Wisdom Thinkers Network Inc

PROGRAM AND SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS: NOW ALMOST 18 YEARS AFTER 9-11, WHILE MUCH OF THE COUNTRY IS STILL STRUGGLING TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE DIVISIVENESS, "STORIES TO LIGHT OUR WAY," HAS BEEN EMBEDDED INTO SEVERAL OF THE DISTRICTS IN OSWEGO COUNTY WE'VE BEGUN TO CHANGE THE STORY! THROUGH OUR CURRICULUM, CHILDREN ARE CHALLENGED TO CONTEMPLATE EACH MESSAGE AND EXPLORE THEIR OWN STORY. EACH OF THE STORIES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE OFFERS COMPLETE LESSON PLANS CORRELATED TO GRADE-APPROPRIATE COMMON CORE STANDARDS. STORIES TO LIGHT OUR WAY, NARRATED VERSIONS (CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON CD), ONSITE PRESENTATIONS, AND OUR STAFF SUPPORT LEND SCHOOL PROGRAMS A HIGH-QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL COMPONENT THAT WILL FAVORABLY IMPACT THEIR PROGRAM OUTCOMES. THE MULTI-CULTURAL COMPONENT MAKES THEM DASA COMPLIANT, ALIGNED WITH THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES, AND A CRITICAL PIECE IN DETERRING BULLYING BY BUILDING CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING. SEE OUR INTRA VIDEO -WISDOM STORIES - A SIMPLE APPROACH TO SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING. HTTPS : //YOUTU.BE/JVJFBALOVRQUSING THE AWARD-WINNING STORIES TO LIGHT OUR WAY, WE HELP CREATE A SCHOOL CLIMATE THAT HONORS DIVERSITY, NURTURES CHARACTER, AND DISCOURAGES BULLYING. WE CREATE RESOURCES WHICH EMBED SEL AND CHARACTER ED LESSON PLANS SEAMLESSLY INTO COMMON CORE ELA, AND WITH CROSS - CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING.WE FEEL THAT WE HAVE A POWERFUL APPROACH TO DETERRING THE SYSTEMIC PROBLEM OF BULLYING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, BY CREATING A CULTURE WITH THE STORIES WHERE BULLYING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE, WHILE INSTRUCTING THE CHILDREN ON HOW TO SPOT AND DETER BULLYING BEHAVIOR THROUGH THE GAMES.OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ROUNDTABLES - RECONNECTING THE GENERATIONS, RESTORING CIVILITY, AND CHANGING THE DOMINANT NARRATIVE TO NURTURE ENGAGED COMPASSIONATE CITIZENS. WHILE OUR PREVIOUS ROUNDTABLES WERE SUCCESSFUL IN BRINGING DIVERSE GROUPS OF THOUGHT LEADERS TOGETHER TO CREATE A SHARED NARRATIVE, WE WANTED A CLOSER LINK BETWEEN OUR STORIES IN SCHOOLS AND THE NEED FOR CHARACTER EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS, AND EMPHASIZE THE LINK BETWEEN CHARACTER EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. SO WE DESIGNED A REPLICABLE MODEL INTRODUCING A COUNTY-WIDE INITIATIVE TO SPREAD THE MESSAGE OF OUR STORIES WITH OUR ROUNDTABLE. OUR GOALS IS TO EQUIP ALL OUR CHILDREN WITH THE FOUNDATION NEEDED FOR A MEANINGFUL LIFE IN SCHOOL, COMMUNITY, AND THE WORKPLACE SO THEY CAN BECOME SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR CAREERS, CARING, RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS, AND FULFILLED IN THEIR LIVES. WE WANT TO BRING RENEWED HOPE TO OFTEN NEGLECTED PARTS OF RURAL (AND URBAN) AMERICA. OSWEGO COUNTY IS THE 2ND POOREST COUNTY IN NY STATE.WE FEEL THAT IF WE CAN LEARN TO LISTEN TO AND HONOR EACH OTHER'S STORIES WE CAN ONCE AGAIN CREATE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AMONG DIVERSE INDIVIDUALS WHICH WILL OVERCOME THE FEAR AND HATRED WHICH DOMINATE OUR CURRENT LANDSCAPE. WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE NEED FOR A SHARED NARRATIVE TO REWEAVE THE FABRIC OF OUR SOCIETY AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO BREAK THROUGH THE IDEOLOGICAL GRIDLOCK AND DEVELOP A SENSE OF SHARED VALUES AGAIN. TURN-KEY ORAL HISTORY PROJECTS - WE CREATED A TURN-KEY ORAL HISTORY PROJECTS WHICH PULL THE GENERATIONS TOGETHER WHILE INSTILLING PRIDE IN THE COMMUNITY WHICH ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO STAY IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE (CHANGE THE STORY) . FULTON HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH CLASSES PARTNERED WITH US TO VIDEO INTERVIEWS WITH COMMUNITY ELDERS. THIS CULMINATED IN "GATHERING AROUND THE STORIES OF FULTON," BRINGING THE STUDENTS ANDTHEIR FAMILIES TOGETHER WITH THOSE THEY INTERVIEWED FOR AN EVENING TO SHARE THE HISTORY AND ENVISION THE FUTURE OF THEIR COMMUNITY TOGETHER. HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/X7L3W3BQOPWHTTPS://YOUTU.BE/QCH0__PFRKGSERVICE LEARNING IS KEY TO SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT. WE LINK PROJECT AND PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING TO STUDENT GENERATED SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECTS TO SOLVE SOME KEY INJUSTICES - POVERTY, ELDER NEGLECT, BULLYING,INTOLERANCE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TO NAME A FEW. OUR "CHANGE THE STORY," GAME WAS ENDORSED BY DR. RICHARD WEISSBOURD AT HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, AND CSEE'S DR. DAVID STREIGHT. STUDENT LEADERSHIP TEAMS HAVE LED MULTI-GENERATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP PROJECTS, OTHER SCHOOLS HAVE HELD TREE PLANTINGS LINKED TO EARTH DAY. THROUGH OUR ROUNDTABLES WE CREATE SAFE-SPACE AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADULTS TO COME TOGETHER TO SHARE THEIR STORIES AND ALLOW A SHARED-NARRATIVE TO EMERGE. OUT OF THESE FRIENDSHIPS AND ALLIANCES, BASED ON SHARED VALUES, THE GROUP WORKS WITH STUDENT LEADERS TO IMPROVE THEIR COMMUNITIES, BREEDING THE ENGAGED CITIZENRY SO MISSING IN TODAY'S WORLD AND CRITICAL TO A THRIVING DEMOCRACY.RALPH SINGH, OUR CHAIR AND CEO, DEVELOPED AND CONDUCTED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS IN SCHOOLS, FOR SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATIONS, REGIONAL AND STATE-WIDE ORGANIZATIONS AND WAS AN INVITED, FEATURED PRESENTER AT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES. IN ADDITION, HE ATTENDED AND REPRESENTED WISDOM THINKERS AT ADDITIONAL NATIONAL CONFERENCES. THE STORIES ARE NOW BEING USED IN OVER 200 LOCATIONS NATIONWIDE. THEY ARE ALSO USED BY RELIGIOUS AND INTERFAITH EDUCATORS, IN COLLEGE COURSES, WITH ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION, RECONCILIATION PROGRAMS, AND WITH TROUBLEDTEENS. WE HAVE FOUND THEM TO BE ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE FOR POPULATIONS OTHER CONSIDER DIFFICULT LEARNERS WITH A CORRESPONDING IMPROVEMENT IN BOTH BEHAVIOR AND ACADEMICS. BASED ON THESE DEMOGRAPHICS OUR IMPACT REACHED OVER 30,000 INDIVIDUALS.