paycheck family before and now things are even tighter. I hate seeing how my sickness affects my family. Cancer affects more than just the patient. The loved ones pay a price as well."



Even with these challenges, many with cancer develop the strength to go forward. Alan stated, "Without question the greatest comfort for me is my faith. As a christian, I know God is in control. My support is my wonderful wife and two daughters, as well as my parents, brothers, and friends. I am surrounded by loving and caring people who won't allow me to stop fighting and encourage me every step of the journey. My inspiration comes from the Bible verse Phil 4:13 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.' I had support wristbands made with that verse that my support team wears."

Alan willingly shared a story of support and motivation for others. He is a manager at a local barbecue restaurant and many customers and co-workers know about his struggle with cancer. He related, "Just two days ago, a customer brought her daughter over to introduce her to me. She was probably six years old or so. Her mother told me that she had recently won her battle with leukemia, and she wanted to meet me to tell me I could beat cancer, too. It was very heartwarming and inspired me. If this little girl had the courage and stamina to win the fight then there's absolutely no reason I can't as well."

Support can be extremely valuable for those who have chronic illnesses, including cancer. In fact, the more support that a person has, the better he/she does, both physically and emotionally. What was it that stood out for Alan among his supports? He answered, "I have had several friends that have come forward and helped us, however, I have to say that the owner of the restaurant I work for has gone above and beyond. Alex Hill, who owns Dickey's Barbecue Pit restaurants in Covington, LA, and Sidell, LA, has been a godsend. He has given me extended time off with pay while I recovered from surgeries, and has allowed me to work a reduced schedule while I am going through chemotherapy. In addition, he has staged fundraisers for me and my family at the restaurants. He has accommodated our every need and told me not to worry about anything. A true blessing for my family."

How many times have you heard someone's account of their suffering with chronic illnesses? How many times have you offered to help? Even the thought that there is someone supportive around can give that extra surge of strength to someone who needs it. Remember, not every illness is visible, so we don't always notice the struggles of our neighbors. However, even such a thing as kind words, letting our friends and acquaintances know we care, can give others a boost. Let's all strive to be kinder to each other, and pitch in to help our neighbors in need.

Thanks for information from this blog article on giveforward: http://www.giveforward.com/blog/alans-colon-cancer-story.

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A2z Helps World Pet Association With Streamlined Operations

World Pet Association logo.

Are you holding an expo or exhibition space for a large conference or convention? Do you need to figure out where to put exhibitors' tables in your exhibition space? Then, A2Z, INC. has the software solution for you. Located in Columbia, MD, this company is rather familiar with providing just the right event management and marketing tools that you need.

One of the company's success stories is its work with the WORLD PET ASSOCIATION (WPA). This organization is best known for its expo-type events, like America's Family Pet Expo, Aquatic Experience, and Atlanta Pet Fair and Conference. The largest event that they produce is SuperZoo, which has almost 1200 exhibitors, and 12,000 to 14,000 visitors in a 254,000 square foot exhibitor space. Don Poindexter, the organization's President, has built this association over 26 years to where it is today.



When he first started out in the pet store business in 1980, he was quickly converted to using the information technology available. Two years after his start, he had barcodes on every product and a barcode readers at the checkouts. By 1990 when he joined WPA, the association only had one computer and was printing out name badges on a typewriter. With his interest in efficient operations, Mr. Poindexter looks toward new technology in order to streamline operations. As he said, he has always been "a firm believer in technology making life a little easier and more efficient."

However, Mr. Poindexter turned to a2z, inc. in order to better provide for the needs of more 1700 exhibitors across the four different types of expos that WPA runs. "He wanted exhibitors to be able easily view available space, select booth locations, and execute contracts online. He also needed up-to-the-minute access to the floor plan status, a capability that is only available through a real-time platform."

A2z's solution overcame these barriers in other solutions that had been used by WPA previously - using a manual process to associate floor plans with the Association Management System, updating product listings and other databases by hand, and working through an unresponsive website. All of these barriers were also awkward and time-consuming.

Besides fixing these encumbrances, a2z's platform provided WPA with some benefits - the platform is cloud-based, allowing exhibitors to access the floor plan anytime, anyplace, and manage their directory listing; multiple users can access the platform at the same time; and the platform syncs with the WPA association management system (no more manual entries).

A2z designed a platform that gave WPA extra benefits and assisted in its functioning.

Although the WPA is still a relatively small business, running four shows has necessitated its growth from four to twenty employees. That growth is leading Mr. Poindexter from his role as leader of four shows to leader of an industry. While that change is in process, a2z's software solutions will allow his managers pinpoint control of the show floors as WPA takes its road into the future.

Part of the package is an interactive floor plan.

Thanks to information from this article on a2z, inc. website: http://www.a2zinc.net/show6/public/Content710.aspx; and the above links.

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