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Visit Flyover Country: Fulton, MO: National Churchill Museum

It is a pleasure to work with the National Churchill Museum. Read about this wonderful Missouri treasure here:

Visit Flyover Country: Fulton, MO: National Churchill Museum: Located an easy two hours outside of St. Louis is the site of one of the twentieth century's most important historical events: Winston C...

Special Olympics plans Columbia training center

Proud to work with Special Olympics Missouri on this special announcement by University of Missouri Head Coach Gary Pinkel and the head of Centene, Michael Neidorff. They announced a practice facility for athletes - the first of its kind in the nation at a press conference yesterday at Mizzou!

Special Olympics plans Columbia training center

Making the Most of Athlete Philanthropy

For a number of years, I've had the opportunity to work in sports, particularly in the areas of communications and philanthropy. Here I profile Van Le, the new head of The Sports Philanthropy Project!

Making the Most of Athlete Philanthropy

Skandalaris workshop to showcase innovation support resources July 25 | Newsroom | Washington University in St. Louis

This will be a great program for women and minorities to link them with entrepreneurial and innovation resources! I have served as a judge for the center's Youthbridge Social Entrepreneur Competition and their efforts are top notch!

Skandalaris workshop to showcase innovation support resources July 25 | Newsroom | Washington University in St. Louis

Case for Social Media in Developing Thought Leadership

I often have the opportunity to contribute content to a variety of blogs. This post was developed specifically for 501Connect to provide guidance to non-profits on how to use social media to build thought leadership.

http://www.501connect.com/non-profit-news/the-case-for-social-media-in-developing-thought-leadership

A Whole New World

You cannot listen to the news without hearing about China! With friends living in Beijing and Hong Kong, we took the opportunity to see China this fall. Our opportunity to stay with ex-pats, but also to stay with a Chinese family in Beijing gave us a sense of this country. An incredible modernization is underway with more large buildings and cranes than I have ever seen. The emergence of the middle class, building boom, a feeling of bustle and purpose... all qualities I can imagine must have been here in the United States following World War II.

From the ancient to the modern, we got a chance to see it first hand with our children. A whole new world stage that they will need to be comfortable on.... An eye opener and game changer for all of us!

Blessing of Bus Budget Cuts!

Our district, like so many, needed to find savings in the annual school budget this year. So this summer, they took a hard look at the bus routes and determined they could make some changes and cut several hundred thousand dollars from the operating budget. Patrons took it hard -- kids would have to walk farther to their stops, there would be fewer stops, schedules would change... change is always hard on people.

We all weighed in, and a few changes were made that helped ensure safety for our students. In our case, the middle school stop is still at the top of the subdivision, up a large hill and the elementary stop is around the corner rather than within shouting distance of our home.

But our middle schoolers gave it some thought, cased out the area and asked if they could purchase a lock and ride their bikes to and from the stop each day. We thought it was a great idea and got a few lock choices. (Nevermind that they lock up to a large bush!) This change started with them thinking about the situation, coming up with a creative solution, and now has given them extra exercise and an invigorating ride down the hill in the afternoon, which is beneficial in many ways. We walk our elementary student to and from the stop up and around the corner, and enjoy extra time to visit with her along with some of our neighbors.

Change usually offers an opportunity if you look at it that way... the blessing of bus budget cuts has provided us with additional exercise, chances for conversation and more resources that can be used in the classroom -- and everyone wins!

Global Impact Daily!

I am often reminded of what a global world we live in. Our suburban elementary school has more than 30 countries represented, many are even first generation Americans. We hosted an exchange student from Madrid this summer and had the benefit of learning from her.

A colleague of mine now lives in Beijing, China and is encouraging us to visit. And now our niece is off to Namibia, Africa for a semester abroad. I, too, studied in London for a semester.

I love learning from those who are having those experiences now... all made possible through technology-- our niece will blog http://caitlins-abroad.blogspot.com/, we'll stay connected to our student via Facebook, and I'll continue to learn from the various people all over the world who I follow on Twitter!

Seeing your city through new eyes!

An exchange student from Madrid, Spain has joined us in St. Louis this month. We've showed her the sites, our way of life and welcomed her at our dinner table and with our neighbors. The Arch has been a highlight, today was the Botanical Garden and Crown Candy Kitchen. Last weekend was Chicago. Often it does take a guest to pursue sightseeing with the proper vigor.

Although in our house, we try to do one new activity or site each month! It is always wonderful to see your city through new eyes!

Ladue Horton Watkins tops Newsweek list - St. Louis Business Journal

Ladue Horton Watkins tops Newsweek list - St. Louis Business Journal

Yurbuds Assembles Superteam to Attempt World Record Flash Mob

Three Cheers for Mr. Hadfield

Great teachers mold our kids forever! This teacher is a finalist for Regis and Kelly's Top Teacher Contest! Watch here for more details! He's in NYC this week!

Three Cheers for Mr. Hadfield:

Let us tell you about a teacher in St. Louis Missouri,

We think he’s the best, but we’ll let Regis and Kelly be the jury.

His name is Tom Hadfield, and he teaches third grade at Reed,

And this is why, as an educator, we all think he takes the lead...

He stands at the door each morning to greet his students with a smile,

And he writes them personal notes when they go the extra mile.

Each day he has students fill out a triage sheet, rating how they feel,

And then he has them back it up with reason, to ensure they keep it real.

If a child has special needs, Mr. Hadfield gives them tender loving care,

Believing everyone deserves an education that is equal and fair.

And if a child is struggling with a subject, he gives them extra attention,

Staying after school to tutor them until they improve their comprehension.

To assure that his students’ math facts get sharper and not spotty,

He gives them incentives to earn a “black belt,” just like in Karate.

But he’s careful not to let it turn into too much competition,

It’s just a way to master their facts in multiplication and addition.

He rents out a park at the beginning and end of each school year,

For a picnic with students and their parents, creating a family atmosphere.

Once a month, he hosts “brown bag lunches” for a student’s family member or friend,

To eat with them in the classroom, they are invited to attend.

During Writing Workshop, he makes story time fun,

By dressing up like a surgeon and dissecting each one.

Once, he set up pen pals for his students, which they thought was really cool,

Then he had a “Read-a-thon” to raise money to go meet them at their school!

If there is drama in his class, he gives up his planning time,

To assess the situation and help them “solve the crime.”

Mr. Hadfield’s website is creative, always updated and informative too,

It tells parents what to expect and what homework the kids need to do.

Outside of the classroom, Mr. Hadfield serves on several leadership teams,

Never missing a Professional Development class or staff meeting, so it seems.

He’s been known to hold fundraisers for his school or local charity,

And in his “spare time,” he likes to travel, ski and camp, which gives his life clarity.

Tom Hadfield has made an impact in our lives and communities all around,

Though we know no one is perfect, he’s the closest we have found!

If we could bottle him up and sprinkle him everywhere we would,

Then students all over could benefit from his teachings for good!

But alas, that’s not possible, so we’re sharing Mr. Hadfield with you instead,

And we hope our creative way of sending him in a bottle will help us get ahead.

So please, Regis and Kelly, for your “Top Teacher Contest,”

Choose Mr. Hadfield, ‘cause he’s better than all the rest!

Nominated by:

The parents and students in Mr. Hadfield’s third-grade class

Reed Elementary: St. Louis, MO

Learning everywhere!

At every seminar I lead from the front of the room, I learn from everyone. Thought provoking questions come up and challenge me to think in a different way.

Last week I donated by time to provide an overview on social media to women of the St. Louis chapter of NCJW.

In addition to discussing a number of issues including people being overwhelmed, wanting to tune out and unplug, privacy, connecting with younger family members in different places, the conversation turned to this...

How many people have numerous passwords and accounts? What if something were to happen to you, how would your family know all the various business, personal accounts that you have? What about the social media accounts you have? It would be a good idea to have it all on one document! I hadn't given this too much thought, but it dawned on me that a recently deceased colleague's family might need to know these things, but probably doesn't.

It gave me pause, and I added it to my to-do list....

HR Recruiting Upside Down

I am preparing for a seminar with HR professionals from the St. Louis region this week - how to use digital tools particularly LinkedIn. I ran across this article and wanted to share it for its overall tips:

(From HR World: On-line recruiting tips you need to know) http://bit.ly/9mmb0C+

Recruitment has changed and those who are comfortable with the new tools can be well positioned to attract top talent as the economy turns around!

Performance Enhancing Drugs in College, but what about K-12?

Performance Enhancing Drugs - 60 Minutes did a piece about whether or not Using Adderall is Like Using Steroids?

Doing better in school through a drug that enables you to focus on your work? They take on the college setting, but how does that translate into the thousands of children who are on different medications in the Kindergarten - 12 grade timeframe with the primary purpose of enhancing focus and concentration.

Consider these questions:

• Would a child perform better on a standardized test or IQ test and therefore be admitted into a higher level program or gifted/enrichment program with the regular use of these types of medications.
• Is there an unfair advantage to these medications at this level?
• How easy is it for a teacher to recommend these medications be used to ensure compliance in the classroom?
• How does the acceptance of these medications impact the incidence of usage?

If we are going to hold our athletes to a higher standard for performance enhancing drugs, should we not hold ourselves to it as well?

Bunkers in Baghdad: Making a Difference One Golf Ball at a Time

Sports make a difference in so many ways! It is always a treat to learn of an organization that is making a huge difference with a simple idea! This week I'm fresh off a conversation with Joseph Hanna, Founder and President of Bunkers in Baghdad ("Bunkers") and what a difference he is making in the lives of our troops and veterans. Founded just a year and half ago, the organization provides donations of golf balls and clubs to military in the US and abroad. To date, they have provided equipment to soldiers and veterans in 9 countries and all 50 states. “We are approaching 1 million balls and 30,000 clubs distributed thanks to the help of sports teams, individuals and sponsors like Callaway,” said Hanna. Hanna has found a friend in professional sports, kicking off his efforts with the Chicago Blackhawks. Bunkers in Baghdad has been featured at various professional games, with funds raised in a raffle ticket effort shared between the team foundation and Bunkers. All proceeds go to pay for the expenses incurred from transporting the equipment overseas. Thanks to donations from individuals and sponsors, Bunkers was able to keep shipping to wounded warrior and veterans programs across the country. A few of the US Military Installations, Wounded Warrior Programs and VA Hospitals that have received donations include: John D. Dingell VA Medical Center - Wounded Warrior Program (Detroit, Michigan) VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System - Wounded Warrior Battalion (Ann Arbor, Michigan) Fort Sill Warrior Transition Unit (Fort Sill, Oklahoma) Manchester VA Medical Center (Manchester, New Hampshire) Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Wounded Warrior Project (Tennessee) Dover Air Force Base Youth Program (Dover, Delaware) St. Louis VA Medical Center - Jefferson Barracks Division (St. Louis, Missouri) Fort Rucker U.S. Army Warrior Transition Command (Alabama) Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center Wounded Warrior Program (Saginaw, Michigan) Omaha VA Medical Center Wounded Warrior Program (Omaha, Nebraska) Indianapolis VA Medical Center Wounded Warrior Program (Indianapolis, Indiana) Ft. Polk US Army Wounded Warrior Program (Ft. Polk, Louisiana) Naval Air Station Brunswick MWRF (Brunswick, Maine) VA Pittsburgh Heath Care System Wounded Warrior Program (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) Warrior Transition Command Boston VA Medical Center (Boston, Massachusetts) Fort McCoy Morale, Welfare and Recreation (Fort McCoy, Wisconsin) Wounded Warrior Program- VA Connecticut - Newington Campus (Newington, Connecticut) VA Medical and Regional Center (Fargo, North Dakota) Wounded Warrior Transition Unit (Vermont) Des Moines VA Medical Clinic- Wounded Warrior Program (Des Moines, Iowa) Wounded Warrior Transition Unit (Rhode Island) Bunkers In Baghdad seeks donations of cash and equipment, and is looking to form strategic alliances with sports teams and golf companies around the country. Contact Joseph Hanna at jhanna@goldbergsegalla.com or 716-566-5447 (also feel free to follow Bunkers on Twitter (bunkerstweets), join the LinkedIn Group or Facebook Page as well). For more information, please visit Bunker's website: http://www.bunkersinbaghdad.com/. (Also posted on The Real Athlete Blog.)

Politics - Be Informed! JUST VOTE!

Across the country, we will have elections tomorrow. As in any election season, there are candidates to review and issues to understand. It is easy to become an informed voter if you utilize various sources of information.

Understanding credible sources, asking questions, not assuming all facts are true are the hallmarks of learning in campaign season. I've dragged our family to meet the candidate sessions, poured over direct mail and pointed out information in our local newspaper. I've encouraged my neighbors to be informed and vote. I do hope that my fellow citizens will believe that our great country requires our active engagement, understanding various sides of issues, and most importantly voting our conscience!

It may not be a Presidential Election, but it is important... Just VOTE!

Changing the View - Using Social Media for Real Results

I always enjoy the opportunity to speak to college and graduate students. In particular, I challenge myself to get them to view the world in a slightly different way. This morning was one of those opportunities. The Brown School at Washington University invited me to speak to their course Social Work Practice with Organizations and Communities course.

My part was to discuss the impact of technology and social media on the non-profit. While all were users of social media, most had not made the leap to understand the benefit of using in a work situation. We discussed the need for strategy, how real time knowledge can be gleaned from the internet in general and Twitter in particular, how real organizations are incorporating digital into the ways they engage their stakeholders, even showed some examples of funds raised using these tools.

Understanding of the tools requires a foundation of knowledge and a measurable objective. Helping today's graduate student understand how they make the transition from personal social media user to savvy employee who leverages social media is the challenge! I hope that my presentation helped to change their view of social media from incredibly personal to one of strategic opportunity!