A website created by Landmark Education Graduates with news about other Landmark Education Graduates and the difference they are making around the world
Interior designers Suzanne Perrin and Denise Inskip-Seale created a project to beautify a Habitat for Humanity home using entirely donated material, labor and furnishings. The concept behind the project was simple. Many of the families that work with Habitat for Humanity in building a home, do not have the resources to furnish them once they move in. Suzanne and Denise had a idea to involve as many people as possible from the local community to donate their time talent and resources to fully furnish a new Habitat home.
The project, developed while they were both participating with Landmark Education was a big success. This video chronicles the development of this project as well as moving coverage of the day the family who helped build the house got to see it finished for the first time.
Six local kids – united by their passion for music – are looking beyond their individual and collective dreams for rock stardom, using their musical prowess to help needy kids their ages.
The Descendants – a local group of young musicians who have been playing together for more than three years – features six musically talented youth ages 10 to 13. Together with The Connection – a band formed by six local recording artists, many whom are family members of The Descendents – the group will perform at the Kids for Kids, Families for Families Benefit Concert.
Organizers hope to raise $50,000 for two charities which provide education and food for children in need: CAUSE Kids and E4C Alberta.
The event is the brainchild of Lennore Huddleston, mother of The Descendants’ keyboardist and drummer. She came up with the idea while enrolled in the Self-Expression and Leadership Program offered through Landmark Education. As part of the course curriculum, students were required to develop a community project. With her family’s extensive musical talent and experience, (more…)
When Scott Bedall began the Self Expression and Leadership Program he wanted to make a difference in the health of kids.
Kids take fitness in stride, and then some
From: Times Colonist, Victoria Canada
By: Jeff Bell
The collective energy of a bunch of eight- and nine-year-olds goes a long way.
At Cloverdale Traditional School (the name has officially changed now that the elementary facility has the go-ahead to follow a “traditional” school model in September), students in Gale Penner’s Grade 3 class and Ian Macpherson’s Grade 3/4 group are two weeks into the Victoria School Wellness Challenge — and have already charged past one of their major goals.
Wellness Challenge creator Scott Beddall, whose godson Logan Diamond is one of Mrs. Penner’s students, said all of the children have been given pedometers to keep track of how far they walk and run each day. The hope was that they would make it across Vancouver Island by the time the program wraps up June 12.
Logan Diamond and Tasmin Laal show off the pedometers they’ve been putting to good use at Cloverdale Traditional School.
“The original goal was just to cross Vancouver Island in 30 days,” Beddall said. “But these students are doing so well we’ve had to shift it up to crossing Canada because they’ve already walked so far. They did 904 kilometres in four days.”
Fresh from an in-class striding-and-exercise session led by Mrs. Penner, nine-year-old Solan Baragar said he knew just how far he and his friends had already travelled.
“We’ve walked across the Island and halfway back!” (more…)
In 2002 Penny Beatty had an idea to create a resource fair that specifically addressed the needs and interests of women. 5 years and 25 events later, this project is still going strong.
From: Suburban Woman North Shore
The spirit of community was a key factor for many of us who
decided to be part of the fair four years ago, and remains of
great importance to those who participate As the committee
considered implications of recent world events, we could see the
impact in our communities and in our own lives. The request for
help, for clarity, for kindness, has never in our lifetime been so
forthcoming. In our discussions it became clear: here is ourchance to “think globally, act locally.
- Dena Eakles of Echo Valley Farm
Women’s Fair Advisory Board Chair
This Years Theme: Embracing
Reflecting this year’s theme of Embracing,the Womans Resource Fair strives to offer all women a central, credible source for finding enrichment. Embracing local and world cultures, the holistic resources and soothing, nurturing services and products
to help better women’s lives, the Fair promises to be an outstanding medley of interests for women and their families. Food service will be available for lunch and snacks by Whole Foods, both healthy and delicious. Spending the day will prove to be an experience to remember!
Presenting 50 experts offering information, products and services and 40 lectures and panels, participants will benefit from the following areas of specialties: Bodywork & Movement; Coaching; Education; Health & Wellness; Holistic Products;
Organic Home; Retreats & Counseling and Psyche & Lore. Providing the perfect venue to enjoy with friends, family, and co-workers, women can meet, bond, network and mostly, learn.
Featuring World Diversity
Attendees this year will have the opportunity to experience unique offerings of peoples’ traditions, ceremonies and cultures. From indigenous peoples’ prayerful ceremonies and the healing dance of Eastern cultures to the clarity of a formal Japanese tea ceremony, the fair’s programming will embrace the diversity within the community and throughout the world.
WOMEN’S RESOURCE FAIRS
The Women’s Resource Fairs host 5 fairs in the Illinois and Wisconsin area including Evanston, Lake Geneva, Madison, Deerfield and Oak Park. Directed by an Advisory Circle of community leaders, the mission of the Women’s Resource Fairs are to give individual practitioners, non-profits and businesses who serve women, a greater opportunity to enrich the lives of all women through the collective presentation of their services, products and programs. General admission to the fair is $10 and includes access to all booths and educational lectures both days. Admission scholarships are available for women in need.
For more information
call (847) 328-8775 or visit www.womensresourcefair.org.
Special Spectators was a project created in 2002 by Blake Rockwell while he was a participant in the Landmark Self Expression and Leadership Program. Blake is a huge sports fan and got the idea to give seriously ill children a chance to attend College Sporting Events. In the 5 years since the project began, Special Spectators has grown to include 40 participating colleges and universities.
At each of the events, children with serious illnesses who would otherwise not be able to participate in sports or attend games, are treated to an all day event. The day includes special VIP seating, tours of the stadium and locker rooms, visits with the players and a visit to the field during half time in which the whole stadium cheers for them. As the project has grown it has been covered by various newspapers and television and radio stations. Recently it was covered by ESPN.com:
Blake Rockwell isn’t sure of the exact day that he decided to change his life, and the lives of so many people around him. It may have been in the spring of 2002, when his wife became severely ill while pregnant and gave birth to their daughter 10 weeks prematurely. It may have been a few weeks earlier, when he lost his job with a New York investment bank swallowed up by a bigger firm. (more…)
From: Sun Sentinal South Florida
By Laura Burdick-Sherman
Mothers need as much help they can get as far as Joelle Smith is concerned.
And that’s her vision for a newly created organization, Mothers For Mothers.
“Every mother needs assistance with watching their kids; either they can’t afford it or don’t know who to ask,” said Smith, of Sunrise. She and her husband, Daryl, have three children younger than 6.
She said she came up with the idea while on maternity leave from her position as drama teacher at Ramblewood Middle School in Coral Springs.
With time on her hands and motivation to do something meaningful, Smith participated in a self expression and leadership class at the Landmark Forum in Dania Beach. (more…)
Elementary school students at Greer and Stony Point are hitting the books to help poor students in rural Mexico build a kitchen at their school.
The second graders have read 2,000 books. They hope people and businesses will donate $5 for each book read. They want to raise $10,000 to build a kitchen for a poor school in rural Mexico.
The Read A Book – Build A Kitchen Program gets kids reading and inspires them to help other kids in need.
“This opportunity to connect with Mexico and give back something was truly a meaningful event for every student,” said Greer Elementary Assistant Principal Lisa Molinaro.
“It makes me feel good because they are finally going to have a chance to feel good as us,” said second grader Caleb Bow.
“I am glad that they can have a great kitchen, and I wish they can have a yummy food,” said second grader Mariko Ogino.
The students are still at work raising money. To make a donation and for more information about the program, go to www.FeedTheHungrysma.org.
From 9NEWS NOW Washington D.C.
If there was ever a pitch for a cause, Jessica Rogers knows how to hit it.
“Some kids that don’t have legs and arms, they’re gonna get money for them to get fake legs and arms.”
“How important is that?” asks 9NEWS NOW reporter Emily Schmidt.
“That’s really important because you want to feel like everybody else.”
So does Dayton, a kid who runs the bases in 12 seconds flat with out the help of legs. Margaret Wesley wants to see him running even faster with a prosthetic.
“When I look at kids playing ball, I see kids who have a chance to do what I’ve done as an amputee.”
A bus accident took her leg when she was 18; a prosthetic leg gave freedom in return. But it is not cheap. Jerett’s dad, Craig Coleman, says his son’s braces are 5000 dollars for each quickly-growing leg.
“Insurance says every three years, but he’s seven, and on his fourth pair.”
Ginna Goodenow says, “These kids deserve to live happy, normal, free lives. And prosthetics are important for them to be able to do that.”
So Saturday morning on the national mall, kids of all abilities are invited to come get their kicks in any kind of a sport and benefit a nonprofit group called “Limbs for Life.”
“They provide limbs at very low costs. For 1500 dollars they can achieve what 30 thousand may cost someone else.”
Jessica’s own prosthetic legs are getting fixed right now. She knows what they give her and what others think when she goes without.
“They probably think, ‘oh my gosh — her legs. She doesn’t have any…ugh!’ But really, I just had surgery on them, haven’t you had surgery before?”
These kids can outrun adversity now; imagine what would happen if prosthetics took them to the next step.
The second Annual Kicking For Kids Who Cant is going to be held on October 7th, 2007.
