Before MS had other plans, I was an accomplished teacher...
I earned my Master's in Teaching as well as earned my National Board certification twice!
I encouraged kids to reach for their dreams through their writing.
One of the contests I would coach my students to enter was the Office Depot/USA Today Dream Up program. In the years that the program was in operation, I had 3 students win the national prize which allowed them to live their dream job for a day!
Aylin and Courtney were two of those students below:
Press Release
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=94746&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1711352Middle School Students Set Sights on Future Careers Through Office Depot Foundation ‘Dream Up’ Program
In Collaboration with USA TODAY Charitable Foundation and USA TODAY Education, Program Reaches Nearly 60,000 Kids Since 2009
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These award-winning middle school students soon will have the chance to live their “Dream Job” for a day thanks to the Dream UP Program, which is sponsored by the Office Depot Foundation − the independent, non-profit foundation that serves as the primary charitable giving arm of Office Depot Inc. (NYSE:ODP) − in collaboration with USA TODAY Charitable Foundation
Since its introduction in 2009, nearly 60,000 young people in 20 states have examined future career opportunities through this free program, which seeks to address the alarming problem of middle school students dropping out of school.
The five essay contest winners for the winter/spring semester and their “Dream Jobs” are:
Emily Feldman ,West Sayville Christian School ,West Sayville, N.Y. − Pediatric Occupational Therapist (Teacher:Karen Warren )Forest Good , 71stClassical Middle School ,Fayetteville, N.C. – Veterinarian (Teacher:Madoka Mason )Courtney Taylor ,Plaza Middle School ,Virginia Beach, Va. – Journalist (Teacher:Tamara Netzel )Miguel Vega ,Excel Charter Academy ,Los Angeles, Calif. – Animator (Teacher:Sarah Riemens )Zola Yi ,Golda Meir School for the Gifted andTalented ,Milwaukee, Wis. − Fashion Editor (Teacher:Kimberly Guy )
“By giving middle school students the tools and resources to begin to consider career opportunities, establish long-term goals and dream about what they might become in the future,” says Office Depot Foundation President Mary Wong , “we’re helping to keep students in the classroom, rather than losing them to the streets.”
Throughout the Dream UP curriculum, students read and analyze information in the print and online editions of USA TODAY. They learn about workplace trends, explore and research numerous career options that they discover, develop a career portfolio and write an essay about their dream job.
The Dream UP program clearly makes a difference. Aylin Stout , a 2011 winner, wants to serve in the Air Force just like her father and grandfather. She had the opportunity to experience a day in the life of a fighter pilot student at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma. “Dream UP provided her with an opportunity to see her career in action,” says her mother, Shanna Stout . “But more importantly, it helped clarify the path needed to achieve her dream.”
I took a couple mission trips to Malawi, Africa and encouraged my students in raising over $14,000 for the Mbwatalika village school and community
Learning how to make a child's soccer ball with shopping bags
https://youtu.be/PhCtCgxLfIM
Plaza Middle School raises aid for Malawi
April 15, 2013
Never doubt the power of motivated middle-schoolers.
When it came time for the 110 students at Plaza Middle School’s Middle Years Program (MYP) to decide what they should do for their annual community service project, they looked no further than one of their newest books for inspiration.
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind tells the true story of William Kamkwamba, an imaginative young man born and raised in Malawi, who was forced to cut his educational dreams short when a massive famine hit his village. Instead of giving up, though, Kamkwamba taught himself the basics of engineering and was able to build a windmill and water pump to help his family fight off the devastation of drought and famine.
English teacher Tamara Netzel selected the book for her students following her own travels and work with the Creative Global Relief organization in Malawi.
“(The book) could bring that worldview into the curriculum,” Netzel said. “(With MYP) we talk about those global initiatives. It really hit home the plight of the Malawians.”
Netzel’s firsthand experiences in the country paired with the intriguing life story of Kamkwamba stirred the students into action. They began to ask Netzel how they could help a village, like she had on her trip. Netzel brought in a catalog from Creative Global Relief, which identified different donations or purchases that can better the lives of Malawian people.
With malnutrition being a leading problem in Malawi, the purchase of a maize mill, which would allow villages to grind their own corn for food and use it as an economic tool with other villages, could help sustain life in a village.
Students, like eighth-grader Kenzie Wall, were hooked.
“I started thinking to myself, ‘Wow, this is a major thing,’” Wall said. “There is only one maize mill for every five villages and the women have to carry their harvest from their farms just for something they can eat. My mom can just drive to the grocery store, pick up groceries and make dinner. I really found it frustrating.”
While the students were passionate, the price tag was hefty: one maize mill cost $5,000.
Still, the students of the MYP program got to work. From bake sales and raffles to gift wrapping stands and reading pledges, the students found new ways to bring in money. Some students even sacrificed birthday and Christmas gifts and instead asked for money donations to the cause.
While they were fundraising, Netzel used her connections to set up Skype sessions with some of the Malawi workers and people she had worked alongside. The students also played with games and toys Netzel had brought back from Malawi, including soccer balls made from old grocery bags and rubber balls from the rubber tree plants.
The transformation of the students through the process was immediate.
At the introduction of the book, Netzel had her student put post-it notes on a map of Africa with the words they associated with the continent. Words like “death,” “disease” and “famine” dominated the map. At the conclusion of the book, Netzel repeated the exercise.
This time, words like “knowledgeable,” “resourceful,” “rich” and “intelligent” were found instead.
The more they learned, the more they wanted to help.
And help they did.
When all was said and done, the students raised more than $7,700.
“I thought this was kind of a long shot,” Netzel said. “$5,000 is a lot of money. They just blew me away.”
After all their work, Creative Global Relief members presented the students with certificates of merit and said a village in Malawi will get their maize mill this summer. They also took a picture of the students to put with the mill when it’s delivered.
Wall, who was the highest fundraiser of the group, bringing in $500 by herself, said some of her classmates were actually disappointed they didn’t raise more.
If they had reached $8,000, they would have been able to buy every item in the Creative Global Relief catalog.
“We still reached pretty high and we were pretty proud of ourselves,” Wall added. “Even if you do a little bit, it can make a big difference.”
Plaza students present funds for Malawi
April 7, 2014
Plaza’s day in Malawi
http://www.vbcpsblogs.com/core/plazas-day-malawi/
January 13, 2015
Tamara Netzel’s sixth-grade English classes at Plaza Middle School recently experienced learning in conditions similar to students in Malawi, Africa. Students sat on the floor instead of at their desks, and turned off the power in the classroom – no technology or lights.
The organization which is sponsoring our community and service project is Creative Global Relief based in Norfolk, VA. The website is creativeglobalrelief.org (100% of funds go directly to Malawi people in need with this organization a 501c group) – If you would like to contribute to the students’ effort to buy school desks for the village of Mbwatalika, Malawi in Africa, please contact me at.....
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