By MindOH! Guest Author Cathryn Berger Kaye, M.A., National Service Learning Consultant

Simply put, service learning connects school-based curriculum with the inherent caring and concern young people have for their world—whether on their school campus, at a local food bank, or in a distant rainforest. With the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, young students are especially attuned to how we as a nation, truly rely on the spirit and actions of volunteers to bring both essentials for daily living and to restore hope.

The results of participating in service, whether inspired by tragedies observed on television or developed in a classroom to establish relevance and meaning to subject matter, are memorable lifelong lessons for students that foster a stronger society for us all. When this becomes part of a school culture repeated in a variety of classes affording a range of experiences and opportunities, students gain the intrinsic motivation to participate in community.

By MindOH! Extern Patricia L. Kougar-Melton, Digital & Motions Graphics, Adobe Master Teacher, Spring Woods High School, Houston, Texas

This past summer I was fortunate to be part of the A+ Challenge Externship Program in Houston, Texas. My assignment was with MindOH and what a wonderful experience it was for this high school teacher. As an Instructor in Technology Applications and Digital Media, I expected that I would be doing work that revolved around the daily repetitive tasks of running an "e-business" I was pleasantly surprised to be included in exploring and building character education philosophy and content. In my job as a teacher and Advisor for Tiger TV, our campus broadcast team, I am forever instilling in young people a since of pride, purpose and passion. My school serves a very culturally diverse population and to have students relate to students in a respectful and meaningful way is, on most days, a challenge.

My job this past summer was to relate the real world of business to educational practices. In others words, to show the kids that what they are learning is what they need to know to be successful! MindOH not only gave me a way to do that through their use of technology but they actually lived the parts of what they were promoting. I could see the principles of character, moral and ethical behaviors demonstrated in their peer relationships and with their own families. (During the summer jobs were open to the sons and daughters of staff members and it was evident that these youngsters live the principles promoted by their parents.) The teamwork and passion for doing something that builds good will in all peoples will be the things I remember most. I look forward to having MindOH work with my students because I know they will help them become the caring, responsible and productive adults that we all want from our young high school graduates.

On November 3-5, 2005, national and international asset builders, including MindOH!, will gather in Dallas, Texas, for the 9th annual Search Institute Healthy Communities - Healthy Youth Conference. This one-of-a-kind conference brings together people from different community sectors who share a common goal: to work together to promote positive youth development through asset building. This year's theme, “Creating Intergenerational Community,” was chosen to showcase the ways youth and adults are building bridges across generations and across differences within communities to create healthy communities. “Intergenerational” asset-building work is youth and adults, older youth and children and elders taking new roles in the asset movement—each generation collaborating with another.

By Kris Hines, MindOH! Customer Support

On Saturday, August 27, MindOH! took part in an unprecedented volunteer effort sponsored by Houston A+ Challenge to bring dropouts back to school in the Houston area. More than 1,300 volunteers and HISD officials fanned out into neighborhoods around 16 high schools with lists of students who had not come back to school this August. The effort is believed to be the largest of its kind ever attempted. According to HISD, 706 dropouts agreed to come back to school. I would like to tell you about my experience.

On Sunday, October 2, 2005, 9:30am - 4:30pm on the campus of Orange Coast College, The MindOH! Foundation will join other book publishers at an interactive family festival that invites children of all ages to experience the magic of books, encourages literacy, promotes the community and supports children's charities.

"This is a charitable event, raising funds to help support literacy, education and programs that encourage the joy of reading," said Co-Founder Pat Burns. "We strive to be an event where reading becomes playful and fun. Because of technology, our competition includes computer games, Game Boys and i-Pods. We are doing our part to help families find the joy in reading. We want children to know that these books are written by real people, not just generated out of a machine."

With numerous book vendors on display, multiple stages for author and illustrator presentations, entertainment, and panel discussions - there’ll be something for everyone! An abundance of children activities such as face painting, clowns, musicians, readings, drawings, etc. will be offered and there will be lots of food, drinks and fun for the whole family. The festival is free to the public and will be held each year.

One of the driving forces for creating the festival stems from an experience Ms. Burns had when her two daughters were in junior high school and they went to the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. for the first time.

"We were standing in front of a Monet, and the girls said, 'this is so different from looking at it in a book.' By seeing it in person, you get the essence, the feeling, the energy of the artist. You just can’t get that from looking at a book. The festival is an opportunity for the kids to meet the authors, to help them understand -- not just at the brain level but also the heart level. They get to be in one place where all of these wonderful, talented people autograph books, answer questions and create an awesome experience."

The festival this year, also co-founded by Barry Ackerman, is collecting and donating new and nearly new children and young adult books to the libraries devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

MindOH!’s TeleSeminars provide parents and educators a convenient opportunity to learn from experts about issues facing today’s youth. Each call will be formatted based on questions you submit prior to the call, and will include a question and answer session at the end of the call so that you can speak directly with the experts. In addition, following each call, we will provide you with free tools and resources that you can use immediately!

Our next FREE TeleSeminar is "Developing Empathy In Children And The Role Adults Can Play In Dealing With National Tragedies"

Thursday, September 29th at 6pm (CST).

Hurricane Katrina was one of the most powerful hurricanes in recorded history. Find out how to help young people develop empathy, the importance of putting good character into action by serving those in need, and what you can do to support youth in light of the tragedies to which they may be exposed.Our guest expert for this call will be Janet Pozmantier from ChildBuilders.

Janet Pozmantier, M.S., L.P.C., L.M.F.T., R.P.T. is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and Registered Play Therapist (RPT). She is the Director of the WHO (We Help Ourselves) Program for the Mental Health Association (MHA) of Houston and Harris County, and has trained volunteers to teach over 300,000 children how to avoid becoming victims of physical and sexual abuse. She created a program designed to teach parenting skills to children, known as Parents Under Construction: Building Healthy Relationships Today and Strong Families Tomorrow. Janet is a founding member of the Child Abuse Prevention Network (now known as Healthy Families Initiatives) and Children at Risk, and is co-author of "The First Years: A Parent and Caregivers Guide to Helping Children Learn", which was released by DK Publishing in 2001. Janet has presented a variety of her programs at local, state, and national conferences all over the country. For more information about Janet, read her bio.

ChildBuilders provides innovative services, programs, education, and collaboration to promote healthy child and family development. They are a non-profit organization that has brought education and assistance to Houston families since 1974 and is dedicated to making a positive impact on the community. Their primary focus is to improve the quality of family life by providing children and their families with valuable resources and information.