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 new feature entitled “Keep It! Going”, we will salute these champions by sharing their stories and recognizing their contribution with a simple keychain created by the children of Ivory Park.
When Forrest Mance was a sophomore at Norwin High School in North Huntingdon, PA, a world cultures course introduced him to the challenges facing impoverished communities in South Africa. The service-minded Mance was touched by what he saw, and he wanted to help. But though Mance had the motivation, he wasn’t sure how to transform his inspiration into a strategy that could impact people who live thousands of miles away. Enter the Keep It! Campaign.
Forrest Mance (second from right) and fellow student leaders at the June 2009 PASC Advanced Gold Workshop.
Mance had previously met Keep It! founder Bob Tryanski at a PASC summer workshop. When he learned about Tryanski’s work with the Campaign for Ivory Park, he knew that he’d found the perfect way to take action. Mance encouraged fellow student council members to embrace Keep It! and became the driving force behind a dodgeball tournament designed to benefit Ivory Park. He asked the high school news broadcasting group to make a promotional video advertising the tournament and posted flyers designed to spur interest. He expanded involvement by enlisting teams of teachers and students throughout the school district. As a result, Mance and the Norwin student council recruited 18 teams and raised $700 for the campaign.
“The great thing about Forrest’s willingness to take initiative at Norwin is that he was a catalyst for sustained support at his high school. Forrest graduated from Norwin last year, but the dodgeball tournament is happening again this year. Sustainable support is the key to our success in Ivory Park,” says Tryanski.
Mance’s involvement with the Keep It! Campaign helped to make him a global citizen, and he believes that all students need to be aware of issues affecting people in their own communities and abroad. His efforts also allowed him to practice valuable leadership skills. “Students need to realize the potential they have to change lives, not only in their own communities, but around the globe,” he says. “Through the campaign, I learned that it was possible for a high school student to make a huge contribution, and I also learned about planning and goal setting. Watching the event come together and realizing that I was able to directly improve someone’s life situation was satisfying.”
Forrest Mance (front) participates in an outdoor team building adventure at the PASC Advance Gold Workshop in 2009.
Mance graduated from high school in 2010 and is now a student at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. In addition to his studies, he devotes his time to volunteer work and is also an active member of a chess club and a rock band. In the short term, he hopes to graduate from Duquesne’s professional pharmacy program. “I’m not sure what the future holds after that,” he notes. “But, the leadership skills I learned through my experiences with the PASC and the Keep It! Campaign will be critical to whatever path I travel.” The Keep It! Campaign is proud to honor Forrest Mance, a campaign champion who “Keeps It Going!”
To learn how to host a dodgeball tournament at your school, visit www.keepitcampaign.com/dodgeball