National Afterschool Association 24th Annual National Convention: Day 2, Part 2

Day 2, Part 2

Mid-Afternoon workshop: Creative Inspiration for Young People presented by Sonia Toledo, Dignity of Children, Inc.

Workshop Blurb: As educators, we must first understand how to tap into our creative mind to inspire our young people to use their creative mind. This workshop will focus on understanding the process to spark creativity in ourselves and then design an environment where children can find their creative niche: writing, dancing, singing, drawing, photography, acting and many others. Participants will walk away with a clear understanding of how to develop a curriculum to meet the developmental needs of their children by using a creative process.

My Thoughts:

Unfortunately, this workshop was cut short due to the tornado evacuation. It should've started at 2:30, but by the time we were given the all-clear to return, it was 3pm and the presenter only had 45mins to present. We watched a short movie on the web called "Brain Storm" that took up the majority of the time, talked about what was discussed, and then our table had to create a tall tower using 20 pieces of spaghetti, a marshmallow, string, and a really long piece of tape that Ms. Toledo gave us.We called it the Marshmallow Challenge.

We didn't win the prize (a bag of marshmallows), but we were runner-ups. I didn't "walk away with a clear understanding of how to develop a curriculum to meet the developmental needs of their children by using a creative process" as the workshop had promised. I wish that Ms. Toledo had bypassed the movie and went straight to the "Setting up the Environment to Spark Creativity" segment mentioned in her materials.She provided takeaways, but the material is fill-in-the-blank and we never got around to filling in those blanks. As the soon-to-be founder of an organization focused on creativity for young people, I was very much looking forward to this workshop and getting a different perspective. If anything, I can use the enclosed article to assist in my grad paper. I recently contacted her organization to see if I could get the workshop PowerPoint.
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Evening Workshop: Redefining Leadership in AfterSchool presented by Emily Gunter, Urgent Inc.

Workshop Blurb: This is a fast paced interactive presentation where the participants are fully engaged with their own investigation of their talents and strengths. Afterschool is the proving ground for your innovative approaches in the learning and caring environment. Find out how to become a leader in education through your successful best practices. Success is contagious!!

Lessons Learned:

~ You can achieve anything you want as long as you are willing to take the path to get to it, in an inspired way.

~ Choose to be a servant leader by being courteous, kind and respectful to all people in Truth, Simplicity and Love.

9 Empowering Thoughts of a LEADER;

1. Choose now to be a leader.
2. Have a passion to lead.
3. Be an inspirational thinker to lead
4. Believe in yourself, believe you can lead
5. Anticipate problems and have a strategy.
6. Have high values.
7. Have bonding power (love and smile)
8. Have a vibrant energy
9. Be a professional communicator

"Indecision and lack of major purpose is the biggest thief of time." 

Breathe, Relax, then Lead

• Become alert and respond with inspired action
• Consciously breathe to link to your knowledge
• Consciously breathe to conquer fear, doubt and anger.
• Consciously breathe to embrace love, peace and freedom as you lead.

How to Speak as a Leader Without Fear

• Breathe deeply
• Have simple notes with just key points in bold
• Start with the end in mind
• Have fun

10 Points of Leadership 

1. Vision - your gifts that come through you
2. Believe - have faith in yourself
3. Integrity - be truthful to yourself always
4. Courage - go within, hear your wisdom
5. Attitude - be inspired by your loving self
6. Excellence - act with humility and honor
7. Success - be prosperous by building winning relationships
8. Perseverance - honor the strength of your ancestors
9. Commitment - have authority over your mind and stay steady in your high values
10. Teamwork - unity brings strength

My Thoughts:

I found this to be a very spiritual--and science-filled--leadership session. The interactive portion of the session at the beginning was an interesting routine they do for their target audience, one of which is to say Batio Bati (Swahili for "I need you to be present", "I am present") three times.I felt very calm and peaceful after attending this workshop, especially after the tornado warning had left me a little riled.