Home  Director's Corner |
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Dear Friends,
Your financial support helps us work with youth like those pictured below. They are members of our new teen leadership program: PeaceCasters. We conducted our first weeklong camp this summer. This fabulous multi-cultural, city wide group of 11-17 year olds spent the first 2 ½ days of camp learning basic skills in conflict resolution, respect for diversity, and team building. Then we worked on video, lighting, editing and production skills.
 We ended the week with a reception showcasing the videos they produced in three teams. Their three word videos included these themes: We are One, Break Down Walls, Always be You, Don't Stand Alone, Girls are Unique, Don't Rage. Engage and more. Peace Ed inherited the group from Center for Interfaith Relations (CIR) in December 2010. And thus a lot of equipment. We now have a lab. The UPS Foundation is helping us to update our equipment with a generous grant.
This age group is the first generation to grow up in a world saturated with networks of information, digital devices and the promise of perpetual connectivity. By the time they turn 18, they will have watched an average of 25,000 hours of TV - more time then was spent in the classroom. Much of their exposure is negative messages about themselves and others. National groups that study these issues estimate that youth spend about 30 hours a week online.
The PeaceCasters program provides a wonderful opportunity to use digital media to produce positive messages that they can share with thousands of other youth via YouTube and Facebook. In the process we are teaching them basic skills that all youth need to maintain friendships now and be effective employees in the future: good listening, respect for diversity, teamwork and problem-solving.
Thank you for helping us empower youth to be positive leaders.
Sincerely,
Eileen L. Blanton
Executive Director
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