“Are you with me now?” AJ Ryder
“There’s something happen here….”
Around a month ago I received an email from Robert Sainz about his latest work. Robert is now the Director of New Ways to Work and encouraged me to have youth contribute to the Youth Voice section of their website. On another email exchange, I mentioned the contest New Ways to Work was running for Youth Voice to Maddie (Met graduate, Harbor Freight Fellow and spokesperson for B-U) hoping she would enter. This week, I got an email from Maddie letting me know she was selected. Great news!
Monserrat Roldan – Ironworker
Kelly Candeale has been interviewing construction workers for years. Many times his films debunk myths about the trades as “being brutish, unintelligent and all white guys.” The latest 5-minute piece he sent to me features Monserrat Roldan, an apprentice Ironworker working at building the LA Clippers new arena in Inglewood. Monserrat was first a sculptor and painter but made the transition to construction worker. The documentary speaks to how the transition changed her life and her daughter’s.
Beth’s Youth at the Center Blog and Film on her work in VT with HFF and B-U will be coming out in the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools and the VT Community Foundation’s newsletters.
Statewide work
Over a very long time, we have positioned ourselves to do statewide work. It is work we had a great deal of success in Rhode Island with Breaking Ranks in the Ocean State until the standardization movement took the wind out of our sails. Now this year, our work in California, Colorado, New York, South Carolina and Vermont with feelers in New Jersey and Texas are moving at a really good pace. Lots of groundwork and road work has been done in the past with lots of partners involved.
Here’s a photo of Charlie and Crishell’s partners in South Carolina at their meeting this week.
We had a similar meeting two days ago with our California Coalition for Work based Learning Policy Improvement group in partnership with ASA and from the looks of Carrie’s TGIF the same is true for New York with a locus of work at The Hub. One really important phrase that emerged from our CA Coalition meeting was an emphasis on meaningful work and not just a job. A big step in the right direction.
International
Portugal
Eduardo Lomba did his PhD studies on innovative educational models and wants to have a further conversation about the possibilities of bringing BPL to Portugal. Can anyone say Podengos? As if I needed any incentive to go to Portugal, he already made it clear he lives down the street from the Podengo Club of Portugal.
Mexico
Marco López Aquino from Puebla, Mexico contacted Brenna about starting a BPL school at Trozmer University. “I am interested in making a change in education in my country and Trozmer wants to take the risk. Do you think something can be done about it?” What do you think, I think?
At Sea all over the world
Sonn and I have been talking with Jeffrey Joyce who is the director of an international school at sea that visits ports all over the world. He’ll be coming to Leadership.
Next week, Charlie and I will be at a CalPAL meeting near Tahoe with Jennifer Lopez and at about the same time, Lexi and Anthonette will be presenting at the CA CTE conference. Then, I’m back home to see everyone from Ashé over at our place.
Thanks for all the birthday wishes. Much love to all.
Peace