Who Are You? Purpose, Vision, Mission

The second week of the Main Street Philanthropy program at Harmony High was another barn-burner.  After a check-in on last week meeting and their out-of-class assignments (sounds a lot nicer than homework, doesn't it?), I announced the six teams that had been organized based on their choices from the Make-A-Difference (MAD) card activity during Week 1.  The six areas they self-identified were:

• Family Youth, & Children
• Health Research & Education
• Public Health & Hospitals
• Religious/Spiritual
• Physical & Mental Disabilities
• Arts & Culture

After everyone got into their teams, they did a really great get-to-know-you-better activity called "Your Life in a Brown Paper Bag."  The assignment was simple:  find three small objects that tell something about who you really are and put them in a brown paper lunch sack.  Then in their teams, they took turns pulling things out of their bags and explaining why those chose that object to symbolize something about themselves.  There were some wonderful, unusual, and sometimes curious things coming out of those bags.  One girl brought a pair of 1940's pilot goggles, explaining that she loves adventure and she likes to see ahead clearly.  More often than not, the objects were mundane, everyday objects that came alive with meaning when the student who brought those objects explained what each object said about himself or herself. 

Next the teams had to think about their team purpose, vision, mission, and name. Here's how we picture that in Main Street Philanthropy:

Each teams had to roll up their sleeves and hammer out a purpose statement--why does our team exist?  To serve our community by __________  __________.--a vision statement--what do we imagine our little group might be able to accomplish if we really went at it?--and a mission statement--how do we make this happen?  They also picked a team name, a name that "said something" to themselves and the community about what they stood for.  I was really impressed with the diligence and passion they had as they wrestled with these really significant questions.

The last step was developing a list of organizations the team will be investigating to see if they would be good candidates for their service and their donations.  They will be bringing back lots of information for our next session.  Then I'll teach them how to crunch the numbers, to see if that charity is using wisely the funds they have been given.

Drinking from a Fire Hose

The very first session of the Main Street Philanthropy program at Harmony High School was like a 50-minute adrenaline rush!  I couldn't believe how fast the time flew by, and it was all good.

It was apparent from the minute the class started that these are exceptionally bright and energetic folks, every single one of them a leader.  My guess going in was that they would have little trouble taking on the role of "philanthropists in training," and I was right.

A big thank-you to Eric Hansen, the teacher, for explaining the program in advance.  His preparation made it possible to jump right in with a minimal amount of time spent on the mechanics.  It was obvious that the class really respects him and appreciates him for reaching out to bring important and exciting opportunities to them--including Main Street Philanthropy.

After a brief question and answer session, a quick pre-course assessment, and a short look at the history of philanthropy, we got to the meat of the first session:  using the Make a Difference ("MAD") cards to discover each student's areas of passion and concern.  (I have to say that I am so proud to share those cards with people because my daughter Elisabeth Farnsworth Cohen of Wilson, NC, painted the beautiful cards for us.  Thanks, Elisabeth, great talent.)

Now back to the class.  Working in pairs, the students had to zero in on their top 6 areas of concern, and then narrow that to their Final 3, then explain to their partner why they chose those.  I could tell that for many of them, they wanted to make a difference in so many areas and their hearts are so big and generous and it was very difficult to choose one over the other.  But what a valuable life lesson: sometimes we must make hard choices in order to make the greatest difference.

These choices will allow these budding philanthropists to focus their efforts on those areas of need and concern that are most important to them individually.  They will also be used to help form their small groups in which they will do much of their work for the next seven weeks. 

It was, in short, a wonderful start to what is shaping up to be a exceptional experience for all.  Thanks, guys.

Getting Ready for My First Session at Harmony High

The big day has finally arrived!

In just a few hours I will begin my first session of teaching the Main Street Philanthropy program to the student government class at Hamony High School.  Thanks to Eric Hansen for making all this happen.

My mission is to help a group of bright and caring students experience the joy of intelligent and passionate philanthropy, and then to see how that changes their lives.  My believe is that the students will learn many, many useful life skills, but most importantly, they will find what they care most deeply about and then get neck-deep involved in making a difference. 

I have found that philanthropy helps people come alive.  One of my favorite quotes is from Howard Thurman:  "Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive.  And then go and do that.  Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

If just one student can truly come alive because of this program, it will be worth it.  I'm betting that it will be many more than just one.

Here we go!!!!!