In the News
Reading to the Rescue
Through the years I have posted organizations that support children and children’s education that I absolutely believe in https://www.supercamp.com/ , https://www.motivatingtheteenspirit.com/, https://quantumlearning.com/. Today I have the privilege of sharing one of my favorite education programs. Several organizations across our nation have implemented programs where children read to dogs in their local animal shelters. Many dogs don’t get adopted and end up in kill zones simply because they are afraid of people. Many have been abandoned and abused, neglected, or harmed. They cower in the back of the kennel, not ready to greet people or to ever trust again. Now we have a solution! The children innocently sit and patiently read to the dogs. Comforted by their voice and by the safety of the kids themselves, the dogs start to come towards the front of the kennel to say hello and to listen to the stories being told. Roughly 6.5 million animals enter shelters each year, but only 3.2 million are adopted. Statistically 42.8% of people prefer to adopt a pet from a rescue or a shelter. So how do we help these dogs to find happy and healthy homes? We help by creating smart programs like the reading programs in Kennels today. The program also accelerates the child’s reading. The children are not judged by the dogs, and they can feel confident that their voice matters and is being heard. Children who are read to will hear nearly 1.5 million more words by the time they are five. Children who are read to once or twice a week will have heard 63,570 words, while children who are read to three to five times a week will have heard 169,520 words, and daily readings produce 296,660 words. Children build vocabulary, improve their comprehension, develop attention skills, develop memory skills, and develop problem-solving techniques and critical thinking skills, and they develop imagination, self-confidence, and their voice in the world. When a child can read independently, it enhances language development, improves comprehension, fosters a love for reading, and boosts social and emotional growth. It also allows them to connect with stories more deeply. This not only supports their development, but reading to the shelter dogs also supports their academic success. This win/win is a perfect model for caring, compassion, confidence, and love. Here are some organizations you can contact to find out about programs in your local area. Read on.
Reunited in Dance
Performance is a way of expressing our emotions, our talent, and our lives. It expresses our inner secrets, feelings, hopes, dreams, aspirations, inspirations, and creative plunges bravely into the unknown. For hundreds of years, true art has allowed us to sit on the edge of our seats in anticipation of the unfolding of magic. So, what made this night so special? What made this moment, this performance, this experience blast open everything and anything we’ve ever learned about dance, theater, and visual art? Reunited in Dance is an emotional rollercoaster and the unification of dancers that fled from their respective countries seeking safety, peace, and freedom.
Once in America, these courageous dancers from warring sides of the world meet in a dance class and must overcome their fears, prejudice, and preconceived ideals to trust one another and to move as one. The emotion that it evoked from every audience member is unprecedented. The theater that sponsored the event was immediately sold out. Brilliant minds made split-second provisions for the mass crowd that was lining up to witness the coming together of artists torn apart by war and political upheaval and brought together to create beauty and sheer mastery of the art of dance. In addition to the theater, the show was projected on the side of the building to quickly accommodate the arriving crowds from cities and states far and wide. Each audience member populating the space with anticipation and twirling butterflies in their stomachs to see and to view what happens when violence forces artists to flee and the sheer beauty of dance that connects every soul from every corner of this planet.
I attended the show with my mom, and it will remain a special day I will remember forever. As a Global Ambassador of Peace, I had the opportunity to talk with, interview, and listen intently to their stories and plight. Wow! Oh wow! My life will never be the same. Reunited in Dance is now on a global tour in countries that are ready for beauty and unified art. If they are in your country, city, or town, be prepared for something you’ve never experienced. A story told by these brave and beautiful dancers that move not only across the stage but also move your soul, sharing their trust, their truth, and the triumph of the heart.
