LearnServe Zambia - Bryon Ford

 

 Today was great…..it was the most adventurous day of the trip as we visited one of the seven natural wonders of the world: Victoria Falls! This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. The water clashing amongst the rocks was so amazing. As Nadja screamed “Oh my God!” I ran across the bridge with Jeremy and we got completely soaked. After we got over the bridge, we ventured through the many points of Victoria Falls. I took several pictures of rainbows in the mist and saw bungee jumpers. As I was crossing back to the dry side, I actually opened my eyes. This bridge is so dangerous, but beautiful at the same time.

 After viewing the majesty of the falls, most of the LSZ group hiked down the side of Victoria Falls. Although the hike was hard (and even harder with wet clothes), we made it down and it was completely worth it. It was like a whirlpool of beauty…just the force of the water pushing into one cycling spot was utterly mind boggling. I can’t believe that something this beautiful could exist in nature. As we were coming up, we were greeted by tons of baboons. At the top, we went to the Victoria Falls market which was utterly ridiculous. The venders were very pushy with their prices.
Although Victoria Falls was amazing, the African safari was just as amazing.

On safari we saw an elephant, zebras, giraffes, impalas, wildebeests, and so much more.

Just when the Safari was getting a little bit dry, we stopped at this nice picnic area, saw two great big hippos, and took a great photo montage.
 

After all of that we ended our day at this place called the Art Cafe. This place had a lot of atmosphere and the nicest Canadian couple owned it. Although the food was awful (the meat was meatless), the characters there were very colorful because there was a reggae concert called “Yes Africa” taking place.

This was the most adventurous day of the trip, and we did so much. I am looking forward to the rest of the trip and hopefully Chikumbuso will be good. I am anxious because I don’t want to get too personal with the kids. The Malambu kids were really great and honestly life changing. They taught me so much about how serious education is and how you should not take it for granted. Although I know what I am saying sounds very cliché, having this experience has been life changing. I know if I was in that situation, I would not be able to focus on my education like these kids did. They are very respectful and that respect will get them far. One thing that many Americans lack is respect. These kids are so grateful and they are special because the gratefulness is genuine. 

 But now I am going on a tangent and need to get back on point. Today was the most adventurous day of the entire trip. It was great.

 PS: I just met this group 8 days ago and I already feel like I have known them for years. I love these guys. Jeremy is really awesome and humorous, Gaby is a great leader and really pretty, and everybody is just great. I am having a great trip.

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 *You can visit: http://learn-serve.org/trips/zambia/ to follow SEED students Brittney Bowles and Bryon Ford and SEED staff members Jonathan Alexis and Topher Kandik during their exciting LearnServe Zambia adventure!

LearnServe Zambia - Brittney Bowles

We finally made it to Zambia after spending over 24 hours in multiple airports and on multiple planes. On the first flight, I sat by Bryon and this Ethiopian man, Mele. It was nice talking to him at first but then he never stopped. And while we had a talkative person, Kylie and Sam had a rude lady. Kylie said that lady spilled her drink on her and told her “you’ll live,” then she used her napkin to wipe her mouth instead of giving it to Kylie. Kylie ended up having to ask me for a napkin.

Nadja and I had a horrible experience trying to use the restrooms in the airport at Addis Ababa. The bathroom was all the way on the other side of the building. In addition to that the line was extremely long because the bathroom only had three stalls.

Finally we both made it to a stall and noticed too late that NEITHER OF OUR STALLS HAD TOILET PAPER! We both asked someone to give us some toilet paper, and a lady gives us one travel size tissue. We both said thank you went to go wash our hands with the little bit of soap the bathroom had.

After all of that we settled into Juls Guesthouse around 5:00pm. The boys played with footballs and soccer balls outside while the girls talked inside. Our first dinner was good. The ladies who work at the guesthouse prepared it for us. We had rice, chicken, beef, and vegetables. We were told that we should be drinking 2 liters of water a day. We also wrote in our journals today and talked about our do’s and don’ts for riding on planes. Tomorrow we will be going to the market and some of us will be going grocery shopping.

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 *You can visit: http://learn-serve.org/trips/zambia/ to follow SEED students Brittney Bowles and Bryon Ford and SEED staff members Jonathan Alexis and Topher Kandik during their exciting LearnServe Zambia adventure!

Summer Enrichment opportunities for Youth in Wards 5-8!

Sasha Bruce Youthwork's (SBY) Prevention Outreach Wellness Education and Risk Reduction (P.O.W.E.R.) Program is working in partnership with the DC Department of Parks and Recreation's (DC DPR) Operation Safe Summer Initiative to offer summer enrichment activities for youth in Wards 5-8 at select DPR centers.

The flyer below highlights the dates, locations and types of programs that are being offered. If you have any questions, please contact Shameka Johnson at (202) 675-9370.

Diversity Open House at Amherst College - Applications due THIS Friday, August 12th!!

Rising seniors are invited to apply to Amherst College’s Diversity Open House Weekends, which will take place September 24-26 and October 15-17, 2011. This is a great opportunity to learn about the Amherst community, visit the campus, talk with students and faculty, attend classes and spend time in a residence hall. Up to 200 high school seniors will be selected for the Diversity Open Houses and there is no reason why SEED students should miss out on this wonderful opportunity!

The deadline to apply for the Diversity Open House is Friday, August 12^th. To increase your chances of being selected, Amherst encourages students to apply by Monday, August 1^st. Amherst will accept applications until they have filled both the September and October programs.

The application is short and straightforward and a completed application should include:

•  A copy of your high school transcript or grade reports for your freshman, sophomore and junior years; 
• Any standardized test results; and
• A short essay response.

 Please contact Mr. Cotton for an application.

Students who are admitted to the Open Houses will receive a letter inviting them to attend the program. The selection committee will prioritize the invitation of students who demonstrate limited family financial resources and under-represented cultural groups, including African-American, Hispanic/Latino American, Native American and Asian-Americans are encouraged to apply.

There is strong possibility that the Amherst Admissions Office will fund 100% of airline, bus, or train transportation costs for students who visit during the Open House Weekends. Some students who apply to the Open Houses will also receive a fee waiver for the Amherst College $60 application fee, regardless of whether they are invited to attend one of the Open Houses.

The first open house will begin Saturday afternoon, September 24^th and will conclude after morning classes on Monday, September 26^th. The second open house in October will follow the same Saturday through Monday format. All applicants to the program will be notified of their status in early September and all invited students will receive permission forms and travel planning information shortly thereafter.

Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) program - Jaelin Hayden

 

 I recently attended a program called the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) program that was held at George Washington University in Washington, DC. This program included approximately 40 sophomores who were chosen by HOBY. I initially thought that this three day program was going to be experienced leaders talking about the fundamentals of what being a leader is all about...I was wrong.

This program has done much more; it changed my perspective on life! Not only did it teach me what it means to become a leader, it also taught me why it is important to become a leader and that every person has a purpose in life. HOBY has let me come out of my comfort zone through all of their intriguing and exceptionally adrenaline raising activities and chants. This experience has allowed me to analyze myself and led me to discover who I am and how I can make a positive impact on the people in this world.

 I learned through the different panelists who spoke with us and the community service projects that we participated in that the little things people do count in ways you would not expect. One of the community service activities we did was Race for the Cure. This is where thousands of men and women run for several miles to help raise money and support the efforts to find a cure for breast cancer. 

After the event was over, we helped take down all the tables, chairs and table cloths that were surrounding the National Mall. This job may sound simple but it was also very exhausting. There must have been hundreds of tables and chairs throughout the National Mall. But, HOBY made a lot of people’s jobs much easier.

Another community service activity we did was with Martha’s Table. There, HOBY volunteers recorded their voice while reading a children’s book so that sick kids in the hospital can feel more comfortable. We also did much, much more!

After the HOBY program is over, you are and always will be a part of HOBY and therefore, you get special privileges! HOBY helps students get community service hours by giving alumni a list of things that we can do throughout the year that equals up to 100 community service hours!

 

Being a HOBY alumnus also gives you a chance to meet other HOBY alumni throughout the world; it’s kind of like a sorority! As a result, I would most definitely recommend rising sophomores to attend this program because you will gain a lot out of this experience and it will be lots of fun!

Adventures of the Mind - Ty'Ronn Spriggs

 Adventures of the Mind 2011 has been a great experience for me. I was thrilled by all of the amazing artists, entrepreneurs, writers, scientists, Noble Peace Prize winners, cartoonist, athletes as well as those individuals who shared their stories about how some persevered and others “stumbled” into success.

I have never been more motivated to continue doing the things that I do in my community and what I will continue to do as an incoming freshman at Alabama State University. 

Before coming to a little place called Missoula, Montana, I had never felt more empowered to be successful. Being in Missoula and finding out about its rich history and hearing stories and studies about Lewis & Clark has inspired me to focus on my passion and vision as a student mentor and leader.

 The Adventures of the Mind program allowed me to make awesome friendships with people from across the country, including Montana, Kansas, New York, California, Tennessee, Georgia, Maine and even Alaska! Even though we no longer party with each other every night or debate about books by Mark Twain or George Orwell, we still keep in contact via Facebook.

All in all, Adventures of the Mind taught me to continue to be who I am and never be flustered about failing. If I am ever inspired to write a book, the title would be Don't Be Flustered by Failure and the first couple of pages would read: "It all started with a student conference in Missoula, Montana..."

If I had to choose a favorite speaker, I would have to say either Jacques D'Amboise, or Mark Moffett. Jacques has inspired me to continue being the Thespian that I am today...

 

While Mark has taught me that no matter what you're passion is, because you have one, you have something to be excited about. It’s not everyday that someone is passionate about bugs or ants, but meeting Mark has transformed my life.

Great opportunity for rising 9th-12th graders! Application deadline is Tuesday, July 5!

Rising 9^th-12^th graders are invited to apply for the Howard University Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence (HU IC CAE) Camp Cyber 2011.

Camp Cyber 2011 is part of The Howard University (HU) – Virginia Tech Intelligence Community (IC) Center of Academic Excellence (CAE). Camp Cyber is a FREE, 2-week academic and enrichment day camp that focuses on engineering, technology, cyber security, cross-cultural and international awareness and career opportunities in the United States Intelligence Community.

The dates of the camp are July 18^th – 29^th and the camp will run Monday – Friday from 9am – 4pm on the campus of Howard University and will include off-campus trips.

Selected participants will be paid $300 for their participation in the 2-week camp. Participants will also receive lunch daily and all supplies and materials that they will need for the camp will be provided.

Students are required to attend all days and participate in all activities.

Selection into the HU IC CAE Camp Cyber 2011 is competitive and all applicants must submit the following documents in order to be considered:

1. An online application
2. A 250-500 word cohesive essay that answers the following two questions:
• Why do you want to participate in the HU IC CAE Camp Cyber 2011 Program?
• What interests you about science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics and why?
• Please note that this is an online application and it is highly recommended that you first write your essay in Microsoft Word and then cut and paste the essay into the online application. This essay should not include any special formatting (i.e. bolded text, underlining, italics, special fonts, characters, symbols, etc.).
3. One (1) letter of recommendation
• This recommendation can be from a science or math teacher, guidance counselor, pastor or mentor that is not related to you.
• Please talk to this person before adding his/her name to see if he/she would be willing to provide a recommendation for you.
• The recommender should speak to your school performance, interests or extracurricular activities, leadership qualities and why you should be selected for this program.
• Your recommender should submit the letter of recommendation via email to HUICCAE@gmail.com with the subject line: IC CAE Camp Cyber 2011 Recommendation (Applicant’s Last Name, First Initial).
  
4. A copy of your most recent report card

Completed applications must be received no later than Tuesday, July 5, 2011 by 11:59pm EST. If you have any questions, please contact:

Ms. Melissa E. Wynn, Associate Director
Howard University IC CAE Program
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Washington, DC 20059
HUICCAE@gmail.com
Phone: (202) 806-9031