Well, we're here at Day 2 of Global Academy. We're only about 24 hours in, but we are already in deep. No testing the water or wading in...we're taking on white caps.
So far, we've had some impactful guest speakers, rousing conversation, and challenging simulations. Tommy Spaulding, LC Board Member and Founder, started off the weekend with an impassioned encouragement to the students to travel and be globally literate. Regis University professors Dr. Jamie Roth and Dr. Lee Shannon spoke with our students this morning regarding global economics, the role of trade in our world, and foreign policy.
To start today, we began with a communication exercise called "Alpha Beta," in which Alpha's and Beta's are in different rooms playing different card games. At different points, we bring Alphas and Betas together to play the "same" game and watch the confusion boil over. The activity brings up fascinating discussion of cultural norms, communicating with different cultures, and being a good world traveler. Afterwards, we created more angst by simulating Game Theory through a variation of the classic "Prisoner's Dilemma" activity. With the old Alphas continually sticking it to the old Betas, a huge ethical debate was raised about foreign policy and the United States' role in the world arena. Should the U.S. ever strike first? Should the U.S. always be a "good guy?" What if someone sucker punches us? Do we still play the good guy? It made for great debate!!
Currently, we're experiencing the highlight of Academy so far. We have been visited by fourteen refugees from Congo, Eritrea, Somalia, Yemen, Tanzania and Bhutan. The refugees, ages 14-24, have been in the country from one month to 10 years and have been aided in their acclimation by the Spring Institute of Denver. Sharing their stories, perspectives, and backgrounds with us, we've been challenged, inspired, enriched. Badur, a refugee from Bhutan, even honored us with a video presentation about his experiences in Bhutanese refugee camps. The conclusion of his presentation included a heartfelt thank you to the United States of America for providing him the opportunity to escape the conflict of his native home.
Stay tuned for highlights from the WORLD talent show!
Politics as Usual
Hello again! It's Day 4 of Summer Academy which means 2 things: It's civics day and we're in the home stretch! But before you pick up your son or daughter, we wanted to share some new pictures with you!
This morning is devoted to an exploration of political ideologies and political parties, a subject that always has the potential to be divisive. Luckily our students are responsible, respectful individuals and we were able to have interesting and enlightening discussions in our color groups.
Curriculum Director George Brown is our resident politico and loves the opportunity to challenge students where their political views are concerned. Knowing that many of our students are very interested in both politics and policy, we thought it would be a great idea to have an issues debate. So at the current moment, we're hearing from a couple of our state legislators, Representative Ken Summers of Lakewood, and Representative Anne McGihon of Denver.
As you can see, the students are looking great in their professional dress today. luckily Mother Nature has cut us some slack and it's not too hot.
This morning is devoted to an exploration of political ideologies and political parties, a subject that always has the potential to be divisive. Luckily our students are responsible, respectful individuals and we were able to have interesting and enlightening discussions in our color groups.
Curriculum Director George Brown is our resident politico and loves the opportunity to challenge students where their political views are concerned. Knowing that many of our students are very interested in both politics and policy, we thought it would be a great idea to have an issues debate. So at the current moment, we're hearing from a couple of our state legislators, Representative Ken Summers of Lakewood, and Representative Anne McGihon of Denver.
As you can see, the students are looking great in their professional dress today. luckily Mother Nature has cut us some slack and it's not too hot.
Service with a Smile
Hello again! So sorry for the tardiness of this blog! Our goal was to update twice every day, but we've been busy bees around here today. It's day 3, which means one thing: Service Projects!
We started bright and early once again with an energizer led by Ryan, and then heard from Laura Faulkwin of the Urban Servant Corps and Becca Winship of the Border Servant Corps, who introduced the students to the idea of living a lifestyle of service, as opposed to simply engaging in "volunteerism."
Afterwards, we had a series of breakout sessions designed to explore a few of the most pressing issues facing the Front Range Community and Colorado as a whole. We heard from speakers from The Colorado Aids Project, The Polaris Project, and Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. Our hope is that each student felt a connection to at least one of the issues that these organizations speak to, and that all of them have a better understanding of each of them.
Finally, after lunch we headed out for the main event: The service projects. Instead of spending the afternoon with their color group, students were divided according to their school team, with several schools teaming up on the larger projects. We went out en masse to work with a variety of organizations, including World Vison, Rainbow Bridge, The Delores Project, Urban Peak and The Colorado AIDS Project.
All in all, IGNITE students provided over 600 man hours of service today. It was an amazing experience, and based on what we're hearing from the students - their favorite part of Academy so far.
That's bound to change though, given that tonight is when we finally introduce the students to Geeks versus Greeks, a longstanding and beloved Leader's Challenge tradition. It promises to be a very great night indeed.
Please keep checking back, as we hope to post some pictures from our service sites later this evening.
Before I go, one final thing: Tune into Channel 2 News at 9 this evening, as I think they'll be doing a segment on The Day of Service, complete with an interview with at least one of our students. Cool, huh!?
We started bright and early once again with an energizer led by Ryan, and then heard from Laura Faulkwin of the Urban Servant Corps and Becca Winship of the Border Servant Corps, who introduced the students to the idea of living a lifestyle of service, as opposed to simply engaging in "volunteerism."
Afterwards, we had a series of breakout sessions designed to explore a few of the most pressing issues facing the Front Range Community and Colorado as a whole. We heard from speakers from The Colorado Aids Project, The Polaris Project, and Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. Our hope is that each student felt a connection to at least one of the issues that these organizations speak to, and that all of them have a better understanding of each of them.
Finally, after lunch we headed out for the main event: The service projects. Instead of spending the afternoon with their color group, students were divided according to their school team, with several schools teaming up on the larger projects. We went out en masse to work with a variety of organizations, including World Vison, Rainbow Bridge, The Delores Project, Urban Peak and The Colorado AIDS Project.
All in all, IGNITE students provided over 600 man hours of service today. It was an amazing experience, and based on what we're hearing from the students - their favorite part of Academy so far.
That's bound to change though, given that tonight is when we finally introduce the students to Geeks versus Greeks, a longstanding and beloved Leader's Challenge tradition. It promises to be a very great night indeed.
Please keep checking back, as we hope to post some pictures from our service sites later this evening.
Before I go, one final thing: Tune into Channel 2 News at 9 this evening, as I think they'll be doing a segment on The Day of Service, complete with an interview with at least one of our students. Cool, huh!?
Photo Blog
Well hello again! We're coming to you live from the LC talent show where at this very moment two of our students from the Denver School of the Arts are gracing us with a beautiful contemporary dance performance. Other performers have included a unicyclist, a martial arts demonstration and a photography display. Up next, one of our visual artists will be showing off her anime skills. Rumor has it we're in for some more dance performances, some stand-up comedy, a singer, a blues guitarist, and a group rendition of the entire Thriller video.
Maybe there will even be a magician!
We thought you might like to see some more photos from the past 2 days, so enjoy! See anyone you recognize?
Maybe there will even be a magician!
We thought you might like to see some more photos from the past 2 days, so enjoy! See anyone you recognize?
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus
One of the greatest strengths of Leader's Challenge is our staff - a well rounded group of folks who bring a variety experiences and skills to the organization. As with everyone, we each have strengths and weaknesses, and as such, we each fill a particular niche in implementing our programs. Ryan is the games extraordinaire, benefiting from a lifetime spent at summer camp and some incredible creative talent.
Every morning we start with an energizer led by Ryan, designed to get the students' geared up for another exciting - albeit long day. This morning started off with Man of the Sea, an LC favorite, and wrapped up with Captain Says. As a parent, I'm sure you can relate to how much of a challenge it is to get a teenager excited about anything at 8:30 in the morning, so just imagine how tough it is when you've got 130 of them at once!
Once the juices were flowing, we headed off to color groups to explore the importance of critical thinking in leadership. We believe very strongly that strong, successful leadership requires the ability to understand and relate to diverse perspectives - something that comes naturally to some, but is very difficult for others. When we talk about diversity, we don't necessarily mean that of an ethnic, religious or socioeconomic nature. These are good indicators, but it is also quite likely that a group that appears to be rather homogeneous is indeed incredibly diverse in terms of life experience, points of view - and as we learned yesterday - communication styles.
This afternoon we'll be joined by two fascinating speakers: Amy Harmon of Urban Market Development, who will be speaking about young entrepreneurship, and Carol Bowar, of Girls Inc., who will be speaking about gender issues in leadership. To that end, the students spent the latter half of the morning developing business plans...with a twist! The twist is that they worked in sex-segregated groups to see if they could identify any trends in the types of businesses they chose to establish or how they organized their business plans. It was an enlightening exercise that lends credence to the idea that there are some significant and measurable differences in the ways that men and women think, communicate and/or lead. Given that IGNITE tends to be female heavy (70% of our enrollment is composed of young women), it was a very interesting and exciting development indeed.
Check back later for new pictures and a rundown of the LC talent show. If history is any indicator, we're in for a very fun evening!
Every morning we start with an energizer led by Ryan, designed to get the students' geared up for another exciting - albeit long day. This morning started off with Man of the Sea, an LC favorite, and wrapped up with Captain Says. As a parent, I'm sure you can relate to how much of a challenge it is to get a teenager excited about anything at 8:30 in the morning, so just imagine how tough it is when you've got 130 of them at once!
Once the juices were flowing, we headed off to color groups to explore the importance of critical thinking in leadership. We believe very strongly that strong, successful leadership requires the ability to understand and relate to diverse perspectives - something that comes naturally to some, but is very difficult for others. When we talk about diversity, we don't necessarily mean that of an ethnic, religious or socioeconomic nature. These are good indicators, but it is also quite likely that a group that appears to be rather homogeneous is indeed incredibly diverse in terms of life experience, points of view - and as we learned yesterday - communication styles.
This afternoon we'll be joined by two fascinating speakers: Amy Harmon of Urban Market Development, who will be speaking about young entrepreneurship, and Carol Bowar, of Girls Inc., who will be speaking about gender issues in leadership. To that end, the students spent the latter half of the morning developing business plans...with a twist! The twist is that they worked in sex-segregated groups to see if they could identify any trends in the types of businesses they chose to establish or how they organized their business plans. It was an enlightening exercise that lends credence to the idea that there are some significant and measurable differences in the ways that men and women think, communicate and/or lead. Given that IGNITE tends to be female heavy (70% of our enrollment is composed of young women), it was a very interesting and exciting development indeed.
Check back later for new pictures and a rundown of the LC talent show. If history is any indicator, we're in for a very fun evening!
Live from IGNITE...It's Saturday Night!
Welcome back!
We're nearly 12 hours into Summer Academy, but the day isn't over yet! At this very moment, our students are hearing from Representative Terrance Carroll, the Assistant House Majority Leader in the State Legislature.
Mr. Carroll is an incredible man and inspiring leader, serving not only as a citizen legislator, but also a practicing lawyer and a Baptist minister. His story resonates with students in a remarkable way, touching on the effects of growing up in one of the poorest, most segregated areas of Washington, DC, and the roots of his interest in public service. His life has been marked by some significant setbacks and some amazing accomplishments, the most recent being his assumed ascension to the position of House Majority Leader for the 2009 legislative session - making him the first African American to hold that position in the history of Colorado.
Here at Leader's Challenge, we believe that it's exceedingly difficult to lead others without a well developed sense of self, including one's strengths and weaknesses. To that end, much of our afternoon was spent exploring students' individual communication styles, and developing strategies for successfully communicating with people of differing styles. Knowing your child as well as you do, would you guess that he or she is people oriented? Or perhaps s/he's more inclined toward process? Or maybe action, or even ideas. Food for thought, parents! Be sure to check in with them at the end of Academy to see which style they favor.
Between all of these awesome speakers and color group sessions, students are also having alot of F-U-N. In fact, after Mr. Carroll finishes up, we'll be heading over to the LC Olympics, one of the absolute best parts of Academy, where students will put their color group pride to the test!
Be sure to check in again tomorrow as we explore critical thinking, and hear from some incredibly successful young entrepreneurs!
We're nearly 12 hours into Summer Academy, but the day isn't over yet! At this very moment, our students are hearing from Representative Terrance Carroll, the Assistant House Majority Leader in the State Legislature.
Mr. Carroll is an incredible man and inspiring leader, serving not only as a citizen legislator, but also a practicing lawyer and a Baptist minister. His story resonates with students in a remarkable way, touching on the effects of growing up in one of the poorest, most segregated areas of Washington, DC, and the roots of his interest in public service. His life has been marked by some significant setbacks and some amazing accomplishments, the most recent being his assumed ascension to the position of House Majority Leader for the 2009 legislative session - making him the first African American to hold that position in the history of Colorado.
Here at Leader's Challenge, we believe that it's exceedingly difficult to lead others without a well developed sense of self, including one's strengths and weaknesses. To that end, much of our afternoon was spent exploring students' individual communication styles, and developing strategies for successfully communicating with people of differing styles. Knowing your child as well as you do, would you guess that he or she is people oriented? Or perhaps s/he's more inclined toward process? Or maybe action, or even ideas. Food for thought, parents! Be sure to check in with them at the end of Academy to see which style they favor.
Between all of these awesome speakers and color group sessions, students are also having alot of F-U-N. In fact, after Mr. Carroll finishes up, we'll be heading over to the LC Olympics, one of the absolute best parts of Academy, where students will put their color group pride to the test!
Be sure to check in again tomorrow as we explore critical thinking, and hear from some incredibly successful young entrepreneurs!
Summer Academy - Blogging it in
Greetings friends and family, and welcome to the Leader's Challenge blog! Chances are, you've stopped by to check out what your son, daughter, sibling or best friend is up to here at the IGNITE Summer Academy. Well...we're here to tell you!
This is the first time we've attempted this live blogging business, and we hope you'll keep checking in over the next three and a half days to see how it progresses.
The Leader's Challenge staff and volunteers arrived at the Colorado School of Mines at 7am sharp, ready to meet and greet 134 students from 30 high schools along the Front Range. Before long, a line had formed and we were ready to roll.
Having already done this once before - At our first Summer Academy back in July - we knew where the bottlenecks were likely to happen, and tried our hardest to keep the line moving without skimping on the information.
After a quick welcome session, the parents split and the fun began! Each of our five color groups - Red, Yellow, Blue, Green and Purple - spent the morning getting to know one another and laying the groundwork for what may ultimately become lifelong friendships.
Here at Leader's Challenge, we've got a lot of tricks up our sleeves designed to get teenagers up and moving, and more importantly - talking. There were of course the obligatory ice breakers where students had the opportunity to meet one another and at least try to get everyone's names straight.
Given that IGNITE is a yearlong program that is decidedly team-centered, it's more likely than not that there are going to be some problems along the way. These may be interpersonal or logistical, but one thing they all have in common is that they can be resolved through strategic planning and proactive communication. And what better way to flex your problem solving skills than through some good old fashioned practice via The River of Fire!!!
Often times, when one strategy proves to be flawed, you need to reformulate and come up with a different plan.
In just a few short hours, the students came to know one another quite well and and by noon they were ready for some grub.
Staff members need to eat too!
After lunch, we headed out to hear from our first speaker: Annabel Day from Executive Social Presentations. Mrs. Day introduced the students to the foundations of professional etiquette, which will surely come in handy as they make their way through not only IGNITE, but the rest of their lives.
That's all for now, folks! Check back later this evening for a rundown of our afternoon events and more pictures of our students enjoying themselves!
This is the first time we've attempted this live blogging business, and we hope you'll keep checking in over the next three and a half days to see how it progresses.
The Leader's Challenge staff and volunteers arrived at the Colorado School of Mines at 7am sharp, ready to meet and greet 134 students from 30 high schools along the Front Range. Before long, a line had formed and we were ready to roll.
Having already done this once before - At our first Summer Academy back in July - we knew where the bottlenecks were likely to happen, and tried our hardest to keep the line moving without skimping on the information.
After a quick welcome session, the parents split and the fun began! Each of our five color groups - Red, Yellow, Blue, Green and Purple - spent the morning getting to know one another and laying the groundwork for what may ultimately become lifelong friendships.
Here at Leader's Challenge, we've got a lot of tricks up our sleeves designed to get teenagers up and moving, and more importantly - talking. There were of course the obligatory ice breakers where students had the opportunity to meet one another and at least try to get everyone's names straight.
Given that IGNITE is a yearlong program that is decidedly team-centered, it's more likely than not that there are going to be some problems along the way. These may be interpersonal or logistical, but one thing they all have in common is that they can be resolved through strategic planning and proactive communication. And what better way to flex your problem solving skills than through some good old fashioned practice via The River of Fire!!!
Often times, when one strategy proves to be flawed, you need to reformulate and come up with a different plan.
In just a few short hours, the students came to know one another quite well and and by noon they were ready for some grub.
Staff members need to eat too!
After lunch, we headed out to hear from our first speaker: Annabel Day from Executive Social Presentations. Mrs. Day introduced the students to the foundations of professional etiquette, which will surely come in handy as they make their way through not only IGNITE, but the rest of their lives.
That's all for now, folks! Check back later this evening for a rundown of our afternoon events and more pictures of our students enjoying themselves!
Colorado Close Up!
When people hear "Leader's Challenge," they tend to immediately think of IGNITE, our original program dating all the way back to 2000. Indeed, the two were synonymous for several years, so it's a logical conclusion to come to.
But there is so much more to Leader's Challenge, including both Global Challenge and Colorado Close Up. We sometimes joke that CCU is the red-headed stepchild of the organization, but in truth, it has a long and storied history dating all the way back to 1979, and is therefore more akin to a big sister than a stepchild.
Colorado Close Up is one of the state’s largest civic education initiatives, bringing students from across Colorado to the state Capital for three action-packed days.
While visiting Denver, students have the opportunity to observe the state legislature and courts, meet with elected officials from each branch of government, and work with lobbyists and business leaders to discuss how they can impact their communities.
Participants return home from Colorado Close Up with the knowledge and skills to identify problems and draw on local resources to create long-term, sustainable change in their communities.
Having recently taken over CCU, I have a vested interest in seeing it grow and succeed, which is why we've created a brand new video designed to showcase just how awesome the experience is. Check it out!
Erin Riska
Program Manager, Colorado Close Up
But there is so much more to Leader's Challenge, including both Global Challenge and Colorado Close Up. We sometimes joke that CCU is the red-headed stepchild of the organization, but in truth, it has a long and storied history dating all the way back to 1979, and is therefore more akin to a big sister than a stepchild.
Colorado Close Up is one of the state’s largest civic education initiatives, bringing students from across Colorado to the state Capital for three action-packed days.
While visiting Denver, students have the opportunity to observe the state legislature and courts, meet with elected officials from each branch of government, and work with lobbyists and business leaders to discuss how they can impact their communities.
Participants return home from Colorado Close Up with the knowledge and skills to identify problems and draw on local resources to create long-term, sustainable change in their communities.
Having recently taken over CCU, I have a vested interest in seeing it grow and succeed, which is why we've created a brand new video designed to showcase just how awesome the experience is. Check it out!
Erin Riska
Program Manager, Colorado Close Up
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
