Service in Good Works

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, 

and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

(Galatians 6:10)

I am a mom, so I have earned the right to brag on the good things that our son does. For the past couple of weeks, he has been working on applications for various organizations and summer programs. He solicited his own adults to write letters of recommendation. It did my heart good to hear other adults and parents confirm about our child what we already know to be true. He completed the applications and wrote all of his essays with little input from us. One of the things that I was most proud of was that he could pick and choose which of his community service activities to include with his application packages.

What exactly is he applying to be selected?  I am glad you asked.

• He was nominated by his school for membership into the James H. Carter Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society. NJHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship and character. Five main purposes have guided chapters of NJHS from the beginning: to create enthusiasm for scholarship; to stimulate a desire to render service; to promote leadership; to encourage responsible citizenship; and to develop character in the students of secondary schools. 

Source: https://www.njhs.us/about-us.aspx

• He was nominated by his mommy (because he must engage in something besides play video games during the summer months) to apply for the Leaders of Tomorrow Program. LOT is a national network of high school students and MBA professionals / mentors who focus on student empowerment. The mission is to develop positive and socially aware high school students for transformative leadership in college, careers, and community service. Throughout the summer and fall term, leaders participate in a variety of activities, workshops, and events that emphasize growth in the leadership areas of academics, professional development, community service,  securing internships & scholarships, and goal setting & attainment.

• He was informed of the local opportunity to apply to participate in the National Flight Academy Program. The information brochure stated: Across the country, communities are rallying support to focus on student success in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education. The NFA Centers of Inspiration provide a holistic approach to inspiring student interest and engaging them in order to keep them challenged and excited about pursing STEM curriculum.  The A.I.R. program takes place onboard Ambition, located on the grounds of the National Naval Aviation museum in Pensacola, Florida. For multiple days, 8th – 11th graders compete against each other in engaging and intense real-life scenarios that combine the thrill of flight with critical thinking techniques. To apply online:   http://hub.obap.org/home/nfa

While we are still waiting to hear back on whether or not he was accepted into the latter two programs, we are proud to attend his induction ceremony for NJHS next week. With his acceptance letter was a form to return, indicating how he will serve the school next year among other things. His selection: leading the community service outreach efforts. How are you encouraging your children on the importance of community service in their purposed work? Feel free to comment, or send me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post, and want to  catch up on some of my previous discussion, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com.

Giving Good Works

Give and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—

pressed down, shaken together to make room for more,

running over, and poured into your lap.

The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.

(Luke 6:38)

I am writing this blog post on the evening that I learned of the death of a beloved world leader, Mr. Nelson Mandela. I can remember where I was on the day that he was freed after serving 27 years in prison and when I became a student of his great work. To go from prison to president sounds unimaginable to the faithless, but in his own words: It always seems impossible until it is done. Personally, my favorite Mandela quote is that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Education comes in various forms, as a process for acquiring knowledge and skills. Most people think of the formal classes we take to learn a particular subject matter. Personally, I am a hands-on-learner and subscribe to the conventional wisdom of “give me a fish and feed me for a day, teach me to fish and I will feed myself and my family for a lifetime.” Education, for me, takes form when I have real world experience and application.

As advocates of educating young people about the possibilities of future careers in manufacturing, we know it is just as important to begin engaging students as early as possible with relative application today. We want to give kids hands-on-experience in math, problem solving, teambuilding, assembly, and competition. Our proposal is to get more students actively involved in combat robotics. Latrobe has committed to becoming a sponsor of the National Robotics League competition to be held in Cleveland, OH on May 16^th and 17^th, 2014. (To learn more, visit the NRL website at http://www.gonrl.org/index.php or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/GoNRL .) Personally, I have committed to getting more smaller school districts in my home state of Arkansas engaged in cost-effective robotics league programs. I have begun discussion with local educators and hope to have formal programs ready to launch (and fully funded) for the 2014-2015 school year. Our goal is to allow real world experience and application of manufacturing and science concepts for children who may otherwise not get the early exposure.

Pay-It-Forward is a common meme about giving, sowing into others without expectation of repayment, because of the blessings that have been bestowed upon you. My gift to the small communities that have nurtured me over the years is investing in our youth today, through robotics and other STEM-related programs, to get them to see the potential in careers in manufacturing. Personally, my hope is that a seed of good works is planted in the next generation of scientists and entrepreneurs. What are you giving to your community to educate and equip our children with lifetime knowledge to change the world? Let us know by commenting or sending me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.