Kashawn Rogers (front, right) with friends from around the world

From Jennifer Lewis, Global Youth Village 2011 Peace Building Instructor

As a Conflict Resolution Facilitator with the Richmond Peace Education Center, I gained the facilitation skills I needed to lead the Dialogue and Peace Building workshop with the Global Youth Village international summer camp.  After having taking a year off from this position, I was a bit nervous returning to lead a workshop leading young people with behavioral challenges.  Lucky for me, whenever facilitating with RPEC, I am blessed with youth co-facilitators, who often are the most influential leaders of the workshop.  Being closer in age to the participants, they often can make deeper connections with the participants and provide real-world examples that adults are simply unaware of.  During my most recently workshop I led, my youth co-facilitator doubly blessed me.

Due to scheduling difficulties, I did not meet my co-facilitator until the day of our workshop. When I arrived at our host organization and met my co-facilitator, I realized I knew this young man!  It took only a few seconds to for me to place Kashawn Rogers as one of the Global Youth Village’s 2011 participants!  I wish a camera had captured the smile on my face when I saw Kashawn.  Knowing that a GYV participant, especially Kashawn, was my co-facilitator for this workshop, which I had been nervous about, instantly put me at ease.

Kashawn was easily one of the most charming and genuine young men at the Global Youth Village that summer.  His positive demeanor carried over to his work as co-facilitation for our workshop.  He led activities with confidence and passion. Kashawn truly believes that young people need healthier alternatives to violence and most impressively, he makes non-violence sound cool!  Kashawn is applying the lessons he learned at the Global Youth Village to young people who genuinely need to hear that there are alternatives to violence and that youth are powerful leaders in our world.

Jennifer Lewis

Lead Conflict Resolution Facilitator – Richmond Peace Education Center

Dialogue and Peace Building Instructor – Global Youth Village, summer 2010 & 2011

**To learn more about Jennifer and Kashawn’s work with the Richmond Peace Education Center (RPEC) and Richmond Youth Peace Project (RYPP) visit: http://rpec.org/

Dennis educates youth with a story

Jay Shefsky S’ 85-’86 and Dennis Paige S’85-86 were both staff members at Global Youth Village international summer program over twenty years ago. Jay is now  a television producer with WTTW Chicago. Dennis is a naturalist and a story teller .  Together, these two alums produced an entertaining TV program on Dennis’ efforts to create one of the most extensive native plant gardens at housing complex  near Chicago.  Check it out at http://video.wttw.com/video/2098389914/.

What was it like to be back at Legacy/GYV after 25 years?

Gosh, it was like coming home. It was like being a prodigal son.  I loved being there. J.E. Rash is like a brother to me so I was with family.  And I got to see Laura Symons and many other friends whom I had worked with all those years ago.  I have asked to come back next year.  Being at Legacy feeds me in so many ways.  The energy of the youth is contagious.

How was your workshop?  What was your favorite part?

I loved how open, respectful and cooperative the young people were.  There were a few who thought they had to be cool at first, but that didn’t last long.   At the end, we were all best friends and we loved them all.  It was really a glorious experience.  I wish I could have been there longer.  I got to be with people that I love and I was in tears when I left.  We created an even deeper bond.

What was it like to teach songs about the Freedom Riders to an international group that really didn’t know anything about the Civil Rights Movement?

Actually, that was the best part.  It was fantastic to hear the young people from all over the world embracing another culture…embracing our culture. Lorraine Warren (Peace Building instructor) called me after I left and told me that I haven’t really left because the young people were walking around singing the songs I had taught them.  That was wonderful to hear.

It’s been a long time since you’ve been back. What has changed at Legacy and what has stayed the same?

The spirit is still the same.  The people are still the same, but Legacy has grown…and it has turned into a really slick organization.  There is a tremendous sense of professionalism and everyone delivers without losing heart.

What have you been involved during the past two decades?

Well, I’ve been teaching at two different camps during the summer and at the Levine School of Music during the school year.  I went on a State Department Tour to the Middle East and did a lot of spoken word and percussion.  I also direct a senior chorus in northeast D.C. and we perform our program at festivals.  I’ve sung at the Paris Opera.  Soon, I will be involved in a production of Einstein at the Beach, an opera by Philip Glass.  I will be playing the role of Mr. Johnson. We will be touring all over Canada and the U.S.

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To read  more about what Charles’s has been up to, check out Charles’ bio.

Participants camping out in 1989

Alumni weekend starts on Friday, July 8th and ends on Sunday, July 10th. Here is the schedule for the weekend:

Friday, July 8th

6:30 Picnic Dinner

7:45 Evening Program-Middle East Cultural Presentation

Saturday, July 9th

8:30 Breakfast -Dining Hall

9:30-12:00

Workshop Observation

Growing and Eating Locally (Presentation by Master Gardener Tom Taylor)

Discussion on Legacy’s Current Projects

12:30 Lunch-Dining Hall

2-5

Arts Electives with Charles Williams & Other Music, Theater  Electives

Alumni Sharing Session with Participants

6:30 Dinner-Dining Hall

7:45 Cultural Presentation

Sunday, July 10th

8:30 Breakfast-Dining Hall

9:30-11:30

Catch up with Legacy Staff

Pool and Art Studio Open

Departure before or after lunch at 12:30

Schedule may be subject to change.

Accommodations & Dining

-Spaces for alumni staying on campus are limited

-Camping out is a possibility

-There are 2 hotels nearby (approximately 12 miles away)

Days Inn
921 Blue Ridge Avenue
Bedford, VA 24523
540- 586-8286

Super 8
842 Sword Beach Lane
Bedford, VA 24523
540-587-0100

and numerous bed and breakfasts listed here: http://www.visitbedford.com/acc_bandb.shtml.

-A fee of $35 will be charged for food for over night guests and $15 for day guests (please check in and pay at the main office upon arrival; only checks and cash accepted)

Please RSVP by June 15th by e-mailing us at gyv@legacyintl.org, calling us at 540-871-0882, or going to our Facebook page.

Hope to see you this summer!

In August, we had a very successful girls’ summer camp with over 100 girls that attended!  After the camp, I had three months left and spent a lot of my time continuing to work with the youth club in the surrounding smaller villages and finishing up with the health project in the health centers.  The rainy season started late and therefore went late into 2010.  I had to travel to the capitol, Yaounde, twice (a two day voyage) at the very tail-end of the rainy season on very muddy, rutted roads that I thought I would never get through!  They were memorable trips to say the least!  I worked with the neighborhood girls’ group and girls’ soccer team right up until my departure date.  I had a wonderful send-off party with colleagues and friends one week before I left my town and got to say bye and thank you to everyone. While I knew it was time to move onto something new, I will really miss many aspects of life in Cameroon, starting first with the girls from these groups and my neighbors and friends.  They all made the experience so rich and have enhanced my life in many ways.  I will not miss the dust, heat, corruption and bad roads that come with being a Peace Corps Volunteer but all the wonderful people there and hope to return very soon.  I am currently spending my time presenting on Peace Corps and Cameroon to school classes and other local organizations and I am really enjoying discussing my experiences there with others.

Anna has decided to attend graduate school starting next August to get a Masters in Public Health focusing on Health Education and Behavior/Communication. Good luck Anna!

http://allison-in-wonderland.blogspot.com/2011_02_01_archive.html

She sends good energy to everyone!