Summer's Coming!

Wow, this year's flown by. The end of the school year is fast approaching, so we're winding down the Thriving Minds after-school program and gearing up for the next big thing: Summer Camp! We're on the move at all levels of the organization, planning, writing, promoting, recruiting, hiring—the list goes on and on. Since we're doing all this hard work for you, the community, we've tried to find ways to inform you about what is available.

If your child is in the Thriving Minds after-school program, stay tuned for more information on the Thriving Minds Summer Camps from the Community Site Manager at your site. They'll be sending your kiddos home with flyers very soon.

If you don't have a child in the after-school program, don't fret! You can join us at the Dallas Independent School District's Summer Quest this Saturday, May 1, from 10 am – 2 pm at Townview Center (1201 E 8th St, 75203). Summer Quest will be full to the brim of organizations offering free and low-cost summertime opportunities, so that every child in Dallas that wants something constructive and creative to do this summer can get signed up. It'll be a four-hour summer camp extravaganza!

And if that doesn't work for you, join us at Sizzlin’ Summer Kickoff at Paul Quinn College (3837 Simpson Stuart Road, 75241) on May 15th from 10 am – 2 pm for another summer camp fair. This event will feature free and low-cost summertime activities for kids of all ages, college readiness workshops for parents and students, health and dental screening, and employment and internship opportunities.

So there it is—everything you need to get your kids set for summer learning. We'll see you around town!

SLANT 45's Citizen Volunteers

SLANT 45 is under way and attracting a LOT of attention! We are lucky to have so many groups and organizations throwing their support behind this project - from the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee to the local school districts to the mayors of 112 cities in North Texas and many more. Some of our most invested partners are the Junior League of Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, Arlington, and Richardson, and The Links, Inc. from Plano/North Metroplex, Mid-Cities, Trinity, Dallas and Fort Worth. These groups were among the first to sign on and offer their services as volunteer partners - and they've been hard at work with us ever since.

The women of the local Junior League chapters are working as coaches' assistants. When a project leader, or "coach," registers their team, the League closest to them springs into action. Each team is assigned to one member, who sends the coach the information packet, playbooks and t-shirts. The Junior League member is also available to help the coach set up awareness opportunities and events, and give hands-on help and advice. This is the first time that all the local Junior Leagues have banded together to work on one single project, and we are certain we couldn't do it without their help!

The women of The Links, Inc. are part of the SLANT 45 Speakers Bureau. They have done intense training, and know everything there is to know about the project. When a school district, corporation or organization calls us and asks for more information, our volunteers are ready to go out and share their knowledge. Without them and the other members of our Speakers Bureau, we would be hard-pressed to inform everyone who's interested in the project.

A project of this size - 20,000 kids, 45,000 hours of community service - demands an all-hands-on-deck approach. However, our biggest pool of volunteers with SLANT 45 are those parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, teachers, and youth organization leaders who are serving as SLANT 45 team coaches for groups of kids in their lives. It’s easy to volunteer as a team coach! You get to set your own schedule, your own timeline, align the team project with the interests of your teammates and spend your time on something you’re passionate about! Most importantly, you’re involvement as a team coach teaches kids the value of giving back to their community.

We’ve had a variety of projects with SLANT 45. Some are done right in one’s own home, such as starting an electricity conservation campaign with your kids. Others involve sports teams like the one featured on this blog – Team Sasha, whose coach helped a children's basketball team start a Lego collection in honor of their teammate Sasha Okhotskiy. Others, like Stephanie, an afterschool program director at Clarke Elementary School in Fort Worth, worked with her group of students to come up with no less than FOUR fantastic service-learning programs.

There are many ways you can be involved. If you are interested in signing up a team, you can register on the SLANT 45 website – you’ll get all the (FREE) materials you'll need to get your team started AND an invitation to the blowout bash that’ll be thrown at Cowboys Stadium in January to celebrate your efforts and those of your team. What are you waiting for? Sign up today!

SLANT 45: Future of the World

Alexis, Veronica, Anthony and Alyssa (pictured above, left to right) are students in an afterschool program for at-risk kids at George C. Clarke Elementary in Fort Worth. These four students are the leaders of four SLANT 45 projects taking place at the school which all tie into the theme "Future of the World."

The students themselves decided what their projects would be and with whom they would partner: Veronica is leading a graffiti cleanup project; Alexis is concentrating on gang prevention; Alyssa is leading a beautification/trash pickup project and is working with Anthony, whose group is creating a recycling program the proceeds from which will go to charity.

On Wednesday, these children and their school were host to a meeting of the SLANT 45 Action Team, a group of business professionals, educators and others who help with outreach. Each student spoke briefly but passionately about why they feel these issues are problems in their community and their plan to address them. Members of the Action Team were particularly struck by how these children are so quick to give back even though they themselves are in need - and that is the beauty of SLANT 45. It gives elementary school children the chance to get to know more about their community, identify and fill a need and spark the spirit of giving that will follow these children through their adulthood.

If you know an inspiring group of youngsters who are ready to give back to their community, sign up at www.slant45.org/. All kids who participate will be invited to attend an extra-special celebration event at Cowboys Stadium in January 2011. Register today!

Mural Project Making a Big Impact at Comstock

Students in the Thriving Minds after-school program at Comstock Middle School are leaving their mark on campus—literally. Through a visual art residency led by Steven Beck, an advanced placement art teacher at Dallas Independent School District’s Townview Magnet Center, the students are creating a large-scale mural that will remain a permanent feature in the Comstock cafeteria. The goal of the project is to instill a sense of pride in the students for their school and to bring the community closer, says Lisa Schmidt, an instructional specialist for Big Thought, which manages the Thriving Minds after-school program.

To jumpstart the project, Beck met with Comstock students to brainstorm what the mural should symbolize. The resulting images and words are representative of the unique mix of cultures that make up the student body, and the topics and issues they feel are most relevant to their lives today. Beck then took the ideas and worked with his students at Townview to develop initial sketches of the mural.

Since then, nearly 35 students from both schools have come together to work on the piece, and are committing their time after school every Tuesday and Thursday through May to complete the project. The spirit of collaboration has also spread to the community; in February, parents and teachers joined the students for two Saturdays to lend a hand. The final mural will be unveiled during a special Cinco de Mayo celebration in May.

Photo Friday!

In response to the lack of quality programs for all kids during spring break, Thriving Minds and the African American Museum partnered up to host a spring break camp.

For 3 days children participated in a variety of visual art classes offered from museum staff and our Big Thought's Thriving Minds after-school Assistant Site Managers. Professional artist Leo Hassan opened up the camp with an African drumming master class and he and Melody Bell, an African Storytelling artist, returned for the culminating event — a Family Night on March 18th — and provided an engaging storytelling and musical family experience for the parents. Over 100 parents and kids attended the family night. Check it out!

Leadership Learnings

Leadership Learnings
by Gigi Antoni, Big Thought President/CEO

I always enjoy watching the Academy Awards with my family. Though the hosts and dresses change with the years, the acceptance speeches have always carried a familiar theme that consistently emerges; in the menagerie of thank-yous and teary remembrances, the winning actors almost always praise a teacher, parent or other mentor who stood out as a supporter of creativity.


Imagine that! As experts in their craft, these Oscar winners attribute their success to some adult who made it all possible. I suppose that the sentiment isn’t at all uncommon. If I asked you to reach across the vast expanse of childhood memories to pull out an adult who impacted you, I am confident that you could do it in an instant. Because we all have that person who helped us realize our talent and potential, and in doing so forever changed the course of our lives.

Adults are crucial in developing the creative capacities of our young learners. It takes courage and diligence to create something and share it with others, especially for a child. Big Thought research has laid it out clearly: Students who are creative mirror the creative investment of caring adults. In fact, 50% of a child’s willingness to try and stick with an artistic endeavor depends on their family, while the other half depends on teachers, family members and other adults.

But developing creativity is only the jumping-off point for success when children have a mentor who cares about them. According to the Search Institute, teens who feel that others value their creative passions are three times more likely to have a sense of hopeful purpose, be actively engaged in school and take on leadership roles.

The most wonderful part about these encouraging facts is that the role of a supportive adult can come from anyone who has the time and desire to invest in a child. With creative organizations like Big Thought, too many would-be volunteers mistakenly believe that artistic ability is necessary to work with or mentor our youth. But kids don’t need someone with the magic hands of Picasso or the graceful feet of Anna Pavlova. All that children need (and want, for that matter) are adults who make them feel special and worthwhile. More than that, children desire that a grown-up really see and hear them, recognizing and validating their individuality, dreams and talents.

Big Thought serves thousands of children each year, and every single one can benefit from the kind words and encouraging nods of a supportive adult. Big Thought recently kicked off the SLANT 45 program in partnership with the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee. This ambitious program encourages parents, mentors, teachers and other adults to head a team of youngsters in their individually designed service-learning projects. SLANT 45 is not only a fantastic opportunity both for the adults and children who will participate, but it’s also a great way to proactively change your community. Look around. At schools, churches and in neighborhoods there are myriad ways to help out and make a difference in the life of a child who needs you. And who knows, maybe you’ll be thanked at the Oscars someday!

Visit http://www.slant45.org/ and sign up your team today.

This article was included in the April issue of The Big Idea newsletter. To receive e-news and updates from Big Thought, join our Mailing List.

Photo Friday

Today's photos come from the February 16th SLANT 45 launch event at Pope Elementary School in the Arlington ISD. SLANT 45 Chairman Daryl Johnston visited the students - along with donors Ted and Shannon Skokos - to check in on their progress with their SLANT 45 service-learning projects.



Visit the SLANT 45 website to register your student group for this historic service-learning program!