Break through compassion fatigue!

Your cause is important! But let’s face it, people have compassion fatigue. With the information overload we all experience, you’ve got to be creative in how you let people know about your organization’s good work. A story well told can be the answer to gaining the attention your organization deserves!

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Tell your organization’s STORY

I had the pleasure of teaching STORY POWER at the Community Media Workshop’s “Making Media Connections” Day. Whether you’re a business or non-profit, take the time to create your organization’s story.

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Go hear stories this summer!

There are Storytelling Festivals all over the United States this summer – go have a great time and remember how much you enjoy LIVE entertainment!

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Young people want to be involved!

I had the chance to work with wonderful young people this summer in the Chicago Peacebuilder Program. Whenever people say “young people don’t care anymore” I wonder what young people are they talking about? Given half a chance young people are ready to be active citizens and work for justice and opportunity for all.

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Summer story festivals

Have you had your fix of storytelling yet this summer? Go to: www.storytelling.org for a schedule of events in Illinois. Go to: storytellingfestival.net for news on the National Storytelling Festival and residencies in Jonesborough, TN and go to www.festivals.com and put in the keyword “Storytelling” for more ideas.

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Seminar enlarges ideas on diversity

At a recent O’Halloran Diversity Productions/Bea Young Associates seminar, Kellie Henegar reminds us that diversity is larger than race and gender. She describes the “culture shock” of moving from military to civilian life.

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Last Friday I had the pleasure of  presenting at Decatur’s Richland Community College’s 10^th annual Walking the Walk of Diversity Conference. The keynote was given by Dr. Steve Perry, a passionate educator and principal. He talked about student decline in readiness for college. He asked a simple but profound question, “If it’s not the system’s fault, whose is it? Have kids been born dumber?”

He talked about a present day school system that was designed for our early 1900s agricultural society. At Dr. Perry’s magnet school, Capital Prep, in Hartford, Connecticut, the previously lowest performing district in the state, 100% of the middle/high school students now go on to college.

There is simply no access to this society – period – without access to quality education.

Thank you, Richland, for inviting me. I enjoyed the mix of academic, business, city and community participants.