In November of 2002, seventy four Los Angeles high school students attended the first part of the ACE (Achievement and Commitment to Excellence) Program, an incredible three-day youth empowerment seminar provided by the EduCare Foundation. The students were from Youth Opportunities Unlimited High School, a 300 student alternative high school for students who have previously dropped out of school. The school is in South Los Angeles in the middle of where the most recent wave of gang shootings have been happening. This is the school’s fifth year of ACE with about 300 of their students having participated in the program.
In the fall of 2002, the school lost one of their young men to a shooting in the neighborhood. Two weeks prior to the beginning of the November ACE program, the school had a drive by shooting. Fortunately, no one was hurt. On the first day of ACE, a student’s mother was shot in the leg in a drive by shooting as the student was leaving the house to come to school for ACE.
The seminar, which was held at their school, was stunning. The students were so hungry to let go of their pain and to come into finding love and fellowship between them. Though at first they found it hard to disclose and express, the students began to genuinely reach out to each other in their desire to find connection and support. Through the days of the seminar, they realized that they could trust and share their lives with each other under the umbrella of caring, respect and honesty. They saw how important they are to each other. They realized how important they are to themselves. Along with the students, eight of the school’s teachers actively participated in the seminar. The connections established between teachers and students were amazing. They experienced each other in ways that are rare in the relationship of a teacher to a student. Teachers, staff, and parents experienced and spoke of the healing power of the loving and caring that is happening at the school since the November ACE.
The school’s enthusiasm for moving ahead with ACE in expanded ways is very high. They have now initiated an ACE class taught by two of the school’s teachers. Several of the teachers have expressed interest in attending the adult Insight I in Santa Monica. The November group of ACE students will be moving on to their second module of ACE in March 2003 that focuses on service and personal leadership. As part of that module, they will be participating in service activities at local nursing homes and elementary schools.
Fifteen of the school’s November ACE students also participated in the Teen Insight I Seminar in Santa Monica in December 2002. Scholarships were raised for all of these students and rather than traveling back home to the inner city late at night, they were housed at the Youth Hostel International In Santa Monica. They joined students from all over the city from diverse socio-economic backgrounds as well as teens from all parts of the country. It was a most powerful and deeply touching Teen Insight seminar. At the Teen Insight Graduation, the seminar room at the University of Santa Monica was packed. Family members and others came out to celebrate and honor the teens. The evening was electric with energy, laughter, and love.
The momentum for supporting the transformational work for youth is strong. Stu Semigran, the Co-Founder and President of the EduCare Foundation, has been invited to be a keynote workshop presenter for California’s Region 8 Healthy Start Conference on January 30, 2003. He will be presenting a workshop for 130 educators from throughout southern California entitled “From Tolerance to Compassion.”
On Tuesday, February 4th, at 7:30pm, EduCare will be featured on University of Southern California’s TV interview show “CU @ USC” . This nightly talk show features guests of diverse backgrounds, including prominent political leaders, academic researchers, and celebrities. Recent guests include former mayor Richard Riordan, Robert Zemeckis, Michael Jackson, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. “CU @ USC” reaches over 1.8 million households around the world every evening, broadcasting on USC Cable and Los Angeles City Cable channel 36, reaching a potential 1.5 million viewers. It can also be seen live on the internet at www.trojanvision.com. Joining Stu on the interview will be LaNell Williams, an inspiring ACE Program graduate.
Teen Insights I, II, and III are being scheduled In Santa Monica for the summer of 2003, as well as a week-long Educators’ Institute for Heart-Centered Teaching and Learning.
For more information, please visit EduCare’s website at www.educarefoundation.com or call at 818-735-6600.
