4/21/2017 was Global Youth Service Days 2017!

The 29th Annual Global Youth Service Day (April 21-23) started at Casady School Upper Division asking young people to use their sparks (passions and interests) to address global challenges in their local communities by organizing Awareness, Service, Advocacy, and Philanthropy projects while building 21st Century skills.  In the words of Alma and Collin Powell, "It is unacceptable to see young people cut off from the world of opportunity and contribution. ... We want them not only to survive, but to thrive; not only to cope, but to lead. We want them to learn not only reading and math, but fairness, caring, self-respect, family commitment, and civic duty.  And then our healthy, educated, motivated children should have opportunities to serve their community because responsibility, empathy, and compassion are essential elements of citizenship, as well as a life of purpose. Everyone should have the chance to say, 'I helped build this community. I left it better than I found it.'"  

7th Hour  Global Youth Service Day 2017 Therapeutic Tai Chi Experience.  The reflective thoughts shared were:  Peaceful, stress-free, my headache went away, connected to my roots, inspired, the ability to have balance, energy, and walking ability until I am over 90 years old, like the masters

  

On global Youth Service Day, the Upper Division received a service out of uniform day. Thank you, Coach T. and Dr. Powell for helping the Casady Service Learning Program in the Upper Division motivate faculty and staff to choose a t-shirt of a place where they volunteered and to share their volunteer story. 

Our Tai Chi master for the day, Dr. Gigi T. Hu, chose to wear the Casady YAC Peace Week T-shirt.  Dr. Hu was the Education Coordinator of the Japan American Society of Oklahoma (JASO). For several years, she joined the Casady YAC Peace Week efforts to bring awareness of the 21st of September as the International Day of Peace.  Dr. Hu organized JASO service experiences to raise awareness of the United Nations Peace Day.  At Casady, she twice provided guided, reflected viewing of the film, On A Paper Crane, Tomoko' Adventure.   Dr. Hu is an Asian Studies Scholar and she is always interested in the good practical aspects of East Asian Cultures in general, especially the peace, well being and the friendship elements.  Dr. Hu stated that the t-shirt material was very soft and she enjoys wearing it very much. 

The Casady Service-Learning Program in collaboration with the Chinese classes were proud to provide Therapeutic Tai Chi sessions throughout the school day on Global Youth Service Day for any interested Cyclone.  The sessions were facilitated by Tai Chi master, Dr. Gigi T. Hu. She studied under Professor Daniel Weng at the University of East West Medicine in Sunnyvale, California.

140 students and faculty, some braving torrential rains, attended Dr. Hu's sessions at the Wing. Coach T., Mrs. Jew's Chinese classes, Mr. Jofer's Anatomy and Physiology classes, Mrs. Beck-gran's Ancient History classes, Mr. Pena's Spanish I class, and Mrs. Pardue's 3rd-hour Art class were scheduled to participate. Dr. Torres and Mrs. Cockrum's Spanish and French classes participated as walk-ins.   The goal of the Therapeutic Tai Chi sessions during Global Youth Service Day was to educate about Chinese medicine connections to Tai Chi and learn Tai Chi moves for general well being.   Two after school sessions sponsored by the Casady Service Learning Program were scheduled for Boys and Girls Club at Memorial Park but were canceled due to flooding of the club.  

Find HERE, Dr. Hu's full PowerPoint presentation at Casady School.   Dr Hu will appreciate very much if the students and faculty who participated in her Therapeutic Tai Chi classes complete the following feedback survey 
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W6GMGMC

Sophomore Sahanya B. was the lead organizer of a Global Youth Service Day connection to Centennial High School community garden construction.  Casady YAC decided to adopt a bed by purchasing soil for its construction.  Sahanya was scheduled to join the teens from the high school on their construction and planting day, but the weather did not allow the scheduled activities to take place.

Casady YAC, Perfect Pair Drive benefiting the OKC Homeless Alliance ended on Global Youth Service Day.  The Perfect Pair Drive led by sophomore Ellie G.'s goal was to provide a pair of clean socks for every homeless veteran registered with the Homeless Alliance.  Ellie and her team requested donations early morning from Monday through Friday at the Primary, Lower, and Upper Divisions.

The Lower Division after school program, facilitated by Lower Division teachers, Mrs. Patti Morgan and Mr. Arhur Lopez, Mr. Matt Pena's Spanish I class and Mrs. Fowler's Kindergarten decorated the first 300 Students Rebuild, Youth Uplift Challenge traced hands.  Casady YAC juniors, Gabrielle M. and Mallory W. created 1,000 traced hands with younger students from local elementary schools. An additional 300 traced hands were provided by Centennial High School, Family Consumer Science and Technology class facilitated by Mrs. Carrie Renfro (Chef Carrie). The Centennial High School hands were part of a Building Bridges program where teens provide role models of servant leadership interacting with younger children with positive experiences. Casady's decorated, traced, hands with messages to uplift teens from poverty in Nicaragua and Indonesia will be matched by $1.90 per mailed "Make a hand, Lend a Hand" up to $500,000.  The matching funds come from the Bezos Foundation(Amazon.com).  Teens in Nicaragua and Indonesia have to endure living with $1.90 a day. The Bezos Foundation Funding will provide resources to on ground Save the Children programs in Nicaragua and Indonesia to empower teens to follow their dreams and uplift them from poverty.

As you serve and celebrate this weekend, use #GYSD in all social media posts (especially on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube). Follow all the #GYSD action on www.YSA.org