Month: December 2014

Haley House

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One of the things I’ve done this semester to feed my soul is to work with an amazing group of fellow HGSE students and an amazing group of guys from Haley House on a pilot program to develop Work Readiness skills.

The program is the brainchild of Jeremy Thompson, manager both of the Haley House Bakery Cafe and of their Transitional Employment Program (TEP), and Tracie Jones, head of HGSE’s G.I.V.E.S. student volunteer programs.

The Haley House TEP program provides assistance to those recently released from incarceration as they re-enter the world independently — through work experience in an environment designed to ensure safety and stability. TEP employees produce a range of baked goods and catering items including wholesale cookies, pizza dough, pie, and tea loaves. In addition to employment, participants are required to pursue education and can take advantage of additional tutoring and transitional support.  Our Work Readiness workshops are designed to supplement the core program by helping the guys to develop personal narratives, resume-writing skills, and communication in the workplace, as well as teach them how to utilize social media and other tips for job searching.

We met every other Friday afternoon this fall, and I can’t say there was anything I looked forward to more this semester than those afternoons — sharing, teaching, learning, laughing and crying.  And always hugs at the beginning and end!

I’m now working on becoming a “regular” at the Cafe – loving the terrific, giant chocolate chip cookies that they supply to outlets all over Boston and (my new downfall) the incredible Jerk Chicken items on the weekend brunch menu. At the Haley House Christmas Party, Jeremy tricked me into participating in a pie-eating contest.  And while there will be NO pictures shared of my face and hair covered in whipped cream and sweet potato pie filling, it did taste phenomenal!

On my trip over for brunch this last Saturday, Luis Contreras from the Work Readiness program gave me a tour of his kitchen domain. He also tried to buck up my confidence about speaking Spanish as I head off to Mexico next week, saying “you just have to try… and don’t be nervous!”   Thanks, Luis – I promise I will try 🙂

If you want to read more, HGSE published a nice article about the pilot program here.

 

 

 

Winter Break

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Fall Semester 2014 — Done!

I made it! I would apologize for not writing recently, except that I feel like all I’ve been doing for the past several weeks is writing… and then reading… and then writing some more! But we finished up last Friday so I’ve had a few days to breathe (and NOT write!), so here I am. And may I say it’s a pleasure to be writing without worrying about citing – in APA 6th Edition, or Chicago 16th Edition, or any other generally accepted academic style!

I’ve gotten a lot of questions about exactly what I’m studying, so – some of my “greatest hits” highlights from the semester, arranged by course include:

  • History of Higher Education in the US: The Rise of For-Profit Higher Education in Mexico: Policy Issues & Lessons from U.S. Experience, and The Evolution of U.S. Higher Education Institutions
  • Adolescent Development: Barrios Unidos – Juvenile Hall Transition Program, and Helping Latino Youth Avoid Self-Destructive Gang Involvement
  • Education Policy Analysis & Research in Comparative Perspective: UNICEF & USAID Education Strategy in Comparative Perspective, and Addressing Issues of Absenteeism & Teaching Capacity in Rural Cambodia, and Journeys Within Our Community: A Case Study of 21st Century Skills Development
  • Education Sector Nonprofits: Global Scaling of Education Nonprofit Organizations, and Persistence & Agility: The Rodel Foundation of Delaware’s Efforts to Transform Delaware’s Education System

I’ve really enjoyed the experience and learned a ton that is helping me make progress on the path I’d hoped for toward finding a way to support and work with youth/adolescents as they learn and grow and make the decisions that will shape their lives – somewhere in the world!

Like any good college student after the whirlwind first semester, there are new ideas and opportunities swirling in my head – so while I continue to pursue my strong interest in Latin America, a return to Cambodia is still a possibility, and I’m just starting to explore some things that would keep me home in the U.S. Stay tuned!

Thank for all the wine and goodies!!

Thanks for all the wine and goodies!!

But for now, I’m having a really nice break enjoying social time with friends, relaxing, reading things just for fun(!) and getting to watch sports and silly, sappy Christmas movies 🙂

I’m looking forward to spending New Year’s in Denver with the boys. Kyle finished up his initial training at Ft. Benning, so he and Bow have moved to his new post with the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson. Matt and I will both fly in so we can spend New Year’s Eve together at a Colorado Avalanche hockey game and New Year’s Day watching every college bowl game that’s on! After that, Kyle has talked me into climbing Pike’s Peak before I go – apparently it’s “supposed to be like one of the things to do in the world before you die.”

If I make it up (and down!) without freezing, I’ll be able to warm up in Mexico City as I’ll be heading there next for an internship in January. I’ll be working with the Venture Institute on one or more of their programs to identify, coach and invest in social entrepreneurs. (I’d amend the subtitle to the blog to add more locations, but I think at this point, I’ll just leave it at “and beyond…”)