2 Million Minutes – A Documentary Film Review

Recently I attended a special screening of the new documentary by local venture capitalist Robert Compton, 2 Million Minutes: 21st Century Solution. This film tells the story of one of the top academic high schools in the nation and suggests that the school highlighted in the film serve as a model for the education reform our country desperately needs.

Two million minutes is about four years. How our students allocate this precious time is very important – especially in the context of a global economy. In the first 2 Million Minutes (A Global Examination) filmmakers followed two Indiana high school seniors and seniors at schools in India and Bangkok and how they allocate their time. A clear picture is painted of the differences in the attitudes of equally intelligent students. The cultural emphasis other countries are putting on high academic standards points to the danger the United States faces as many pass us by in a quest for knowledge. Our risk is summed up nicely by this comment in the film -

“Brains are everywhere. Discoveries can be made everywhere. And, industries built on those discoveries also can be anywhere.”
Shirley Ann Jackson, Physicist and President Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

In 21st Century Solution a small charter school in Tucson Arizona tells its story. BASIS is a school that struggled for a location, struggled for funding, and struggled for acceptance in their community, but immediately made tremendous impact. There is no football stadium, no performing arts center, and no cafeteria. However, the academic rigor in the middle school leads to things like pre-calculus in 9th grade and game theory in 11th. Students are almost exclusively taking AP courses by their senior year and 100% go on to four-year colleges. They highlight a quote on their homepage -

“Simply by virtue of attending BASIS, [students] will be placed in the highest category regarding rigor of curriculum…”
Steve McLaughlin, Duke University – Senior Associate Director of Admissions

Not only is the model BASIS operates successful, but the film also shows that the students are happy and sincerely excited about learning. Socio-economic backgrounds are mixed and make little difference. The key is setting the bar high and holding students accountable. If you challenge them, they will rise up to the occasion.

There is a big push in this country to embrace charter schools like BASIS and this film is a shining example for that campaign. As both films point out, America’s education system is dramatically falling behind. However, there are also considerable risks to subjecting our public education (and the kids in it) to a wholly market-driven system. In that, there are holes in the film I wished were addressed. We have to remember competition breeds winners and losers, and gambling with any child’s future for the sake of competition is not worth it.

Yes, with charter schools even our city is seeing great success, but there are public schools with greater enrollment that have equally impressive programs. I believe there are elements of the charter school system that may be applied to our current public systems. Plus, standards for teachers, teacher and administration compensation, and more freedom in the classroom are crucial elements in our systems to be addressed.

Robert Compton’s film was masterfully produced and brings one of the most important issues facing the 21st Century to the forefront. I sincerely hope this film gets national exposure and raises the level of the issue of education on our national agenda. Because for millions of students… the clock for their 2 million minutes is currently counting down.

Brightpoint to Make Indy Park Improvements

INDIANAPOLIS – (Aug. 21, 2009) Indianapolis-based Brightpoint is donating tens of thousands of dollars and more than 1,200 hours of volunteer service to updating and improving Watkins Park Family Center and grounds on Indianapolis’ Near-Northside during its Week of Caring Aug. 24-28.

Brightpoint Week of Caring is a unique public-private partnership that will benefit Indy Parks & Recreation and the citizens who utilize Watkins Park for its services and amenities. Brightpoint’s investment coupled with donations from vendors and other local businesses will provide for more than $50,000 of improvements and upgrades at Watkins Park Family Center.

Among the projects employees and contractors will undertake are creating a computer lab complete with five computers and monitors; creating a fitness center with exercise equipment, a 42” HDTV and stereo receiver and speakers; refurbishing the softball fields and repaving the outdoor basketball and tennis courts; repairing ceiling tiles and painting walls in several rooms; installation of new lights and repairs to the indoor basketball court and other features of the gymnasium; installation of new appliances in the kitchen; and cleaning carpets, replacement of floor mats and cleaning, coating and buffing of floors. Additionally, crews will mulch, trim and plant vegetation outdoors.

“Week of Caring is an important part of Brightpoint’s commitment to one of our core values, Community Involvement,” said J. Mark Howell, president of Brightpoint Americas. “Partnering with Indy Parks allows our employees to make a difference in our community while helping preserve green space for residents to enjoy. It was a natural fit for us to work with Watkins Park so we could incorporate our Bright Green environmental initiatives with Week of Caring.”

From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, through Friday, Aug. 28, more than 125 Brightpoint employee volunteers will participate in the service projects during their regular working hours. On Thursday, Sept. 10, Brightpoint Americas President J. Mark Howell and other dignitaries will celebrate the project with an unveiling and open house.

“Brightpoint is contributing to a bright future for Indy Parks,” said Indy Parks Director Stuart Lowry. “The Week of Caring will result in a phenomenal upgrade to one of our centers with a rich history. This is an extraordinary example of a company coming forward to help us in tough times. Brightpoint recognizes that this is a time to help people in our communities, with not just a ‘week’ of caring but a sustainable partnership that will continue as Brightpoint employees staff the Watkins Park Family Center computer lab and stay involved with Indy Parks.”

In-kind partners on the project include JD Turf, who will be making improvements to repair the flooded baseball fields at Watkins Park on Tuesday, Aug. 25; Samsung, which donated a new refrigerator, dishwasher, washer and dryer and 42-inch television; Office Depot, who will be providing materials to the Family Center; and Outside Services, Inc., who will be providing mulch from McCarty Mulch and shrub and tree trimming. Other companies contributing to Week of caring include Accell Construction, Gaylor Electric, MacAllister Rental Equipment, MJV, Ray’s Trash and Rubbermaid.

Corporate Citizenship

If you haven’t read this recent supplement in the Indianapolis Business Journal, you should.  Great insight from non-profit leaders of note, good news for some organizations despite the economy, and some strategies employed by local foundations when the market went into free-fall.

I know that the philanthropic sector is very resilient, and I think there is a new mood, a sense of greater civic engagement in the country. There’s a lot to be concerned about, and a lot to be thankful for.  ~Ellen Annala, President and CEO of United Way of Central Indiana

Come up with a state slogan and win $5,000 for a charity of your choice

A Fortville T-shirt maker is soliciting new slogans for the state of Indiana. The challenge is to describe the Hoosier state in eight words or less. The winning entry could garner up to $5,000 for an Indiana charity.

A T-shirt for sale at BringTheHope.com

Here’s an excerpt from the BringTheHope.com’s press release.

Over the years, Indiana has had several official state slogans like “Wander Indiana” and “Restart Your Engines.” Today, Bring The HopeTM announced the launch of a contest that gives ordinary Hoosiers the opportunity to create a new state slogan and raise money for their favorite Indiana-based charity. The optimistic apparel company asks participants to submit their original ideas online between now and the end of August to be considered.

Throughout the month of August, Hoosiers can submit their state slogan ideas at http://www.bringthehope.com. Submissions should be eight words or less and describe Indiana in a way that is hopeful, optimistic or humorous. Online voters will pick one winner and that new slogan will be printed on T-shirts for purchase. Then, 25 percent of net profits (up to $5,000) will be donated to the winner’s favorite Indiana-based charity.

“With the State Fair going on this month, we thought it would be a great time to give Hoosiers the opportunity to get creative and have some fun,” said Bring The Hope Co-Founder, Mike Marker. “Anyone can participate, anyone can win and we are really looking forward to seeing the slogan ideas that people come up with from around our great state.”

“Our focus is on giving people opportunities to express themselves through the clothes they wear,” said Bring The Hope Co-Founder Jeremy Chastain. “We hope that people have fun with this slogan contest and we look forward to contributing 25 percent of net profits to one lucky Indiana-based charity.”

Marker and Chastain started Bring The Hope earlier this year. Their optimistic apparel company conducts monthly contests where online users submit original messages of hope, optimism and humor. Voters decide which messages are printed on T-shirts and the winners earn money for themselves and their charities. The state slogan initiative is the first special contest the company is conducting.

Bring The Hope is an online apparel company focused on messages of hope, optimism and humor. At least 10 percent of the company’s net profits go to charitable organizations making a difference in the world. The company promotes self expression and hand prints winning submissions on organic cotton T-shirts. Additional information about Bring The Hope and the charities the company supports can be found http://www.bringthehope.com.

Favors

More and more these days you see couples identifying charities to benefit in lieu of wedding gifts.  This couple identified an Indiana based organization in lieu of party favors!

Thanks to the Christel House blog for sharing this awesome story.  To learn more about their impact across the world visit their programs page.

Dear Christel House,

We are glad to be of help with our donation and happy to share our story with you. We actually borrowed the idea of making a charitable contribution for a favor from my husband’s cousin, whose wedding took place a couple months before ours. We went to their reception and on each place setting, where one would traditionally see a favor, there was a card explaining that a charitable donation had been made to an organization in the guest’s honor. I thought it was so nice knowing that a deserving charity received a donation instead of me getting some candy a, shot glass or other typical favor item. I overheard a number of other guests echo my sentiments regarding the favor.

I talked it over with Allen and we decided that a donation would also be a great way for us to express gratitude to our guests and give back to those in need. We wanted to choose a charity that had a special meaning to both our lives. My parents are teachers and his family also has a strong history of supporting education (among other things, his grandmother had been Chief Education Officer of South Kanara district in the state of Karnataka, India) so we thought a charity that helped children with their education would be very appropriate. I remembered seeing an article on my company’s website (Target) about a donation that the company had made to Christel House India in Bangalore, India. I had not heard of Christel House before but, my husband happens to be from Bangalore so, that made the idea of giving to Christel House all the more meaningful.

I did an internet search to learn more about the organization. I was delighted to learn that Christel House not only helped children in Bangalore but, also in the USA and other parts of the world. It’s easy to see that the work that Christel House is doing truly an impact and I was impressed by the promise that 100% of donations would directly assist children in need. It was obvious from the many testimonials from personal and corporate sponsors that our donations would make a real difference to kids from both our countries. At each table we included a card, as his cousin had done, explaining to guests guests that we had made a donation in their honor. We also explained about Christel House’s mission and that the donations would help children in India, the US and around the world to obtain an education and rise above poverty. We also included the website and encouraged our guests to visit the Christel House website to learn more.

I hope that in addition to our contribution, we succeeded in educating our guests about Christel House International and the important you are doing worldwide. We look forward to supporting your organization with future donations and commend you for the work you are doing.

Yours Truly, Meagan and Allen

If you’d like more information on creative ways to give, raise funds or to help our children break the cycle of poverty, please don’t hesitate to contact Christel House. There are countless ways that YOU can make a WORLD of difference!

Hoosier-based insurance company marks 125 years by giving back

To celebrate the 125^th anniversary of the company’s founding, Gregory & Appel Insurance will give back to the Central Indiana community by awarding 125 charities $500 each. That’s more than $62,500 in contributions to be given.

According to a story from WTHR Channel 13 Eyewitness News, the state’s largest and oldest insurance agency has survived 34 Indianapolis mayors, 15 generations of family ownership and now 15 recessions.

This “philanthropic initiative” is based in part on the economic times according to VP Steve Appel.

According to the Gregory & Appel website, www.gregoryappel.com, 501 (c)(3) organizations serving the Central Indiana area are invited to apply by completing the application on the site. The company is encouraging arts & culture, community development, and education and social service organizations to apply.

The deadline for applicants is Sept. 4. Grant recipients, as determined by a five-person panel, will be announced on Oct. 1

Indiana Mentoring Partnership

I don’t often mix projects from my job with this blog, but this particular initiative warrants some extra attention.

Here at the Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) we’ve started this new initiative to recruit mentors for youth serving agencies and schools across Indiana.  We’d also like to promote a public understanding of the value of mentoring, connect local community partners with mentoring programs, and build the effectiveness and capacity of direct service mentoring organizations.

The official website launches in September, but this links to more info.

Lofty goals, eh? Well, they’re achievable.  It will be worth the effort because research proves that consistent, one-on-one mentoring can positively impact the lives of youth. With one hour a week, a committed mentor can make a difference.

With a mentor, kids are more likely to graduate from high school. Only 76.4% of Indiana high school students are graduating.  In Marion and surrounding Counties, many school districts are struggling to even keep up with the state average: in 2008 IPS only graduated 46%, Wayne Township 65%, Martinsville Schools 68% and Warren Township just 71%.  Curious about the schools in your area?  There’s a link for that.

A solution for bad grades and dropouts is quality mentoring.  Students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school and 37% less likely to skip a class (Source: Big Brothers Big Sisters Study).  A shining example can be found in Terre Haute, a mentoring initiative started by the Vigo County School Corporation helped raise the graduation rate of African American students from 48% to 85% in four years.

With a mentor, kids are more likely to attend a four-year college. Kids who have better attitudes and behaviors at school are more likely to pursue post-secondary education. In Indianapolis, 80% of the first class of graduates from the Starfish Initiative mentoring program in Indianapolis enrolled in college.

With a mentor, kids are less likely to fight in school or get involved in criminal activities. Indiana is seventh worst in the nation in the rate of juveniles committed to the Department of Correction.  Case filings in Marion County alone totaled 4,139 in 2007.  However, according to Big Brother Big Sisters of America, youth involved in high-quality relationships with adult mentors are 46% less likely to initiate drug use, 27% less likely to initiate alcohol use, and 32% less likely to hit someone.

Let’s step back and take a national perspective.  The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation says that the lifetime cost to the nation for each youth who drops out of school and later moves into a life of crime and drugs ranges from $1.7 to $2.3 million.  $40 Billion per four-year class.  Nationally, we’re not really in the position to be throwing away money like that when all it takes is a little more attention and positive reinforcement with our kids.

We need to make this a major activity in our state.
Let’s make Indiana the national model for youth mentoring.

— Gov. Mitch Daniels

Plus, with so much good coming out of quality mentoring relationships, why aren’t more people committing?  Well according to our national partner, MENTOR, people are saying they don’t have time, or don’t know how to start, or simply… they’ve never been asked.  Well, I’m asking.  It only takes an hour a week.

Folks in Minnesota have found the time.  The Minnesota Mentoring Partnership has had more than 70,000 new mentors since they started a similar initiative seven years ago.

Thousands of Indiana kids are in need of a mentor for academic achievement and guidance.

This year IYI surveyed mentoring agencies to determine the state of mentoring across Indiana and identify strengths and opportunities. Of those surveyed, 92.8% indicated there was a need for a statewide initiative and the technical assistance it could provide, and 96.4% cited mentor recruitment as the primary area of assistance needed.

So here’s the call to action:

• Become a mentor! Locate a mentoring opportunity within your community here.
• Host a mentor recruitment event at your workplace, place of worship, neighborhood, or organization.
• Raise funds or donate products or services to mentoring programs.
• Provide training and support for other mentors.
• Provide time off for employees who volunteer to mentor.
• Underwrite costs for mentor/ child outings and events.

If you’re interested in getting involved on a more macro level, contact Project Director – December Warren.  She’s putting together community toolkit trainings all across the state. (And, she’s awesome)

If you have an inspiring story about your experience as a mentor, comment below! I’d love to feature some stories on this site.

Volunteers Down & Out

According to the Indianapolis Star and a survey of local nonprofits conducted by United Way of Central Indiana, volunteerism is down.  This at a time when nonprofits need them most!

More than half of the 71 nonprofits surveyed said they were relying more on volunteers than last year. At the same time, more than a third reported that their volunteer pool is shrinking.

It’s no suprise that giving is down as the recession has taken hold of the state, but volunteerism?  Hoosiers are home taking care of their own.  Multiple jobs, entreprenurial pursuits, or no job at all … these are all high stress situations and a lot is on the line.  Simply put, everyone is resetting their priorities.

According to MetLife’s 2009 Study of the American Dream, 40% of Americans say they are donating to charity less often and an average of 23% are spending less time in their communities.  It also points out that Gen X and Gen Y trend highest – 24% and 35% respectively in their communities “less often.” The study summarizes:

Unlike years past, when religion, community and charity factored into the achievement of the dream, the current dream is focused squarely on self/family.

National Conference on Volunteering and Service

So how do we re-engage Hoosiers into volunteer roles?  There is a national call by our President and First Lady, and we are reminded lately of Kennedy’s call – to ask not what your country can do for you… but what are other strategies for civic engagement? for volunteerism?  for getting help to assist those who need it most?

Here are a few tips for engaging a younger volunteer contingent:

• Get them involved online first.
• Make it personal – Use causal language and talk to them directly.
• Give them something very specific to do – Don’t say you need general office help.  nobody wants to file in their spare time…
• Illustrate to them how their assistance will make an impact in numbers.  Volunteer hours are worth real $’s and time that supplement and sometimes replace staff.
• Retain them with constant communication – thank them, and thank them again.
  
• Ask for their feedback – and thank them for it.

Hoosiers are out of work and tied to home. And this fact is primarily to blame for the lack of volunteers.  But what better an activity to lift our spirits and add to our resume than volunteering for a local nonprofit?  Many unemployed have skills that charities need and there are only so many hours in a day to send out resumes.  Plus, nonprofits are community centers that are great places to network (with other volunteers, with board members, staff…).

If you’re not already a volunteer, consider it.  If you work for an organization looking for volunteers, reevaluate your strategy to fit current events.  In short:

What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility: a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world. – President Barack Obama

Old National Bank donates $175,000

Last week, Old National Bank, headquartered in Evansville, made a monumental community donation to mark its Terquasquicentennial. Yes, that’s a giant word for 175 years.

Old National Bank

The bank donated $175,000 to more than 200 nonprofit organizations. Old National Bancorp President and CEO, Bob Jones commented, that the bank is proud to be a community bank.

“We want to give back to the communities that have been the core of our strength and stability over the last 175 years,” he added.

In addition, the other 182 bank branches each donated $175 to a charity of their choice.

The list of organizations and the programs supported include:

                             Amount
 Name of Organization        Awarded   Project it will Benefit
 --------------------        -------   -----------------------

 Indiana Youth Institute     25,000   Mentoring program
 Children's Museum of
  Evansville                  7,500   Shelter transportation program
 Second Harvest Food Bank     5,000   Food collection
 American Cancer Society      5,000   Cancer research
 Evansville Christian Life
  Center                      5,000   Back to School program
 Elkhart County Food
  Network                    10,000   Food collection
 Ivy Tech Community College  15,000   Workforce development programs
 LaCasa, Inc.                15,000   Foreclosure mitigation program
 Economic Development
  Corporation of Elkhart     15,000   General funding
 People Gotta Eat            10,000   Food collection
 South Bend Heritage
  Foundation                 15,000   Foreclosure mitigation program

Old National Bancorp, celebrating its 175th anniversary in 2009, is the largest financial services holding company headquartered in Indiana and, with $8.4 billion in assets, ranks among the top 100 banking companies in the United States. Since its founding in Evansville in 1834, Old National has focused on community banking by building long-term, highly valued partnerships with clients in its primary footprint of Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. In addition to providing extensive services in retail and commercial banking, wealth management, investments and brokerage, Old National also owns one of the largest independent insurance agencies headquartered in Indiana, offering complete personal and commercial insurance solutions. For more information and financial data, please visit the Company’s website at www.oldnational.com.

RSVP in Indiana

It’s never too late to give back to your community.

That seems to be the mantra of a program that uses the resources of the retired persons for volunteer projects.

Amy Lavalley, a Gary Post-Tribune correspondent writes about the RSVP program that recently honored volunteers in Porter County. “The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is part of a national program funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, said Joyce Bolin, RSVP’s director. The program has been around more than 30 years. Its volunteers pitch in at food pantries, nursing homes, schools, libraries and other places, Bolin said.”

According to the website at SeniorCorps.gov, RSVP is America’s largest volunteer network for people age 55 and over. More than half a million volunteers are working across the country tackling tough issues in their community. One woman in the Lavalley piece helps seniors with health insurance decisions.

RSVP offers a full range of volunteer opportunities with thousands of local and national organizations.

These are some of the programs that give age a chance to work for society. Perhaps there should be more programs such as SCORE and RSVP.

Read Amy’s article here. http://www.post-trib.com/news/neighbors/1630957,01nvolunteer0623.article