Category Archives: Social Entrepreneurship

The Johnsons and the Wards “Keep It Going” with a Mission

At First Presbyterian Church in Greeneville, TN, the defining mission is to nurture and provide care for people within and beyond the church’s own community of faith. The congregation is committed – not only to ministering to people’s hurts – but also to their hopes. So when church members learned of the “Keep It!” Campaign’s efforts to build a community of hope in Ivory Park, South Africa, they embraced the opportunity to act locally and reach globally.

Members of the First Presbyterian Church in Greeneville, TN join "Keep It!" founder Bob Tryanski and residents of South Africa during a mission trip to Ivory Park.

Church member and former educator Carolyn Ward explains that the idea of helping to create self-sustaining improvements is what attracted her and husband Jerry to the project. “The philosophy of providing a hand up and not a hand out is an admirable concept,” she notes. “We were impressed by what had been accomplished in such a short time and that the people were eager to support themselves when they received the right kind of help.”

Joyce and John Johnson, also church members with a background in education, shared the Wards desire to support the project. When they learned that “Keep It” founder Bob Tryanski and his wife, Hannah Britton, were going to be visiting Ivory Park, they made plans to join them. Britton – whose mother, Sandra Britton, attends First Presbyterian Church – is a political science professor currently studying domestic violence in South Africa.

While in Ivory Park, the Johnsons and the Wards toured the community center, day care, and the library located at the Drake Koka Primary School. The couples were pleased to see that many of their church’s previous fundraising efforts, including support of two new kitchens, had been transformed into tangible benefits for Ivory Park residents. They were also impressed with the dedication of the school’s principal, the librarian, and the day care workers. “We are all former educators, so education is a priority to us. You can’t teach hungry children and you can’t teach children who can’t see well, so it was gratifying to see all of the pieces – the feeding program, the day care, the eye center, the library – working together to improve education in the community,” notes Mrs. Ward.

Mrs. Johnson explains that, while in Ivory Park, the travelers participated in a brainstorming session to identify additional areas of need and potential solutions. The creative ideas generated from the session fueled the group’s excitement about the project – an excitement that they eagerly shared with the First Presbyterian congregation upon their return to Tennessee through photos and descriptions of the journey.

Since the couples’ return, church members have been busy with additional fundraisers aimed at bringing sustainable solutions to Ivory Park. They have raised more than $900 for tools that will allow adults to better maintain and expand on a community vegetable garden. They have also joined the campaign’s efforts to stock the library with new, quality reading materials and have raised $4,000 for books through community donations, member giving, and a storytelling event hosted by the Johnsons and featuring Tryanski and international storyteller Geraldine Buckley.

For Mrs. Johnson, the best part of the experience has been meeting the people of Ivory Park. “They were warm, friendly, and enthusiastic,” she says. “And, they are really trying to take ownership and make the most of the opportunities presented to them.”

The “Keep It!” Campaign is proud to honor Joyce and John Johnson and Carolyn and Jerry Ward, two couples who “Keep It Going” by embracing their mission.

Lynn Clark “Keeps It Going” with Community Connections

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When we launched the Keep It! Campaign, one of the core ideas was that our success or failure would be directly related to how well we were able to harness the “Power of Ten”. The key to this strategy was the idea of multiplication. Raising funds is certainly critical, but it’s even more important to “Keep It Going!” by connecting others to the cause. As we have moved forward, a number of key individuals have helped us to unlock the “Power of Ten”. Their stories are as diverse as they are inspiring. Each has connected a wide range of people to the project, raised significant funds to support the cause, and brought their own personal talents and interests to the project. Through a feature entitled “Keep It! Going”, we salute these champions by sharing their stories and recognizing their contribution with a simple keychain created by the children of Ivory Park.

Lynn Clark cares about communities. Whether it’s her hometown neighbors, a South African township in need, or PASC students and peers, she believes in nurturing relationships. It is this desire to build strong connections that has made Clark one of the Keep It! Campaign’s most loyal advocates.

Clark is the student council adviser and a health and physical education teacher at Norwin High School (North Huntingdon, PA). She values the lessons modeled through the PASC and encourages her students to practice these ideals. Through student council initiatives, Norwin’s student leaders are learning decision-making skills that allow them to be proactive in meeting needs in their own community and beyond. “Our group is very active in PASC state conferences and summer programs,” says Clark. “I send my students to these workshops to learn about leadership. We value our relationship with the PASC and believe it is important to support their initiatives as well as what is happening in our own neighborhood.”

It was through a former student’s experience at a 2009 PASC summer workshop that Clark first learned about the Campaign for Ivory Park. She recalls Forrest Mance’s excitement when he first shared the Keep It! story with his peers, and she enthusiastically backed his efforts to gain the council’s support for the campaign. As a result, students raised more than $700 through a dodgeball tournament held on behalf of Keep It! “Forrest is an awesome leader who took the initiative to organize, plan, and collect the funds,” notes Clark. And while Mance got the ball rolling in support of the campaign, it has been Clark’s job to help maintain the momentum through the years.

“I try to influence the students when I can,” says Clark. “I want them to know that it is important to support our own community but that, even if it’s not in our neck of the woods, we can make a difference. It’s important to be supportive of those who need our help whenever and wherever we can.” This philosophy was put into play in the spring of 2011, when the Norwin student council hosted another dodgeball tournament. Clark notes that the students were excited about the opportunity to provide additional support for Keep It! when an unforeseen and violent act of nature changed their plans. “Our community was hit by a destructive tornado in the spring,” explains Clark. “Some areas were devastated.” In this case, Clark and her students knew that they needed to provide support to neighbors who were dealing with the crisis, so tournament proceeds were donated to local relief efforts.

Still, Clark notes that Ivory Park is always in the hearts and minds of her students. “The kids have seen pictures of the difference they are making in South Africa,” she says. “They want to be a part of it. They want to know about the progress being made. It has become personal for them.” Because of this, Clark and her students donated their remaining funds for the 2010-2011 school year to Keep It! In addition, students have donated concession stand proceeds from a November 2011 power puff game and are planning a February 2012 Keep It! dodgeball tournament.

“One of our long term goals is to expand the scope of Keep It! beyond Ivory park as we continue to accomplish our goals in South Africa,” explains Keep It! founder Bob Tryanski. “Norwin’s experience is the perfect illustration of how the idea of ‘Act Locally, Reach Globally’ can impact communities at home as well as abroad. When student leaders and their advisers are proactive rather than reactive, they are ready to respond to a crisis as soon as the need arises. They become decision makers and change agents, not just fund raisers. This doesn’t happen by accident; it happens by design. It’s sustainable, scalable, and replicable. Those are the hallmarks of social entrepreneurship.”

Through community connections and her efforts to provide sustainability for the Keep It! Campaign, Clark is teaching her students about the importance of reaching out to those in their own community and abroad. In October of 2010, her outstanding efforts were acknowledged when she was named a PASC adviser of the year. The Keep It! Campaign is proud to honor Lynn Clark, a campaign champion who “Keeps It Going” through sustained support and community connections.

Riverstone Montessori Academy: Student Leadership in Action

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A fundamental goal of the Keep It! Campaign has been to build a national network of student leaders with the skills and the desire to create sustainable solutions in their own communities and beyond. At Riverstone Montessori Academy in Marietta, GA, the Keep It! initiative combined with Montessori ideals provided a perfect opportunity for students to practice social entrepreneurship.

Lead Middle School Teacher Sofia Tobon explains that, along with academics, Riverstone’s developmentally based curriculum encourages social and emotional growth. “Children need opportunities to meaningfully interact and connect with people around the globe. These activities nurture their spirit of compassion and help them to understand that they have the ability to positively impact the lives of others,” says Tobon. “After watching the Ivory Park video presented by Bob Tryanski, the students realized that things they take for granted are not possibilities for the children in Ivory Park.”

For eighth grader Maggie Cummings, the story of Ivory Park motivated her to take action by initiating a carnival fundraiser completely organized by students. Assisted by student co-planners Connor Nickerson and Dallas Brady, Cummings and her team ran a successful project from start to finish. “Maggie is a natural leader,” notes Tobon. “She is extremely organized and detail oriented, and she loves to take on managerial roles. If she takes on a project, she will see it through to the end with no detail spared. It was impressive to see people calling to speak to her directly instead of asking for the teachers.”

In spite of uncooperative weather, the carnival was a big success and raised more than $700 for Ivory Park. Cummings is pleased with the results and hopes that the carnival can be used as a replicable fundraising strategy next year. ”After seeing the presentation on Ivory Park, I was inspired by the stories that were told and our ability to help children in South Africa,” says Cummings. “Since I like to do fundraising, this seemed like the perfect cause. I’ve been thinking about doing a carnival fundraiser and the Campaign for Ivory Park was the perfect fit. I’m pleased with the results and it would be great if Riverstone could expand on it next year.”

Tobon believes that meaningful activities such as the fundraiser for Ivory Park benefit her students academically, professionally and socially. “Academically, students learn factual information about different cultures and international issues that are impacting our planet. Professionally, they learn and practice research, organization, presentation, planning, and management skills. And socially and emotionally, they benefit from working together to help others who are not as fortunate. Knowing that their efforts, even at this age, can help someone like them on the other side of the world have a better life has a profound effect upon them as they continue to grow and find their place in society.”

The Keep It! Campaign salutes the students and staff at Riverstone Montessori Academy for their contribution to Ivory Park and for their efforts to build a community of social entrepreneurs.

PASC Progress Report

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Thanks to PASC, “Keep It!” Reaches New Heights and Expands Its Challenge to “ACT LOCALLY, REACH GLOBALLY!”

While there is still much work to do, the efforts of our PASC partners and additional supporters are making a difference each and every day for the residents of Ivory Park. Read about the changes that have already taken place.

When the “Keep It!” Campaign was launched in September of 2009, our goal was to motivate young people to develop their capacity as social entrepreneurs. For the campaign’s inaugural project, young entrepreneurs were challenged to act locally and reach globally by helping to build a community of hope in Ivory Park, South Africa. Thanks to the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils, hope is alive and well in Ivory Park.

Backed by critical support from our member schools, “Keep It!” is drawing an ever increasing number of dedicated volunteers. Their efforts are resulting in steady progress toward the development of strong student leaders and the completion of project goals.

The dream is to build a community of hope in Ivory park. Helping us is a national network of social entrepreneurs led by the PASC.

To date, we have raised a little more than $20,000. These funds have allowed PASC to make a positive impact in Ivory Park, where U.S. dollars go a long way. A library has been built and the first round of books is already on the shelves. We have been able to fund the salaries of three full-time teachers for an entire calendar year. A fourth teacher’s salary has been covered by regular monthly contributions from a small group of PASC alums who have embraced the “Power of Ten” concept by contributing ten dollars a month.

In addition, construction of the community center kitchen has been completed. Much of the funding is in place, and our partners at First Presbyterian Church in Greeneville, TN, have pledged enough funds to cover the remaining kitchen costs.

Funds have also been directed to support feeding programs for the daycare center, soup kitchen, and an after-school program for teen orphans who, because of the AIDS crisis, are parenting their younger siblings. The program allows the teens to continue their education while their siblings are cared for at the daycare center. It also provides a hot meal, a tutor, and a place to study after school. Altogether, these programs now feed 150 preschool children, 60 senior citizens, and 75 teens. Continue reading →

Governor Mifflin Middle School: Reaching Out Across the Miles

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This past December, students and staff at Governor Mifflin Middle School in Shillington, PA discovered that their actions at home are touching lives a world away. Through vibrant photos and wondrous tales of hope and progress, the Governor Mifflin community was witness to the difference they are making each and every day to the residents of Ivory Park, South Africa.

Student council advisor Nancy Brady explains that students and staff first learned about Ivory Park through a presentation by the Keep It! Campaign’s founder, Bob Tryanski. When they heard about the challenges facing Ivory Park residents, the school community enthusiastically accepted the challenge to act locally and reach globally.

After the campaign presentation, each homeroom at the middle school received a photograph of a child from Ivory Park, a tangible representation to help students remember that they were reaching out to someone real. “Putting a name and a face on the project is important for middle school students,” says Brady. “Our students learned of places and people that they had never heard of before. They learned that they can do things right in their own backyard and touch the lives of children thousands of miles away.”

Brady explains that each of the 24 homeroom teams prepared care packages including blankets, friendship bracelets, pictures frames, and puzzles for their new friends. Teams also joined forces to create a children’s book, The ABC’s of Governor Mifflin Middle School. The book, which includes stories and pictures about America and Governor Mifflin students, now adorns the shelves at the new library in Ivory Park. To further their outreach, several fund raising events were planned.

In December of 2010, students and staff gathered to view photos and hear about the progress being made in Ivory Park thanks to the efforts of Keep It! Campaign supporters like Governor Mifflin MS. Perhaps most influential was the story of a three-week-old baby girl who recently arrived at the Sedimosang Day Care Center. Because the infant’s family could not care for her, she was brought to the day care center. Notes received by Keep It! organizers in Ivory Park indicated that day care workers wrapped the baby in a blanket sent by Governor Mifflin students: “The baby was happy in one of the warm blankets made by the students. It is good to know that with the help of these donations and the big mother heart of a care giver named Josephine, that this little girl will be okay.”

Brady notes that the photos and stories from Ivory Park made a lasting impression on students and helped to solidify the fact that their service work has been important. “The story of the three-week-old baby being welcomed and wrapped in a blanket made right here at our school touched every heart in the gym,” she says. “And, the before and after pictures of the library and kitchen brought thunderous applause from the student body and staff. Knowing that they had made a significant impact in the lives of children and adults halfway across the globe was a wonderful way for our students and staff to start the holiday season.”

Portia Kekana: Helping Girls in South Africa to Reach for Their Dreams

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The Girls' Enrichment and Empowerment Academy equips young women in South Africa with the courage to reach for their dreams

GEEA helps young women in South Africa reach for their dreams.

When Portia Kekana was 18-years-old, she became a mother. In South Africa, where teen pregnancy is common, it would have been easy for her to slip through the cracks. Poverty, substance abuse, and disease become defining factors for many young women facing similar circumstances. But Kekana was one of the lucky ones. Armed with the desire to achieve and a supportive family who valued academic learning, she was able to complete her education. Now, a graduate of Vista University and the University of Cape Town, Kekana is reaching out to girls across her country. As the founder of the Girls’ Enrichment and Empowerment Academy (GEEA), she hopes to equip a new generation of South African women with the life and leadership skills to succeed.

Kekana explains that GEEA was started in 2009 as a platform through which young girls can learn to embrace who they are, without compromising their gender. As in most societies, South African preteen and adolescent girls are vulnerable to pressures from their peers, the media, and cultural norms. Add easy access to alcohol, lack of resources, and the invasion of the AIDS epidemic, and adolescence can be a mine field. “I felt the need to help young girls make informed decisions and not fall into the same trap that I did,” explains Kekana. “GEEA aims to supply the girls with the information that will help them make better choices, reaffirm their uniqueness, and help them to realize that their dreams are within reach.”

In early 2010, Kekana and long-time friend Jean-Rose Msiza began preparations for a GEEA seminar, a weekend of instruction and fellowship designed to promote free expression and enhanced self-esteem. Msiza explains that her work as a social development facilitator in rural areas of South Africa fueled her desire to get involved. “I experienced the challenges faced by rural woman and girls, and I wanted to do something to alleviate the burden,” she says. “I saw GEEA as an opportunity to promote social justice.”

Together, the women sought the resources needed to host the event. Receipts such as the Bob Tryanski Presents “I Have a Dream, Too!” Challenge Grant and personal contributions from individuals such as Kathy Coll, assistant executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils, helped the women’s vision to become a reality. “The thing that made this project really special, was that Kathy Coll and I were able to combine resources from two awards we each received last year in order to make this happen,” notes Tryanski. “Kathy was the recipient of the 2009 NASC Warren Shull Advisor of the Year Award, and I received the Earl Reum Award from the National Association of Workshop Directors in December. When Portia shared her vision for the GEEA program, Kathy and I knew it was the perfect way to spend the prize money from those awards. The Earl Reum Award was sponsored by workshop directors and activity advisors from all over the country, so it really embodied the Keep It! Campaign’s challenge to Act Locally, Reach Globally. Thanks to the generosity and support of some of this country’s finest activity advisors, Earl Reum’s influence in sowing the seeds for leadership education throughout the United States has now been extended to South Africa to support Portia’s dream.”

In May, fourteen girls arrived at the site of the National Girl Guides Association in Randburg, Johannesburg to take part in the first GEEA seminar. Throughout the weekend, the girls participated in team building activities and group discussions about self awareness, goal setting, problem solving, spirituality, leadership, sexuality, and financial literacy. Attendees also heard presentations from motivational speakers –doctors, social workers, and business professionals – who had volunteered their time and talents to share important messages rooted in relevant, personal experiences.

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North Allegheny High School Students Plan It, Dodge It, and Keep It!

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“Our mission is to help build a community of hope in Ivory Park, South Africa. Helping us to reach our goal is a network of social entrepreneurs – people who work together to develop sustainable projects that will ultimately give the people of Ivory Park control over their lives and their future. The results of these efforts are measurable; the projects are sustainable; the outcomes are scalable; the models are replicable. ”

Bob Tryanski

At North Allegheny High School in Wexford, PA, students are social entrepreneurs. Through a recent dodgeball tournament, organizers of You throw it; I dodge it; They keep it! did more than just raise funds for the people of Ivory Park, South Africa. They also developed a scalable, replicable project model – a tangible template of success filled with clear-cut strategies that other schools can apply.

Akshaya Arjunan, currently a senior at North Allegheny, served on the planning committee for the dodgeball event. She was introduced to the concept of social entrepreneurship and the Keep It! Campaign while attending an Advanced Gold Workshop sponsored by the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils. After learning about the hardships facing Ivory Park residents, Arjunan was inspired to take action. She encouraged a committee of classmates to act locally and reach globally by including Ivory Park as a beneficiary of the high school’s upcoming tournament. Committee members agreed, and with the Keep It! seed firmly planted, organizers got busy cultivating an event that would provide the perfect mix of fun and fund raising.

Patti Dzambo, student council adviser, notes that the committee, composed of twelve student council officers from both the intermediate and senior high schools, met on a weekly basis during the two months preceding the tournament. While developing and executing their plans, students focused on designing a blueprint that was measurable, scalable, and replicable. “By brainstorming and paying attention to the details, students learned to solve problems before they occurred,” says Dzambo. “They knew that if they were detailed and well organized, then the project could be duplicated the next year and the next. Their work raising money for worthy beneficiaries such as Keep It! would live on at North Allegheny High School and beyond.”

Tesin Gnalian, a recent graduate of North Allegheny, served as a cabinet head for the student council service committee in charge of organizing the event. Gnalian explains that she and her peers were excited about the opportunity to make a difference and acknowledges that organizing the tournament required time, patience, and teamwork on the part of everyone involved. Still, she believes that the end results made it all worthwhile. “We get so caught up in our own lives that we forget that there are people out there who need things that you and I take for granted – basic necessities like food and water,” she says. “We need to take a step back from our own lives and give to those who need our help. The Keep It! Campaign gave me and my peers the opportunity to make a commitment and to give back.”

The efforts of student planners and participants resulted in a successful tournament with 23 teams taking the court. And, while tournament play may have appeared to be all fun and games, the final score resulted in life-changing benefits for the people of Ivory Park. The $1,108 in event proceeds has already been used toward the completion of a working library in Ivory Park. In addition to providing a variety of books to school children, the library will also be the site for an intergenerational literacy program.

With the assistance of North Allegheny students and staff and PASC assistant director Kathy Coll, the secrets to planning a successful dodgeball tournament have been documented in a “how to” manual that will be available to schools in Pennsylvania and throughout the country. “The wonderful thing about North Allegheny’s contribution is the way in which they have provided us with a replicable project model that is supported with written materials that other organizations can follow,” says Bob Tryanski, Keep It! founder. “Look at the organizations that have had tremendous success mobilizing high school students to support their cause through special programs — organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, or the American Cancer Society and their Relay for Life – and ask yourself what these organizations have in common. I think the answer is that each of them has an involvement template that any organization can follow. If other schools embrace the idea and implement the strategies outlined by the team at North Allegheny, the Dodgeball Tournament could turn out to be our Relay for Life. The possibilities are exciting!”

By providing a replicable project model, North Allegheny has achieved one of the hallmarks of social entrepreneurship. Keep It! encourages other schools to embrace the ideal and implement the strategies outlined by the team at North Allegheny. By working together to build a network of social entrepreneurs, there is no limit to the positive impact that students can create. . .in their own communities and across the globe in Ivory Park.