Dear MindOH!
Friends,
We hope this
mail finds you well -- it's a challenging time for all of us, but also a
time filled with opportunities to be positive influences for peace and healing
in our individual spheres. Collectively we can make a difference! We want to
check in with each of you and let you know about the wonderful growth that
MindOH! is experiencing.
Our most
exciting announcement is the addition of the MindOH! Foundation. The Foundation
was created to empower youth to achieve their full potential through innovative
character education programs that inspire moral and ethical behavior. Leading
the Foundation as executive director is a very talented and enthusiastic person,
Lois Powers, who brings a wide range of experience including a rich background
in education, technology, and social justice issues.
Prior to her
position with the MindOH! Foundation, Lois served as Executive Director of
Technology For All-Houston, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing
technology to under-served communities and schools. Under Lois' direction,
community partnerships were effectively leveraged to create nearly 100 community
technology centers throughout the greater Houston metropolitan area thereby
helping bridge the digital divide for thousands of residents. Her background
also includes seventeen years of administration and academic program development
at universities including The University of Maryland, The University of South
Carolina, and Florida State University.
Through the
Foundation, Lois will work to form strategic partnerships to extend the benefits
of MindOH! to all youth, particularly those with obstacles to healthy life
choices. Additionally, the Foundation will promote character education through
initiatives such as programs to educate parents, teachers, and volunteers;
sponsoring research on the impact and use of character education and
disseminating results; developing activities such as kid's retreats to enhance
the learning process; and increasing public awareness through events such as a
speaker's bureau and forums for school children. We encourage you to support the first
project sponsored by the MindOH! Foundation: The Character's Cool Contest.
The
Character's Cool Contest is a charitable contest open to all middle school
students in the United States throughout the month of January 2002. Participants
can fill out a survey on character education and reducing school violence to
enter a lottery drawing for prizes for their school such as a computer with a
one-year license to the MindOH! Middle School Discipline Series, or Project
Wisdom materials. Participants will also be entered to win individual prizes
such as personal MP3 players. In addition to the lottery drawing, students can
enter an essay contest to win cash prizes. Many generous companies and
individuals have already donated time, money and products toward the contest. If
you would like to help sponsor the Character's Cool Contest, simply respond to
this email and we'll send you more detailed information.
The
Foundation is also making an effort to help parents, caregivers and
administrators talk to youth about the events surrounding the September
11th attacks. We are seeking psychology, counseling and education
experts who are willing to donate their time to develop Thinking it Through activity sheets.
These tools provide young people with an opportunity
to think through the emotions that they may be experiencing. They also provide
adults with an excellent springboard to create meaningful conversation. If you
are an expert in the field of psychology, counseling or education and would like
to donate your expertise to help develop additional activity sheets, please
email Lois at lois.powers@mindohfoundation.org.
Beta Study
Results
In addition
to the successful launch of the MindOH! Foundation, the Company has hit a number
of exciting milestones. Our spring 2001 Beta study yielded positive results with
students and school administrators giving the MindOH! Middle School Discipline Series very
high ratings. We are currently in the process of compiling and publishing our
findings, and we will share the results with you in our November newsletter.
In addition
to the discipline series, MindOH! will offer its Life Skills Series(tm) later this fall,
which is designed for all students, not just those involved in the disciplinary
process. This series helps students learn healthy life skills and leadership
qualities. It also provides all students with tools to resolve conflicts,
develop positive habits, set goals and increase self-awareness so they can make
healthier choices.
In
September, we kicked off our two-year Pilot study in additional Houston middle
schools. With the MindOH! program now officially available for purchase, the
team is busy working with a number of innovative schools and school districts
looking to move their character education efforts to the next level. This sales
effort is largely a result of the numerous referrals we've received from our
friends and family network -- thank you! Keep them coming!
We sincerely
appreciate your ongoing support. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to
anyone who would be interested in learning about MindOH! By guiding the journey
of even one, we can direct the destiny of all.
Best
wishes,
The MindOH!
and MindOH! Foundation teams