Help Restore Funding for Citizen Schools in North Carolina

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
As of April 15th, 2011 the funding that was provided to Citizen Schools from the North Carolina General Assembly was cut entirely from the 2011 - 2012 budget.  This would significantly affect our ability to sustain program in North Carolina.
As our State Team Members Jerri Fatticci, Cassie McIntyre, and Jill Ullman descended upon the Capital (Raleigh) this week to lobby and push that they restore the $360,000 appropriation, we need YOU and your SUPPORT!
This is a call to all Citizen Teachers, Parents, and Educators who understand the positive effect that Citizen Schools can have in improving the education in America.
This program is more than just a job for me, its my life...   While some may argue that I must suffer from a mismanagement of work life balance... the life of Campus Director, is that of a lonely one.  For 5 years, I've worked to help set foundations, build culture, invest different constituents, and shape minds.   During this time I've traveled and lived in three different states, I've worked with Hundreds of kids, volunteers, and fellow educators.  If I've learned one thing from my tenure (if half a decade can be called that) is this... We cannot put all the work on our schools to produce positive, self sustaining, contributing members of society. We all have to play our parts in this equation.

If we lose programs like Citizen Schools, we take several steps back in the ground we've gained in creating opportunities for all to receive an equal education...

The work that I do is difficult, its exhausting, and frustrating at moments, but its the rarest purest form of public service that I know.  Call me crazy, but I love this work,  and I love those of you that are in the trenches with me everyday trying to make a difference with our youth!
Today I ask you to help me advocate for Citizen Schools, so that I along with other Citizen Schools' staff can continue to serve the children of North Carolina.  All you need to do is click this link
Write a North Carolina Representative

and follow the instructions of how to email a letter of support for Citizen Schools to a Representative in City where we have a Citizen Schools campus..

Every second is an opportunity to make a difference... Your time started 5 mins ago...  click the link and support!!!

Spartans Prepare for Eternal Glory

 

And the battle's just begun, There's many lost, but tell me who has won
The trench is dug within our hearts, And mothers, children, brothers, sisters
Torn apart, Sunday, Bloody Sunday, Sunday, Bloody Sunday

- U2 

  This morning 5:15 a.m. I set off for Asheboro, NC, where Rugged Maniac   was being hosted this month. For those that have never heard of rugged maniac, its okay.. I didn't know what it was prior to seeing it over on the panel of advertisement that Facebook has. Anyhow... it is one of the most intense 5k races out there.
Below is a map of the obstacle course and the list of things one needs to surpass in order to gain Eternal Glory

1. Army crawls underneath Barbed-wire in mud

2.  Overcome a Labyrinth of Pipes that obstruct your path 

3.  Jump over and climb under 3ft walls 

4.  Army crawl through a metal man hole 

5. High step through tires and run through a maze of hanging swinging tires 

6. Climb up Cargo Net 

7. Walk the Plank across a pool of muddy water

8.Climb 5ft walls

9. Jump over two large camp fires 

10. Climb 7ft walls 

11 Army crawl under barbed wire 

12. Walk the plank again 

13. Climb up to the top of the slide that sends you into 4.5 ft of dirty ass water 

14. Get over 6 barriers in the water 

15. climb the slippery yet steep mountain of mud 

16. Finish 

I didn't prepare as much as I should have for the race. My legs and stamina went within the first mile. Running in mud is exhausting... then having to lift yourself  and do all these crazy things it was nuts.  It was a lot of fun though..... except for the part at the end when I thought I was going to drown!!

Two Stories of Courage

Yes here comes the story of the Hurricane. The man the authorities came to blame

For something that he never done. Put in a prison cell but one time he could-a been The champion of the world. 

- Bob Dylan - The Hurricane

Meet Ivan. 6th grader from HMS. This was his first time in a swimming pool. He is a part of the Swimming apprenticeship this semester. Ivan and his sister have never been in a pool nor have they even swam before. On Saturday April 2, at Aycock Recreational Center, the Marlins of Raleigh  came to Henderson to host a swim clinic for students in the Water Safety/ Swimming apprenticeship.  I'm always excited about the on goings of this partnership with Aycock, because its the only swimming apprenticeship in the National Network. By the end of this semester almost 40 students will have learned about water safety and basic swimming fundamentals.

Power Kicks

Back to Ivan.....  at the end of the swimming clinic each student had an opportunity to jump off the big diving board at the pool.  As most of the students headed to the diving board... there were a couple of students who were intimidated and took their time getting over there.  Ivan was one of them. The thought of jumping off the board became bearable for most as they watched their peers jump off, but not Ivan.  He was over to the side shivering from the water and thought of having to dive off this board. While most students needed an encouraging word or two.... Ivan didn't... he was over to the side trying to pump himself up to jump off the diving board. He worked his way up to the diving board by practicing scooting himself off the edge into deep end of the pool.. After doing this a couple of times, he willed himself to walk on to the Diving Board, where four Marlins of Raleigh coaches awaited his entry into the water.

Angelo  & Kyle @ Papa Mojo's 

 Meet Angelo Cross and Kyle Taperek. Both are Citizen Schools staff members that push students to overcome obstacles, take positive risk, and put fear behind them to accomplish amazing feats. On this evening, Angelo and Kyle had to put their teachings to practice. Every Wednesday night there is Open Mic at Papa Mojo Roadhouse Both Angelo and Kyle are beginning guitarists who wanted to test their craft at an open mic event. Angelo, who is 28 years old, has composed a 30 for 30 list (30 things to do before you turn 30). On that list is performing at an Open Mic.After work the two musicians headed down Highway 85 to Durham to perform at the open mic.  When they arrived the venue was packed. Everyone there was there to see the music talent performing that evening.

Most of the talent there were professionals whom come to try and get booked by the restaurant.  Angelo and Kyle were neither professionals nor trying to get booked. When the two saw the talent that had sign up for the event, Angelo, like Ivan became engulfed with fear. As each musicians performed, Angelo became more nervous. After 8 acts,  it was Angelo and Kyle's turn.  As Kyle set up, Angelo tried to cut the tension with an introduction and some jokes, but everyone at the restaurant were focus on two things.
1. Who were these two new guys performing at Papa Mojos
2. Could they perform?

Kyle Taperek on acoustic guitar 

Kyle began to strum Wonderwall by Oasis   and Angelo closed his eyes and just began to sing.... 4 minutes later... they had officially played their first song at a live musical venue. While most would think that should have made Angelo a bit more comfortable; it didn't. The hardest was yet to come.   Their final song of the evening was a tough one!  It was one that the two had just worked on recently and Angelo probably should had realized  was of an intermediate level of difficulty.  Angelo leads Kyle into the song and then Kyle begins to strum Cupid by 112 . Anyone that listens to 112 or at least that song know the high notes that Slim hits. As the two played, they eventually settle down and just perform to the best of their ability.

The open mic performance really parallels Ivan adventure to jump off the diving board. Courage isn't one of those things that you simple develop as a youth. There are many obstacles, daunting challenges, and adventures that will really test your "mettle." I believe that your ability to cope with those obstacles is highly contingent upon  whether you are exposed to experience such as jumping off a dive board, singing or speaking in front of a huge audience of strangers. The moment Kyle and I jumped on stage, I really felt like Ivan did, scared yet I was excited about doing an "impossible feat."

As I told another student, "What separates a leader from other people is the amount of people that watch you do what they can't do!

We could learn a lot from Ivan.... I know I did!!!