Good News from Generation Schools Network!

GSN hosts Peak Readiness Event at Brooklyn Generation School (BGS)!

On December 12th, 2017, GSN hosted a Fall Peak Readiness event with


	Franklin Templeton employee, Michael Sicari, interviews students at BGS

27 BGS Students. The interviewers provided the students with feedback on their resumes, conducted mock interviews, and provided them with career readiness tactics and advice. The event featured GSN staff and three employees from Franklin Templeton Investments working directly with students. One senior said, "this really gave me some comfort about the job application process. In the past, when I applied to jobs and did not get a response from an employer, I used to worry, but my interviewer told me continue applying for jobs whether or not I hear back, which gave me some reassurance."

The students' advisor prepared them for the event utilizing the College and Career Readiness curriculum available through t he Generation Schools online store. Regular Peak Readiness events, coupled with the supportive environment at BGS, intentionally gives students confidence for entering a world of opportunity and achieving their dreams.

The next event will be held in March 2018. If you or your company would like to volunteer to support students through college/career transition, please contact:

Claude Aska at (646) 458-1025 or [email protected]

GSN and Lululemon Partner for Yoga Event at North Engagement Center!

On December 14th, GSN partnered with Lululemon's Here To Be Movement, Sound Off , UC Health, and Im'Unique to host a restorative "silent" yoga class at North High School Engagement Center in Denver (NEC). NEC is an alternative education school that helps struggling students gain life skills, graduate, and become successful members of their community.

GSN staff and the school administration collaborated on the opportunity to provide students with hands-on techniques for coping with stress both in and out of the classroom through meditative, yoga-based exercises. A connection at Lululemon provided yoga instructors and sound equipment to create a unique yoga experience unlike anything the students had ever experienced. In 2016, Lululemon launched the Here to Be Movement, a community-based program aimed at providing at-risk and underserved communities with access to the healing benefits of yoga.

Sarah Endicott, School Social Worker, said, "The yoga event at NEC allowed our students to engage in an activity that challenged their comfort zones and also was done in a fun and emotionally safe environment." If you would like to host a silent yoga event at your school, please contact Brittney Ames at [email protected] or (408) 621-2743.

GSN Welcomes New Staff and AmeriCorps VISTA!

Andrea (Andee) Ham - Implementation Coach

Before joining GSN, Andee worked as a high school administrator and Director of Special Education in Colorado Springs and Pueblo, Colorado for eleven years. She brings extensive knowledge of effective special

education programming, teacher coaching and development, multi-tiered systems of support, and building innovative programs for students to her role at GSN. She served as Executive Director of Student Support Services and Alternative Education in Pueblo City Schools which included district level oversight for PBIS and RTI/MTSS. Andee's deep understanding of Individual Education Plans and how they fit with the Colorado Academic Standards, formative and state assessments and data management, allows her to build holistic improvement plans and programming for schools to address the needs of underserved students. Andee holds an MA in Educational Administration and Supervision, and a BS in Special Education.

Serena Whitakaker - College & Career Engagement Specialist VISTA

Serena is GSN's College & Career Engagement Specialist. She brings many valuable experiences and skills to GSN. Throughout her college

career, Serena tutored and mentored underserved middle school students. While tutoring, Serena also spent more than 200 hours volunteering for multiple causes with her sorority, Alpha Sigma Chi. She also served as her chapter president where she gained valuable event planning experience. Serena is a graduate of State University of New York at Oswego, where she majored in adolescent education with a minor in history. At the end of her college career, Serena earned her initial New York State teaching license and is working diligently to obtain her Colorado teaching license.