How long have you worked for The Leadership Program? This is my second year with TLP

One thing you may not know about me… I have an identical twin sister…and I can quote the entire movie Back to the Beach from beginning to end.

What has been one of your most rewarding moments as a Leadership Trainer? Being Trainer of the Month is definitely up there!

What inspires you? Seeing really good comedy that makes me belly laugh, good art, my family, the ocean, and seeing a student helping out another.

How do you rejuvenate yourself? Baking! For some reason, it totally relaxes me and it gives me another chance to be creative and experiment. Right now my favorite thing to make are ice cream cupcakes!

Who is a leader you look up to and why? My Great-Grandmother.  She lived to be 95 and was an incredibly strong woman who was really down to earth, true to herself, educated and extremely open-minded. She taught me how important it was to have faith in yourself, try new things, take each day as it comes and also to go through life with a really good sense of humor.

What is one place you would love to travel? I’ve always wanted to go to Greece.

What is one of your personal or professional goals this year? I really want to learn how to speak Spanish. I’m looking into purchasing a Rosetta Stone.

What do you hope your students will take from their experience in your club this year? I hope they take with them confidence, the power of their imaginations and their talents. I also hope they take the friendships I have watched them make with each other this year. Its been amazing to watch them grow from the beginning of the year until now and I truly hope they continue to recognize what leaders they have become and what they are capable of achieving if they put their minds to it.

What is your favorite quote? “You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not?’”

How long have you worked for The Leadership Program? I’ve worked for the Program from 1997-2001 and then again from 2005-present.

One thing you may not know about me… One thing you may not know about me…I love to cook.

What has been one of your most rewarding moments as a Leadership Trainer? One of my most rewarding moments as a Trainer has been being reminded that all the things I facilitate are applicable to me personally and professionally.

What inspires you? I am inspired by people seeing things in a different and positive way after years of being negative and closed-minded about a subject.

How do you rejuvenate yourself? I rejuvenate myself by meditating, specifically ‘Japa’.

Who is a leader you look up to and why? I look up to President Obama because of his resiliency, tenacity, and intelligence.

What is one place you would love to travel? I would love to travel to Brazil and South Africa

What is one of your personal or professional goals this year? My personal goal is to fall in love again and I want to take my message for Ultimate Spiritual Awakening around the Globe.

What do you hope your students will take from their experience in your ICE Unit(s) this year? I hope my students will realize they already have within them everything they need in order to be successful and that they become aware of how to access their potential by being positive and cooperative.

What is your favorite quote? My favorite quote is “When you change the way you look at things the things you look at change.”  Wayne Dyer (I think).

Celebrating Students, Celebrating Service

 This year over 1,000 New York City students are taking change into their own hands! Students in grades K-12 are creating and implementing innovative city‑wide service projects. The inspirational youth and their projects will be showcased at a fun, interactive culminating event on the 22^nd of May 2010. The day; spearheaded by The Leadership Program, a community-based organization that works with over 250 public schools, 25,000 students and 1,500 teachers per year in all five boroughs of New York City, will be filled with music, art, games and prizes for all ages.  

 The Leadership Program is inviting students, families, schools, NYC DOE and various community based organizations to participate with us in Leading the Change.  The student-generated service projects will range from the local, such as “Go Green School” campaigns, inter-generational talent shows at senior centers, parental voter registration drives to international initiatives like walk-a-thons for Haiti, video exchange with Bavubuka House in Uganda and raising money through soccer tournaments in to fund a science lab in Kenya. 

“This idea is our response to President Obama’s call to action,” says Leadership Program Chief Operating Officer, Christine Courtney. “As a leadership program we work with a huge number of passionate, caring, innovative New Yorkers who want to come together to make their individual communities better and impact the greater New York City community. One of our core values is that everyone has a voice.  We are giving New York City students an opportunity to voice what change means to them and to make that change happen.”

 The participation of students and their families throughout the city in this service initiative demonstrates the far-reaching effects of funding for student programs in schools, and how this investment works its way back into the community.

 For more information about this event, how you can be involved or about The Leadership Program, please call Blonka Winkfield at 212-625-8001 or become a fan of The Leadership Program on Facebook. For instant updates on the events, follow “Leading the Change” at www.twitter.com/leadthechange.

How long have you worked for TLP? Since December 2005- almost 5 years.

One thing you may not know about me… I played center on the All-Star Basketball team in middle school.

What has been one of your most rewarding moments as a Leadership Trainer? I’m going to take the liberty to list two:

1. A recent final project (“I” message role-plays) the students wrote out their scripts, memorized them, and performed with conviction and emotion!

2. Sometimes the elementary students give me drawings and write me notes on them. One said, “You are the best teacher, Ms. Allison. You are the best teacher in the world.” – well, there you have it.

What inspires you? A poignant answer from a student… and live music.

How do you rejuvenate yourself? Yoga, watching Modern Family on hulu.com, wine, sleep, and a $20 massage at the Qi Gong place on Grand St.

Who is a leader you look up to and why? Louise Hay. She healed so many during the AIDS crisis not with force or rhetoric, but with simple compassion and spiritual techniques. By following her heart she strategically became a powerful, accomplished woman being able to raise great amounts of money for charity.

What is one place you would love to travel? India looks both frightening and exciting

What is one of your personal or professional goals this year? Personal/Professional: BOOK A COMMERCIAL! (after 6 years of callbacks) Cross your fingers for me. Professional/Personal: Right now I have some teachers who have given up on a nightmare class. Students are constantly putting each other down, calling each other names, crying, and pushing over desks- very unsafe. I want to inspire the teachers to know that the kids need them desperately to be role models for them to learn their own worth. I hope to start by esteeming the teachers so that they can keep trying through the year’s end.

What do you hope your students will take from their experience in your ICE unit(s) this year? To use positive, healing words with each other. I’m a big believer in “I” messages.

What is your favorite quote? “Minds are like parachutes, they only function when they open” – Thomas Dewer

How long have you worked for The Leadership Program? This is my first year with Leadership.

One thing you may not know about me… I once ate 45 hot wings in one sitting.

What has been one of your most rewarding moments as a Leadership Trainer? There was a girl in one of my classes that had a lot of trouble getting along with others at the beginning of the semester, but by the end of the semester, she became a class favorite, telling stories in front of the class that she had written and leading groups in all kinds of activities. It was very rewarding seeing her transform from an antisocial student to a classroom leader.                             

What inspires you? I always get hyped from reading books, but especially from reading biographies. You have to have done great things to have books written about you. I also am inspired by social movements, which are usually run by the kids. Seeing how the youth can make such a huge difference in a community is really inspiring.

How do you rejuvenate yourself? I always feel rejuvenated from listening to music, but what’s even more rejuvenating is making music.

Who is a leader you look up to and why?  I have always looked up to both of my parents. My mother has always taught me the values of compassion and service to those who are not so fortunate. My father is a role model just from his work ethic alone. Growing up seeing him work 7 days a week has really taught me how to be a hard worker.                                                                                                                

What is one place you would love to travel?  I’ve always wanted to go the bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico. Bioluminescent bays contain this naturally occurring organism that lights up when you touch them. Tulum, Mexico is another place I would also like to visit.

What is one of your personal or professional goals this year?   Personally, I want work more on my DJ game, I kind have been unfocused in that part of my life. Check out www.facebook.com/phiunit for some of my mixes and remixes. Professionally, I am just trying to learn as much as possible and make sure every experience is a learning experience.                                                               

What do you hope your students will take from their experience in your club this year?  For my students, I just hope they all leave the club knowing that once they are able to step out of their comfort zone, great things can happen.

What is your favorite quote?  There are so many quotes I live by, but here are two that have been lingering in my mind for the last few months:

“N.O.N.C.A.T. Not one negative comment action or thought” – Dam Funk

“Vision without execution is a figment of the imagination”

How long have you worked for TLP? 3 years

One thing you may not know about me… is that I have constant counting disorder.

What has been one of your most rewarding moments as a Leadership Trainer? Being chosen as trainer of the month.

What inspires you? My faith

How do you rejuvenate yourself? Through meditation

Who is a leader you look up to and why? Paul Robeson.  Not only because he is from my hometown but I admire his achievements as well as the fact that he used his platform as an artist and a scholar to actively fight for the rights of oppressed people.

What is one place you would love to travel? Ethiopia

What is one of your personal or professional goals this year? to interview my oldest living relative.

What do you hope your students will take from their experience in your ICE unit(s) this year? I hope that they will take away and understand how important it is to set goals for themselves as well as the importance of being patient when working with each other.

What is your favorite quote? “No, I do not weep at the world I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife.” – Zora Neale Hurston

How long have you worked for The Leadership Program?

I have been working for  The Leadership Program since  Nov of  2005. Going on 5 years

One thing you may not know about me… I do a mean  Kermit  T. Frog and Shaggy impersonation

What has been one of your most rewarding moments as a Leadership Trainer? A Gompers High graduate found my MySpace address and told me of a situation that could’ve landed him in prison and he thought back to the lessons I gave on gang life and how to avoid it. He managed to stay away from the gang situation and is now a successful DJ.

What inspires you? A students reaction to success or the realization that he or she is capable of whatever it is we are working on…. and Stevie Wonder.

How do you rejuvenate yourself? Writing playing and letting my children beat me up

Who is a leader you look up to and why? My Mother. She left us in Haiti with my father for 9 months (which is hard for any mother to do) and came to the US to work and take care of  the paperwork for out VISA’s. We have been inseparable since.

What is one place you would love to travel? I would love to visit Australia

What is one of your personal or professional goals this year? Personally: I want to go back to Haiti to help my family members rebuild their homes. Professionally: I would like to bring a Leadership like program to Haiti

What do you hope your students will take from their experience in your club this year? Respect for self and others

What is your favorite quote? Thank You for allowing me to see, taste, touch, hear, feel, and love God’s art.

Stages of grief
Grief does not follow a linear pattern. It is more like a roller coaster, two steps forward and one step back. Ultimately people manage to integrate the experience to the point of having a new life arising from the old. The loss remains and is always remembered but the intensity is no longer disabling or disorganizing.

Much of grieving is about expressing emotion- some may be unfamiliar, and unacceptable to self or others, eg, rage, guilt, remorse. Finding a safe place and an accepting person for support to work through all the effects of bereavement is important. The amount of support available from family and friends may be limited if they too are grieving. Misunderstandings can arise when people are at different points within the grief experience. External supports may then become a vital factor in surviving and continuing on. It is important to know that you can survive the experience and that the new life that eventually comes about may have very positive effects despite the difficulty of arriving at this point.

Twelve Ways to Help the Bereaved

• By being there
• By tolerating silences
• By listening in an accepting and non-judgmental way
• Avoid the use of clichés such as “Think of all the good times”, “You can always have another child” etc.
• By encouraging them to talk about the deceased
• Be practical in your offer of support by minding children or cooking
• By mentioning the deceased persons name
• Accept that tears are normal and healthy
• Don’t try to fill in conversations with a lot of outside news
• Remember that grief may take many years to work through
• Acknowledge birthdays, anniversaries etc.
• By accepting that you cannot make them feel better

How long have you worked for The Leadership Program?

This is my third year working with TLP

One thing you may not know about me…

Many people don’t know that I was actually a Film Major at U of M. After doing theater for so long, I thought I would become a film/television producer. Maybe I will achieve that dream one day!

What has been one of your most rewarding moments as a Leadership Trainer?

This is probably the most rewarding moment at Leadership, being recognized by TLP. The past few months have been very rewarding. I’ve watched the students that I work with become great leaders in such a short amount of time. I can’t wait to see what they will do in the coming months!

What inspires you?

Great art, great food and when a student surprises me.

How do you rejuvenate yourself?

I usually like to relax and watch a movie. I love watching movies. Most people love to exercise, but I feel I exercise enough in my daily life!

Who is a leader you look up to and why?

This may be a little cliché right now, but I look up to Michelle Obama. She is a woman who has worked to create a great career and balances being a parent. At first, she didn’t want Barack Obama to be president, but she realized that Barack as president was so important to our country and she agreed to let him run. I thought that was one of the most unselfish acts a spouse could do.

What is one place you would love to travel?

Morocco and Paris. Luckily, I will be going there this summer!

What is one of your personal or professional goals this year?

My professional goal was to have a great dance group that works hard and loves to perform. Also, I wanted to finally have Leadership be my only job and try to focus on my clubs.  It’s already starting to happen!

What do you hope your students will take from their experience in your club(s) this year?

I hope the students learn that in life, showing up is half the battle. You’ve got to push through and work hard even when it seems too difficult. We always try to address that in dance class.

What is your favorite quote?

Common once said in one of his songs, “You’ll never find love, until you find yourself!”  I can’t believe I picked a quote from a rap song, but hey it’s true!

THE BUZZ ABOUT MICHELLE NICHOLSON

“Michelle gives above and beyond contributions to her peers, her students, collaborating CBO’s and Leadership spirit.”

“A great communicator that is resourceful, committed, and supportive of colleagues.”

“Spearheading and helping to coordinate two after school 21^st century collaborative performances with Periwinkle and Urban Arts at IS 230.”

“She took on extra students and arranged for a professional guest choreographer to come in and facilitate during her club visit.”

“Exemplary planning, execution, attention to detail and thoughtfulness in her dance routines, lessons, music and costumes.”

How long have you worked for The Leadership Program?

This is my second year as a TLP trainer.

One thing you may not know about me…

I like to drink ice water with a lemon and a straw.  I use the straw to crush up the lemon into the bottom of my glass.

What has been one of your most rewarding moments as a Leadership Trainer?

One of my most rewarding moments as a Leadership Trainer was when one of my classes in my ICE unit at IS 71 threw me a party and presented me with thank you cards on my final visit.  As this class consisted of ESL students, throughout the residency their teacher would translate what I said to the students in Spanish, and then translate their responses back to me in English.  It was very validating to know the program still had such a powerful impact on the students, despite our language barrier!

What inspires you?

People and stories inspire me.  I could listen to people tell me their stories for hours.  I think there is something special to be found in every experience a person shares.

How do you rejuvenate yourself?

I rejuvenate myself in two ways:  Spending time alone and spending time with the people I feel close to.

Who is a leader you look up to and why?

Both of my parents are leaders that I look up to, as they have always been an important part of my growth and development.  The most important lesson they taught me is that no matter how many accomplishments you make, you are only as great as the way in which you treat others.

What is one place you would love to travel?

Once place I would love to travel would be to Korea.  My mother is Korean, and I have never had the opportunity to visit where she spent the first 30 years of her life!

What is one of your personal or professional goals this year?

One of my goals for this year would be to find time to perform more often.  Teaching is my priority, but I do miss being on stage myself!

What do you hope your students will take from their experience in your ICE unit(s) this year?

I hope my students take away the idea of the importance of a positive attitude and a belief in themselves and their own talents and abilities.  I would also like my students to recognize the power they hold in their own choices and actions, and use this power for the betterment of themselves and others.

What is your favorite quote?

I have several favorite quotes and cannot help but list a few of them:

“Keep Moving Forward!!!”- Meet The Robinsons.

“I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning to sail my ship.”-Louisa May Alcott.

“What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.” – Oscar Wilde.

“In the long run we shape our lives and ourselves. This process never ends until we die, and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.” -Eleanor Roosevelt.

THE BUZZ ABOUT LAURA LEE WILLIAMS

“She has taken on a unit at a school with a very difficult administrator and a constantly flexing schedule, and done so with professionalism and aplomb, helping to keep the unit running smoothly and the school happy.”

“She responds to all inquiries about work with enthusiasm and in record time, even when she is not able to accept a potential assignment.”

“She is very thorough and her thoroughness reminds us that we can all step up our game.”

“Consistently organized and professional whilst sunny and warm.  A brilliant presence in every encounter.”

“Her communication is stellar and appreciated by all.”