WINGS: Helping Kids Soar!

When Ginny Deerin started WINGS in Charleston, South Carolina to give kids the missing piece of their education, she probably had no idea that it would grow to transform the lives of more than 3,100 kids today.

WINGS is an education program that teaches kids how to behave well, make good decisions and build healthy relationships. They weave a comprehensive social and emotional learning curriculum into a fresh and fun after school program. Kids get the life lessons they need to succeed, be happy and get a safe place to call home after school.

WINGS is the only U.S. organization focused solely on developing and improving social and emotional intelligence within after school programming. The hours after school presents a tremendous opportunity to fortify kids with the tools they need to succeed against the odds. The carefully constructed 15-hour-a-week curriculum weaves 30 learning objectives into everyday activities that develop self-awareness, relationship skills, social awareness, self-management and responsible decision-making.

Our hats off to Ginny Deerin and the WINGS Team for organizing and developing social and emotional intelligence through fresh and fun after school programs!

Is The Reach of Your Marketing Strategy Shortsighted?

Does your current marketing plan target the same faction of customers that you began your business with? Are your clients specifically geared to gender, age or income levels? Typically your initial business plan will outline an identifiable category of potential customers who you feel will be the ideal fit for your products or services. Finding different segments for developing your target market can include variables such as income, education and occupation.

By determining your segment’s growth rate, which includes Read More…

My Media Tutor Launches ‘Speaking In Public Places’ Audio Media Tool

When organizations, companies and individuals are ready to express themselves publicly, My Media Tutor will show up with the cameras and microphones to prep, groom and educate.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Speaking in Public Places Audio Media Tool

PRLog (Press Release) - May 13, 2012 -
My Media Tutor unleashes unlimited marketing potential when individuals verbally share their brand messages for public consumption. The company focuses on the messenger’s delivery, tone and tagline before publishing their message. When organizations, companies and individuals are ready to express themselves publicly, My Media Tutor will show up with the cameras and microphones to prep, groom and educate.

Remember the sayings, “Don’t shoot the messenger, or I’d rather die, than speak in public.” We take these metaphoric phrases to heart. The fear of speaking in public is a physiological trigger from our past experiences, moods and attitudes. That is where My Media Tutor comes into your play, by supporting only the best possible outcome when you need to claim your verbal market-share.

My Media Tutor has a synergy of techniques, products and trainings for organizations, companies and individuals to utilize and increase the outcome of their verbal-market-share.  Speaking In Public Places is a guided audio tool that builds the foundation of supreme confidence for the messenger. Speaking In Public Places guided audio does 4 simple things:

•   It’s demystifies how to speak with supreme confidence
•   Reprograms your beliefs about speaking in public
•   Rebuilds your confidence to speak with conviction and authority
•   Reminds you not to invite anxiety and fear to the party

With thousands of books, videos and quotes telling us we can overcome the fear of public speaking, we still haven’t reached the core of the issue. The issue is not the fear of speaking in public! The fear is making mistakes while speaking.  Being embarrassed and beating ourselves up from the inside out, while attacking our self-esteem.

My Media Tutor offers strategic formats designed to prepare a wide range of individual clients and key organizational spokespersons for an assortment of media representations and presentations. The company works with anyone who realizes they have to shine, before the media shows up.

Truly believe and you shall receive the voice of supreme confidence hiding within as you speak. “Speaking In Public Places” guided audio will tap into the synergy of inner-thoughts, imagined or real to boost esteem. My Media Tutor is your personal media connoisseur for interviews, voice-over training, networking etiquette and public speaking. For more information, visit their websitehttp://www.mymediatutor.com/ or email Francene Marie info@mymediatutor.com.

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/11873746/1

Happy Mother’s Day!

Remembering my mother, Henrietta Pollins Gordon (1927-2003)

The first Mother’s Day was celebrated on May 10, 1908 by a church service honoring the late Mrs. Reese Jarvis, mother of Anna Jarvis, who succeeded in introducing Mother’s Day as we celebrate it today. Prior to Jarvis, Julie Ward Howe, known as the famous author of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, failed to get Mother’s Day recognized around 1873. Fortunately, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May in the USA and there are different times of the year when women around the world are recognized on a special day in some form or fashion.

I had the distinct honor and pleasure of appearing in “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks Mom,” along with 100 other authors, that was published in 2010. This is such an ideal compilation of heartwarming and inspiring stories that focuses on memories about mothers, that is such a sweet gift to give especially during this time of the year.

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers everywhere. Even when certain situations are not maternally ideal in our world, our birth came to fruition because someone had to carry us in their bellies. For anyone who served in a loving and maternal capacity, be it an aunt, grandmother, Godmother, teacher or friend, thank you and Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Cinco de Mayo

To commemorate the Mexican Army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, we celebrate the fifth of May or Cinco de Mayo. This holiday is a celebration of Mexican heritage and culture. Many traditions of Cinco de Mayo include mariachi music performances, parades and street festivals occurring in cities across the United States and Mexico.

Find a celebration today in your area and enjoy! Happy Cinco de Mayo! “Olé!” Cheers!

May 2012 Book and Storytelling Festivals

Today we celebrate Hawaiian Lei Day, Mother Goose Day and May Day. Why not pull out a book that will commemorate the events of this day and add a little more to your learning curve. While you are at it, check out this list of Book Festivals and Events occurring this month. If one of these festivals are located near your neck of the woods, why not attend and enjoy!

May 2-5, 2012
33rd Annual St. Louis Storytelling Festival
St. Louis, Missouri
http://stlstorytellingfestival.org/

May 5, 2012
2012 Hudson Children’s Book Festival
215 Harry Howard Avenue
Hudson, New York
http://www.hudsonchildrensbookfestival.com/

May 9-11, 2012
2012 Spring Literary Festival
Athens, Ohio
http://www.english.ohiou.edu/springlitfest/

May 19, 2012
Gaithersburg Book Festival
Gaithersburg, Maryland
http://gaithersburgbookfestival.org/

May 19–20, 2012
26th Bay Area Storytelling Festival
Craneway Pavilion
Richmond, California
http://www.bayareastorytelling.org/

Happy May Day everyone and enjoy the literary festivities near you!

World Book Night 2012: History In The Making

Kym Gordon Moore
World Book Night 2012 Volunteer

Today we are celebrating World Book Night by spreading the love of reading person to person. It is an honor and pleasure for me to be chosen as one of the first 2012 World Book Night volunteers for the United States of America.  I was blessed to be able to give away the World Book Night Special Edition Copy of “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” by Dr. Maya Angelou, who by the way is my favorite poet and author.

Some of the students who attend the Belmont Avenue location of the Greater Boys & Girls Clubs in Charlotte, North Carolina were the recipients of this beautiful autobiography written by Maya Angelou. This book is the first book I read that was not required reading in school. I read my sister’s copy of this book in the late 70′s and with the intention of returning  her book, I purchased my very own copy of this beautifully written book. Although I have yet to return my sister’s book to her her, “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” is certainly one that you will never tire of reading over and over again, regardless of the edition you have! The words are still the same.

I wrote a letter to the recipients who received a copy of this book I gave out, who attend the Charlotte Boys & Girls Club, that read in part:

I want to encourage you to begin your personal library of reference books, novels or books of poetry to help you build a priceless reference center at home. Be sure that your home library includes a “dictionary” and a “Thesaurus.” Try to keep a pen and pad with you so that you can jot down thoughts or ideas that could eventually turn into a book, poem, painting, a song or even a term paper.

I want to encourage you to discipline yourself into reading a few pages of a book each day to help you strengthen your vocabulary, spelling, speech and brainpower. Use what you learn to help others by paying it forward.

This month, we are also celebrating National Library Month. If you are unable to buy books, then visit your nearby local library to check out books, videos and other reference materials to help empower you to learn. Thank you for letting me give you this gift of “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.” Keep reading! 

I would like to thank the World Book Night organization for selecting me as one of the 5,000 book givers who made history tonight, in the United States and around the world. This was a priceless opportunity for me and I am so grateful to be a part of such a monumental occasion shared by millions of book volunteers and book recipients around the world. For more information about World Book Night, visit http://www.us.worldbooknight.org/.

Reading is Knowledge! Knowledge is POWER!

Celebrating National Kite Flying Month: Giving You 8 Reasons to Write This Month

Image Credit: The Parenting Magazine

Have you ever flown a kite? Have you ever attended a kite festival? What goes through your mind as you watch a kite dance with the wind? Kites have been and continue to be a whimsical, fascinating outdoor activity that requires the mechanical skill of maneuvering the strings that control these lightweight, dazzling and colorful flying wonders in the sky.

Traditional kite festivals and events unite kite flyers and those who love to watch kite performances around the world. It gives kite pilots the opportunity to Read More…

April Is National Poetry Month: 8 Reasons to Write, Share and Celebrate

Do you have a favorite poem or poet that rises above all others? How do you commemorate your favorite poem or poet? Since 1996, National Poetry Month has been celebrated during the month of April. The concept behind this national literary observance is to focus and promote poetry, honor poets from the past, empower poetic voices of today and to promote our next generation of poets.

The art of poetry is a blend of visual appreciation or spiritual saturation, coupled with emotional stimulation. Poetry affects Read more…

The Relevancy of Libraries

Happy National Library Week

This week is National Library Week. School Librarian’s Day falls on Wednesday of this week. Many libraries around the country are conducting workshops, special tours, exhibits, contests, author appearances and serving refreshments to commemorate this occasion. Check out this article, National Library Week: How Libraries Remain Relevant

Indulge in the history lying within the walls of your nearby public library. Bask in the essence of a national institution that is still alive and kicking regardless of reports implying that libraries are becoming obsolete quickly. Far be it that they are becoming archaic. Go check out a book from your nearby library this week and celebrate National Library Week. Show your librarians how much you care and appreciate the work they do.

Happy National Library Week!