Caring Summer 2014 by Caring Magazine, a publication from The Salvation Army

CONTENTS

“I’m always up for a challenge, I got a lot of confidence from Special Olympics, and a lot of things I learned —CALEY VERSFELT intersect with life.”

2 EDITOR’S NOTE 3 MY CORNER BY BOB DOCTER

4 INTERACT 6 NEWSBITES

Sanitation / Tapped in/ Addiction gambling / Kenguru / My Brother’s Keeper / Reading / Hunger Through My Lens / Boa Mistura / Online giving / Engaging gamers

8 INTERVIEW ON THE RECORD

Louis Posen built a record label that has produced over 200 albums and then started a second label that gives bands a chance to do good. BY ERICA ANDREWS

12 INSPIRATION IN COMPETITION, LEARNING SKILLS

The Special Olympics trains athletes in physical skills and in ones they can employ in their professional lives. BY VIVIAN GATICA

14 INITIATIVE

FLIPPED LEARNING Salman Khan’s Khan Academy offers bite-sized videos, step-by-step problems and instant data to engage students in learning—and all of it is free to use. BY DIANA SANGLAB

17 FIRST PERSON

GREENING EDUCATION This educator transformed the classroom into a thing of growth, generating over 30,000 pounds of vegetables and markedly improved academic performance. BY STEPHEN RITZ

21 EDUCATION THE BAREFOOT APPROACH

An institution developed based on needs of villagers in India with a night school for kids and a solar engineering training program for grandmothers. BY LAURA HAAS

24 RELIGION

SHOULD WORLD RELIGION BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS? America is one of the most religiously diverse countries on earth and yet we remain dangerously ignorant about religion. BY JOSEPH LAYCOCK

28 ARTS

EXERCISING CREATIVE POTENTIAL The Salvation Army has a long tradition of music education, which helps children across the country develop teamwork, discipline and character. BY EMMALY WIEDERHOLT

31 TECHNOLOGY CARRY AN EDUCATION

stone + cloth founder Matthew Clough talks about summiting a mountain and the product that came out of it to provide school to children.

34 BUSINESS

CAN A JOB SAVE THE WORLD? With creativity and commitment, The Adventure Project is putting people to work, impacting nearly a million people to date. BY ERICA ANDREWS

37 FAMILY

PEACE BY ALL ACCOUNTS Dave Ramsey continues to win over skeptics with his popular money management “university” but does it actually work? BY JARED MCKIERNAN

40 GOVERNMENT SEEING STUDENTS AS AT PROMISE

Reengaging youth that are disconnected and disenfranchised to put them back on track with education and career goals in a Promise Zone. BY ISABEL CASTROMELENDEZ

43 GOOD READS 44 GOOD STUFF SUMMER 2014/CARING

Editor’s note

he violence against Malala Yousafzi wasn’t an isolated incident. Around the world, people—girls, in particular—fight to earn an education. The world recently cried #BringBackOurGirls as nearly 300 high-school girls were held captive. The name of the extremist group responsible for their kidnapping— Boko Haram, in Nigerian Hausa—means “Western education is a sin.” I beg to differ. Education may not be a basic human right, but it should be. We have to invest in education because it is arguably the single most effective way to reduce poverty. According to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), a collaborative group dedicated to ensuring quality education for everyone, if all students in lowincome countries left school with basic reading skills, 171 million people could be lifted out of poverty. Yet today, some 50 million children in GPE’s 59 developingcountry partners do not complete primary education at all, and 36 million of those children live in fragile and conflict-affected countries. At its core, access to education is an issue that stretches across time and boundaries. According to a 2013 study by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy, 32 million adults—14 percent of the population—can’t read. Another 21 percent of adults read below a fifth grade level, which puts books like Little Women and Treasure Island out of reach.

As a practitioner and professor of journalism—a profession dependent on the ability to read—that statistic saddens and offends me. Yet, education is not limited to a school setting. I know that a school can help a student improve, but a school cannot be expected to save a child alone. What happens outside of school is just as important as what happens in it. And learning doesn’t stop at graduation. A person with low literacy skills has a hard time with word recognition, inference and problem solving— everything from filling out a job application to following a bus schedule or deciphering nutrition information on a label. And so, education must be a priority for nonprofits, schools, and families alike. In Caring, we aim to break down complex social issues, like education, that affect the way people live. We approach the topic from seven spheres of influence (arts, business, education, government, family, religion, technology), bringing together thought leaders to inspire, inform and activate readers toward social good. The goal is to have a conversation that drives change. In this issue on education you’ll find insight on the Special Olympic Games that help athletes learn skills in addition to physical training, the approach of Barefoot College in India that teaches solar engineering to grandmothers who then return to their villages able to build and repair solar panels, the longstanding tradition of music education in The Salvation Army and its effect on child development, and why religious literacy could be crucial for the future of democracy. As John Dewey, psychologist and education reformer, said, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”

“If everyone howled at every injustice, every act of barbarism, every act of unkindness, then we would be taking the first step towards a real humanity.”

—NELSON DEMILLE

Editor in Chief

Robert Docter, Ph.D.

Managing Editor

Christin Davis

Art Director

Kevin Dobruck

Assistant Editor

Associate Editor

Erica Andrews Jared McKiernan

Editorial Assistant Web Editor

Graphic Designer Business Manager

Vivian Gatica Shannon Forrey

Adriana Rivera

Karen Gleason

Circulation Manager

Arlene DeJesus

Intern

Diana Sanglab

Caring (ISSN 2164-5922) is published quarterly by The Salvation Army USA Western Territory, led by Territorial Commander Commissioner James Knaggs and Chief Secretary Colonel Dave Hudson. Letters Send letters to the editor to caring@usw.salvationarmy.org. Subscription Prices (One Year) $15 U.S., $18 Canada and Mexico, $20 other international. Subscribe via caringmagazine.org. Subscriber Services Call 562-491-8343, email caring@usw.salvationarmy.org, or mail Caring, Subscriber Services, PO Box 22646, Long Beach, CA 90802. Advertising Call 562-491-8332 or email caring@usw.salvationarmy.org.

Christin Davis is the managing editor of New Frontier Publications.

Article proposals or reprints Email caring@usw.salvationarmy.org.

Connect with Christin website caringmagazine.org facebook caringmagazine twitter caringmagazine email christin.davis@usw.salvationarmy.org 2

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MY CORNER

BUILDING PEOPLE BY ROBERT DOCTER

veryone believes that they know what and how children should become educated, and act unafraid in sharing that information. That

includes me. Yet differing educational philosophies promote widely diverging means and ends. As education became more nationalized, it imposed a philosophy based on a business model wherein curriculum develops from the content of required standardized tests. Test scores indicate an acquired knowledge, and therefore the system organizes itself on the premise that the subject matter taught achieves the goals of education. My thoughts differ considerably. Although recognizing that skill subjects need to be taught as skills, students need to understand the societal function that requires mastery of those skills. I would much rather see our schools work to teach people, not subjects, which would change the focus of the instruction. I see the school as “a place where living goes on,” as John Dewey, an American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer said, to build people with a positive self-image with skills to address the challenges of life today. We must, then, determine what kind of people we want to build. Robert Havighurst, an educator known for his highly influential theory of human development and education, presented his ideas in a speech I heard

some time ago and completely agree. This is the kind of people we need to build a healthy society: 1. We need people whose impulses are basically friendly, people with little unconscious hostility, people who trust and risk, and who are themselves trusted. 2. We need people who are intellectually autonomous, people who can make decisions, have self-confidence, see the mental disciplines of the school as tools not masters, and who communicate a sense of personal security. 3. We need people who are achievement oriented, who want to achieve and don’t need continual external pressure and reward. 4. We need people with a strong sense of moral control, people who stand up to the pressures of the crowd, who have both a sense of belonging and of independence. 5. We need people who are creative and spontaneous, who challenge the status quo and put ideas together, people who, themselves, have established a strong sense of realistic control. 6. We need people with rationality and foresight, people who are able to control their own behavior in light of possible outcomes of that behavior; people who choose the best of a number of options available to them. This quality separates the wise and the good from the stupid and the good. 7. We need people who are able to tolerate ambiguity, able to live in an open ended situation, to tolerate things they don’t understand. 8. We need people able to live in a chaotic environment, able to create their own order, because they have developed a powerful internal gyroscope of their own. 9. We need people with altruism, people who enjoy doing things for the welfare of others, even those far away. 10. We need people with a worldview both scientific and religious in the best sense of both. Let’s be about the task.

We need people with altruism, people who enjoy doing things for the welfare of others, even those far away.

Robert Docter, Ph. D., is the editor in chief of New Frontier Publications. Connect with Bob website caringmagazine.org facebook caringmagazine twitter caringmagazine email bob.docter@usw.salvationarmy.org SUMMER 2014/CARING

INTERACT

IN YOUR WORDS

When blog.salvationarmyusa.org shared Tracy Hughes’ story, people across the country responded: “I am a proud intern at ARC Pasadena, almost 4,000 hours of internship and service for Salvation Army as an alcohol and drug counselor! I had the chance to shake this man’s hand, such an inspiration!”

“Great! Now it would be perfect for our government to follow this model plan and put some folks to work.” —BETTY GUIN

—HECTOR SANTACRUZ, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA

“They saved my life... So grateful for the Pasadena ARC! Praise God!!” —LISA AND TOM HOUDE, PARADISE, CALIFORNIA

GOOD GIVEAWAY

Win products from stone + cloth. See page 33 for details.

“Surrender is the only way and a lesson we all have to learn. Bless you Tracy!” —JOHN CLUCAS, CAMBRIDGE, CAMBRIDGESHIRE

“That testimony is a blessing that can be shared to encourage so many to do the same. Their lives will be completely changed and full of hope.” —RUTH ANN ANDERSON-SPESCHA, OLD ORCHARD BEACH, MAINE

“What a story!” —ANNE HUSKEY, BYRAM, MISSISSIPPI

“Wonderful testimony. He gives back and gives hope for others. Wish him all the best!” —JANET LYNN CONNER, SAVANNAH, GEORGIA 4

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“Sounds like a great idea, but unfortunately there would [be people] here [in the U.S.] that would take advantage of this program.” —THERESA SMITH, WINONA LAKE, INDIANA

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NEWSBITES

TAPPED IN Nearly 800 million people lack access to clean water. The UNICEF Tap Project works to provide clean water and adequate sanitation to children around the world, and issued a challenge to go without something far less vital—your phone.

MAJORITY WANT “UNDER GOD” IN PLEDGE According to LifeWay Research, 85 percent of Americans want to keep “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. Written for a magazine contest in 1892, the Pledge of Allegiance—stating, “I Pledge Allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands; one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”—became part of the U.S. Flag Code in 1942. In 1954 President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Congress added the phrase “under God.”

ADDICTION GAMBLING ADDRESSED Steps toward sanitation The Salvation Army recently helped more than 600 people in India’s Northern Territory, as The Salvation Army and local community members constructed 79 toilets in family homes through the Manepur Community Latrines and Sanitation Project. India, which is set to overtake China as the world’s most populous country in 2028, accounts for 60 percent of the global population lacking access to basic sanitation, according to the United Nations. 6

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The Western Territory’s Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) program will now address gambling, a “process addiction.” “Gamblers have the highest rate of suicide among all groups, the majority of gambling activities are done illegally, and 30 percent of people with drug and alcohol addictions have gambling addiction as well,” said Dr. Gary Lange, a consultant to the ARC Command, who recently trained staff on problem gambling. “In terms of actual people, 6 million adults and 500,000 teens meet the criteria for gambling addiction.”

Smaller than a Smart Car Kenguru is a new electric car manufactured in the United States. Smaller than a Smart Car, it has no seats so wheelchair-seated drivers can roll in from a popup back door.

NEWSBITES

MY BROTHER’S KEEPER President Barack Obama announced a $200 million, five-year initiative called My Brother’s Keeper to help black youth. “I didn’t have a dad in the house,” he said. “And I was angry about it, even though I didn’t necessarily realize it at the time. I didn’t always take school as seriously as I should have. I made excuses. Sometimes I sold myself short.” The White House is partnering with businesses, nonprofits and foundations to address disparities in education, criminal justice and employment.

ENGAGING GAMERS SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH READING

FILMING FOOD INSECURITY

ART AS SOCIAL CHANGE

The Salvation Army Pakistan’s Building Advanced Strong Sustainable Independent Communities Program is helping Pakistani men and women learn to read. “Now we are literate, we can read travel signs, advertisements, electricity bills and we know how make a budget for the home,” said one student.

“Hunger Through My Lens” has a dual mission: to empower people who are living in poverty and to promote awareness about hunger issues. Sponsored by the non-profit group Hunger Free Colorado, the program gives digital cameras to food stamp recipients and asks them to chronicle what it’s like to be hungry in America.

Boa Mistura, a Madrid-based artist coalition, travels the world spreading street art as a symbol of social change. The group transforms walls to show how community-based artwork can shape the identity of a neighborhood.

Online giving surges A new study from M+R and the NTEN: The Nonprofit Technology Network says 2013 was the best year yet for online giving. The study notes that online charitable donations increased 14 percent from 2012, with over 5.5 million total gifts and nearly $325 million raised.

The Salvation Army of Sacramento, Calif., introduced Project A-Game, a new video game design club for middle school students interested in careers in the gaming industry. According to a Pew Internet & American Life Project study, 97 percent of teens in the U.S. play video games. The first Salvation Army program of its kind, Project A-Game merges science, technology, engineering arts, and math skills with teens’ natural affinity for playing video games.

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INTERVIEW

EVERYTHING IS DARK —you can’t make out figures and shapes, and you stumble to gather your footing. This is every day for Louis Posen; he’s legally blind. Yet Posen has been right at the helm of Hopeless Records for the last 20 years, which through its “Take Action Tour” has raised $2 million for over 50 nonprofit organizations. Posen is humble about his accomplishments and explains that his love for music started at age 10, when his dad took him to his first concerts––Fleetwood Mac, Santana, The Ramones. Eager to combine that passion with his interest in film, Posen began directing music videos while attending California State University, Northridge. “I was directing a video for [the band] Guttermouth and we were doing a wrap party and the guys asked if I would put out a seven inch for them,” Posen said. “They didn’t know anyone else who could be as organized as I was for the video, so they also thought I could put out a record even though I had no experience doing so.” That album became the catalyst for Hopeless Records. To prepare himself, Posen read a book on how to run an independent label and naively believed he could run a new record label without a problem. “I could write a several volume novel about all the mistakes I’ve made,” Posen said. “I didn’t know anything about manufacturing, pricing, strategy, distribution, inventory, how to make projections or how to make budgets. I was lucky that my instincts weren’t horrible 10

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and I knew that more money had to be coming in than going out.” At 19, Posen’s vision started rapidly deteriorating. He was later diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, an inherited degenerative eye disease that causes severe vision impairment and often blindness. As his eyesight worsened, he began to transition away from production and focus solely on the record label. “Any obstacle in life, whether it’s getting a tough diagnosis or dealing with a disability, any challenge in life has its course,” Posen said. “I definitely went through some tough times when I was younger and wondering if my friends

“Any obstacle in life, whether it’s getting a tough diagnosis or dealing with a disability, any challenge in life has its course.” —LOUIS POSEN would stay with me or someone would want to date or marry me. “I went through periods when I was a little bit older, once I was married, of wondering, ‘Could I be a good father?’” he said. “But each of these periods in which there was a challenge, it’s my belief that it’s not about what the challenge is, it’s about how you handle it and that’s where I put my energy.” Posen built Hopeless Records from the ground up starting in 1993 and has since issued over 200 recordings that include the bands Yellowcard, Thrice, Avenged Sevenfold and The Used. As the company’s success continued, Posen said he began to wonder whether his company could do more than make bands rich and famous. He realized the relationship bands have with their fans is powerful, so he decided to connect bands to causes they were passionate about. He created another label called Sub City in 1999, a play on the word “subsidy” and the punk rock subculture in which the company special-

“TAKE ACTION TOUR” has raised $2 million for over 50 nonprofit organizations, which include Do Something, The Youth America Hotline, National Hopeline Network and the Living The Dream Foundation.

RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA is an inherited degenerative eye disease that causes severe vision impairment and often blindness. For more visit blindness.org

izes. Posen offered his artists the option of releasing their records on either label, and if they chose Sub City 5 percent of album sales would go to charity. Sub City also sponsors the Take Action Tour, which donates 10 percent of ticket sales to various causes, such as fighting blindness and promoting music education in schools. This year’s tour benefitted The Living Dream Foundation, a nonprofit that provides hope and inspiration to children and young adults afflicted with life-threatening diseases. “The Sub City initiative, the ability to leverage what we do for a purpose that goes beyond ourselves, is at the foundation of what we do as a company and who are as an organization,” Posen said. “It’s one of the more rewarding things personally and helps me, and I think others here, sludge through the difficult things.”

One challenge that has provided the most reward in life, Posen said, is raising his 6-year-old daughter with his wife. “It’s the absolute best thing that’s ever happened in my life and it is also the most responsibility I’ve ever had in my life, but I love every minute of it,” he said. “I even love when it’s difficult, and trying to reason with a 6-year-old can be challenging, but it’s like any other challenge, like visual impairment.” Posen has learned to take it all in stride. He’s gathered wisdom through the years and knows that people measure success differently. His strategy is to learn from others and to realize he’s never the smartest person in the room, which is an opportunity for growth. “We all have different strengths and challenges and when you put a bunch of people together who each have different strengths, you’re much stronger than what each individual can do on their own,” Posen said. “I look at the world as having endless possibilities, rather than just sticking with the possibilities that I currently know. It’s a journey of how to be better, do better and make a bigger impact.” Erica Andrews is the assistant editor of Caring. Connect with Erica website caringmagazine.org facebook caringmagazine twitter caringmagazine email erica.andrews@usw.salvationarmy.org Previous: Danger Kids and The Devil Wears Prada. Above: I Killed the Prom Queen. SUMMER 2014/CARING

Special Olympics provides athletes with challenge and discipline

IN COMPETITION, LEARNING SKILLS BY VIVIAN GATICA

he first Special Olympic Games, founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, took place in 1968 to give athletes with intellectual disabilities a chance to compete. Since then, it has grown into a global movement with over 4 million athletes at its forefront. Through the Special Olympics, athletes train for competition, but also learn valuable skills along the way—skills they can employ in their professional lives. Caley Versfelt, 22, joined the Special Olympics when she was 9 years old. She wanted to be a swimmer like her father, and that’s what motivated her to get over her fears and try it. Thirteen years later, she now competes in basketball and tennis. “I’m always up for a challenge,” Versfelt said. “I got a lot of confidence from Special Olympics, and a lot of things I learned intersect with life.” Shail, Versfelt’s mother, said she has witnessed her daughter grow significantly through her experiences in athletic competition. “She wants to talk to everybody and get to know them; she wants to take new challenges and sets goals for herself,” she said. “[Caley] has the confidence from Special Olympics to try new things and be successful, and it’s carried into her work. She branches out in a lot more ways.” Outside the pool and off the courts, Versfelt took classes at UCLA through the Pathway extension program and lived at the university for a year. She currently interns at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in human resources, applying the discipline, confidence and communication skills she acquired through sports. “It’s an internship for people with disabilities, and it shows you how to work in a worksite,” Versfelt said. 12

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Versfelt’s real passion, however, is performing arts. She is part of the Born to Act Players (BTAP), a company made up of actors with and without disabilities. She even served as an extra in the Fox TV show “Glee.” “Some people [in BTAP] have down syndrome or autism, and it’s great to have people with disabilities to learn about and hang out with,” Versfelt said. “That’s who I am and I’m not ashamed of it.” An accident left Matthew Raymundi, 27, disabled as a child. “He had to relearn how to do everything,” said Julie Baxter, Raymundi’s sister, who volunteers at the Special Olympics. “He had a lot of anger and behavioral issues and all of that has subsided. Now he’s learned; he’s found his voice. A lot of our athletes come aboard introverted, and once they see the model of the older ones, they play off of that and you start to see growth out of it.” Raymundi has participated in various sports throughout his 17 years with the organization, but is currently involved in basketball and softball. “Everybody has problems sometimes in Special Olympics,” Raymundi said. “Team members help me out with my problems, and sometimes if we have a problem...we find a way to work together and do better.” He appreciates the opportunity to continue playing sports after high school. “I love sports,” Raymundi said. “When [most people] graduate from high school...there’s no sports, but the Special Olympics has helped me out because it keeps the spirit alive.” He is currently attending the Pathpoint work training program in Chatsworth. “I’m working to be independent,” he said.

CONTINUED GROWTH The latest annual census shows Special Olympics reaching new milestones in growth: more than 4.2 million athletes and 70,000 competitions around the world.

Special Olympian Caley Versfelt is an intern at Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center.

I N S P I R AT I O N

Versfelt and Raymundi are among the 13,000 athletes, ages 8-80, that compete for Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC). Competitions are held over two seasons with 12 sports each, and the goal is to get each athlete to compete in at least one sport each season. “Sports builds discipline and consistency in your life,” said Bill Shumard, president and CEO of SOSC. “You learn how to win and lose.” Los Angeles will host the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games, giving SOSC athletes an opportunity to be among 7,000 people from around the world competing in the games. “If I have kids I want to tell [them] the story of being part of the World Games,” Raymundi said. Beyond competing, athletes have opportunities for continued growth in the Special Olympics, which trains them to become coaches, scorekeepers, and global messengers like Raymundi and Versfelt. “We all think we’re helping them, but it’s them that help us,” Shumard said of the athletes. “They’re in it for the love of sports––sports at its purest level.” Vivian is an editorial assistant for New Frontier Publications. Connect with Vivian website caringmagazine.org facebook caringmagazine twitter caringmagazine email vivian.gatica@usw.salvationarmy.org Photo courtesy of Caley Versfelt SUMMER 2014/CARING

I N I T I AT I V E

It started with one student. READ SALMAN KHAN’S BOOK The One World Schoolhouse: Education Reimagined (Twelve, 2012) for more on his free-for-anyone educational tool. Visit khanacademy.org/stories for individual stories of learning success.

Salman Khan, founder of Khan Academy, tutored one of his cousins in math via phone and interactive notepad. At the time, Khan was an analyst at a Boston-based hedge fund, and eventually his one student turned into 15. When he didn’t have time to tutor them in real-time, he created a video lesson, published to YouTube. Just a couple of years later, in 2008, Khan Academy officially became a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere. In 2010, Khan Academy received large grants from Google ($2 million) and the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation ($1.5 million) and began to build out an organization. Today, over 10 million students from 200 countries access the website each month.

More than 350,000 teachers use the website, and the lessons are translated into 28 languages covering subjects from math and finance to history and art. With thousands of bite-sized videos, step-by-step problems and instant data, Khan Academy provides a rich and engaging learning experience—and all of it is free to use. The site has redefined the roles of a teacher and a student by “flipping” the classroom—allowing more of a hands-on approach in class and the lecture-based presentation of material at home. Teachers become coaches, guiding and encouraging students to work together and solve problems. Speaking at TED in 2011, Khan said, “The traditional model, it penalizes you for experimentation and failure, but it does not

FLIPPED

LEARNING Online academy spreads free education BY DIANA SANGLAB

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FLIPPED LEARNING ON THE RISE • One out of six math and science teachers are implementing a flipped learning model using videos that they have created or sourced online. • 16 percent of teachers say they are regularly creating videos of their lessons or lectures for students to watch. • 45 percent of librarians and media specialists are regularly creating videos and similar rich media as part of their professional practice. • 66 percent of principals said pre-service teachers should learn how to create and use videos and other digital media within their teacher preparation programs. • 75 percent of middle and high school students agree that flipped learning would be a good way for them to learn. SOURCE: Speak Up, a national initiative of Project Tomorrow

expect mastery. We encourage you to experiment. We encourage you to failure. But we do expect mastery.” Blended learning isn’t meant to replace interaction between the student and the teacher, but to help teachers remember that one size doesn’t fit all. “A teacher, no matter how good, has to give this one-size-fits-all lecture to 30 students— blank faces, slightly antagonistic—and now it’s a human experience,” Khan said. “Now they’re actually interacting with each other.” The classroom is constantly evolving. Discussions in many districts throughout the nation deal with the idea of flipping the paradigm, but it’s not a simple task as there are many factors to consider. Because this method of instruction is still young, there isn’t direct scientific research that establishes whether flipped classrooms increase student learning. Even with its complications, the results to date are positive. Flipped learning has now surpassed all other digital trends, according to the 2013 Speak Up National Research Project findings released in March. Beyond the flipped classroom experience, one of the organization’s goals is to equalize the playing field between those who can afford tutoring and those who can’t. When The College Board announced that it will redesign the SAT starting in 2016, Khan Academy 16

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Khan Academy online lessons

formed a partnership with the organization to create official SAT prep materials. Following Khan Academy’s success in its efforts to help students and instructors at home and in the classroom, President Barack Obama selected Khan in April as part of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE). Sponsored by Entrepreneurs Across Borders, Khan will travel around the world along with 10 others to share his experience and promote a start-up culture among budding entrepreneurs. Diana is an intern for New Frontier Publications. Connect with Diana website caringmagazine.org facebook caringmagazine twitter caringmagazine email diana.sanglab@usw.salvationarmy.org Photos courtesy of Khan Academy

GREENING EDUCATION This non-profit machine grows produce and students BY STEPHEN RITZ What if happy meals resulted in happy kids and a happier, healthier world? What if students were able to grow them in schools? Our Green Bronx Machine is a non-profit dedicated to growing, re-using, resourcing and recycling our way into new and healthy ways of living. SUMMER 2014/CARING

STEPHEN RITZ is a South Bronx teacher and administrator who believes that students shouldn’t have to leave their community to live, learn and earn in a better one. His extended student and community family has grown over 30,000 pounds of vegetables in the Bronx while generating extraordinary academic performance. Ritz’s edible classroom—the first in New York City— generated enough food to routinely feed over 450 students, and became a citywide springboard for over 100 gardens built and installed by his students. Traveling from New York City to Boston to Rockefeller Center to the Hamptons, Ritz’s students earn living wage en route to graduation while installing green roofs, green walls, urban farms and designer landscape. He consistently moved daily attendance from 40 to 93 percent, captured the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency award for transforming mindsets and landscapes, and was just named as one of the top 50 teachers in the country in American Teacher: Heroes in the Classroom (Welcome Books, 2013). Ritz received the 2013 Latin Trends Award, Chevrolet / General Motors Green Educator Award, the ABC Above and Beyond Award, and helped earn his school the first ever Citywide Award of Excellence from the New York City Strategic Alliance for Health. He is proud to partner with public and charter schools across America and is working with the U.S. Green Building Council and Center for Green Schools to green schools globally in this generation. Ritz recently lost over 100 pounds, modeling positive behavior and eating what he and his students grow in school. 18

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We’re transforming landscapes and mindsets, harvesting hope and cultivating local talent while driving academic engagement and civic competencies in ways we’ve never imagined. School attendance has jumped from 40 to 93 percent and students are aspiring to careers and training they never, ever imagined. Thirty-thousand pounds of Bronx Fresh vegetables later, our favorite crop is organically grown citizens, graduates, voters, members of the middle class, schools of students far more in tune with healthy eating habits and access to healthy food! We’re moving those who are traditionally “apart from” success to becoming “a part of” it in ways that benefit all. Across America, marginalized and high-need communities are phenomenal incubators for progressive change. As the health of the South Bronx goes, so goes the health of New York City, state and the nation. Our replicable model helps to move us from a nation of red states and blue states to a united nation of green states, living eloquently and ecologically in line with nature—one that is inclusive, equitable and transformational for all, and most importantly locally grown and maintained. That 37 percent of local residents are food insecure and others are eating their way into chronic health problems is unacceptable. The potential to bridge gaps in culture, race and ethnicity rooted in the common denominator of food—integrated with school and community—seemed worthy of pursuit, especially since many of our students previously thought donuts were vegetables. That we can engage students in and across all academic areas to be rooted in health, wellness and feeding people, while providing access to living wage employment and possibilities that help mitigate and impact environmental concerns globally is beyond anything we ever hoped for. Yet, as our TED talk shows, here we are and away we go. We don’t expect every student to be a farmer, but we do expect them to read, write, do the science, the math, problem solve, speak to ordinal directions and processes, offer outstanding customer service, be engaged and aspire to things and places they’ve never imagined before. This is the promise of education that we are determined to deliver. When our 2009 video, “Urban Farming NYC,” filmed in a weekend as an extra-credit project, propelled us to the White House, peers and parents noticed. The whole Bronx cheered! We’re honored that our students want to impact lives in Haiti, Africa and their native homelands; remarkably, we’re doing just that. It’s all very visible and tangible—the students see it, grow it, taste it, own it, sell it—proof the Bronx can change attitudes now. In fact, rooted in the belief that we are all Amer-I-Cans, we believe we can change America now. Another video, “Welcome to Green Bronx Machine,” demonstrates that we are poised, ready, willing and able to export our talent and diversity in ways that make dollars and way more sense. To think that we are routinely taking kids from the South

FIRST PERSON

Bronx and employing them across America, in high profile locations is simply spectacular. Collectively, we owe our children opportunities and safe, healthy places where they can be inspired to perform and dream of a brighter future. Where we learn matters and we must start embracing the notion that healthy environments and classrooms can facilitate learning, performance, retention and aspiration. Every child deserves a safe, healthy, nurturing school environment and our approach meets that mandate, resulting in children and teachers working toward a more inclusive, prosperous, purpose driven future elegantly and ecologically aligned with a triple bottom line. I’m honored to be a Green Apple Education ambassador for the U.S. Green Building Council, an ambassador for Center for Green Schools, a global ambassador for One Percent for the Planet, and thrilled to be involved with initiatives like the Green Apple Day of Service, Green Schools Alliance, and Green Schools National Network. Together, we can change the way we teach and learn in this generation. We’ve partnered schools like JVL Wildcat Academy with local companies like Fresh Direct and national corporations like Whole Foods, Progressive Insurance and The Apron Project to create wholly inspirational learning environments. We are presently using a new technology—Tower Gardens. Office Depot recently highlighted it in “Teachers Change Lives,” showing that people can garden anywhere and that students can grow food efficaciously in schools mindful that input affects and effects student and teacher output. That children from the poorest Congressional District in America can be featured on Disney truly represents the new Bronx and the promise of public education irrespective of zip code. Here in the South Bronx, we’ve proven we can grow our way into a whole new economy. We hope you join us, write us, follow us, like us and stay in touch. Let’s grow this forward! As we say in the Bronx and everywhere we go: “Ready, set, GROW.”

Across America, marginalized and high-need communities are phenomenal incubators for progressive change.

TOP: Students of JVL Wildcat Academy farm indoors with the Green Bronx Machine Tower Garden system. BOTTOM: The Green Bronx Machine sends vegetables grown at school home with students.

Stephen is the founder of the Green Bronx Machine Connect with the Green Bronx Machine website greenbronxmachine.org facebook green.BX.machine twitter greenBXmachine SUMMER 2014/CARING

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Grassroots development in rural India electrifies villages

THE BAREFOOT APPROACH

BY LAURA HAAS Tucked into the village of Tilonia in Rajasthan, India, is a school that is redefining what it means to receive an education and breaking down barriers for rural villagers across the developing world. As a young college student in the 1960s, Bunker Roy volunteered to serve in relief efforts following a severe famine in a poor area of India. He was on the path to success as a student at St. Stephen’s College in Delhi, but experiencing the reality of life for rural villagers changed his plans for the future. “I left college in 1967 and on the first of November, I decided to leave the world I knew to live and work in the villages of Rajasthan,” Roy said. He traded in a three-piece suit for the kurta pajamas worn by the locals in Rajasthan, one of the poorest states in India. At conferences and at home, he still wears the kurta wherever he goes. Roy signed up to work as an unskilled laborer, deepening wells by lowering down into them on a rope and tossing explosives into the darkness below. “I lived with very poor and ordinary people under the stars and heard the simple stories they had to tell of their skills and knowledge and wisdom that books and lectures and university education can never, never teach you,” Roy said. “My real education started then when I saw amazing people—waSUMMER 2014/CARING

ter diviners, traditional bonesetters, midwives—at work.” After five years of manual labor, Roy decided to put his education and resources to use by opening a community college in Tilonia with the help of other young graduates. “I had no projects, no programs and no money to offer,” Roy said. “Only my enthusiasm and my two hands.” Barefoot College opened in 1972 in an old, government-owned tuberculosis sanatorium that Roy rented for $1 per month. The school combined urban education with local traditions and values. “The demystified, decentralized, community managed, community-controlled and community-owned approach put the traditional knowledge and village skills of the rural poor first,” Roy said. Today, former students run Barefoot College rather than college graduates from the cities. “It is, I believe, the one and only college in the world built by the poor, managed by the poor and owned by the poor.” It grew into much more than a school. “Barefoot College is the most extraordinary environment,” said Meagan Fallone, head of global strategy and development at Barefoot College. “It’s a place where every day 300 people wake up and say ‘why not’ instead of asking themselves ‘why.’” From the beginning, Barefoot College developed based on needs identified by local villagers. “Every day has been a concerted effort to respond to a real need from a real person in a real community,” Fallone said. Barefoot College has no religious affiliation but is deeply rooted in the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, with particular emphasis on Gandhi’s belief in the importance of community traditions, values and self-sufficiency. “We try to act as a catalyst and a support system to communities by really using the skills that rural communities have within them to try to draw them out so that they begin to have confidence in their own abilities and to augment their quality of life by giving people confidence and competence and the sense that they have the potential to make their own way to something better,” Fallone said. Barefoot College is first a center of education, providing balwadis (rural crèches), night schools, bridge courses and day schools for children and teenagers. The night school program began shortly after the college was established and has become one of it’s most successful educational programs, a way to bring relevant education to rural kids who didn’t have access to school. In rural India, 60 to 70 percent of children are unable to attend school. Most of the students are girls who are often discouraged from pursuing an education outside of the home. At Barefoot College, boys and girls learn side by side. The teachers are community members, most of whom are graduates from the program themselves. “The thing that is so unique and innovative about the Night Schools is that the curriculum is very place-based,” Fallone said. For example, a “Children’s Parliament” teaches children how

“It is, I believe, the one and only college in the world built by the poor, managed by the poor and owned by the poor.”

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- Bunker Roy to function within a democracy and gives them a sense of importance. The parliament, started in 1993, works with village committees to govern all of the night schools across India and in other parts of the world. Members campaign and are elected by their fellow students. “The civil society component is how we teach kids to make democratic decisions, how to put your hand in the air and have an argument that is intelligent,” Fallone said. “These are all very important skills in having democratic societies.” The program takes five years to complete and is not age-specific. Curriculum is hands on and encourages students to learn by doing. “I think there’s a huge trend right now in the redefinition of education and that relevant education is really important now,” Fallone said. “Not everybody needs

the same education.” After completing their night school training, students have the option of transitioning into traditional schools with the help of Barefoot College officials. “The students who do this finish in the top 12 percent so even if it’s a little harder for them, they have the skillset to be able to take on quite tough work,” Fallone said Since opening in 1975, the night schools have taught 75,000 students, 14,000 of whom now work in government-run schools. But the success doesn’t stop there. In 2008, Barefoot College began what has become its most famous program: a solar engineering training program for grandmothers from villages throughout the developing world. In rural villages, grandmothers are generally women over the age of 35. They are flown to the Barefoot College campus in Tilonia where they spend six months learning to build and repair solar panels. Most of these women have never left their villages. They don’t speak the same language as each other or as their instructors and are unable to read or write. They learn through demonstrations, sign language and determination. “This is not only about training a woman as a solar engineer but demonstrating that even the very poor have the capacity and competence to learn the most sophisticated skills and they can also serve their communities,” Roy said. Once women are trained, they return to their villages where they build, install and are paid by a village energy committee to maintain the solar panels that light their village, sometimes for the first time. “The best woman solar engineer the Barefoot College has trained is a 55-year-old

grandmother from Faryab in Afghanistan who is looking after 200 houses she solar electrified in September 2005 and they are still functioning without any problem,” Roy said. Women are selected for the program based on observations by Barefoot College staff who look for curious, natural leaders who have the support of the village. “These women are absolutely rooted in their communities,” Fallone said. “If you capacity build them, that competence is not going to leave their community.” A key element of the program is that women are trained to train other women–– the trainee becomes the trainer. Through these methods, Barefoot College has trained more than 600 women from 1,000 villages in 64 countries to build, install and repair solar panels. “We’ve really answered a very strong response to a shift in the development world,” Fallone said. “People were really dissatisfied with the top-down approach so there really has been a cry for models that are bottomup, grassroots, community-based and this one addresses so many issues.” For Roy, every day at the Barefoot College is an opportunity to prove that the impossible is possible. “Tilonia gives me a challenge every day,” Roy said. “It is not one lifetime’s work but many in one. The thought that I have managed to help so many people has kept me going.”

DO GOOD Host a dinner party to introduce Barefoot College and screen “Solar Mamas” Fund a grandmother’s training as a solar engineer, or provide equipment to electrify her village, supply lanterns or contribute toward the children’s night school. Support fair wages by shopping tilonia.com. Plan an overnight stay at Barefoot College ($30 with meals) and sit in on a night school session.

See more at barefootcollege.org.

Laura Haas is an Atlanta-based freelance writer. Connect with Laura website haascreative.com twitter lauraj_haas Photos courtesy of Barefoot College SUMMER 2014/CARING

BY GLEN DOSS

THE SPIRITUAL ROOTS OF ADDICTION TREATMENT teadying himself at the chapel podium, Jimmy nervously began his testimony. “I was caught in the grip of alcohol,” he said. “It was a compulsion—there was nothing I could do! I was so empty inside! In incredible misery, I really thought I was dying. “I grew up in the church, and I had been attending Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings for years, but they never clicked for me—I had never put the two together. Here at The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center I have learned that the 12-steps of AA are God’s commands fleshed out. Working the steps, I began putting spiritual principles into action. “Then God took my belief from my head to my heart so that I could finally live it out in my daily life. Jesus became my master, and I took his words as if he meant them. Serving him, the void within my heart has left me—today I have a purpose for living!” The inner emptiness so many people feel is evidence “of a deep spiritual need,” according to Avery Chamlis, director of rehabilitation services for the Western Territory’s Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) Command. Meeting this need is the goal of The Salvation Army’s work today in helping rehabilitate people from addictive lifestyles. “Once a person enters into a relationship with Jesus Christ, the gnawing sense of being incomplete disappears and the person’s thinking begins to change. Our chapel services present the recovery principles as the path to serving God, and our program components reference Jesus as the higher power, so that the message is consistent and constant.” The notion that God offers the remedy for drunkenness is probably as old as the Judeo-Christian faith. Certainly the Bible is rife with commands against drunkenness, and God is presented as the great healer and rescuer from sin. In 1784 Dr. Benjamin Rush noted that a religious experience could serve as an antidote

“The approach is holistic. It attempts to meet the physical, spiritual and social need for restoration of the whole person.” —JACK ANDERSON

to alcoholism. By the late 1800s protestant evangelists were preaching that addiction was a sin and emphasized spiritual conversion as the cure. Many addicts claimed that God took away their addiction in religious revivals. But there were many who wondered if that was all there was to it. Reverend J. Willett suggested in his 1877 treatise The Drunkard’s Diseased Appetite that although those who drank heavily could check their drink habit through religious conversion, the “true inebriates” could not. For them, he insisted, much more was needed. In his 1890 volume In Darkest England and the Way Out, The Salvation Army Founder William Booth declared alcoholism “a disease, often inherited, often developed by indulgence, but as clearly a disease as opthalmia or stone.” He also taught that the “submerged tenth” of modern civilizations, the poor, the honest, as well as those who lived by vice or crime, were the victims of drink. Booth envisioned a program that would fundamentally change the person if his character or conduct was the cause of the poverty. He dismissed the lingering distinction between the worthy and unworthy poor as impractical and cruel, and believed the distinction must be between those who would work and those who would not. There should be no program of relief that would “demoralize” the poor by offering them “mere charity,” he wrote. Setting out to implement the founder’s vision, The Salvation Army became the most extensive urban Christian approach in the world. Booth attracted addicts by providing them with food and shelter and suggested that “the cure for addiction would involve Christian salvation and moral education in a wholesome environment.” The Army’s first “cheap food and shelter establishment in the United States” opened on Dec. 23, 1891, according to Edward McKinley’s volume Somebody’s Brother. The New York Lighthouse

Boozer’s Parade

could accommodate 36 men and shared the building with the New York No. 2 Corps. Shelter clients were urged to attend the nightly meetings upstairs. Here testimonies of ex-brothel keepers and drunkards shared their grateful delight in their rescue from the ocean of sin. In 1912 one experienced manager of the Army industrial home estimated that 80 percent of the men were “victims of some extent of the drink appetite.” Special meetings were held to encourage new converts while saved drunkards shared their testimonies. Industrial officers enthusiastically participated in the annual “Boozers’ Parade” in Manhattan. By the 1930s, the old conviction that the Army had a special, divine calling to rescue the drunkard was combined with a new spirit of professionalism. It was recognized that coming to understand that alcoholism was caused by several factors—perhaps physical, and certainly mental and emotional— could help officers guide the drinking individual to a permanent solution. The integration of the recovery principles of AA and The Salvation Army is almost as old as AA itself. Major R. E. Baggs started the first AA group in any Salvation Army center in the United States at the Philadelphia Men’s Social Service Center in 1939, the same year the volume Alcoholics Anonymous appeared. McKinley noted that the facility was seen as a model for others. AA rapidly became an integral part of virtually all Salvation Army rehabilitation

programs. Although AA does not align itself with any religious group, church, or organization, it remains today one of the most influential approaches to recovery rooted in Christianity. It is a natural fit, since both AA and organized religions share basic spiritual principles. AA understands addiction to have biological, psychological, and social influences, but primarily offers a spiritual approach to recovery: “When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically.” Christian concepts are inherent in AA’s 12 steps, which have had a great impact on the development of various spinoff 12-step programs, including the recent Christcentered self-help approaches of Overcomers Anonymous and Celebrate Recovery. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, interest in supplementing the traditional religious approach with modern professional help grew steadily among officers. The Salvation Army Men’s Social Service Handbook of Standards, Principles and Policies, known at once as the “green book,” ap-

peared in May 1961. The first national manual for the department stated that the primary function of each center was “the rehabilitation and/or the spiritual regeneration of unattached and homeless men.” It identified the gratuity as a “therapeutic tool,” and declared a firm commitment to the fundamental evangelical “goal of all Salvation Army endeavor”—not just rehabilitation but “regeneration” through salvation in Christ. It outlined intake procedures, casework counseling, the use of fellowship clubs, and AA, which the handbook endorsed as “one of the most useful helps toward a frontal attack” on alcoholism. The Salvation Army’s official position paper on alcoholism, approved by the Commissioners’ Conference in 1971 took a balanced position: The Salvation Army believes that every individual who is addicted to alcohol may find deliverance from its bondage through submission of the total personality to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The Salvation Army also recognizes the value of medical, social psychiatric treatment for alcoholics and makes extensive use of these services at its centers. By the 1980s the typical ARC resident was likely to be addicted to both alcohol and drugs. Major Dorothy Berry, director of the Eastern Territorial Correctional Service Bureau for Women, was the first patron of the AA offshoot Narcotics Anonymous (NA). She offered her New York office in 1949 as NA’s first headquarters. Today the typical ARC offers a broad curriculum. “The approach is holistic,” explained Dr. Jack Anderson, psychological consultant to The Salvation Army Western Territory. “It attempts to meet the physical, spiritual and social need for restoration of the whole person.” In his volume Slaying the Dragon, William White observes that although The Salvation Army is unquestionably the largest residential substance abuse rehabilitation program in the U.S., its work is little known either by the public or within professional treatment circles. This is “perhaps because of its religious orientation,” he speculated. Meanwhile, several reliable studies have shown that the success rates for Salvation Army programs are comparable with those of secular programs (see “Christianity and the Treatment of Addiction,” 2002, Pitman and Taylor). “The only thing hampering our recognition is our own efforts to network,” Chamlis stressed.

FOR OVER 100 YEARS The Salvation Army has provided assistance to people with a variety of social and spiritual afflictions through its 119 United States based Adult Rehabilitation Centers. Persons who have sought ARC ministry, nurture, and healing have come with issues of substance misuse, legal problems, relational conflicts, homelessness, unemployment, and a need for spiritual awakening and restoration.

SINCE GOVERNMENT FUNDING IS NOT SOLICITED, The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center rehabilitative ministry is made possible through the generosity of individuals, organizations, and businesses who donate goods that can be sold in our family thrift stores, which generate 80 percent of the income that helps support the Adult Rehabilitation Center.

The challenge Alice presented is faced by all Christian evangelists today: how to present the good news of Jesus Christ to a people struggling to make sense of God in a confused, pluralistic society. “Once exposed to our ARC program, the attitude of other professionals changes to one of cooperation. Today we are working hard on improving community relations.” As she recounted a decades-long history of drinking, using drugs, gambling, and failed relationship after relationship, Alice became glummer and glummer until her downcast expression finally collapsed into tears. Wiping her face with a tissue, she glanced at me, a hollow look upon her face. “I’ve been to a number of rehabs over the years,” the young woman said. “Some force-fed me Christianity. Others explicitly avoided making reference to faith of any kind. But here at The Salvation Army, you tell me you love Jesus, but that I don’t have to believe like you in order to benefit from this program. I don’t get it.” I smiled gently. “We do what we do out of our love for the Lord,” I told her. “We hope you see Jesus in our freeness in reaching out to you.” She exploded: “But there are so many different religions! I believe they are just things people have made up to make themselves feel better. Yet today I don’t know where to turn.” The challenge Alice presented is faced by all Christian evangelists today: how to present the good news of Jesus Christ to a people struggling to make sense of God in a confused, pluralistic society. The volume Alcoholics Anonymous elaborates: “We looked upon this world of warring individuals, warring theological systems, and inexplicable calamity, with deep skepticism. We looked askance at many individuals who claimed to be godly. How could a supreme being have anything to do with it all? And who could comprehend a supreme being anyhow?” Since Alcoholics Anonymous appeared in 1939, our world has become even more antagonistic toward religion. Yet I believe that Christian evangelists have an advantage when ministering to desperate, hurting addicts. I asked Alice, “Have you hit on any human remedy at all for your dilemma?” She puzzled over this for a moment, then replied hesitantly, “No. Today I am convinced there is none.” “Then you may have to turn to the superhuman,” I advised her. A look of full acceptance gradually materialized upon her frightened face. I asked, “On a starlit night, Alice, have you ever looked up at the sky and wondered who made all this?” At the chapel service that evening she went forward to the mercy seat, beginning a new life leading to increasing serenity. The Spirit of Jesus lovingly filled the spiritual void that had haunted her for so long.

DO GOOD Donate goods to help support the Adult Rehabilitation Centers. See more at satruck.org/ donate-goods. Take friends to a Salvation Army Family Store and offer a challenge to find the best outfit, then wear your new attire to dinner. Find a store near you at satruck.org. Watch video testimonials from Adult Rehabilitation Center beneficiaries at satruck.org. Find an Adult Rehabilitation Center near you at satruck.org and arrange for a tour of the facility. Read In Darkest England and the Way Out (Diggory Press, 1890) by William Booth—the book that laid the groundwork for the modern day Salvation Army with its mix of practical ministry and personal salvation.

MAJOR GLEN DOSS serves in retirement as the chaplain of the Riverside County Adult Rehabilitation Center in perris, Calif. His autobiography, Reflections of a Former Atheist, was released by Frontier Press in 2012. Connect with Glen email glen.doss@usw.salvationarmy.org

EXERCISING CREATIVE POTENTIAL The Salvation Army builds character through music and art

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BY EMMALY WIEDERHOLT One of the greatest gifts a child can receive is the gift of creativity. Whether that gift is bestowed in the form of music, theater, dance or fine art, the ability to create is one of those gifts that keeps on giving. Regardless of whether a child chooses to pursue the arts professionally, the skills involved—teamwork, discipline, commitment—will continue to serve that child throughout his or her life. The Salvation Army offers just that to the youth of its corps (churches). Though its music programs are the oldest and most robust, The Salvation Army also offers creative arts programs like drama, dance and fine arts. It has a long history with music, particularly with brass bands, dating back to 1878 with Charles Fry and his three sons of Salisbury, England. They formed a brass quartet to play at outdoor meetings and were quickly integrated into The Salvation the Army’s campaign. Since then, brass bands have become almost synonymous with The Salvation Army. New York-based videographer Stephen Ditmer grew up playing in a Salvation Army brass band. “I became involved with music from an early age as a member of a young people's choir, and later on as a member of a brass band,” Ditmer said. As a film student at Long Island University in 2010, Ditmer made a documentary for his thesis, ‘The Brass behind The Salvation Army’, which explored The Salvation Army’s unique history with brass bands. “I chose to make ‘The Brass behind The Salvation Army’ because as a student it became clear that not many people knew very much about The Salvation Army, other than it being a place to drop off used clothing,” Ditmer said. “Rather than delve into other aspects of the organization, I thought

its rich musical heritage would be the most surprising and interesting to some.” Ditmer currently plays piano for his corps songster brigade (choir) and cornet in the brass band, and also leads a young peo-

More than 94 percent of Americans believe that music is a key component to a child’s wellrounded education. - Gallup Poll ple's choir. As both participant and leader in The Salvation Army music culture, he attested to the importance music has in the lives reached by The Salvation Army’s brass band programs. According to Ditmer, in 2013 worldwide, there were 26,703 adult bandsmen and 105,608 adult songsters, and 22,712 young people's bandsmen and 86,240 young people's songsters. “Not only do children learn about music, but they learn about commitment and discipline as well,” Ditmer said. “They are able to build fellowship with their peers in a safe environment around people who love them. Some even go on to be professionals, like former Principal Trumpet of the New York Philharmonic

W H Y A RT E D U C AT I O N ? Arts education fosters brain development. Through art, students develop cultural awareness and appreciation of other viewpoints. Art teaches critical thinking rather than getting the right answer. Art teaches children to evaluate and make good judgments about qualitative relationships. Art reminds us that the limits of our language do not define the limits of our thinking. SAT scores for students who studied the arts for 4 years were 103 points higher than students with no coursework or experience in the arts. Children who study music tend to have larger vocabularies and more advanced reading skills than their peers who do not participate in music lessons. Students who study art are 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement and 3 times more likely to be awarded for school attendance. Self-concept is positively enhanced through the arts. Sources: Art in Action, Education Fund

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Phil Smith, or Principal Trumpet of the London Symphony Orchestra Philip Cobb.” Ronald Waiksnoris, territorial music secretary in The Salvation Army’s Eastern Territory based in New York, echoed Ditmer. “In my experience as territorial music director in the Eastern Territory for the past 30 years, I have found music and the arts to be the best possible way to reach young people,” he said. “Young people all over the world play brass instruments in The Salvation Army, sing in our singing groups, act in our drama troupes and dance. The music and arts bring Salvation Army culture together.” Music and other creative arts programs vary by division, depending on the demographic makeup of the area and who is available to instruct, how often, and at what level. The Salvation Army’s music and arts programs rely heavily on volunteers. In this way the arts programming is an extension of the divisional worship practice. “We might have hula dance in the worship, or a Korean fan dance, or there are Chinese lion dancers in San Francisco; it all varies regionally,” said Neil Smith, music and worship development secretary in The Salvation Army’s Western Territory. “Some kids have nothing, and getting involved in 30

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the arts programs makes them feel wanted. There’s a lot of teamwork involved. It gives them a chance to participate in something in a safe environment, to share in their improvement, to be a part of the church family, and eventually to step up and become leaders.” The territory originally only offered music programming, but opened up to other creative arts in the last decade. Some areas have a music and arts day where they meet every month and offer classes and workshops in music, drama and dance. “A lot of it is decided by what the leadership in the division has to offer,” said Joy Lee, territorial creative arts director in the West. “If they have someone in the division who does drama they’ll try to teach drama to the young people there. The goal is to work toward something.” Lee noted the importance of these programs, especially with funding cuts in local schools. “Learning the language of music or dance or theater allows kids to not only develop that language but also to develop discipline,” Lee said. “It takes a lot of discipline to practice and get through rehearsals and master that other language. Not only are they learning to play notes, but they’re learning to exercise their creative potential. It helps them to not just get through school, but to express worship and tell stories.” Emmaly Wiederholt is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.

DO GOOD Sponsor a Salvation Army music education program in your local community. Visit salvationarmyusa.org to find the center closest to you. Try a free art lesson through Art in Action, which has used its award-winning curricula in over 250 schools at artinaction.org. Pressure your local school board to maintain arts funding. Visit the VH1 Save the Music Foundation (vh1savethemusic) to find ways to restore music programs in America’s public schools.

CARRY AN EDUCATION

A porter named Benson

helped Matthew Clough summit Mt. Kilimanjaro, carrying a heavy rucksack and thus enabling Clough to reach the top. On the climb down, Clough learned that Benson didn’t earn enough to put a child through school. Eager to help, Clough set out to design back home. He bought a sewing machine and constructed a backpack, “The Benson.” He founded stone + cloth, which provides a week of school for a child with each sale. Its tagline: “Carry an education.” Clough shared with Caring more about the company and what’s ahead. A trip to Tanzania changed your future. Can you explain? I’ve always been big into the outdoors, and when the opportunity to go to Tanzania and climb Kilimanjaro popped up, I jumped on it. After four long days of climbing, I SUMMER 2014/CARING

was able to accomplish my goal of reaching the summit. The few days we took to walk back down the mountain, I started thinking about the incredible memory behind me, and how my porters, who were helping me along the way, played a vital role in my success on the mountain. If it weren’t for them, there would be no way I would have made it to the top. They were the most kind and charismatic guys you’d ever meet, and when I learned the wages were low, and work was inconsistent, I wanted to see if I could help them after the incredible experience they shaped for me. What is it like to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro? It was one of the most breathtaking experiences of my life. We were hiking for four days straight, staying in little A-frame huts at night along the way. As we reached a higher altitude, the air was so thin I could hardly breathe. On the last morning before the summit, the combination of getting a few hours of sleep the night before, and the high altitude, I was delusional, slap happy, and excited to be nearing the top of the mountain. On the final night, you’re climbing through darkness. I remember praying for the sun to come up because I knew it would help warm up my freezing body. When the sun did start to rise, we were well above the clouds, and I paused to watch the sun start breaking through the clouds. Why did you decide to focus on education with stone + cloth? The focus on education happened from asking questions. We learned education is something they value, but struggle with. We learned a girl that makes it through high school is seven times more likely to secure paid employment over one that leaves school early, and keeping them in school also reduces their chance to get pregnant at a young age. How can a product affect someone’s life? The power of commerce and business is massive. I’m starting to think business is the best way to solve the world’s toughest problems. As an entrepreneur, why do you aim to be socially conscious? I think being socially conscious came first, not vice versa. When I started this project, I didn’t really think of myself as an entrepreneur, I was just some32

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Source: Good.Must.Grow.

ENTER TO WIN GOOD GIVEAWAY Enter to win The Benson or The Totepack and you can help carry an education. Visit caringmagazine.org/giveaway to enter by August 1st.

ing and inspiring weeks from the past year of my life. Going to new places gives me such peace, and I haven’t been doing that as much as I should lately! How do you find adventure in a regular day? It’s tough for me to sit still too long. The fun thing is I get to work on multiple projects all the time, so although skipping around might not always traditionally be the most productive, it’s what works for me. one that wanted to help a small group of people that impacted my life in a positive way. I believe a lot of people want to be a force for good, and want to live a purpose driven life, and I’m definitely one of those people. I feel like becoming what people call a “social entrepreneur” materialized as I focused on trying doing good in the world. What makes you feel alive, energized? Creating things, and being around people. I’m always inspired by people I meet and the stories they tell. I think we can all learn something from anyone, no matter how young, old, similar or different. Where and how do you find inspiration? Through people and adventure. I recently decided to drive across the country from San Diego to Florida with a buddy. I literally made the decision at midnight and we were on the road by 3 a.m. It ended up being one of the most refresh-

What are you reading? The Power of Habit, which has been so fun to read—I’ve learned a lot about why we do what we do and it’s helped me be more aware of the good and bad habits that shape my reality. It’s very constructive. What’s ahead for you and for stone + cloth? We want to work with and find people that believe that education has the power to create a brighter future, and we want to connect with people that believe business is one of the most powerful tools we can use to add value to the world we live in. Beyond that, we just want to have fun and create great products for everyone.

DO GOOD Learn more about the stone + cloth purpose and products at stoneandcloth. com. Read The Power of Habit : Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2014). A 2014 Good.Must.Grow. study demonstrates climb in socially responsible spending, but lack of knowledge is a significant hurdle for continued growth. See more at goodmustgrow.com/ccsindex/. Find socially responsible companies at shopwithmeaning.org

Matthew Clough is the founder of stone + cloth. Connect with stone + cloth website stoneandcloth.com facebook stone.n.cloth twitter stonencloth SUMMER 2014/CARING

CAN A JOB SAVE THE WORLD? With creativity and commitment, The Adventure Project is putting people to work. 34

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BY ERICA ANDREWS Becky Straw has an energy and zeal you can feel. She has an ease about her that permeates from her hazel-green eyes. Straw is the co-founder of the nonprofit The Adventure Project, admittedly not a path she expected to take. To date, it has partnered with four social ventures in four developing countries. Each venture seeks to provide systemic solution to achieve a sustainable, social objective. Through these partnerships, The Adventure Project has created more than 500 jobs. Each one changes someone’s direction, much the way Straw changed hers. Straw grew up in what she refers to as a “bubble” without much experience outside of her suburban community in Lafayette, Calif. She had a loving family, volunteered with her church and was involved in sports, particularly swimming. This love of competitive swimming would later lead to a scholarship to the University of the Pacific in Stockton, where she studied graphic design and traveled abroad for the first time, visiting 10 countries within two months. After graduating from college, she worked with two missionaries in Romania, who were rescuing kids in danger. “The orphanage had 100 kids dying every year; it just opened my eyes to extreme poverty and issues of social justice,” Straw said. “It also got me to think about how aid works.” Straw felt she had to do something to help

those living in extreme poverty. According to the World Bank, roughly 1.3 billion people in developing countries live on $1.25 a day or less. After 10 years of investigation, the Chronic Poverty Research Center (CPRC), an international partnership of universities, found that Chronic Poverty is a varied and complex phenomenon, “but at its root is powerlessness.”

According to the World Bank, roughly 1.3 billion people in developing countries live on $1.25 a day or less. Ultimately what makes a country powerless is the absence of a working economy, according to Professor Adlai Wertman at the University of Southern California, an expert on nonprofit management and social entrepreneurship. “We [America] have businesses that allow people to take raw materials and create value that we then sell either to each other or other people,” Wertman said. “That’s how we’ve created value out of labor, we create jobs and people can work in those jobs and take care of

themselves.” Wertman explained that job training isn’t the issue at the real bottom of the pyramid because there’s no job to train those in extreme poverty for. He said it’s really about entrepreneurship and how you help build businesses that will eventually hire people. After seeing the devastating effects of poverty, Straw applied for and was accepted into the social work master’s program at Columbia University. She worked with the United Nations and then UNICEF’s Division of Water and Sanitation where she met Scott Harrison, creator of the nonprofit charity: water. charity: water brings clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. Founded in 2006, it has funded 6,611 projects in 20 countries, benefitting more than 2,545,000 people. Working with the organization, Straw traveled to Africa six months out of the year to manage the charity’s progress. “We often see people as different than us and in actuality people are exactly the same,” Straw said. “Generally they want to take care of their family, send their kids to school and be healthy. What people want the most is an opportunity just to take care of themselves.” Working with charity: water in Liberia, Straw met Jody Landers, who had done extensive fundraising for the safe water nonprofit. The pair shared an interest in empowering people to work. However, Landers explained the two of them couldn’t have been more different. Straw was a single girl living in New York and Landers was a wife and mother of six living in Iowa. “But I just couldn’t get enough of [Straw], she was so smart and I had a SUMMER 2014/CARING

Source: The Adventure Project

million questions about how we could best use our money,” Landers said. “She came from the background of being very educated and having a lot of experience in the field and super passionate about wanting to provide an avenue for my friends and family to be involved in those issues.” This common interest spurred Straw and Landers to create The Adventure Project in 2010. The nonprofit organization adds venture capital to support social enterprises in developing countries. In order to fund the organization, Straw moved her stuff into storage and surfed friends’ couches in New York; she didn’t take a salary for a year and a half. Now 4,000 individuals help fund The Adventure Project with an average gift of $100. The nonprofit is currently working on a website platform to display for donors exactly how much money is needed to help one person. Straw wants to be clear about its metrics and also make sure updates are given regularly, so donors knows exactly where their money is going. “In normal circumstances of most charities, once you’ve built a well or you’ve helped build a school, you never find out how those people are doing,” Straw said. “It’s very rare you get an update. We wanted to build a system that would revolutionize giving and make it very transparent.” The Adventure Project funds programs in India, Haiti, Kenya and Uganda that are helping solve the problems of healthcare (training men and women to sell health products), water (by teaching well mechanics), hunger (by providing irrigation pumps for farmers) 36

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and environment (providing charcoalefficient stoves, which are sold locally in Haiti). Together these enterprises serve nearly 900,000 people. One of its partners is Living Goods in Uganda, which combines an Avon door-to-door sales model with the effectiveness of community-driven health care. Women are trained as community health workers who visit the homes of neighbors, checking on family health and selling low-cost treatments for malaria, mosquito nets, condoms and vitamins. Through this program, Straw met Saleeka, a 15-year-old boy who had been abandoned by his parents and was living with his aunt and siblings. He went to Living Goods to find work. The staff was surprised to see Saleeka because they didn’t typically hire boys, especially someone so young. He told them he needed the money in order to attend school and take care of his brothers and sisters. They decided to give him a try. Within a few months, Saleeka was the top seller at $1,200 of merchandise per month. He returned to school

and continued working weekends, and now provides food for his entire family, pays for his siblings’ education and is currently third in his class for academics. “What’s so inspiring to me is this is a kid who, traditionally, we would’ve said, ‘Oh my gosh, can we sponsor him?’ but that wouldn’t have paid for his clothes or food,” Straw said. “He’s now taking care of this entire extended family because of his job and work. He’s just incredible.” Nonprofit management expert, Wertamn, agrees that skill building is ultimately more effective than simply giving someone a donation. That’s one of the reasons he’s not a fan of the onefor-one model. “So teach me how to make shoes, give me a job making shoes,” Wertman said. “That works, but just handing a free shoe, that’s very temporary help.” Straw hopes to be more than a temporary fix. She wants The Adventure Project to create a million jobs and believes the possibility is there. “I have full confidence that she has what it takes to take this to the next level,” Landers said. “I believe more than ever that giving this opportunity to people is going to get at the root of poverty and enable people to care for themselves.” After countless hours toiling away, Straw is still just as optimistic about sparking change. “It is a lot of work, but every day is so rewarding,” Straw said. “I think about the good in people and how many people I’ve never met, who are helping to support us every month and that’s so humbling. They work so hard and are so generous to help give other people that chance to work.”

Connect with The Adventure Project website theadventureproject.org facebook theadventureproject twitter ad_venturepro email becky@theadventureproject.org

DO GOOD Give $30 a month for one year or a one-time gift of $360. After a year, you’ll receive the story of the individual you supported, showcasing your impact in action. By donating, you create a job.

PEACE BY ALL

ACCOUNTS Dave Ramsey continues to win over skeptics with his popular money management ‘university’ BY JARED MCKIERNAN Relationships and work are two of the biggest stressors among Americans, yet neither, according to the American Psychological Association, evoke more unease and anxiety than money. “People say that money can’t buy you happiness, but having a ton of debt can certainly make you unhappy,” said Alex Matjanec, co-founder of MyBankTracker.com, an independent financial resource. “Money plays such an important role in our lives that when we face any financial problem, it affects our physical, mental and emotional health.” SUMMER 2014/CARING

“I’ve found that personal finance is 80 percent behavior; it’s only 20 percent head knowledge. It’s not ‘knowing what to do’ that’s the problem; it’s doing it.” - Dave Ramsey According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 69 percent of U.S. households carried some level of debt in 2011, while the median household debt load rose to $70,000. “Some people might choose to hide their money problems because they are too embarrassed, which is perfectly understandable,” Matjanec said. “But instead of isolating yourself, you should seek professional help.” For over 2 million families, this help came by way of Financial Peace University (FPU), a biblically based, nine-week money management course taught on DVD by finance expert Dave Ramsey. It’s designed to help families reduce debt, increase charitable giving and develop a sustainable budget. According to data from FPU, the average family that goes through FPU reports $5,300 in debt reduction and $2,700 saved in the first 13 weeks after beginning FPU. And, save for mortgage, they’re completely out of debt in 24 months. “When it comes to money, the biggest mistake people make is they don’t bother,” said Ramsey, the brain behind FPU and host of The Dave Ramsey Show. “They don’t know where their money is going or what they’re doing with it. You have to be proactive when it comes to money.” Ramsey had a net worth of over $1 million by age 26, but quickly squandered it with reckless spending. “I read everything I could get my hands on,” Ramsey said. “I interviewed older rich people, people who made money and kept it. While I was trying to get out of debt and get back on my feet I came upon this path of helping others so they don’t have to go through all the mess and heartache that I did.” The course focuses on a different topic each of its nine weeks. The curriculum is relatively straightforward: tie up every dollar before it hits your bank account, tithe first, shred your credit cards, cut back on discretionary spending, attack your debt in full force. Still, it’s one thing drawing up a blueprint, and another sticking to it. So, where is 69 percent of the country going wrong? “I’ve found that personal finance is 80 percent behavior; it’s only 20 percent head knowledge,” Ramsey said. “It’s not ‘knowing what to do’ 38

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that’s the problem; it’s doing it.” Matthew Ball, program coordinator of The Salvation Army’s El Cajon Corps in Southern California, has facilitated FPU over 10 times at the corps, one of about 45,000 churches to host FPU to date. “The only way it won’t work is if you don’t do it,” Ball said. “There’s never been people who go through it and apply it who don’t go through some dramatic stuff. Dave Ramsey systematically––logically and mathematically––destroys everything we think about debt; that it’s something we always have to live with.” Ball said many of his students benefit from the program’s lessons on tithing. According to the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability’s 2013 Annual Church Stewardship Survey, churches that use Financial Peace University receive an additional $207 per attendee annually than other churches. A common misconception, Ramsey teaches, is that strengthening your grip on your money doesn’t mean you’ll have more of it. While some eventually develop a working

budget through the program, debt relief is still step one. When Paul and Rebecca Brown of Potsdam, New York, enrolled in the course in January 2012, they had over $250,000 in debt. “Before we had knowledge of the program, I figured we would be in debt the next 30 years,” Paul said. “I had no idea I’d be able to pay off my mortgage early. I was living paycheck-to-paycheck, making payments every month, buying groceries, and doing what I thought everyone else did.” It should be noted that the Browns’ combined gross annual income was about $240,000, not exactly chump change. Still, crunch the numbers and they essentially paid off one year’s salary worth of debt in two years. “The program really made us focus on paying things off early,” Paul said. “In just a matter of about a year-and-a-half, we had our house paid off. We became fully debt free in December 2013. Once you’re able to get your finances under control and you’re able to account for every dollar coming in...it makes all the difference.” “We cut back on our cable, we don’t eat out much at all,” Rebecca added. The Browns now teach FPU themselves. “We have people come up to us and tell us they’re excited about what they paid off or their debt snowball,” Rebecca said, “so it’s very encouraging.” The course’s methods of debt relief have not gone uncriticized. Some contend that the FPU’s use of the debt snowball method, or paying the debt with the lowest balance first, is mathematically inefficient. However, researchers from Northwestern University found that people with large credit card balances are more likely to pay down their entire debt if they focus first on paying off the cards with the smallest balances, not the ones with the highest interest rates—even if that approach doesn’t make the most economic sense. According to Chris Hogan, FPU counselor, many enter the program skeptically, but undergo a change in demeanor in a matter of weeks. “I think you’ll always find that shame and cynicism that anybody will be able to help them,” Hogan said. “I think that’s

69 percent of U.S. households carried some level of debt in 2011. The median household debt load rose to $70,000. Over 2 million families have gone through FPU. The average family reports $5,300 in debt reduction and $2,700 saved in the first 13 weeks after beginning FPU. Excluding mortgage, the average family is completely out of debt in 24 months. Over 45,000 churches have facilitated FPU. 30% of attendees come from outside the church. Churches that use FPU receive an additional $207 per attendee annually than other churches.

from years of being frustrated financially. That’s normal...the topic can almost make them powerless in their mind, but once you break it down for them, they start to feel like they can do it too.” While FPU is primarily facilitated in the U.S., Hogan said “the message is international,” as it is taught in at least 10 other countries. Ramsey recently unveiled a new money management system called Legacy Journey that’s essentially a sequel to FPU––a more advanced look into enacting stewardship. “God owns it all and we are just the managers,” Ramsey said. “Everything we have––our time, talents, resources and relationships––are gifts from God, and we are responsible for managing them well.”

DO GOOD See the full nine-week lesson plan at daveramsey.com/fpu/preview, then enroll in Financial Peace University online or, find a class that meets near you.

Jared McKiernan is an editorial assistant for New Frontier Publications. Connect with Jared website caringmagazine.org facebook caringmagazine twitter caringmagazine email jared.mckiernan@usw.salvationarmy.org SUMMER 2014/CARING

SEEING STUDENTS AS

AT PROMISE Flailing dropouts and young, struggling parents revisit education at LA’s Reconnections Career Academy.

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BY ISABEL CASTRO-MELENDEZ Even after he dropped out of high school, Edwin Escobar still found ways to channel his inner-Banksy, a UK-based graffiti artist. Unfortunately, none of them were legal. He’d run the streets with his crew, as he recalled, stealing paint, tagging up South Central LA walls––the city his canvas, he its enigmatic delinquent. But these cheap thrills, as it turned out, were short-lived. This wasn’t the life he wanted. Escobar found his way into the Los Angeles Reconnections Career Academy (LARCA), a GED certification and vocational job training program for youth and young adults ages 16-24. Through LARCA, which operates under the guidance of the Youth Policy Institute (YPI) in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, students can earn General Education Diploma (GED) certification or a diploma from the School for Integrated Academics (SIA) and Technologies or an SIA Tech Charter High School. By the end of 2014, 94 students are expected to com-

plete this year’s program. “Our primary goal is to re-engage youth that have been disconnected and disenfranchised and put them back on track with their education and career goals,” said Angela Rubalcava, assistant director for the YouthSource and Education Department, who helps administer the program. Escobar, now 21, is pursuing his GED and a career in graphic design. “I want to be an artist and paint but this time with people’s permission,” he said. “I’m motivated and I want to turn my life around.” When students enter the program, they are interviewed by a caseworker and placed at the appropriate level in math and language arts. If necessary, they will receive one-on-one tutoring. They attend classes for eight hours and work a job during the rest of the week. They also learn public speaking, networking, creating PowerPoint presentations, time management, how to write an email, and even how to make a phone call. “We customize classes and see the students as ‘at promise’ rather than ‘at risk,’” said Dr. Jake Gordon, SIA Tech principal. Vocational job training programs include solar energy construction, a security guard certificate, along with a CPR card and Early Childhood Education Training. One of the main goals is to meet the students where they are and accelerate them two grade levels within a 12-month period. Brittany Green, 22, is an SIA tech student who enrolled in LARCA to get her high school diploma. “In my old high school I didn't pass the math test because I didn't understand fractions and I was also missing an English class. I understand and learned fractions and new math skills. Now, I help other students and tutor them in Math,” she said. “My mom al-

“Our primary goal is to re-engage youth that have been disconnected and disenfranchised and put them back on track with their education and career goals.” - Angela Rubalcava ways said that education is important and my dream is to be a writer or lawyer someday. I gave myself a pity party but realized that this was my last opportunity––and now I’m happy to be graduating this June.” An on-site mental health professional conducts one-on-one counseling on a weekly basis for students with learning disabilities or suffering from psychological trauma due to violence or substance abuse in their homes. Other students are referred to LA City and County social services like the Gang Education Youth Development, Job Corps placement and other vocational programs. For students unable to attend school because they have childcare needs, the facility also offers a Young Parents Daycare, along with a parenting skills class. Students can even earn stipends and bus tokens for an added boost.

Alex Serna, a UCLA graduate and credentialed teacher, is the academic program coordinator. He believes that endemic poverty is a historical cycle. Some students he speaks with don’t even know what college is. One of Serna’s students even reported that a high school counselor said, “You're going to probably be dead before the age of 18.” “Public schools are overpopulated and may not have enough resources,” Serna said. “There's a whole gamut of obstacles to overcome. Everyday I'm inspired by the students, seeing them transform their lives. It is probably one of the most powerful experiences I have as a teacher.” Serna believes that the students become more engaged when there is culSUMMER 2014/CARING

ABOUT THE

PROMISE ZONES

tural relevancy in what and how they learn. Escobar, for instance, drew inspiration from the rich history of the murals of Maravilla handball court in East LA, which sparked interest about his own culture. With a son on the way, Escobar is turning his attention to bigger matters, but one thing hasn’t changed: he’s still a student of Banksy’s work. “I want to help support my baby's mama

and my son; I don’t want to break the law or do crazy things like getting arrested,” he said. “[Banksy] writes sayings like ‘open your eyes.’ So, now I sign my name and write little sayings like ‘do your thing’ or ‘don't let anyone stop you.’ I’m focusing on the positive aspects of life.” Isabel Castro is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.

DO GOOD Read the White House fact sheet on the Promise Zones Initiative at bit.ly/promisezonesfacts. Sign-up to volunteer at a Youth Policy Institute service site at ypiusa.org. Become an adult literacy or GED tutor at volunteermatch.org.

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In his 2013 State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama designated high-poverty, urban, rural and tribal communities as “Promise Zones,” in which the federal government will partner with communities to create jobs, leverage private investment, increase economic activity, expand educational opportunities and improve public safety. In addition to the five communities initially designated, the Obama Administration will identify 15 more over the next three years. Each Promise Zone must determine a set of outcomes they will pursue to revitalize their communities, develop a strategy supporting those outcomes and realign resources accordingly. For selected communities, the federal government will work with local leadership and bring to bear the resources of several of Obama’s signature revitalization initiatives from the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Agriculture. Los Angeles is one of the five initial Promise Zones, managed through Youth Policy Institute (YPI) that also runs the Los Angeles Reconnections Career Academy (LARCA). The other zones are in San Antonio, Philadelphia, Southeastern Kentucky, and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

GOOD READS

In a crazy, media distracted world the important questions often get lost like: What’s your passion? What’s your purpose? Who do you want to be? I Am That Girl: How to Speak Your Truth, Discover Your Purpose, and #bethatgirl (Evolve Publishing, 2014), by Alexis Jones, asserts that you already are that girl who creates magic wherever she goes, who lives fearlessly, who inspires those around her to dream bigger, and who will leave the world better, just for having been in it. Including stories from 30 women, Jones compiled everything she learned into one complete guide to being That Girl, the best version of you.

Boy, Snow, Bird (Riverhead Hardcover, 2014), by Helen Oyeyemi, a Nigerian-born British writer, the Snow White fairy tale is recast as a story of family secrets, race, beauty, and vanity. In the winter of 1953, Boy Novak arrives by chance in a small town in Massachusetts, looking, she believes, for beauty—the opposite of the life she’s left behind in New York. She marries a local widower and becomes stepmother to his winsome daughter, Snow Whitman. A wicked stepmother is a creature Boy never imagined she’d become, but elements of the familiar tale of aesthetic obsession begin to play themselves out when the birth of Boy’s daughter, Bird, who is dark-skinned, exposes the Whitmans as light-skinned African Americans passing for white. Among them, Boy, Snow, and Bird confront the tyranny of the mirror to ask how much power surfaces really hold.

Denominations experience division over universal social issues. The underlying debate isn’t about a particular issue, but instead it is about how we understand the nature of Scripture and how we should interpret it. The world’s bestselling, mostread, and most-loved book is also one of the most confusing. In Making Sense of the Bible: Rediscovering the Power of Scripture Today (HarperOne, 2014), Adam Hamilton, one of the country’s leading pastors and Christian authors, addresses issues that plague the church and cultural debate, and answers many of the questions frequently asked by Christians and non-Christians alike. Caring_Furniture_Concepts:Layout 1 4/9/14 11:52 AM Page 1

The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change (Scribner, 2014), by Adam Braun, is the story of how a young man turned $25 into more than 200 schools around the world. Each chapter explains one clear step that every person can take to turn ambition into reality. His story takes readers behind the scenes with business moguls and village chiefs, world-famous celebrities and hometown heroes. Find the tools you need to make your own life a story worth telling.

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BIXBEE

Purchase this ergonomic kids backpack ($50), and not just your child will smile. With every backpack purchase, Bixbee donates a backpack with school supplies to a child in need. bixbee.com

FORTUNED CULTURE

Working with various charities to illuminate a condition or cause, Fortuned Culture creates a unique collection for each collaboration. This bracelet ($30), engraved with the Ethiopian word for health (pronounced “Tiena”), provides 60 meals for a child in Ethiopia. Similar bracelets provide six months salary for a teacher or one child’s school supplies for the year. fortunedculture.com

YELLOW LEAF HAMMOCKS DENIK

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The Goodwood Deconstruction Blocks ($18-36) are handmade and designed for creative play. The company matches each purchase with a donation to a child care facility. aroundsquare.com 44

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Denik’s notebooks, journals and sketchbooks ($12-20) are designed by global artists—from a high-schooler in Houston to a professional artist in Brazil. From each purchase, $1 goes to building schools and 5 percent is sent to the artist. denik.com

SALLY ANN

Handmade in Bangladesh, this square placemat ($9) helps to generate funds for other Salvation Army projects in the country, and helps the producer move away from dependency on donors to greater financial autonomy. shop.salvationarmy.org

A beautiful recliner for a restful getaway, Yellow Leaf Hammocks ($149-179) help tribal artisans in northern Thailand bring their work to a global market, empowering weavers and their families. yellowleafhammocks.com