Month: April 2013

Empowering Discussions

Role Model: Christopher McFadden of Philadelphia Youth Project

Impower You

How do you get a whole community to change? Violence has become a way of life for many people in Philadelphia, but some residents have decided this must end. Christopher McFadden Jr. is working hard to end the violence that is destroying his hometown. He created the Philadelphia Youth Project(PYP) to rally his community to work together. He wants people to wake up and show the youth that selling drugs and using violence are not their only options. At the time this was published, the first community PYP event successfully took place with speakers and workshops.

What was your inspiration or what necessitated you to begin this adventure? I am Christopher McFadden Jr. I was born, raised, and still reside in Philadelphia, PA. In the summer of 2004 I attended West Chester University of PA and graduated with a BS in Philosophy in 2009. I then went on to attend the University of Phoenix in 2010 and graduated with my Master’s degree in Criminal Justice. Because of my appreciation and vigorous focus on my education, I was blind to the conditions in my community and the digression of the youth in Philadelphia.

When I say, I was blind to the conditions in my community and the digression of the youth in Philadelphia, I mean that I was oblivious to the youth (boys and girls ages 12 – 17) selling drugs, the constant senseless violence, the lack of love and respect for oneself and others, etc. A large number of youth in Philadelphia come from dysfunctional homes with minimal parental guidance. This lack of familial role models plays an important part in a young person’s development. Along with the lack of role models in the family, there is often a lack of any role models. Often, the influencers in the community are also the products of dysfunctional homes. In addition, one of the main problems in Philadelphia that affects the youth is the fact that there is a lack of community. Many neighbors lack a bond with the people who live in their neighborhoods, with little initiative to help them; consequently, the youth suffers.

From August 2010 to June 2012, I was a middle school Special Education Co-Teacher at YoungScholarsFrederickDouglassSchool, that which is located in North Philadelphia. My time being employed at that school and spending so much time in that community was an eye opener. It taught me to appreciate the youth even more than I did and that appreciation gave me the motivation for wanting change in my community. My current focus is community involvement; helping young men focus on academic and social progress. Currently, I am a mentor at OverbrookHigh School, that which is located in West Philadelphia. I mentor young men between ninth and twelfth grade. My mentoring includes social and academic after schools programs, those programs are MAN Up, Homework club, Reading Club, and Fitness Friday.

What steps did you take to create your event or program? Initially, this event (The Philadelphia Youth Project) was going to be a call to action / rally to bring the city of Philadelphia together and speak about the constant violence that is quickly sabotaging our communities. This was event was going to be held on the steps of The Philadelphia Museum of Art. There were going to be influential speakers, poets, rappers and singers at this event. Because of the lack of support, the event didn’t happen. Though this was extremely discouraging, my passion for helping my community progress gave me the drive to keep working to bring this event to life.

I started by changing the focus of my event. I decided that it would more important to focus specifically on the youth. Making the youth a priority is extremely important because they are the next generation and to them inspiration the progress and empower themselves and the people around them, will be a big step toward saving the community. With this in mind, I need to meet with like-minded individuals to assist me with turning this life changing idea into something concrete that will actually change lives. After a few meetings, The Philadelphia Youth Project was planned, then came time for the ground work of getting nonprofit organizations, schools, community organizations, and city officials involved.

At this event, The Philadelphia Youth Project (PYP), there will be poets and a panel of speakers who will emphasize the importance of non-violence and support the positive progression of the youth in Philadelphia. Along with the speakers and poets there will be interactive educational workshops to engage and educate the youth and community members. There will also be companies and organizations that are specifically geared toward supporting the Philadelphia youth. The youth themselves will have the opportunity to sign up with the organizations and/or speak with the companies about volunteer work.

What obstacles were you forced to overcome? In order to be successful, you must overcome obstacles. This is true no matter what endeavor you are pursuing. If you are working on a big goal, I guarantee you that there are going to be problems, issues, and roadblocks along the way.  This is not negative, it is reality.

Because WestPhiladelphiaHigh School is a newly renovated high school, it was a great idea to host The Philadelphia Youth Project there as a way to promote the importance of education. However, I learned that it would be extremely difficult and expensive to host the event at a public school in Philadelphia. When I learned this, I began to get overwhelmed because I was wedded to WestPhiladelphiaHigh School as a venue, when I as planning my event. Fortunately, I was able to get in contact with an administrator at BirneyPreparatoryCharterAcademy, in Philadelphia, PA. After presenting my proposal for The Philadelphia Youth Project to the school’s administration, they gave me the approval to host the event at their school.

Who, if anyone, helped you succeed? Genuine individuals who shared the same passions as me!! I put my trust in quite a few people to help me put this event together but there are only two people that I would give major credit to for helping bring this event to light. The names of those two individuals are Takia McClendon and ShefonNachelle.

Do you have any advice for readers who want to get involved or start a similar program? If anyone would like to start a similar event, research is a must. It is important to know exactly what your goals are and who your target audience is. It is also important to collaborate with others that express similar interests. Collaborating is always good. If your goal is to change the world in the positive way and another group has that same goal, look into working with that group, because eighty hands working together is better than one or two. Collective works brings more people together, brings more ideas to the table, and more people will become aware of the goals that you are working to achieve.

Facebook.com/BlackExcellencexBlog …This interview is from a  book that includes 15 other amazing people who are creating positive change. You can read the full book and buy a copy for your school at Bookemon.com

Please leave a comment mentioning someone creating positive change in their communities?

Fierce: A New Generation of Female Empowerment

Fierce Fridays: You Are What You Eat

Impower You

feminist writers, learn about feminism, teaching girls feminism, Fierce, Generation of female empowerment  Welcome to week ten of sharing excerpts from the book, Fierce: A New Generation of Female Empowerment. This book is for those who have a desire to get the most out of life. Those who want to make positive change, but are not sure how to make it happen. It is for any age female who needs a reminder of how fierce they can be. It is for young women who will soon be out of high school and on their way to college or some other adventure. Share these posts with all the girls and women in your life. Let them know the book can be read for free online or that a soft cover book is available for sale at Bookemon.com. Enjoy!

You Are What You Eat

  The fuel that keeps your body going is very important. Unfortunately a lot of food that is available is full of chemical preservatives, sugars and toxins. Yes it is great that technology has increased the shelf life of food so that it can go farther, but all the extra stuff we put into our food so it can stay good longer isn’t great for our health.

We put additives, preservatives, flavors, and colorings in all our processed food, produce and meat so it is more appetizing, but many of us are allergic to these ingredients. Some studies show all these fillers contribute to very serious problems like asthma, birth defects, and cancer. *(8)

The high amounts of sugar and starch in our diets contributes to obesity and diabetes. Sodas, coffees and energy drinks give us limited energy and too much causes our bodies to crash.  Look for whole and unprocessed foods that are grown closer to home. The shorter trip from the farm to your plate means less preservatives and additives to keep the food palatable. It’s not just the fillers that can cause health problems. There has been an ongoing debate for decades between organic versus conventional food and more recently GMO crops.

Organic food is grown without the use of any synthetic or chemical pesticides and fertilizers which means there are no added toxins. Organic pesticides come from naturally occurring plants and fungi. To encourage strong healthy plants fertilizers such as manure and compost are used. The naturally occurring treatments target specific plants or insects so there is no unintended damage to the actual crops.

Conventional food is sprayed with synthetic chemicals which destroys insects, rodents, invasive weeds, and fungi, but also contaminates the food crops, surrounding wildlife and the people who work on the farms. While it may not be extremely toxic to eat food grown conventionally, it is definitely toxic to the farm workers who work in the fields, to the wildlife, and to our environment.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) foods are plants that had genes from another source implanted to improve their performance and be resistant to insects, disease or pesticides. Relatively new, there has been a limited amount of testing with varying results about the safety, or usefulness of introducing these plants into our food system.

We know that chemical pesticides are harmful to humans and our ecosystem. However giant corporations with all their profits at stake in the chemical industry have plenty of money to lobby in politics to create and change laws so their products can be sold. This affects whether or not the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) can deny toxins being allowed in our food. Two great example of corporate greed with little regard for human life are Monsanto and Dow Chemical Company. They are two of the largest profiteers of chemical pesticides so of course they will say it is safe to spray food with their products or distribute GMO food. They do this with scientific tests to back up their claim. The problem is these tests are done by scientists on their payroll who have an interest in protecting their jobs.

Monsanto and Dow along with six other companies are famous for distributing Agent Orange, a chemical used in the Vietnam war in the 1960’s. Agent Orange was used to destroy a jungle of vegetation so that soldiers from the US could fight easier in a terrain where the opposing local army had an edge. The effect of this chemical are still seen in Vietnam as even today children are born with birth defects from residue that still exists. There is a lot of profit in the pesticide industry because farmers can spend less to spray larger areas of crops and make more money. *(9)

Organic farms require more work which causes the price of food to go up. Price may be a determining factor in how much you can spend on food, but the costs of pollution and health problems are much higher. Birke Baehr is only 12 years old and he understands the importance of organic and sustainable farming.*(10) He is an internationally celebrated speaker, author and future farmer. He published a book called “Birke on the Farm” about the industrialized food system and offers solutions based on using and supporting local, organic and sustainable food. You can get involved with encouraging alternatives to toxic pesticides with information from BirkeOnTheFarm.com, and BeyondPesticides.org which has a resource page for activists. OrganicConsumers.org also has great information and a page for taking action on encouraging organic sustainable, non-toxic farming. Look online for a local organic community garden or organic garden co-op to get involved.

  • How do you feel about eating food that is sprayed with chemicals?
  • How do you feel knowing that food you buy may have been harvested by people exposed to toxins that cause them health problems?
  • Is it important to eat food that is not sprayed with chemicals?
  • If these toxins cause health issues, create damage to the environment, and kill wildlife why are they still legal?

Some people put toxic chemicals directly into their own bodies on purpose. Drugs, alcohol and cigarettes are pervasive in our culture. Many of us are introduced to these activities about Jr. High or Middle school and we continue to see the message in movies, music, and literature. If experimenting with drugs interests you then conduct some research and find out what the drugs are made from, what the biological effects are, and what risks are involved.

There are drugs considered “healthy’ because they plant based which is not the most solid reasoning since being natural or a plant does not make something safe for consumption. Other drugs are cooked up in kitchens and bathtubs with seriously toxic ingredients. Meth is famous for the happy feeling users get, but it is made with highly dangerous chemicals such as drain cleaner or battery acid. That’s really gross!  Don’t forget the increased chance of being suspended from school, losing privileges at home, death, brain damage, and jail.

Alcohol isn’t better, you get that buzz from the alcohol attacking your cells and too much can actually slow your respiratory system enough so that you stop breathing. Excess drinking is bad for your liver which can only filter out so many toxins. Liver failure/Cirrhosis is NOT fun. Look online for patients who need dialysis machines to get a better idea of how bad it really is.

Cigarettes may be legal and seem harmless, but have you seen the way it destroys skin and causes wrinkles? Plus there are the nasty effects it has on your lungs and anyone around you who is breathing in your smoke. Access to clean air is something we expect for ourselves, family and friends, but when we smoke we are part of polluting that air. Cigarettes are made with hundreds of ingredients in that tiny little roll of paper. You may not feel the negative effects of smoking for years, but you can bet that the environment does.

There are trillions of cigarette butts littering our land and water, leaching toxic chemicals that kill wildlife and cause lasting damage for everyone. It takes years for cigarette butts to degrade. Have you ever walked down the street and seen piles of cigarettes at an intersection or near a bar? We don’t need countless studies to show the negative effect of cigarettes when all we have to do is look at the ground. *(11)

Our actions have consequences. Driving while drunk or high is dangerous because even though it is easy to drive while tipsy, operating a ton of steel while you are incapacitated means that your reaction time is delayed.

If you are pregnant and consume alcohol you are putting your baby at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome causing mental and physical deformities. The opinion you create about recreational drugs and drinking depends on your culture, family, friends, and personal or religious beliefs. Go online to DrugFreeWorld.org and AddictScience.com or research the most common recreational drugs in books and with other online sources. If you want to stop using drugs or alcohol find a support group such as Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous, QuitSmokingSupport.com, or call the Alcohol and Drug Hotline  1-800-527-5344. The decision is up to you.

  • Why do you want to try drugs or drink?
  • Is it simple curiosity?
  • Are you emulating someone you admire?
  • Do you feel pressured to use drugs or drink to excess?
  • Is it expected so you will fit in?
  • Is this pressure from your friends?
  • Why would a real friend insist that you use drugs or drink?
  • Is it expected that “people like you” use drugs and alcohol?
  • Are you rebelling against authority?
  • Alcohol and drugs both impair our ability to react and function. So why is alcohol legal while drugs are illegal?
  • …. Continue reading at Bookemon.com

 

Book Reviews

April Showers of Good News.

Impower You

I was over the moon this afternoon when I received an email from my self publishing company Bookemon.  They alerted me that my book was featured on the home page website. This may not be the NY Times bestseller list, but right now at this point in my life it holds the same esteem. Below is one of my most favorite emails of all time.

“Congratulations! Your book “How Will You Create Positive Change” has been selected as one of our featured books at Bookemon. Show where your book is featured with your family and friends using this link: http://www.bookemon.com/?theme=How-To “

I hope this brings those of you who are striking out on your own new career adventure some renewed optimism for success. It’s rough being small time, but it’s wonderful following your passion.

PS. If you want to shoe some love, you can pass on the links above or purchase one of my books.

Check out my books on Bookemon or  Amazon.

NY Times best selling book, best books for teenagers, best books for children, best books for tweens,

Art, Book Reviews

My Attempt to Market a Book

Impower You

It’s tough out there for a new self published author to get their books noticed.  No worries though. I am up for the challenge.  I don’t have a marketing budget, but I am artistic and I use that skill to my advantage. I have designed every illustration and cover in all of my books. So I have been creating banners in the hope that one or two will go viral and drive readers to my books. Below are two I created this week for my book “Fierce” and “How Will You Create Positive Change”.

What does girl power mean to you? Define it yourself. You can read this and more books at Bookemon.com

How Will You Create positive Change by Leah Oviedo, agents of change, community leaders, interviews with activists

You are invited to read (and maybe purchase) my books at Bookemon.com.  PLEASE by all means feel free to share these pictures on your blog, Facebook page, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, and anywhere else you want.  The love is most appreciated.

What creative no-budget or low budget marketing ideas have you tried for your business?

🙂

Empowering Discussions

Role Model: Ryland King of Sprout Up

Impower You

Ryland King founded Sprout Up to instill knowledge and appreciation about the environment in young children. He is encouraging a new generation to preserve our world. This free program is offered in elementary schools, teaching children in their earliest years of development. Each student starts with a seed they plant and care for during the program. Through games, discussions, and lessons children learn to care for their environment at school and home.

What was your inspiration or what necessitated you to begin this adventure? Two “Thank you’s” started it all.

As junior in high school, I taught at a local surf camp, where I developed a special connection with a developmentally disabled child. In our week-long journey together, the little boy overcame his fear of the shoreline, conquering the surf and finding his passion.

After signing out the last camper, the child’s mom and dad walked up to me, and with a tone overcome with emotion, told me, “Thank you.” Their son had connected better with them that week than ever before, and they were going to continue coming down to the beach to further what had blossomed in their son.

In that moment, I learned that the promise of teaching youth extends beyond the individual student, significantly impacting the lives of parents and the actions of the community as a whole.

Two years later, I was walking out of a 2nd grade classroom after teaching a sequence of environmental education lessons and felt a tug on the bottom of his shirt. I turned around to look into two young hazel eyes staring at me behind coke-bottle-thick glasses and a beaming buck-tooth smile. The girl looking up at me said, “Ryland, thank you,” and embraced me in a heartfelt hug. From that, the vision blossomed.

A group of motivated college students then got together and turned my vision into their mission, and founded Sprout Up–a nonprofit aimed at promoting environmental stewardship throughout communities, from the youngest members of society up.

Since, we’ve journeyed together from our first class of 25 kids to teaching thousands of kids across California, bringing hundreds of passionate friends on board along the way.

Today, it’s the countless “Thank you’s” our team exchanges with kids, teachers, parents, and communities that continues to shape our story everyday.

What steps did you take to create your program?  The first step to creating a program is to get it on paper. Draw it out. After begin showing it to friends and colleagues and continue making new iterations for improvement. In simple terms, this is everything you need to do.

What obstacles were you forced to overcome? In the early days of Sprout Up, the biggest challenge we faced was demonstrating to elementary school teachers, administrators, and parents that we were serious about building a long-term partnership with the school system, and about offering our program completely free of charge.  Since we hadn’t yet proven ourselves, it felt like our youth was actually working against us, as many who agreed to meet with us were skeptical about our commitment and ability to execute on the vision we presented. Once we broke into our first few classrooms, however, perceptions rapidly began to change.

What were the hardest problems to solve or actions to take? Running a nonprofit organization while managing a full university course load over the past three years has taught me a lot about the importance of personal sustainability. It’s been overwhelming at times, but I’ve always remembered to take a minute to enjoy the little things in life, share smiles, and communicate with my teammates with 100% honesty. The most important thing I’ve learned is to lead my team the way I live my life: with compassion, authenticity, enthusiasm, and joy above all else.

What must you do to stay operational? My team and I work hard writing grants, managing membership, donation campaigns, and events. We are working with business professionals on creating a strong business plan for greater financial independence that will launch in the coming year.

Who, if anyone, helped you succeed? Sprout Up wouldn’t be where it is today without the incredible community of supporters that have taken up our cause. I work day in and day out knowing that my team of directors and over 200 volunteer instructors share my vision for creating change from the youngest members of society up. When times get tough, I need only look to this group for the inspiration to pull my head up, press on, and continue doing all that I can to make our shared dream a reality.

Do you have any advice for readers who want to get involved or start a similar program? In the early stages of bringing any idea to reality, it’s easy to get discouraged. Don’t give up! Build a team of peers that share your vision, and communicate regularly to keep each other motivated, focused, and on the same page. Be patient and start small, but never lose sight of your overarching vision.

Add any additional information? No matter what you do, have fun.

Website: www.SproutUp.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sproutupfb

Get Involved at: www.SproutUp.org/get-involved…This interview is from a  book that includes 15 other amazing people who are creating positive change. You can read the full book and buy a copy for your school at Bookemon.com

What inspiring people do you know that are creating positive change in their communities?