From the desks of: One Economy VISTAS

VISTAs in Action: MLK Day of Service

2011-01-18T09:30:00.006-05:00

Thanks to the Winston-Salem office Vistas (Denise and SJ) and former Vista Tina for volunteering at this years MLK Day of Service read-in event at Wake Forest. Nearly 100 children were paired with volunteer reading buddies to learn more about Martin Luther King Jr. Tina and SJ demonstrated their superior interviewing skills by interviewing dozens of volunteer participants. Denise did a fantastic job of keeping the community updated on the unfolding events of the day through social networking. Everyone did a great job!!

MLK Day of Service!

2011-01-14T14:44:00.002-05:00

This is the only time you will ever hear us utter this phrase, but...

Please stalk us!

Tomorrow is Winston-Salem's MLK Day of Service at Wake Forest University and we OE VISTAs are in charge of on site publicity and social media. VISTAs from all over the country will be atwitter with service updates, so don't be left out. Follow our updates on...

FACEBOOK via "Handson NWNC" (Friend them!)

TWITTER via @HandsOnNWNC and @1Economy_VISTA

YOU can participate in the MLK day of service too, no matter where you are! Go to this link and search for opportunities all across the country.

A Colorful New Year

2011-01-12T13:36:00.004-05:00

After the New Year, the OE Vistas returned relaxed and refreshed. Last weekend, Denise and Griffin (technically an intern, but we still consider him one of us) drove to the Bertie County Resource Center and gave the computer lab a much needed face lift. It's good to know that if AmeriCorps doesn't work out, we can at least color in the lines.

Here are some before/after pictures:

A BIG thank you to the people at OE who helped us plan this as well as the community members who came out to paint!

Send the VISTAs Gifts!

2010-12-02T11:49:00.006-05:00

Don't worry - we're not pocketing them! These gifts are for eight families in Bertie County, NC where our fellow VISTA Derrell serves (Hi Derrell!). Thanks to everyone's generosity, deliveries are starting pile up in the Winston-Salem Office and though we have a ways to go, this is certainly a promising beginning!

As we mentioned in our Cyber Monday post, you can make the holiday season brighter for families in need via our Target Registry. Each item on that list - no matter how small or basic - represents something on someone's special wish list. So far we've received toys, socks, tools, and family games. It's really neat to see packages arrive regularly like that. It brings smiles to our faces every time! Bertie County has gone through a rough year and we want to do all we can to support our neighbors in rural North Carolina. These gifts are much appreciated. Never before have we seen children put items like "socks" and "school supplies" on their holiday wish lists...

It's not too late to give back! Visit the registry today and pass on the link to friends and family. You can even order items with a large group to save on shipping. As you can tell by some of these images, we VISTAs are getting in the spirit of things. Please join us in this merriment. Doesn't it look fun?

Cyber Monday for a Cause!

2010-11-29T14:15:00.007-05:00

Once upon a time there was a young, innocent little girl who was dragged to an outlet mall at midnight on Black Friday. Claustrophobic and unprepared, she tried her best to keep up with the sea of people scurrying to sales and discounts. Much like salmon swimming upstream, it was natural selection and only the strong survived. Eventually she emerged from the crowd, but had no bags. The only thing she had to show for this late night adventure in consumerism was PTSD (Posttraumatic Shopping Disorder).

Yes, I am that girl. She is me. We are one. Even now, years after that fateful night, I stubbornly refuse to participate in Black Friday.

Recently a new tradition has emerged: Cyber Monday. I haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet, but I have a feeling this day involves less waiting, shoving, and cramped spaces than its in-person counterpart. This makes me hopeful. After all, giving is one of the greatest parts of the holiday season and shopping is often a necessary step to get there!

With that in mind, I have some uplifting news. You can now participate in Cyber Monday with a greater cause in mind! This year, One Economy has complied has a specia l registry at Target.com that includes the wish lists of eight families from Bertie County, NC. Items include everything from small toys to toolboxes. Some children even asked for school supplies. The list goes on and includes many basic needs - things that we Winston-Salem VISTAs have unfortunately taken for granted in our own lives. We hope you consider giving back this holiday season. Even one gift goes a long way!

So, guess what? Holiday shopping doesn't have to be terrifying. In fact, it can be inspiring! As a victim of Black Friday madness, I'm relieved to discover this.

'Tis the Season!

Denise and the Winston-Salem VISTAs

Motivational Monday Resurrected

2010-11-01T11:07:00.002-04:00

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.

~Anne Frank

P.S. - The VISTAs are on Twitter! Follow us @1Economy_VISTA

My_time_at_One_Economy_rev3.ppt

2010-10-13T14:22:00.003-04:00

Before I say anything else, I have to say a big thank you to all the VISTAS here in the W-S office for making my birthday ridiculously awesome yesterday. In particular, I appreciate their enabling my Halloween Oreo addiction.

In terms of work, my trail to One Economy was slightly unorthodox and at first, I wasn't sure how I felt about working with a non-profit that is driven primarily by technology. I'm a political science major and technology is not my forte. My friends would tell you that the scene in Office Space where they take the copier out to a field and completely destroy it... is one of my favorite moments ever. I've wanted to re-enact that scene on numerous occasions. However, most of my previous work has generally involved working with policy affecting low to moderate-income individuals and families. Working to change predatory lending laws, point out flaws in the indigent defense system and identify shortcomings of the federal poverty measure are what I know. Not computers. Not digital literacy.

So, I was a bit anxious starting out but that anxiety has long since vanished because it is hard not to get excited about one's work when you are surrounded by passionate and dedicated individuals. The VISTAS and staff in the Winston-Salem office and the staff elsewhere that I have met are incredibly hard-working and approach their work with a zeal that is contagious. Despite powerpoint's best efforts, I have found myself extremely excited about my work, both what I have done and what I will do by June. For example, a fellow VISTA in the office informed us that he has a birthday in mid-April. Now, after a statement like that, there are a large number of directions you could go. You could talk about how your cousin has a birthday near then or how that's still a good ways away. One could ask if it is a major birthday or if there is a trip planned. But me? Oh, none of that would suffice. In choosing to add to the conversation, my comment was "oh... that's right after the tax season comes to a close!" If zeal is a disease, I believe I may have it.

In the short time that I've been here, even this political science major has come to realize the value that the internet can bring to one's life. Changing policy is one way to affect someone's life in a positive way but providing folks with a vast amount of resources at their fingertips works just as well... if not better.

-S.J.

Maps!

2010-10-13T11:16:00.004-04:00

I know what you're thinking. What's so exciting about maps?* During my first two months of VISTAhood, I guess you can say my appreciation for them has grown - especially in relation to the stimulus project. I've made quite a few and have adopted a somewhat unconventional patchwork approach to mapping due to resources. Also, it turns out that the supervisors at PSO were right! There are many ways to get to any one goal and creativity is key. Usually, one would use GIS software to map information like Census data, but those tools are very expensive and not accessible in most public libraries. With that in mind, I'm presenting this list for VISTA posterity which I fondly call...

"Mapping when you don't have GIS" (yes, it's possible) :

1) Try ArcGIS Explorer - PRO: You can download the tool or use the online version. It's FREE and you can feel your way around enough to get your project done, no GIS experience needed. CON: You have to piece together all the right data and shapefiles yourself, which can be daunting if you're rusty or have never done this before. Luckily, if you choose this mapping method, there is lots of free data to use online - searchable on data.gov.

2) Random Internet Tools - Thank you, Internet. Thanks to free user-made tools, it's surprisingly easy to find websites to help you with mapping. My favorite census-related example is this the KMZ Census Mapper developed by a University of Tennessee Professor. It's so simple and takes you step-by-step through making a map either by census tracts in states of counties. You can choose your subject (poverty, population, education, households, etc.) and view the results on Google maps. Also, Texas A&M has this free DIY website that let's you maps states with customized, color coded counties. Freemaptools.com is also a good place to go. I used it to generate a radius from a point, save the information as an RMZ, then upload it on my own Google maps. I know that there are tons of tools online, so if anyone is reading this and has an addition to this list, please comment!

3) "Mapping by Numbers" - Sonja christened this old fashioned mapping method after those little paint-by-number sets when she saw me squinting at a computer screen and labeling these paper maps by hand. I'm a digital native, but paper is not below me! When the free mapping tools online cannot deliver, a trusty highlighter and office scanner will never let you down.

4) Make Friends with Someone who has GIS - We are very lucky in Winston Salem because the Center for Community Safety has a GIS lab. Last week MaryKarinna and I went on a field trip to their offices and made some maps. When all else fails and you simply need GIS resources/a GIS expert, sometimes community resources or public universities can be of service.

I've written this post for both selfish and archival reasons. If I didn't centralize all of these links soon, I would've forgotten about them for future projects!

*If you still need an answer to that question, you should definitely watch this clip from the West Wing. It will make you want to map something.

Best from NC,

Denise

Hello OE VISTAS!

2010-09-28T16:41:00.003-04:00

Hello all,

I'm Marykarinna and I have been working in the Winston-Salem OE office since August. The past month has been great! It seems like we're getting a lot accomplished, especially with our National Corporate Volunteer program. I can only hope that the rest of the year goes as smoothly as the past month has. I am really lucky to be in the WS office with three other VISTAS!

I also want to thank the WS VISTAS for participating in the National Day of Service on 9/11. Thanks to everyone for coming out!

Walltown Digital Connectors Graduation!

2010-08-17T14:44:00.002-04:00

Last week Thursday, August 12, the Digital Connectors program I've been working with held their graduation. We graduated 7 youth, which is a smaller than average class size, but a huge accomplishment for the Walltown community.

It has been quite the year -- full of ups and downs and learning about the most effective way to reach these youth.

One thing I will never forget is how excited they all were when they grabbed their computers and gear to leave the graduation ceremony. I hope this is not the end, but instead, the beginning of a new chapter in their lives with all the tools to succeed within their reach.

---Laura, Durham, NC

Hello from Winston Salem!

2010-08-16T12:13:00.017-04:00

Greetings fellow Vistas!

I just wanted to write a quick shout out and say hello from lovely Winston-Salem. I'm Denise, a new OE VISTA from Virginia (that's me to the left). I'm actually leaving for PSO in Atlanta tomorrow. Wish me luck!

I'm enjoying the experience so far - mostly research, resource mapping, and excel - and I'm especially looking forward to meeting and working with the other VISTAs in the office!

It's been just two weeks so far, so I sadly have little wisdom/motivation to impart! Still, I thought I might pass along a resource tip just in case there are some VISTAs out there planning to make presentations or teach classes this year. I'm currently obsessed with Prezi, the zooming online presentation tool that will forever convert you away from power point. I love it and I hope you will too! I made a One Economy demo presentation you can see below. It's sort of lame since I made it quickly, but I think you get the idea!

Best wishes and happy Americorping,

Denise

One Economy on Prezi

Motivational Monday!

2010-08-16T10:53:00.002-04:00

Good morning team!

Here's a quote to get your week started off right:

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be – Douglas Adams

---Laura; Durham, NC

Motivational Monday!

2010-08-02T09:21:00.001-04:00

Good morning Team!

And happy August -- time has really flown by this year. Here's your motivational quote for the week:

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. Ralph Waldo Emerson

---Laura; Durham, NC

Motivational Mondays

2010-07-26T09:09:00.000-04:00

Good morning team!

A little dose of motivation to get you started this Monday morning:

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader. ---John Quincy Adams

Have a great week!
---Laura; Durham, NC

The Holy Grail

2010-07-12T10:06:00.002-04:00

Two Mondays ago when we were celebrating other victories here on the VISTA blog, the Winston-Salem office celebrated with me about some big news. In November 2009 I started working with Sonja to apply for grant funding in Winston-Salem to launch a Digital Connectors program. LaDeara Crest has benefited from every other aspect of One Economy's programming except for the youth technology piece. With help from our miracle working grant team, in April 2010 I submitted the final version of our grant application.

They kept pushing back the time for when they would notify us of our award. If they waited one more cycle my VISTA term would have been over. Deep down I felt that there was no way we wouldn't get funding but I knew the reality that all VISTAs do that nothing is a sure thing until it happens.

In the end WE GOT THE GRANT!!!! ($25,000)

For me this grant is the holy grail of my year. It was a project where all of the responsibility fell on my shoulders and if successful the community would benefit greatly. The residents in LaDeara Crest have been looking forward to having more opportunities for their young people and I am so elated that I can say at the end of my year that I was able to help them see this accomplishment.

So I leave Winston on a big high with a little side of bittersweet because the operation and success of the actual program is now in someone else's hands. However, that's how sustainability works. Someone passed this project on to me and now I'm doing the same. I'm happy that even without me here the show will go on.

Take that Indiana Jones!

~Adwoa

Motivational Mondays

2010-07-12T09:02:00.001-04:00

Good Morning Team!

Hope you all have great weeks! Keep up the good work that's been happening around the country. Here's your quote for the week:

Don't live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable. ~Wendy Wasserstein

---Laura; Durham, NC

Eating on the Cheap

2010-06-30T09:18:00.002-04:00

Hey VISTA team,
Do you have any tips or tricks for eating well on the VISTA stipend? Have you started cooking with your friends more? Do you have a go to meal you cook when you're waiting for your next stipend check to come in?

Share what you've learned -- whether its what to buy, where to shop, or a recipe -- in the comments section!

I'm curious to hear what you've been doing and eager to hopefully add a little variety to my recipe collection during the last couple months of my service.

---Laura; Durham, NC

Successful summer service-learning sessions!

2010-06-28T12:57:00.002-04:00

Just so that this blog doesn't end up being Laura's blog (as Tommy says), I'll post some recent info about my summer computer lab workshops facilitated by my Rockhurst service-learning Education grad students:

Computer lab workshop outcomes where Rockhurst service-learning students led one-on-one sessions:
-30 service hours provided by 8 Rockhurst students
-19 program participants (residents and their guests) attended 9 workshops in 2 buildings - mostly resume/job search and a few computer basics
-14 unique people were served
-10 job applications submitted online
-7 Beehive accounts created
-9 resumes created
-4 email accounts created

Note that this was all accomplished in just 3 weeks in June! I'm waiting to hear reflections from my volunteers but the direct feedback I've received so far has been really positive. One student was recently laid off during the workshops -- she was so enthused about working with my residents, that she offered to continue volunteer past her service learning requirements since she had "more free time now"!

Another little vignette that will stick with me during this semeseter was working with a resident to create a resume on the Beehive. When we got to the work history part, I asked her what her last job was, she was quiet and then started crying. I was surprised and felt bad that I might have said something that triggered a sad or bad memory. When I returned with a tissue, I asked if that was the case but she said no -- she was just overwhelmed with emotion that she was able to take this positive step in her life. It was a really poignant moment, and summed up my year of service really well.

--
Tina from KCMO

Milestone in Atlanta: Community Technology Center

2010-06-28T12:38:00.004-04:00

After 11 months of service I finally opened the Community Technology Center (a.k.a computer lab) at Seven Courts Apartments.

The first attempt, the apartment assigned was broken into.
Second attempt, new management was hired and the apartment assigned for the CTC was rented out.

And finally my last attempt with the help of April Penn, the AmeriCorps Summer Associate for Seven Courts, we finally open the doors on June 18, 2010.

April was influential in advocating to the new property management the importance of having a Community Technology Center in her community. We are now conducting training on The Beehive and GCFLearnFree (Word 2007 & Excel 2007). In addition, I am also using the curriculum that Ruqiyyah developed in subjects such as, Internet Basic's, Homework Help and Safety Online, etc.

-andy j. santamaria
Atlanta AmeriCoprs*VISTA

Motivational Mondays!

2010-06-28T10:35:00.003-04:00

Good morning team!
Can you believe its almost July?! Time flies... Here's the quote for the week:

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. Robert Collier

---Laura; Durham, NC

Motivational Tuesday

2010-06-22T11:41:00.001-04:00

Hi Team!
I hope everyone's week started off strong. Here's something to help you make the push to Friday:

Desire is the key to motivation, but it's the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal--a commitment to excellence--that will enable you to attain the success you seek." Mario Andretti

--Laura; Durham, NC

2010-06-18T15:53:00.002-04:00

I was getting technology pictures off of http://www.engadget.com/ and came upon this picture and had to send it to Tommy D and post for you all to see. I thought it was just too random of an occurrence not to pass along.

-Daniel

Meet the Summer Associates!

2010-06-18T10:10:00.010-04:00

Team,
As mentioned on the last VISTA conference call, we have been joined by 11 Summer Associates serving in North Carolina and Georgia. We're excited to have them aboard to share their time and talents with the communities they're working with.

Kimberly McIntee joins us from Columbia, SC. She will be working in the Winston-Salem One Economy office on the Corporate Volunteer Project.

Marche' Davis will also be serving out of the One Economy Winston Salem, NC office on the Stimulus project. Marche' is originally from Asheville, NC.

Leslie Raymond is the third summer associate serving out of the One Economy Winston Salem office. She joins us from Hollywood, FL and will be working on the Stimulus project.

Tanya Tuttle, originally from Winston Salem, NC, will be serving with the Forsyth County Computer Training Bridge. She will be working with the training bridge program to help educate, train, and expose people of all ages to the use of computers.

Geniece Bey will be working in the Walltown Neighborhood of Durham, NC, her hometown, on Computer training and Community Outreach projects.

Alyssa Wright, from Atlanta, GA, will be working in Clarkston, GA (a suburb of Atlanta) this summer. She will be working with refugee organizations in Clarkston to establish sustainable programs which train immigrant residents to teach their community how to manage their finances and find jobs through using the Beehive resources.

Ashley Anderson is serving out of the OE Atlanta office.
April Penn is serving at PRI, a partner organization in Atlanta, with Andy Santamaria.

In addition, Patricia Cooper will be serving out of Bertie County, helping with the Bertie Middle School. Teneisha Small and Darrius Wessell will also be serving out of Bertie County.

Motivational Mondays

2010-06-14T08:23:00.002-04:00

Good morning team!
I hope you all had great weekends. Enjoy the weekly quote:

Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced. ― James Arthur Baldwin

---Laura; Durham, NC

Motivational Mondays

2010-06-07T08:57:00.003-04:00

Good morning team!

Can you all believe its the first Monday in June?! Time has flown by this year. Here's the weekly quote for you:

It's not too late at all. You just don't yet know what you are capable of. Mahatma Gandhi

Have a great week.

---Laura; Durham, NC

Motivational Tuesday

2010-06-01T15:32:00.000-04:00

Good afternoon team,

I hope you all had a great long weekend! Here's your quote for the week:

The art of happiness is to serve all.

---Laura; Durham, NC

Spreading the Word About the Beehive EVERYWHERE!

2010-05-29T13:31:00.005-04:00

Photoshop has actually been a very useful skill I've acquired this past year.

Original picture: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic-art/240105/92127/Soviet-leader-Vladimir-Ilich-Lenin-addressing-a-crowd-in-1920

Tina's KCMO & VISTA photos

2010-05-24T14:08:00.000-04:00

Here are some photo links to preface my upcoming Capstone presentation on Thursday. Those of you who are my Facebook friends will probably already have seen these. Those who aren't, please send me a FB request!

A Year with AmeriCorps*VISTA: My picture album of KCMO, Troost Ave, and all things AmeriCorps

KC Public Art: Murals & Art works in urban core of KCMO

And Finally: Troost Avenue Light Show video

If you slogged through my FB albums you will notice that this video was taken inside of my loft apartment - this is just a snippet of my night-life experience living on Troost ;-) I tried to upload the video but it didn't seem to work so you can download it from my google docs site.

"Troost Avenue in Kansas City is the historical racial dividing line for the city and as such has become a symbol of commercial disinvestment, the struggle of an inner-city area to attract business development, and the problem of overcoming racial divisions within an economic development strategy."

-- Tina

Motivational Mondays

2010-05-24T09:20:00.002-04:00

Good morning everyone!

Muhammad Yunus delivered Duke University's commencement speech this year. This quote is from that speech:

"Technology is like a vessel, it is like a car. It is the driver who decides where you want to take it. If you want to use this technology to make money, it will make you money. If you want to take this technology to change the world, to make a better world, definitely it will take you there. It is your choice what you want to do with it."

---Laura; Durham, NC

Motivational Mondays

2010-05-17T09:06:00.001-04:00

Good morning team!

Go to the people. Learn from them. Live with them. Start with what they know. Build with what they have. The best of leaders when the job is done, when the task is accomplished, the people will say we have done it ourselves.
Lao Tzu

Hope you all have good weeks!
Laura; Durham, NC

2010-05-13T12:37:00.003-04:00

Corporate America Gives Workplace Volunteerism a Strong Vote of Confidence as Means for Long-term Social Change

Deloitte survey finds businesses believe volunteerism has power to make real difference

http://bit.ly/d0F8Nj

- Meg

AmeriCorps Week

2010-05-10T09:32:00.002-04:00

Happy AmeriCorps Week! I'm sure everyone will be getting lots of presents :)

But seriously I think we are a part of something really great so keep that in mind throughout the week when you find yourself struggling for motivation or encouragement...or if you just want to celebrate yourself and the work that you've done this year in spite of all the odds.

~Adwoa

Motivational Mondays

2010-05-10T08:45:00.002-04:00

Good morning team,

Welcome back into your office. I hope you all had a nice, relaxing, recovering weekend. And the quote for today:

I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.
- Edward Everett Hale

--Laura; Durham, NC

OE VISTAs Get Your Cameras Out!

2010-04-26T10:20:00.001-04:00

Grab Your Camera...
And Tell the AmeriCorps Story!

The 2010 AmeriCorps Video and Photo Contest is open.

Across the country, AmeriCorps members are helping communities fight poverty, mentor youth, recover from disasters, raise graduation rates, and tackle our toughest social challenges.

AmeriCorps is expanding, and we want your help spreading the word and recruiting the next class of AmeriCorps members.

We challenge you to create a video or take a photo that tells a compelling story about how AmeriCorps has made an impact on your community.

The AmeriCorps Video and Photo Contest is open to anyone.

http://www.americorpscontest.org/

Motivational Mondays

2010-04-26T08:59:00.002-04:00

Good morning team and Happy Monday,

"You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result." ---Mahatma Gandhi

Have a good week,
---Laura; Durham, NC

Motivational Mondays

2010-04-19T08:47:00.002-04:00

Good morning team,
This quote is hanging in the room where the Walltown Digital Connectors meet. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

--- Laura; Durham, NC

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” --- Marianne Williamson

Motivational Mondays!

2010-04-12T08:41:00.001-04:00

Good morning team.
I hope you all enjoyed Tommy's post. I'm curious to see what the rest of you have been up to...Tommy's sure been busy the past quarter.

Here's a little something to add to your Monday:

Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow.
Doug Firebaugh

--Laura; Durham, NC

The Final Stretch

2010-04-08T17:43:00.004-04:00

Is this Laura's blog now? I do think it's pretty funny that the last page of updates is all Motivational Mondays only broken up by free Ice Cream day. With my supervisor out for the week and things a little slow at LINC, I guess I'll take on the heavy burden of making a non-Laura blog post.

Writing out this last quarterly report, it's started to hit me that we're in the last quarter for the July class. The last part of my VAD is only a couple sentences about sustainability; I imagine it staring back at me saying in a confused voice "Uhhhhh... sustainability or something, we'll figure this out later". Over the next few weeks, I'm hoping to become involved in writing out the project plan for our next VISTA and taking what I've learned to benefit them. I think there's a lot of value for future Beehive VISTAs, but the focus needs include more non-Beehive projects that can get you out to the community.

Back to my service, though, I'm trying not to become too complacent. My two biggest outcomes are already out for all to see: Beehive traffic has crushed any and all expectations while the Tax Van's time in K.C was a big success. There's still a few months left, though, so I don't want to become the lame duck VISTA leaving all the big projects to the next person.

Anyway, thought I'd just throw down the accomplishments section on my most recent quarterly report, because I'm always curious what everyone is doing.

· 8115 visitors to the Kansas City Beehive.

· Successfully e-filed over 140 returns using MyFreeTaxes.

· Helped Tax Van project by working on the ground, contacting site coordinators, and answering questions.

· Achieved Advanced level Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) certification.

· Led two tax workshops in the community, at Crestview Elementary and Georgian Court Apartments

· Facilitated a well-attended focus group in the community about technology use and useful Beehive content.

· Published relevant local content to the Kansas City Beehive

o Medicaid in Missouri

o Quality Healthcare Together (website with local patients' doctor ratings)

o City of Independence Health Fair

o Tax Filing Instructional Videos

o Avoiding Foreclosure Scams

o Finding Rental Housing

· Updated and expanded local content on:

o Kansas GED information

o Free Immunization for kids in K.C

o Food Stamps in Kansas

o Applying for Missouri Unemployment

· Created a tax van video to communicate the cause, shown at LINC commission meeting

· Uploaded hundreds of photos to the LINC website and recorded narration

· Shot and edited video for Pitcher and Fairmount Elementary Schools

· Attended the Missouri Homeownership and Preservation Conference

· Provided audio/visual assistance at LINC site coordinator meeting

· Designed and printed flyers for community events with LINC communications staff

-Tommy D in KC

Motivational Mondays

2010-03-29T10:11:00.001-04:00

Good morning team!

“Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours.” -Cesar Chavez

Happy Monday! Laura; Durham, NC

Free Ice Cream day!

2010-03-23T12:26:00.001-04:00

Hi Team,
It's Ben and Jerry's Free Cone Day today. From noon-8pm at participating locations, you can get one free scoop of ice cream! Check here to see if there's a way for you to take part in your city. http://www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/feature/free-cone-day/

Enjoy!
Laura

Project Management Training

2010-03-18T10:35:00.003-04:00

Hi team,
Earlier this week, I had the chance to participate in a VISTA Leader webinar training on Project Management. Even though this training was given via webex, the facilitator made it very interesting and interactive. Here are some of the highlights:

Project Management can be thought of as process facilitation -- You need to ask the right questions from the right people to help the process run smoothly and accomplish your task
The facilitator talked about 3 key stages of a project process: 1) Need Identification, approach and selection; 2) Planning and Implementation; 3) Process monitoring, Improvement and Evaluation.
During each stage you want to be talking with and asking questions of yourself, your supervisor, the beneficiaries of the project, and people/groups collaborating with you.
Clearly defining and communicating your strategy will help the collaborators and beneficiaries take ownership and accountability for the success -- a key for sustainability!

If you have any questions, let me know!
Laura; Durham, NC

Motivational Tuesday

2010-03-16T09:42:00.002-04:00

Good morning team,
I hope you all started your week off strong. Here's a quote for you to think about through the rest of the week:

A wise man adapts himself to circumstances as water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it. Chinese Proverb

Happy Tuesday!
Laura; Durham, NC

Motivational Mondays

2010-03-08T13:10:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday Team!

“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”

Hope you're all having a great start to your week.
Laura; Durham, NC

Motivational Mondays

2010-03-01T09:00:00.002-05:00

Good morning team,
It was great seeing most of you last week at training! I hope you all arrive at your offices today re-energized and motivated to complete the second half of your service.

Here's your weekly Monday quote: The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting out aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.
- Michelangelo

--Laura; Durham, NC

Motivational Mondays

2010-02-15T10:00:00.002-05:00

Good morning team!
I hope you are all enjoying your President's Day, whether in or out of the office. Regardless, here's a little something to keep you going:

A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.
--Francis Bacon

Hope you all have great weeks!
Laura; Durham, NC

Motivational Mondays

2010-02-08T09:41:00.001-05:00

Good morning team!

"Goals: There's not telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There's no telling what you can do when you believe in them. There's no telling what will happen when you act upon them."
-Jim Rohn

Happy Monday,
Laura; Durham, NC

"Black History Month 2010: Movers and Shakers"

2010-02-02T12:14:00.003-05:00

The "Black History Month 2010: Movers and Shakers" slideshow is up on the Beehive. Go check it out, I bet you will see 2 very familiar faces. Wink. Wink.

http://www.thebeehive.org/special-features/slideshow-black-history-month-2010

-Meg

MLK Day in Austin, TX

2010-02-01T13:27:00.006-05:00

Meg here...

I did my Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service in Austin, Texas through Hands On Central Texas, a program of United Way Capital Area. I live and serve in North Carolina but was traveling during this time. I still wanted to volunteer so I looked up opportunities in the Austin area. In Austin the day of service was held on Saturday, January 16.

We woke up bright and early on Saturday, drove to Huston-Tillotson University, and checked in for our service project. The room was packed with an assortment of national service volunteers, students, and community members. I knew I was in Texas when I saw burritos for breakfast. They were delicious with coffee and orange juice. The kickoff program included the MLK Oratory Competition recipient, Dr. Richard Reddick (the keynote speaker), and a performance by The Cipher – Austin’s Hip-Hop Project. We also remembered the people of Haiti whose tragedy reminds us to put things in perspective.

After the conclusion of the kickoff we headed over to the Austin Nature and Science Center in Zilker Park, the location of our service project. There we met Ruth, the horticulturist at the Center and about 6 students from St. Edward’s University, a school in Austin. For the next four hours we enjoyed getting to know each other while we cleared beds, swept paths, and raked leaves.

Late Saturday afternoon I had a good nap, my body satisfied from working outside and my mind in a positive place from being part of an important movement. MLK Day of Service is about people coming together, working to make communities better places to live, for everyone. On that Saturday in Austin, I felt like I had been a part of a successful MLK Day of Service!

Motivational Mondays

2010-02-01T12:57:00.003-05:00

Hello Team,

A little something to think about as you begin this week:

"Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery and triumph; a beginning, a struggle and a victory." Ghandi

-Laura; Durham, NC

Motivational Mondays

2010-01-25T08:20:00.001-05:00

Good morning Team!

I hope you all had great weekends.

"Most successful men have not achieved their distinction by having some new talent or opportunity presented to them. They have developed the opportunity that was at hand."
–– Bruce Barton

--Laura; Durham, NC

Midwest Philanthropy Conference

2010-01-20T17:10:00.004-05:00

Great post by Tina a couple days ago! This post is seriously out-dated, but I thought I'd throw it up here anyway. This is video from me and Tina at last November's Midwest Philanthropy Conference. LINC has given me some good video-editing software (Premiere Elements) so I can finally use and edit some of the newer flip camera footage I've taken. The new flips save in MP4 files, which have been a huge pain since those don't work with Windows Movie Maker.

So take a look. I added some cheesy effects and credits, with at least two spelling errors. See if you can find them! This event was attended by higher-ups from different K.C area non-profits, and was definitley a good place to raise Beehive awareness. We were disappointed, though, that there wasn't enough time for exhibits considering that it was a pretty steep price just to have a booth.

-Tommy D in K.C

Service to the Youth

2010-01-19T12:52:00.004-05:00

As part of our service in Winston-Salem we teamed up with HandsOn of Northwestern North Carolina to participate in a Read-In Day to engage youth in literacy and teach them about social justice. From the "VISTA Hub" Jennifer, Laura, Daniel, and I all volunteered at the event. Plus OE's own Laurie Williams, Ralph Raymond, and our new tax van drivers all came out to serve. 100s of volunteers showed up to help at this community event. I was able to head up the social media team to document the event and put up postings on facebook, twitter, and a town hall forum through Americorps. From all the photos and interviews we conducted I will share two to help you hear directly from the volunteers and youth about how Dr. King's legacy lives on through our work today.

-Adwoa

MLK Day On in KCMO

2010-01-19T11:37:00.005-05:00

Warning: the video is using UNSTEADY CAM so you may get queasy watching :-)

Tommy and I spent our MLK Day On service at Metropolitan Lutheran Ministry, a homeless outreach agency in Midtown, Kansas City, Missouri. We joined other AmeriCorps and VISTAs from Washburn University in Topeka. Washburn does something similar to One Economy with their VISTAs where they place up to 60 VISTAs and AmeriCorps workers around the country.

We spent the morning stocking the food pantry, then attended an MLK celebration at the Kansas City Art Institute (we sang happy birthday and had cake!). MLM provided great sack lunches as well.

We returned to MLM after the celebration and during reflection time we wrote cards to homebound seniors. The later afternoon, Tommy and I split up and he went to Blessings Abound Thrift store in Overland Park and I stayed at MLM to help finish up at the food pantry. It was a great full day of service and fellowship! And Domo joined us too :-)

A Day On, On A Day Off

2010-01-18T10:16:00.002-05:00

Good morning team,

This morning as I was going through my regular routine of checking emails and the NY Times, an op-ed headline caught my eye: "Our Basic Human Pleasures: Food, Sex and Giving".

As an AmeriCorps*VISTA, volunteering full time for a year (and even on the occasional holiday or weekend) I was curious to see what the author had to say about giving ranking so highly as a human pleasure.

Regardless of your personal views of the top three human pleasures, the article is interesting read...especially today when we, as AmeriCorps*VISTAs, are serving as leaders in our own communities making today a day on, instead of a day off.

Check out the article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/opinion/17kristof.html?em

--Laura, VISTA Leader, Durham, NC

See Daniel at Work

2010-01-06T16:59:00.003-05:00

Kevin, Daniel's supervisor sent the following in an email to several people at One Economy, thought you all would enjoy seeing it:

Some images of Daniel Jessup from November to now, wearing many hats as One Economy's IT VISTA...from HR (pre-hire screening the Wal-Mart Tax Van drivers) to techie (setting up 55 computers with Verizon Mifi, Skype, projectors, and numerous applications). Lots of hardware! Ralph can be seen in the "boys with toys" pic.

- Meg

It's Not "Goodbye" If I Just Run Away

2009-12-09T15:59:00.003-05:00

I expected my last week as a VISTA would be pretty slow. All my classes and events would be finished and I would just be tying up loose ends. But about a month ago I took on one last big project for my partner at the Computer Training Bridge (a network of free computer classes taught by volunteers). We needed a big volunteer event, and I had the idea to go around and film the volunteer coaches teaching their classes and compile a video. Little did I know, that I would end up with over an hour of footage. After having to start over more than once, hundreds of hours cursing Windows Movie Maker, and endless urges to throw my computer against the wall, I finally finished the videos. That’s right videos. I ended up having to cut the entire ten-minute monster into three parts. But it's done now and I've decided to celebrate by sending one last monster of a post to all of you. Hope you don't mind.

While I was waiting for Windows Movie Maker (it took about twenty minutes every time I had to open the file), I found another laptop and some time to clean out my email and then my computer. I’ve left all the files that might be helpful to someone in the future on a flash drive here in the office. Sustainability in a box, I call it.

So, with most of my loose ends headed towards being tied (there’s still that pesky sustainability report), what am I supposed to feel? I’m sad to be leaving my partner at the Training Bridge and everyone here in the NC office. I’ve met a lot of great people this year and learned more than I could ever list here (not the least of which was using bullet points in long emails). But I’m also excited to go home. I’ve missed my family, friends and boyfriend all year, and there were times I thought about giving up. I’ve never been the type, and I knew if I stayed I would eventually get something out of it. I feel like going home means picking up my “real” life again, getting what my mother calls a “real” job (I start grad school for Library Science in the fall, but what to do in the mean time? Back to the salt mines) and figuring out a new routine. I’m nervous about the change. I suppose that is to be expected.

What I didn’t expect was the feeling of anxiety I’m having now about leaving. What if I leave and everything goes back to how it was before? What if everything I did makes no difference at all? I know that I changed myself and affected people in the community, not the least of which were the kids in my TECA classes and the job seekers at the library. If nothing else, I know I got One Economy’s name circulated – I hope that’s enough. It’s not all my VAD was cracked up to be, but then some things are beyond our control.

I was surprised not long ago, when someone described me as a control freak, but I guess that is just what I am. I can’t stand the idea of leaving and not having any control over what happens next. But the time has come to let go….just, maybe not completely. With that in mind, I want to encourage all of you to contact me if you feel like I might be able to give you advice about your own projects. My new email is mbrasseur19@gmail.com, feel free to keep in touch.

Thank you for all the amazing work you’re doing. Keep it up. Good luck!

Michelle Brasseur

OE VISTA Logo

2009-12-09T10:49:00.004-05:00

I cannot wait to see everyones' ideas for the new One Economy VISTA logo! (See my email, "OE VISTA Logo")

If you need a place to start here are "7 Logo Design Tips" (from Branding Basics on About.com, http://bit.ly/7Didcc).

Keep in mind that a powerful logo design:

has a strong, balanced image with no little extras that clutter its look;

is distinctive and bold in design, making it easy to see at a glance;

has graphic imagery that looks appropriate for your business;

works well with your company name;

is done in an easy to read font;

communicates your business clearly; and

looks good in black and white, as well as in color.

Also, LogoPond is a good place to go for inspiration http://logopond.com/

Have Fun!

Meg

Tags on The Buzz

2009-12-07T10:23:00.002-05:00

Hope everyone had a restful weekend.

I forgot to mention in my post on Friday the importance of using tags on The Buzz (https://thebuzz.one-economy.com/login.jspa). If you post a document on The Buzz please make sure you list relevant tags. This ensures that people will be able to find your document!

- Meg

Motivational Mondays

2009-12-07T09:29:00.002-05:00

Hi Team,

I hope you all have a great week! Here's a quote to help motivate you as we get closer and closer to the holidays.

The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.
Earl of Beaconsfield

Best,
Laura

RE: Outgoing VISTA reports

2009-12-04T16:00:00.002-05:00

Thanks for your post Ruqiyyah, you have some great suggestions!

Laura and I just wanted to follow up on your post with some clarifications.

The Buzz: templates & procedures (https://thebuzz.one-economy.com/login.jspa)

OE VISTA Blog: a brief synopsis of your project (keeping in mind this is a public platform, people outside of the OE VISTA community can read these posts)

CDs or USBs: Any and all information you wish to pass on. These may be given to Laurie or the VISTA Leaders.

As for the question regarding a comprehensive way to report and share to the VISTAs, a "OE VISTA virtual space" is in development. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Thanks!

Meg & Laura

Outgoing VISTA reports

2009-12-04T12:18:00.003-05:00

Hi Outgoing VISTAs,

I want to thank you for the work you've been doing, and to let you know how you can help us one last time. Many of us may be working on similar things in our year(s) here, and I think it would be really great if you could do the following before you head off:

1. Load all your program documents you developed or helped develop, etc onto the Buzz.

2. Post a summary of the work you did here on the blog. Maybe you could cut and paste from various quarterly reports you did.

That would keep us from duplicating efforts, and also ensure your work gets carried on. Laura and Meg, is there any kind of existing comprehensive way this is reported and shared to the VISTAs?

Thanks again,

Ruqiyyah

Volunteer Appreciation Idea

2009-12-03T08:19:00.002-05:00

Hi Team,
Disney Parks and HandsOn Network are partnering to form a really cool program to reward volunteerism. See all the details below and pass the information along to anyone you think might be interested.

Thanks!
Laura Parewski
--------------------------------------------------
In 2010, HandsOn Network and Disney Parks want to inspire one million people to volunteer a day of service through the Give A Day. Get A Disney Day. program that celebrates good works by giving each qualified volunteer one day admission to a theme park at Disneyland® Resort or Walt Disney World® Resort, free.

HandsOn Network, the largest volunteer network in the U.S. and the sister organization of AmeriCorps Alums, is the activator for the Give A Day. Get A Disney Day. program with more than 250 HandsOn Actions Centers across the country in addition to 70,000 community-based partners such as food banks, homeless shelters, schools and faith-based organizations.

Here’s how we are asking AmeriCorps volunteers, alumni and your service organizations to get involved:

Organize – If you work with an organization that engages volunteers, register to participate in the Give A Day. Get A Disney Day. and thank your volunteers for their service by providing opportunities for free Disney tickets. Teaming up with HandsOn Network for this program will help drive awareness of your organization and attract new volunteers to help fulfill your organization’s mission. Go to http://VOP.HandsOnNetwork.org to sign up. When registering, be sure to enter 1OR7X7A in the referral code field. You can also copy and paste it into the referral code field. This code helps us track the mobilization power of AmeriCorps Alums.
Volunteer – Beginning Jan. 1, 2010, go to http://www.disneyparks.com/, find a volunteer opportunity near you and make your commitment to serve. Once you’ve completed your volunteer activity, you’ll receive your free ticket to Disney.
Celebrate – Tell your friends, family and service network about this unique opportunity. Go to www.HandsOnNetwork.org/Disney for more information. As our nation is recognizing volunteerism as a pathway to solving our most pressing social issues, come celebrate with HandsOn Network and Disney Parks our shared vision of service and through the "Give A Day. Get A Disney Day.” program.

Motivational Mondays

2009-11-23T08:27:00.001-05:00

Good morning team and Happy Monday in this short work week!

No one who achieves success does so without the help of others.
The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.
Alfred North Whitehead

I hope you all have great holidays!
Laura

Motivational Mondays

2009-11-16T08:33:00.000-05:00

Good morning team,

"Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that."
Norman Vincent Peale

Happy Monday!
-Laura

Summer Seattle Digital Connectors

2009-11-13T15:35:00.003-05:00

Check out this fine video created by Seattle Summer Digital Connectors. The education part of the video won Puget SoundOFF Peoples Choice AWARD for their efforts in solving education problems. Visit www.pugetsoundoff.org Which has been a large part of my project.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55249nIJhM

Puget Soundoff Digital Connectors

2009-11-13T14:59:00.004-05:00

Check out the link below and view just some of the work the Seattle Digital Connectors are getting done. They worked hard, and are making a difference in the Puget Sound area. It has been an absoulute privelage to have worked with these fantastic youth. Digital Connectors has been they highlight of my VISTA service year!!

Digital Connectors Connecting their community

Project Presentation

2009-11-12T12:46:00.003-05:00

Hey all,

Michelle here. I have a story and funny video I would like to share with you all. Part of my VISTA project is working with The Computer Training Bridge here in Winston-Salem, NC. It is a network of free computer classes taught all over the city by volunteer computer coaches. Several months ago one of the coaches asked me to come and speak at his monthly luncheon for retired pastors and their wives. I'd told the coaches about One Economy and AmeriCorps VISTA and my project, and he wanted me to share all of that with his group. I was nervous, but it was such an honor to be asked that I had to say yes. At the time I didn't have much to say about my project aside from my work on the Mobile Tax Project, which although important, had never really felt like my own. Since then I've worked on the Teen Computer Advisors and taught video game design classes at several locations around the city, all the time developing important community partnerships for the CTB and OE. When I presented on Wednesday it felt like the senior project presentation I'd had to give in college. I was just as nervous talking about something that I'd spent a year working on, something that I might even refer to as my baby, but I was no where near as shy. It's amazing how this year has brought me even farther out of my shell and made me comfortable speaking in front of a crowd of strangers.
The group was really responsive and kind. All having devoted their lives to service, they were excited to meet a young person wanting to do the same. I made sure to tell them that it's never too late for them to get involved again. VISTA has no upper age limit, and I talked a bit about the Senior Corps, for volunteers 55 and up. If you haven't heard of it you should check it out. Maybe you know someone who would be interested.
Anyway, my volunteer coach was kind enough to take a few minutes video of my presentation. It's pretty funny. Note how much I talk with my hands, and the part where he gets a call and sets the camera down while it's still recording...priceless. In his defense, it was his first time using a flip camera, as you can see from the beginning.
I'm glad I had the opportunity to present about my project. Now that I have a month left, I've been looking for ways to develop a sense of closure, and I think this is a big help. No matter how far you are into your year, it helps to get a little perspective.

Thanks all! Have a great day!
Michelle Brasseur
Winston-Salem NC

Had trouble uploading here. Check it out on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbgXM4L3w0I

Africa

2009-11-12T10:38:00.002-05:00

Hey all,

For everyone interested in my trip to Africa, here are some scenes from my trip to Senegal. I think you can get a good picture of the kind of digital divide we are talking about.

Technology Fair

2009-11-10T13:54:00.003-05:00

Hi Folks,

Here is a video from the Technology Fair held last Saturday at Seven Courts. This was meant to be a launching event to show to the media. However, I dont believe there was much of a media presence, but the Atlanta City Council was represented, so visibility of the organization was increased.

Residents got a chance to sign up for email, learn about the beehive and PIC.TV. Guest speakers included Carol Collard of Caring Works, Dennis Boyden of AT&T/Bellsouth, and our own Carol Johnson. You can see what they said below. Behind the speakers you can see the Energy Fitness Van set up as well as the One Economy DC Van and computer bank.

Enjoy,

Ruqiyyah

Motivational Mondays

2009-11-09T08:24:00.002-05:00

Good morning!

All things splendid
have been achieved
by those who dared to believe
that something inside them
was superior to circumstance.
--Bruce Barton

I hope you all have great weeks
Laura

Motivational Mondays

2009-10-26T08:43:00.003-04:00

I hope you all had great weekends! Here's a little something to help start your week off right:

You will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make.
- Gorden B. Hinkley

Beehive T-Shirts!?

2009-10-22T15:22:00.003-04:00

Location: James Elementary in Kansas City, Missouri.

She said that an event was giving it away a year ago. Why don't I have one? Why don't any of us have one? I will get to the bottom of this...

-Tommy D in K.C

Needs Assessment BBQ Event

2009-10-21T14:06:00.004-04:00

Hey VISTAs,
Last Saturday we had a Needs Assessment BBQ event at our Access site 7 Courts. It was a great turnout even though it was freezing cold, proving the old adage: if you feed them, they will come.
Andy did a great job planning the event, and he got a whole team of GSU sociology students to come conduct the survey, with other volunteers to cook and coach and the like. See below for a video and the official write up from the event.

How do you use the internet? This is one of the questions asked of Seven Courts residents for the needs assessment survey administered by One Economy and a team of volunteers from Georgia State University. The survey was administered at a fall barbecue event hosted by the 7 Courts Resident Association and Mothers in Action. Residents learned about the free wirelessavailable and ate free food in exchange for filling out a survey. They also had a chance to share what they want out of on-site internet training. Resident children played soccer under the guidance of a coach from Energy Fitness of America. “The event’s success was due to the community’s involvement,” remarked One Economy Project Manager and event organizer, Andy Santamaria.

Volunteer Thanks: Many thanks to our volunteer survey takers from GSU: Kimberly McWhorter, Qiana Martin,Faye McMullen, Brittney Terry, Kesandra DeLaney, Andrea Durr, Alice Barrett, Francis Halan, Christopher Pell, and Deirdre Oakly. Thanks also to the volunteers from the Resident Association, Mothers in Action , Project Community Connections, Inc, and Energy Fitness of America, who helped cook and coach, and otherwise make the Access launch a success.

Ruqiyyah Nu'Man and Andy Santamaria for Atlanta.

How to Reset a Router by Andy

2009-10-21T13:39:00.002-04:00

Hey All,

This is Andy showing us how to reset a wireless router.

Ruqiyyah

EmergencZone.org

2009-10-20T16:06:00.003-04:00

One Economy has a new website called EmergencyZone.org, an online portal for disaster resources. Become a fan of EmergencyZone.org on Facebook, or follow the tweets on Twitter @EmergencyZone. For information specific to the American Samoa Tsunami follow the tweets @EZ_ASTsunami and @ASamoaTsunamiHT.

If you are interested, here is the link to the press release:

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS135751+15-Oct-2009+BW20091015

Motivational Mondays

2009-10-19T10:09:00.002-04:00

Happy Monday! Here's a quote to get you going...and to build off the last post by Ruqiyyah:

Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.

~Gautama Siddharta

Nuggets from Rey: Read and Deliver

2009-10-16T14:22:00.005-04:00

Hey All,

So the mysterious (to us VISTAs) Rey Ramsey visited Atlanta, and I had a chance to speak briefly with him this morning. He shared a few things with me on dealing with partners and funders that i'd like to pass along.

First of all, he was exhausted. He rattled off at least 5 cities he'd been in since he'd been home, and this morning's speaking engagement required him to be at New Birth Church at 7:30AM. But he said (and i'm paraphrasing), it doesn't matter what you feel like, you have to summon the energy and be enthusiastic, or no one will work with you. People ask him if he's tired...he says its irrelevant- there is only one way he can show himself in any meeting- energetic and enthusiastic. Great advice for a friday, right?

Secondly, my co-worker Ian, who had been to the speaking engagement this morning, commented that Rey didn't bring any speaking points or anything. Rey commented that he didn't know what he was going to say until he "read the crowd" After he saw something of who they were and what they wanted to hear, he delivered. Ian's comment was: "he hit a home run."

So, for all of us aspiring executives, there's some nuggets of wisdom gleaned from a 5 minute conversation from the man who has earned his own following (hence the "Reydar" that goes out to our emails). Put yourself aside, read what is needed from you, and deliver.

Ruqiyyah

Motivational Mondays

2009-10-12T08:30:00.002-04:00

Here's a short quote to help get you going this Monday morning:

"Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right’. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along."
— Napoleon Hill

Laura

Quarterly Report Accomplishments (aka ego massage!)

2009-10-06T11:32:00.006-04:00

It's been a slow couple of days at work, so I went ahead and worked on the quarterly report. Of course, this means spending a lot of time on the accomplishments section. I thought I'd go ahead and post it here for all to see. Think you can beat this? Bring it. I'm interested to see what everyone else has done as well!

4. Describe your major accomplishments this quarter – both from your work plan as well as any special projects. Please include the breakdown to #10 and #11 here.

· Researched and brainstormed Beehive ideas after looking at local Beehive content across the country, especially Twin Cities.

· Received training and gained access on the Beehive Content Manager System.

· Wrote, published, and researched local Kansas City Beehive articles on the following subjects:

o Immunization information, including where to get children’s vaccinations for free.

o Foreclosure assistance with United Way 2-1-1.

o MO Healthnet, the Missouri form of the SCHIP program of children’s health insurance.

o Kansas HealthWave, the Kansas form of the SCHIP program of children’s health insurance.

o Explanation of proof of income standards.

o The Kansas City Free Health Clinic, providing care to people without health insurance.

o Applying for unemployment in Missouri.

o Applying for unemployment in Kansas.

o Voter registration information for Missouri.

o Voter registration information for Kansas.

o Food stamp information for Missouri.

o Food stamp information for Kansas.

o A list of Job and Career transition groups by area.

o Listing of Safety-Net Health Clinics in Missouri.

o Listing of Safety-Net Health Clinics in Kansas.

o Hot meal sites in the area.

o Emergency assistance programs with the Salvation Army.

o Emergency shelter services for families.

o Getting a GED information for Missouri.

o Getting a GED information for Kansas.

o Public transportation information.

o Video tour of major Beehive features.

· Instructional video series on internet basics and Beehive features, published on Beehive.

o Creating an email account and using it.

o Setting up a Beehive account.

o Using the resume builder step-by-step.

o Planning a bus trip using Google Transit.

o Using the Budget Builder.

· Easily accessible submission form on front page for anyone to send in feedback to Kansas City Beehive.

· Updated front page and picture for Kansas City Beehive.

· Worked with One Economy and LINC to purchase kcbeehive.org vanity url and have it redirect to the Kansas City Beehive for local marketing.

· Represented LINC and the Beehive with booths at two major community events: the Independence Heritage Festival and the Community Resource Fair (for social workers)

· Designed and produced Beehive marketing materials:

o 11” by 17” collage of different Beehive pages.

o Beehive flyers.

o Beehive video tour.

o Billboard with Beehive logo and screenshots.

· Participated in discussions with supervisor Brent, Donovan, and representatives of the United Way 2-1-1 about a possible tie-in.

· Made a presentation to LINC communication staff on value of Beehive.

· Learned the basics of taking video with the flip camera, HD flip camera, and $5000 HD cameras for LINC

· Took video for LINC at several community events including the Universoul Circus, Terry Riley’s Back to School Rally, More2 community meeting, Sante Fe Trail character building assembly, Gena’s school project, and the Garcia Chili supper.

· Took photos for LINC at several community events including the Border Star elementary after-school program, a local flag football league, and the Garcia Chili Supper.

· Uploaded, edited, and organized several LINC photos for kclinc.org.

· Engaged in other capacity building for LINC such as producing flyers, packing boxes, delivering materials, loading up an U-Haul truck, answering questions at a LINC table, rolling up banners, printing photos, and carrying heavy objects.

· Created LINC Facebook page and update it along with LINC’s twitter account.

-Tommy D in K.C

P.S - I guess I have to update my VAD now or something?

Motivational Mondays

2009-10-05T09:09:00.003-04:00

Hi Team,
I hope you all had great weekends! Here's a great quote from Thomas Jefferson to get you going this Monday morning:
"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."

--Laura

Beehive at Independence Heritage Festival

2009-10-03T23:31:00.006-04:00

Earlier today, I drove out to Independence, Missouri to have a booth at one of the more popular community events through the year, the Independence Heritage Festival. It's an interesting event that combines multicultural performances like song and dance with some fun activities, like face painting for the kids. Even though it turned out to be a cold, windy day, they still had a pretty decent turnout, largely in part to the great work LINC did to promote the event.

I came to talk with folks about the Beehive. When my buddies at LINC first told me they wanted me to man a Beehive table, there was a little miscommunication because I wasn't sure if this was the best audience. Up to this point, I've thought of the Beehive's demographic as closer to the urban poor and not the middle class folks that would probably be there. But as the event drew closer, I realized that Independence is a working class town that's been hit as hard as anyone by the recession.

So I set up a table with various Beehive marketing materials I've come up with, and people were liking the idea. The traffic on our side of the festival wasn't huge but very positive and friendly; I had some quality discussions. The video was taken with LINC's HD Flip Camera. I call it super flip. But look at the quality!

-Tommy D in K.C

Post Tours on Connectors Club

2009-10-02T14:50:00.003-04:00

Hey all,

Ive been participating in the Connectors Club, its really cool and if you haven't already, you should check it out. I posted the tour of the office and Leo Sosa said there should be more tours posted, so go ahead and post your office tours there too. It will help the connectors understand what is going on with OE.

Cheers,
Ruqiyyah

Eating Healthy on a Budget

2009-09-28T08:53:00.003-04:00

Good morning team!

Late last week, I attended an event hosted by the local credit union about eating healthy on a budget. I learned some things and was reminded of a few things. Here are the highlights:

Plan ahead…plan your meals for the whole week and use this menu to make your grocery list. This will help cut down on your trips to the grocery store which means more time for other things during the week and fewer impulse buys (more money stays in your pocket)
Don’t go…shopping on an empty stomach or without your shopping list
Buy generic…and from the bulk bins (the ones that you can measure out the amount of fruit, oats, flour, grains, etc you need)
Buy seasonally…it’s fresher, tastier, and cheaper
Drink water…instead of juice or sodas; get a refillable bottle and use tap water
Learn to cook…you control the cooling method, the ingredients, and the portions. This will also help you eat out less
Cook more often…by eating out less and avoiding pre-packaged meals, you not only save money, you will be saving calories.
Try cooking once and eating twice…take your leftovers for lunch, have one night a week where you eat leftovers, or cook something one day and reuse the ingredient later that week (ie: roast a chicken, have chicken one night and use the leftovers for chicken tacos later in the week)
Eat less meat…meat is expensive, try beans for an alternative source of protein.

Some good, nutritious, affordable options:

Oatmeal for breakfast...try it with fruits or nuts. You can change up the flavor tons of ways
Make a big batch of soup or chili to eat throughout the week
Try using beans and whole grains for the base of your meals

If you have any other tips and tricks for eating healthy on a VISTA budget, share them with the team. Or share your best, easy recipe to help get us all into the kitchen!

Laura

Diary of a Single VISTA - Episode 1

2009-09-25T01:28:00.002-04:00

Inspired by all the recent office tours, I made a little something for my time at LINC. Occasionally, I just take out the flip camera (who I've named Flipper) for some random footage, so I've edited a few together to introduce my office. Eventually, I'll have to make future episodes, and a catchy intro theme song!

And yes, I'm hoping you all got the PIC TV joke. Think about it...there you go.

-Tommy D in K.C

KCMO Bainbridge Computer Lab

2009-09-24T15:19:00.005-04:00

I don't have a video of my workspace but I do have a picture of my little corner of the computer lab, and a recent news video of my section 8 housing unit.

Channel 5 Action News link video

There is high tension between the homeowners living in my neighborhood (where I work and also live) and residents/property owners of the section-8 housing located in the neighborhood. The middle/upper class mostly white residents are making a good statistical case that crime follows project section-8 housing but the real-life factors are...where else can low-income people live where it is close to jobs? public transit? social service resources? free clinics? Hyde Park in Kansas City is really good for all those reasons.

Thanks for taking a peek into my little part of One Economy Connected Communities :-)

Tina Coles

KCMO

Need a file converted?

2009-09-24T15:18:00.003-04:00

Hey guys,

Have you ever been working on a flier or brochure (or really anything else for that matter) and wanted to convert the file to a .pdf? I found a website called Zamzar: http://www.zamzar.com/ They will convert your file for free and email you when it's done. If you click on the "Conversion Types" link at the top of the page you can see the long list of files they can work with. And I know it says you need to register, but I haven't and have had 3 successful conversions from publisher files to pdfs.

Laura

Welcome to the Winston-Salem Office!

2009-09-23T20:35:00.003-04:00

We've seen the Atlanta office...

So here is a peek at the Winston-Salem, North Carolina office (sorry no fun music in the background)

--Adwoa Asare

Tour of Atlanta Office

2009-09-23T15:05:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the Atlanta Office!

Come take a quick tour of the Atlanta Office. Wish you were here.

Now i've shown you mine, what does yours look like?

Er... that doesn't sound quite right.

You know what I mean.

Ruqiyyah

The Two Month Slump??

2009-09-23T00:56:00.003-04:00

Completely unrelated, awesome image

"Well, apparently after a couple of months you're going to get depressed," my supervisor Brent told me during our second-ever meeting. Flipping through a binder he'd gotten from his supervisor training, he pointed out an adorable graphic of a cartoon man running along a line representing his enthusiasm throughout a VISTA year. He starts as an enthusiastic beginner. About a month in, he has a "second thoughts" phase where he's hiding behind the line, barely peeking over the top. Then two months in, the line dips sharply, and the little VISTA man is barely hanging on for his life with the words "Disillusioned Learner". We had a good laugh. Every now and then we'd bring it up as a running joke.

In the middle of a bleh Tuesday today, I looked at the calender on my computer and realized that I've just now hit that two month mark (just like the rest of my VISTA class). Of course, I've had up and down moments since I started, but now every time I have a down moment, I start wondering "Am I a disillusioned learner now!?" It's true that I've started to see some of the frustrating politics that non-profits deal with (even within One Economy), and now and then I will see my ultimate pet peeve: simple tasks that should take five minutes but suddenly you have to talk to five different people for it to happen. Still, I'd say I'm still pretty enthusiastic to be a VISTA. I think asking a VISTA if they're going through their disillusioned learner phase is like asking a woman if she's going through her period; just don't go there. Suddenly every time there's a problem, "Well, he's just disillusioned right now".

My VISTA situation so far has been somewhat foggy because the two guys who are responsible for my position being created are also two of the busiest people in a world of busy people: my supervisor Brent and our One Economy regional manager Donovan. I can tell that building and promoting the Beehive- the main agenda on my VAD- are not among their highest priorities. I'm also pretty sure that I've gotten on both their nerves by constantly wanting in to help with different projects. It's good to know I'm annoying the right people! It's lead to some interesting directions, including becoming a picture/video guy for LINC and a possible citizen journalism project. I think some other interesting possibilities may be on the horizon. I'm trying to deal with the problem of being a guy with free time surrounded by people drowning in too many projects. Pass it on, I'm ready!

If this is as bad as it gets, it's going to be an amazing year!

-Tommy D from K.C

East Atlanta Village Farmer's Market

2009-09-18T15:07:00.002-04:00

Greetings,

Check out this video about the farmer's market in East Atlanta. Look for EBT enabled Farmer's markets in your own city and let me know what you find. Also, the windows movie maker is what I used for this video. Its easy to use and has lots of features. Enjoy!

Link to Video: http://www.connectorsclub.org/video/eavfm-videofinal

Ruqiyyah

Day of Dignity Community Event

2009-09-08T16:45:00.002-04:00

Hi again,

This is actually a post on behalf of Andy as well as myself, so you all dont think im blowing up the blog! On Sunday we went to the Day of Dignity in Atlanta and passed out information on the beehive and Atlanta Healthcare for you. I shot this video of Andy.

Anyway, we had a good time. Here is the official report from the event:

Day of Dignity September 6, 2009 Community Outreach Synopsis

About the Event: Day of Dignity is an annual event sponsored by Islamic Relief which provides health screenings, free clothes, hot lunch, canned goods, personal care bags to homeless and low income people. The event was staffed by 200 volunteers from the service community, pharmacy students from Georgia State, physicians, and service agencies. These were the target of our outreach efforts, although some homeless thought they would go to a library or a service center computer and check out the website. http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2008/09/19/atlanta_muslim_homeless.html?cxntlid=inform_artr

Look for video updates on the event in the next couple of days here: http://www.dayofdignity.com/

OE Representatives: Ruqiyyah Nu’Man, Andy Santamaria

Display: We set up a table with the beehive banner, hand cards, Atlanta Healthcare for you cards, volunteer sign up form, Atlanta Digital Connectors one pagers and the DC brochures. We also set up a Beehive powerpoint on a laptop. We gave a stack of 50 “I got my diabetes under control” cards to the Diabetes screening station to give out with their screenings. We did not get any back.

Outcomes: We handed out over 100 beehive hand cards with a personal synopsis of the website, and over 75 Atlanta Healthcare for you cards (there was no blind hand outs, everyone was a personal introduction to the website). We signed up 15 potential volunteers and discussed Digital Connection partnerships with a representative from Stand Up For Kids (a youth homelessness prevention nonprofit with a computer lab), and a representative from another youth serving organization based out of the 14^th St. Masjid. Additionally, we talked to an environmental health inspector from Dekalb county and a nutritionist both interested in volunteering for health initiatives, a CPA interested in volunteering at tax time, and a physician from the Pakistani Physicians Network interested in the use of 247townhall for tolerance education. We also created two short flip videos about the event.

Gardening and Technology

2009-09-04T11:27:00.003-04:00

Greetings,

In an effort to make the greatest impact on One Economy, I think it is important that we share what we are working on here, and solicit each others help, just as Tina asked for feedback on outcome measures. I encourage you all to reply to her post.

My pet project is trying to integrate gardening into our web content and support community gardening as a beehive/healthcare for you nutrition and exercise initiative.

I am trying to flesh out the project, and would like some feedback on the idea, if you are interested in pushing it from your project site, ideas on directions it could go, or anything else you would like to say about it.

Here is my rationale: OE seeks to improve peoples lives by introducing technology into how they find information and connect to others, leveraging connections and information to meet their needs and accomplish their goals. Because our mission is integrative in nature and seeks to become self sustaining, creating a gardening initiative will promote our online content by tapping into concerned and committed community groups who meet to garden.

Gardening has a number of important community benefits including reducing crime, neighborhood beautification, outlet for youth, improved nutrition, increased healthy activity, and community building. Community gardens are gathering places and are often found at schools and community centers.

So here are my thoughts for integration into our existing properties and programs:

-Beehive- garden locator (ive already included existing locators into our locator function), articles on gardening, nutrition, and getting outside (ive already mentioned them in an article i wrote on getting outdoors in Atlanta). New area of site on gardening for health (funding dependant of course) which includes an information sharing platform for community gardeners, maybe even a place for them to develop their own garden website/blog area.

-247townhall-Gardening for life initiative that gets people to talk about their experience gardening and the impact on their community, and how technology improves their experience

-pic.tv- integrate community gardening into cooking with chili, publix chef pieces (working with milton on this). (dependant on funding)- do a roaming garden documentary series on different gardens around the nation. Acquire existing content on community gardens like cnn's piece on Habesha gardens http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/06/29/bia.urban.farming/

-HC4U- integrate under nutrition- include a living well section (talked to DeNita and she said although she likes the idea, there are other priorities and as of now, the site is strictly a health care locator with highlighted cause content).

-DC have them create digi content about local gardens, or have their service be to establish website or digital inclusion strategy for local gardens.

Other ideas

-place wireless routers at gardens for wi-fi access

-place computer kiosks at gardens for access to beehive content and online idea sharing network, gardening solution center, and program tracking.

Thanks for taking the time to review my idea. Id also like to know about any possible funders or program models you can think of.

Best to you,

Ruqiyyah

Introductions

2009-09-04T08:46:00.004-04:00

Good morning Team,
As most of you heard on yesterday's VISTA call, I had the opportunity to visit the Winston-Salem One Economy office yesterday. When I was there, Meg and I had the great idea of doing a short flip video to introduce ourselves. Enjoy!

Laura

Remember when...

2009-09-01T12:18:00.003-04:00

Hi Everyone,
My site supervisor shared this Monty Python clip with me yesterday. You may have seen it already...it's 4 older gentlemen reminiscing about how poor they were back in the day.

I'm starting my second VISTA year, and getting used to being back in the office, the pay schedule, and everything else VISTA. When I saw this, it just made me laugh and brightened my day because, sometimes, when I'm waiting for that Thursday pay day to roll around I feel like I would fit into their conversation quite well.

Enjoy!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo

Laura Parewski

Digital Inclusion Outcomes

2009-08-12T12:58:00.001-04:00

I met my OE regional director this week and it was a wonderful chance to talk about the "big picture" and projects that are being conceived / acheived for the Midwest region through the efforts of One Economy.

One idea that he mentioned to me that has not been on my immediate radar as yet is keeping track of project outcome measures. Well, I guess I first need to figure out what measures make sense for me to track. As I mentioned in my last blog post I am not seeing much resources that are relevant to my project & community, so thought I would post what I've been doing to determine my outcome measures, and see if I can get some feedback from other OE VISTAs.

First I started with the AmeriCorps*VISTA quarterly report -- its asking us to track information like number of volunteers recruited & how many are baby boomers, dollar amount of funds donated / raised, number of computers installed in homes. Quarterly report is mandatory so makes sense to track everything relevant to my project that it asks for.

Next I went through the family survey / questionnaire available on the Beehive Network. Since my project is not installing desktop computers in individual family homes not all the questions are relevant but most of them were, like:
- if they had used a computer before
- what locations they used a computer & how often
- types of activities done on a computer
- if they ever accessed the internet before & what kinds of activities
I thought I could use these questions as outcome measures by turning things a bit around based on residents that start using the computer lab I'm setting up. How many starting using a computer, accessed the internet, searched for jobs online, got an e-mail address, etc. for the first time?

What other outcomes do you think are relevant to track for digital inclusion projects?

Tina Coles
Connected Communities
Kansas City, MO

Howdy from Kansas City MO

2009-08-04T13:54:00.002-04:00

Hi all,
I've been meaning to post a blog entry for awhile and finally got a moment to sit down and compose my thoughts.

I've completed 2 weeks of VISTA service in Kansas City, MO working on a Connected Communities project. I have not hit my "Second Thoughts" phase yet. I have a feeling I will never get there as I love where I am living, I am really enjoying the transition from Dallas to KCMO, and have been kept really busy fulfilling my VAD activities (and then some).

My service area is in the urban core of KCMO, serving three 100% Section-8 (subsidized) housing apartment buildings. These historical buildings have been recently rehabbed and have a beautiful architecture.

I am finding that there does not seem to be any existing OE resources for me to build upon since almost all OE Connected Communities projects have been for individual families, so resources like volunteer flyers, Installation Day, Family Questionnaire, just does not fit in with my project which will involve setting up a computer lab in a commons area of each building, and providing programs that meet the needs of the residents -- who are overwhelmingly 18-21 year old African-American women, some with children under the age of 5.

I have a feeling that my assumption is wrong and that there are other similar OE projects around the country that are not in their infancy (like mine). So I am calling on all OE VISTAs for anything useful in supporting my project. I know that Andy Santamaria in Atlanta has a similar project as mine. I don't mind starting and building from scratch but I certainly don't want to waste energy reinventing the wheel if I don't have to!

I am also getting to understand the very interesting dynamics of all stakeholders of the Project Section-8 housing units I am serving -- government officials, for-profit housing developers, paid property management staff, social services, neighborhood associations, neighboring homeowners, low-income residents, police, etc. There is a lot of tension and them vs. us feelings but I think overall, everyone wants what's best for all living in the area, so I have hope that solutions can be worked on that will benefit all.

All the best,
Tina Coles
Kansas City, MO

Writing just to say...

2009-07-23T16:27:00.004-04:00

It was so very exciting to hear from the new VISTAs today! I hope all of you enjoyed PSO and your first days in your new homes and work sites...I know hearing from you has made me think back to my early VISTA days. I cannot believe that my PSO was less than 6 months ago - it feels like so much has happened since!

I am excited to one day hear about your projects! I love to chat about what other people are working on. After all, that is one of the most exciting parts of OE - knowing that we are operating all over the country, even though most of us rarely work together face-to-face. It truly is a unique experience.

Best to everyone from Norfolk, VA -
Kate Masterton

Hi from Kansas City!

2009-07-17T23:32:00.004-04:00

Howdy, folks! This is Tommy Del Greco, and I'm just one from the new, awesome VISTA class that's starting up across the country. My project is in my hometown of Kansas City, and it looks like I'll be giving the Beehive some K.C flavor.

But let's get down to business. You see, I'm rather famous for being the proud owner of a Hello Kitty toaster. So here it is: an image of myself holding up the Hello Kitty toaster in all its adorable glory. I'd say it's the best introduction I can give.

The Queen Bee in Mee

2009-07-15T13:41:00.002-04:00

I find it absolutely amazing that I tapped into my passion for young people just this past year, and now I have an unbelievable opportunity to begin turning that passion into action.

When Holly initially approached me about using my extensive leadership training to possibly come up with a program for the girls at the Hive, I had no idea of what, or even if I could create anything! Thankfully, one of my on-going prayers is that God simply use me as a vessel to influence and touch the lives of others in a positive way, and more specifically in these crucial times, the lives of our youth.

To compliment the theme of the "Hive," I came up with the program title, "The Queen Bee in Mee." As I learn to be the Queen of my beloved institution (Winston-Salem State University), I thought, "why not start early in the lives of these young girls, allowing them to recognize the Queen that lives in each one of them, and share with them the things I have learned throughout my life thus far, which have shaped me into the young woman I have grown to be? I made the mission of the program "To enhance the lives of young ladies by assisting them in identifying with the Queen that lives inside of each one of them." Throughout the next couple of weeks, the girls will be involved in various activities to encourage reading and writing, as well as activities that will boost their self-esteem. I will also use The Naked Truth, a book about sex, love and relationships, by Lakita Garth, to take a deeper look into the topics at hand.

As I brought the first Queen Bee in Mee class to a close, I realized that God has been, is, and always will be in control, and He opened this door of opportunity for me to serve at this awesome organization. Thank you God, for using me, as begin to walk in my destiny, starting with One Economy and the Hive.

Forsyth County Digital Connectors!!!!!

2009-06-18T09:23:00.003-04:00

Last night was the first night of the TECA/Digital Connectors here in Forsyth County, NC. TECA is a program the local library sponsors, short for Teen Computer Advisors, that fits perfectly with the goals of digital inclusion, community involvement and leadership that is the core of Digital Connectors. We have adopted TECA for the summer and turned it into a volunteer Digital Connectors program. I was so nervous before our first class, as I designed the curriculum myself, and didn't know if the kids would get it. I am teaching about Scratch, a free video game design software from MIT. If you'd like to design your own games visit scratch.mit.edu to download.
Anyway, the kids were wonderful, well-behaved and excited to get started. The community service component of the program is addressed in part by a showcase day at the end of our sessions to show off their projects and teach their family, friends and community about Scratch and how to use laptop computers. We are also asking them to serve as assistants for the free classes of the Computer Training Bridge. Last night we got started brain-storming for my favorite of their service projects, which is to create a group game to benefit the library, that we are trying to have added to the library's website. The kids had the wonderful idea to each design a level of the game based on their favorite book. I think this will promote reading and use of the library among young people. They seem very excited to get to know each other and work together.
We will also be visiting Forsyth Tech and learning more about their graphic design and other digital media programs during field trips in July. The kids (excuse me, young adults) seem excited about this trip too.
I could not be more pleased with the results of this first session, even though there were a few challenges. One of my students is autistic and seems reluctant to share with the class or work on what the rest of us are doing. Luckily, his father stayed around to help him adjust. Another few students are loud talkers. I'm still trying to figure out a way to ask them to keep it to a dull roar without discouraging talking in general to the rest of the class, as I want them to communicate and help each other learn. Other than that, they are wonderful (and I even bought the right amount of snacks!). I couldn't wait to tell you all about it. I'm just sad I'll have to miss next week's session because of Portland. My partner at the library, Ali, will be covering for me but doesn't know much about Scratch. Hopefully the kids will help each other.
Have a wonderful day everyone. I think I'll see some of you next week.

Michelle Brasseur, NC office.