My visit to China as part of the Experiment in International Living - Eriel Holloway

 The Experiment in International Living (EIL) really had a big impact on me. I took a trip to China for four weeks and it was so amazing! When I first got to Los Angeles, I was a little scared to meet my group because they were all from different states and I was worried that I would not get along with the other students. My prediction was way off because my group got along very well and there weren't any problems.

When I first met my group, it was weird talking to them because they all said that I sounded like I was from the South because I had a southern accent (which I had never heard before!). Before we went off to live with our host families, I got to know my group a little more and I learned that we all had something unique about us.

 My first day in China was a lot of fun because I got to climb the Great Wall of China, something that I never thought I would do in a million years. The steps were so steep and it was scary going up and coming down. I was worried that I would not like the food in China but the food was not that bad. It was different but it was good to me.

One thing that stuck out to me was the long train ride from city to city. The first train ride was 16 hours and all of that time on the train brought the group even closer together, which was a wonderful thing.

After the train ride from Beijing to Xian, we went our separate ways and lived with our urban host families for six days. It turned out to be a great experience because I got to share my family with another student in my group. We each had our own rooms and our sisters were very nice to us.

The first day spending time with my sister was interesting because I was helping her with her English and she was helping me with my Chinese. While spending time with my sister, I learned that I have to work on my patience, especially when it came to helping my sister with her English. I had to keep reminding myself that while my sister spoke English, she was not fluent at it so I had to take my time when we talked.

My host mother was great cook and she always asked what we wanted to eat and my sister always made sure that I had enough food to eat. I had a great time with my host family and I was a little sad to leave them.

When we arrived to our rural home stay, there were fire crackers going off and the people were so excited to see us! I loved the rural home stay because our group became close to one another. We saw each other every day and spent time over each others houses.

One of the last activities that we did before we went home was to go swimming in a cave with mud in it. It was so much fun because I was not used to swimming in mud it was so cold and thick. After swimming in mud, we rinsed off and got in a hot spring that was in the cave – 

talk about relaxing!

When the last day in China finally came and we went back to America, I was a little sad because I had such a great time in China. But, I also missed my family and friends back in DC and couldn’t wait to tell them about my trip. China was a lot of fun and I would definitely come back to visit!

Women In Film & Video seeks high school students who are interested in TV & FILM !

Women In Film & Video (WIFV) is looking for high school students who have an interest in TV and film to participate in their 2012 Image Makers program. Image Makers teaches students how to create, film and edit public service announcements (PSAs) for a local non-profit organization.

The Image Makers program is FREE and is a great way for students to learn about film production. Students will have an opportunity to work with real cameras and editing equipment AND they will be able to keep the PSA for their resume and college applications! There's also a possibility that the PSA may air on a local TV news station as well as YouTube!

The Image Makers program will run for 8 consecutive Saturdays beginning in February 2012 and the program will be held at a Metro accessible location.

To complete an application, interested students should visit the WIFV webpage and

download the application form.

All applications are due by

Friday, December 2^nd, 2011 at 5PM.

If you have any questions, please contact Alan Bezet.

Thank you for supporting The SEED School of Washington, DC on Give to the Max Day!

Dear friends,

Thank you for responding to The SEED School of Washington, DC's call to action on Give to the Max Day! We are most appreciative for the 60 generous donors who enabled us to raise a total of $2,070!  Razoo, The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region and United Way of the National Capital Area encouraged 17,000 of donors to support their favorite non-profit organizations, raising $2,034,584 for 1,285 non-profit organizations serving the Greater Washington, DC area.

Thank you for participating in our largest, most impactful online giving campaign! We hope that you continue to visit our website, our Razoo page and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. If you are interested in joining us for a Point of Entry Tour or learning more about The SEED School of Washington, DC, please contact Shari Laldee at 202-248-3012. On behalf of the 330 students who benefit from our innovative, supportive, 120-hour per week learning environment, I thank you.

Gratefully,

Charles Barrett Adams, Esq.

Head of School

CodeNow offers FREE Netbooks and computer programming training for DC high school students!

 Through fun and interactive trainings, CodeNow teaches under-served high school students foundational skills in computer science and programming. CodeNow believes that creating a fluency in computers will spur innovation and will open doors for young people while also creating a pipeline of talent for American companies.

CodeNow is currently recruiting DC-area students in grades 10 – 12 for their upcoming weekend trainings that will be held on November 19th and 20th and December 10th and 11th.

If you're interested in learning about computer programming, please complete the online application by THIS Saturday, November 12.

 There are five parts to the CodeNow program: 

1. Weekend Training: Each student who is selected into the program will participate in one weekend training (November 19-20 or December 10-11). On Day 1, students will learn the basics in computer programming, beginning with Hackety Hack, an open source program. On Day 2, using Lego Mindstorms, (robotic kits made out of Legos), students will work in teams to build and program robots.
2. Projects: After the weekend training, students will complete online assignments and projects to hone their acquired skills. 
3. Bootcamp: Students will attend a bootcamp from December 27th-30th, where they will receive intensive training in the Ruby programming language. 
4. Netbooks: Each student who completes the weekend training AND bootcamp will receive a free Netbook! CodeNow believes that it’s important for students to be able to practice their skills and the Netbook is a tool that will allow them to do so. 
5. Alumni Network: All students who complete the trainings and bootcamp will be invited to join the CodeNow Alumni network where they will receive mentoring, assistance finding internships and invitations to attend hackathons and other events.
   
   To see what students have to say about the CodeNow program, check out this video: http://youtu.be/VTCGDmYnhhM. If you have any questions about CodeNow, please contact Ryan Seashore at Ryan@CodeNow.org.

National Drug Facts Day at the Swedish Embassy!

Last week, 100 DC high school students and several SEED students (Darcia Brown, Taylor Butler, Cierra Graham, Imani Graham, Heaven Griffin, Bryon Ford, Keirra Simmons and Keyana White) had an opportunity to interact with top U.S. scientists and guest speakers at the House of Sweden! 

All of the students were guests of Mentor Foundation USA and the goal of the event was to shatter the myths that students had about drugs and for them to pledge to stay drug free!

 

The guest speakers included Dr. Nora Volkow, Director at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and R&B recording artist Mario (Barrett) of The Mario Do Right Foundation.

In addition to the guest speakers, the George Washington University Center for Alcohol/Peer Drug Educators presented workshops for students in a game show format and the clothing retailer H&M announced the winner of the drug free T-shirt slogan contest. While no one from SEED won the slogan contest, all of the students enjoyed themselves and modeled exemplary behavior throughout the day.

Support The SEED School of Washington, D.C. on Give to the Max Day - November 9th!

Starting at 12:00am EST on November 9th, thousands are going to show their support for their favorite nonprofit organizations located in the Greater Washington Area for Give to the Max Day. On this day, awards will be given to the nonprofits that raise the most dollars and garner the most donations. Please help us win our share of $100,000 in cash awards by making a donation to The SEED School of Washington, DC.

We need you to help us with these three things: 

1. Mark November 9th on your calendar 
2. Visit http://www.razoo.com/story/seedschooldc to make a donation ($10 minimum)
3. Help spread the excitement and follow us on Facebook and Twitter! Forward this message to family and friends and tell them about the success of our innovative, intensive college-preparatory educational program that prepares children both academically and socially for success in college and in life beyond.

Please join us for one of the largest, one-day, online fundraising events that will benefit Greater Washington Area non-profit  organizations.

November 5th paddling activity!

 

This Saturday, November 5 from 11:00am-2:00pm, leaders from Groundwork Anacostia River DC (GWARDC), Georgetown University and Howard University will be taking students kayaking around Roosevelt Island in Washington, DC. GWARDC will provide the kayaks, paddles, PFDs (life vests) and the appropriate training needed for this level of kayaking. Students will spend about 2 hours on the water and lunch will be provided at Jack's Boathouse!

Students who would like to participate in this exciting opportunity should bring warm clothes and/or a change of clothes, footwear that they don’t mind getting a little wet, a personal snack and a water bottle.

 To RSVP for the paddling activity, please send an email either to Ms. Fajr Chestnut or Mr. Vaughn Perry. As an incentive, every youth that attends the kayaking trip will receive a CamelBak water bottle and a certificate for a free pair of shoes!

Jack’s Boathouse is located at 3500 K St. NW (drive up M St. to Wisconsin Ave., turn left and go all the way down to K St., turn right and arrive at Jack’s Boathouse, which will be located on the left – underneath the Key Bridge).

Students who are traveling via public transportation can take the Orange Line train towards Vienna and get off at the Rosslyn Metro Station.