Train the Trainer Sessions Continue Thanks to Ronald McDonald House Charities

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Emily Pirraglia

Thanks to Ronald McDonald House Charities’ $50,000 grant, Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program^® trained 14 additional youth practitioners from Missouri, Texas, Florida, Arizona, and the District of Columbia in Wyman’s Train the Trainer session last week. The training is designed so national TOP^® partners can return to their region and deliver TOP^® training to facilitators locally while maintaining the integrity of the program. Because of ”Train the Trainer”, TOP^® can expand to reach more teens in more states.

“Our vision is that these trained partners will take Wyman’s TOP^® program into cities across the country to positively impact the teens and their communities,” Hilliard said.

Wyman’s TOP® helps teens make better choices in life by promoting positive development in teens aged 12-18 through evidence-based curriculum and community service learning.
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For pictures from this and past “Train the Trainer” sessions, check out Wyman’s Facebook page.

One Student at a Time: Advancing the Goal of Degree Completion in the St. Louis Region

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Emily Pirraglia

Join St. Louis Graduates on November 13th for One Student at a Time: Advancing the Goal of Degree Completion in the St. Louis Region. At the forum St. Louis Graduates will release a new report on how low-income students are fairing in accessing and completing a postsecondary degree.

Guest speakers include:

Terry Jones, Ph.D., professor of political science and public policy administration at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and lead researcher on the new report

Joe Reagan, president and chief executive officer, St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association

St. Louis Graduates, a select panel will provide an update on implementation of the St. Louis Graduates’ regionwide college access/success plan
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When: November 13, 2012 @ 8:00 am – 10:00 am

Where: Norman K. Probstein Golf Club House 6141 Lagoon Dr., St Louis, MO 63112

Cost: Free

Contact: info@stlouisgraduates.org

RSVP by November 5th!

Wyman’s TOP Teens Visit Local Senior Centers

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Emily Pirraglia

“There’s a school bus outside! They’re finally here!”

You could sense the excitement as a dozen residents of Senior Living at Cambridge Heights eagerly shuffled into their building’s community gathering room to wait for their visitors to enter. The guests were not family or even fellow seniors—instead, they were over thirty 7th grade students in Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program^® (TOP^®) at Brittany Woods Middle School.

Their visit with seniors across St. Louis was their first experience of community service learning (CSL), an important component of the TOP curriculum. Through CSL, these teens will realize their potential to positively impact their community, learn to successfully work in teams, and gain a greater self-awareness of how their actions impact others.

Community service learning also benefits the communities the teens serve. Senior citizens at Cambridge Heights partnered with Brittany Woods’ TOP clubs last year, and after several positive experiences, they were anxious to meet this new group of 7^th graders.

After a quick round of chaotic introductions, the teens proceeded to ask the seniors questions about their lives. The teens had brainstormed their questions during TOP club, and each student chose a question from a manila folder. The questions covered everything from civil rights to birthdays, but they all had a central theme: who are you and what can I learn from your life?

Laughter burst out across the room after a boy asked the seniors about the happiest moment of their lives. “This one right now,” one woman jokingly replied before chuckling. Their lighthearted responses and shared glances implied that their understanding of life—its hardships, joys, and transience—was on a different level than the young people before them. This age and cultural gap was celebrated as seniors reflected on their favorite foods and games and learned the interests of this future generation.

Advice for today’s teens was a topic seniors were quick to answer. “I’m worried about the decisions that most young people are making, but I can tell you guys are a good group,” one resident said before continuing with advice. “Stay in school, be very selective of your friends, and watch your attitude.”

By providing the right supports and opportunities through TOP, Wyman plans to make the seniors’ hopes for this generation a reality.

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To check out more pictures from this event, visit Wyman on Facebook.

Help People. Give to the United Way.

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Wyman

United Way of Greater St. Louis focuses on helping many different people with many different needs. By partnering with nearly 200 local agencies, the United Way is able to positively impact one in three individuals in our region. Their donations serve our community as a whole and address both the known and unknown needs in our area.

Wyman Center has been a proud member of the United Way since its inception in St. Louis in 1922. Although a lot has changed since then, United Way’s partnership with Wyman and unwavering support for young people in Wyman’s programs has remained the same. Penny, a Wyman graduate and former staff member, is only one of thousands of Wyman teens, and a million St. Louis citizens, that benefit from United Way’s donations:

United Way relies on people like you to help build a better community, by helping people. To learn more about how you can invest in your community visit helpingpeople.org.

Building a Better Workforce

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Emily Pirraglia

In today’s competitive workforce, “soft skills” are becoming increasingly important in determining an applicant’s performance within a company. Many job seekers have the technical skills required by a position, but lack the soft skills – such as clear communication and adaptability – necessary to transition successfully into a new company culture (St. Louis Community College’s fourth annual ‘State of St. Louis Workforce’). Developed years before an individual begins their first job, soft skills are crucial to securing future employment.

One way that community leaders and organizations can contribute to a young person’s job readiness is by providing them with internships that explore different career interests. Internships provide teens with the “work-ready” experience employers look for and allow young people to hone their problem solving and interpersonal or communication skills. Through hands-on learning and feedback, internships play an important role in helping teens acquire the soft skills they need to live successful lives.

Sense Corp, a Wyman supporter, understands the value of an internship and created an internship program for Wyman teens working towards their college degrees. The internship program at Sense Corp is nine weeks during the summer, and exposes teens to an array of business capabilities and skills. Kenneth Harding, a former Wyman teen and senior at Missouri State University, was the first intern in the program this summer. Harding appreciated learning a new range of skills as he contributed to Sense Corp’s progress:

My time with Sense Corp was an exciting adventure into the professional world of a successful and growing organization. During my two-month internship, I gained valuable experience within my field of Human Resources. Projects I worked on included sourcing candidates for open requirements, planning and facilitating a teambuilding activity for new hires, and designing a 360 degree feedback program for all employees. Sense Corp also helped prepare me for my future by helping me improve my resume and LinkedIn account, giving me advice on interviewing, and even taking me suit shopping! In addition to professional development, I enjoyed the brilliant, fun, creative, and human culture at Sense Corp by participating in the company’s Bowling Night, BBQ, and cycling events. In fact, after being invited to an office bike ride, I decided to purchase my own road bike and adopt cycling as a new personal hobby. My favorite part of this summer experience was the people I got to share it with. Sense Corp provided me with meaningful relationships at all levels of the organization from the CEO, to Consultants, and everywhere in between. I look forward to a follow-up meeting with the HR director this December, and I hope to stay involved with Sense Corp to the fullest extent as I prepare to graduate from Missouri State University and begin my professional career.

An AmeriCorps’ Reflection on Service

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Wyman

Sarah Bernstein, an AmeriCorps member with Wyman’s Teen Leadership and Teen Outreach Programs, reflects on the learning and growth she’s experienced throughout her year of service.

Sarah Bernstein, left, leads teens in St. Louis in community service learning projects.

I have always been involved in community service, but as I helped to create community service learning (CSL) opportunities for teens all over St. Louis this past year I feel like I scratched the surface of how integrating CSL into the activities of youth can positively re-route their lives, hearts and minds.

This year, I’ve seen socially isolated teens connect with their communities through service and find a new and powerful sense of “home” in the neighborhoods they walk every day. I’ve seen teens who struggle with classroom-based tasks recover their sense of purpose and potential when they are given things to accomplish in the “real” world. I’ve also seen teens who wrestle with handling their anger and aggression find causes that needs fighting for and connect with the positive side of their inner fires. I’ve seen that community service learning unfailingly provides benefits for everyone involved in its expression.

Most recently I worked with the rising eighth graders in Wyman’s Teen Leadership Program on a project we called From the Acorns to the Oaks. This project was a two-part endeavor to create appreciation cards for residents of a local nursing home and to spark a creative dialogue between two very different generations.

During the first part of the project the teens worked together to come up with card designs that they thought nursing home residents would enjoy. They coordinated photo shoots with costumes and hand painted banners and used the final images on the front of their cards.

The second part of the project included a discussion to inspire what would be written inside of the cards. The teens discussed the relationships they had with the elderly, mentioning grandparents, neighbors, and people they knew through faith organizations. The responses and perspectives on the older generation ranged, from respect and love to discomfort and indifference. The facilitators and I let them know that all these responses were ok, normal even, as we challenged them to consider looking at this project through a wider scope.

We then asked them to contemplate their childhood experiences: their discussion touched on public housing projects, microwave ovens, equal voting rights, laptops, air conditioning and public transportation. We asked them to consider that all of these objects, policies, and ways-of-life they had been born into had been invented, pursued, or sustained by the generation that are now their elders, many of whom currently live in nursing homes.

After some thought, they agreed that whether or not they supported all the decisions made or projects carried out by their elders, a show of purposeful connection and empathy from one generation to another was a worthwhile thing. This decision led our teens to send over 50 cards to Hilltop Manor and Marymount Manor, two local nursing homes in Eureka.

I am very proud to be a part of this project as well as several others that took place during the Teen Leadership Program’s summer sessions. My AmeriCorps experience with the staff and teens of Wyman has been both potent and satisfying, and can be best understood through the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: “It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” This is both true and representative of my time spent with Wyman. I want to thank everyone for this opportunity and for all of their contributions to a wonderful year of service.

Putting Your Best Face Forward Online

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Emily Pirraglia

Likes, status updates, tweets, and friend requests: if you’re familiar with any of these terms then you—like most teenagers in America—are using social media. According to a study by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, 95 percent of US teens aged 12-17 are online and 80 percent of these connected teens use social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter.

You probably cannot recall a time before the internet or social networking. Social media is the norm when it comes to sharing thoughts, opinions, pictures, videos and links with your friends.

But keep in mind; it’s not always just your friends who can see what you post!

College admissions counselors and employers are beginning to use social networking sites as a way to assess your communication skills, values, and personal life to see if you’ll be a good fit at their college or company. And, since privacy features on Facebook are constantly changing, your content may be visible for anyone to search and see. For both Twitter and Facebook, this means that your posts and pictures could show up when someone searches your name in Google.

Here’s the good news: you do have control over what you post. Be aware, take your time, use good judgment, and think before you make anything public. You are your own personal publicist, and have the power to mold your online presence to be a positive or negative one. Posting a negative comment about a teacher or school and uploading photos depicting questionable behavior will, ultimately, negatively impact how people perceive you. And unlike a comment said out loud, your activity on social media can live a long time, online.

Make some rules about what you’ll post online, and then actually follow them! Would you talk that way to a teacher? Show that picture to your aunt or uncle? Share that information with your boss? Social media is a place to have fun and interact with friends, but keep in mind the consequences of these actions in the offline world.

Think long-term when posting online content. What you put on the internet isn’t easily erased, and can remain attached to your name for years to come. Even if you plan to delete it later –someone else could re-tweet or share it, and then it is out of your control. If you have any uncertainty about what you’re about to do, then don’t do it!

Finally, use social media to your advantage. Deciding to use social networking sites is not a foolish choice. By remaining aware of your posts—and even what your friends are writing on your wall—you have the ability to put forth your best qualities. Tailoring your online presence in a way that represents yourself positively will give you a leg up on others by appealing to future employees and schools.

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We’d like to hear your thoughts about social media. Is it fair for employers and college admissions counselors to check applicants’ social media profiles, or should teens get a break? Please share your thoughts in the comments box below.

Community Action Heroes Needed!

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Emily Pirraglia

Do you know any young people who are passionate about service, eager to find ways that they can become more engaged in their community, and interested in meaningful summer activities?

This summer, GenerationOn has partnered with Hasbro to give teens and kids the opportunity to be rewarded and recognized for their community service. Their campaign, called Community Action Heroes, presents 80 different ways that youth can volunteer and improve their community. The projects are designed to be simple and fun, and are accompanied by incentives including T-shirts, Hasbro products, and mini grants for continued service.

Here’s how youth can get involved:

Log on to http://communityactionheroes.generationon.org/
Pick a cause
Complete the project (GenerationOn provides all the instructions)
Log on again to report back and receive your recognition (and swag!)

Best of all, GenerationOn encourages families, clubs, and any type of youth organization to participate. Through this initiative, they hope to inspire, equip, and mobilize youth to take action that changes the world and themselves through service.

New Case Foundation Survey Measures Teens’ Views on Activism

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Emily Pirraglia

A recent Case Foundation survey conducted in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Nickelodeon reports that most teens are interested in applying the principles that they learn in school to make a positive impact on their community. The survey reaffirms that teens are interested in civic engagement activities and adds that teens desire practical knowledge and skills that they can use later in life.

The survey includes the following results:

Over half of the teens surveyed (58%) answered that it is quite important to extremely important to be a leader—as a young person—in a community.
Four out of five teens agree that going to college is necessary to achieve their career goals, and understand that a higher education will help them get a good job.
Contributing to social causes that are important to them weighs heavily in teens’ decisions to get involved. About three out of four students claim that it is important to them to impact social and community issues.

The report concludes with ways that all community members can help engage youth in character-building activities. The suggestions include:

Communicate with local schools to discover if character-building activities are built into classroom instruction
Invest money or resources into local community organizations that provide service-learning activities for young people
Educate and motivate your community to involve youth in civic engagement experiences

Learn more about the study and its call to action.

Mastering Freedom in College

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Emily Pirraglia

As a teenager, the summer before my freshman year of college marked my first flirtation with increased independence. By that fall I thought I was ready to experience the new and exciting freedom of college. I quickly realized, however, that freedom was less of an adventure and more of a skill: one that I had to master in order to achieve success both academically and socially. After my first year, I came away with insights on how to better structure the rest of my time in school:

Independence is a balance

Before you even step into your first class, assess your priorities. Why are you going to college and what is your long term goal? By identifying and remembering your purpose in receiving a higher education you can better balance the temptations to party, skip class, and shun schoolwork. Use your long term plans as motivators for attending study sessions, using a planner, and seeking out extra help.

Independence allows for exploration

Pursue what you want to learn and challenge what you already believe. College is one of the only times you will have daily opportunities to explore new ideas, both intellectually and socially. Take advantage of the array of classes you can register for and pick a few that pique your curiosity. Check out the different clubs and societies on campus to find one that matches your interests.

Independence does not mean unaccountability

Remember that your actions matter and have the power to impact others positively or negatively. Help keep your friends accountable in their academics and keep in mind that others are invested in your future, either financially, emotionally, or both. With that in mind, make decisions that will honor their investment in you. Go to class, keep in touch, and don’t order in pizza every night on a credit card!

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Do you have a ”mastering freedom” experience of your own to add? Please use the comment box below to let us know.