April 2021 JASAN Newsletter

Chair's Corner

I hope you are all enjoying the Spring weather and the cheerful spring flowers after a winter of semi-hibernation as we adjusted our lives to protect our health and that of others. While we have been at home, we have been plenty busy.

In the newsletter you will see how our members are helping JA as volunteers and are supporting JA staff through the SOS campaign. I am inspired by how our members have stepped up and shared their talents and treasure to help JA USA live out the mission to prepare young people for success. Thank you, thank you.

The Communication Committee, led by Linda Schoelkopf, is nearing completion of the new JASAN website and I know that you will find it even more informative and user-friendly than our current site. While the committee is doing the heavy lifting, there are several ways that each of us can participate in the website development. Many of us have spent the pandemic purging our files and no doubt finding some excellent pictures. Please respond to the request in the newsletter to share your memories.

Another way for you to participate in the website development, is to volunteer to edit some of the oral histories of our most impactful leaders. We have posted five of the oral histories on our site already and more are ready to be reviewed. You can do this from the comfort of your home – no Zoom required. We need editors for: Marty Lee, Frank Evans, Jack Holladay, Tom Rutter and many more. Please contact us at jastaffalumninetwork@gmail.com if you are willing to be a part of the history project.

Stay tuned for information on our virtual annual meeting and plans for next year.

Jean

SOS Campaign Surges to Over $126,000

JASAN’s bold initiative to fund 50 $1,000 scholarships for local area staff to attend the next in-person NLC is a tremendous success thanks to the generous financial support of our members. The SOS Campaign…Support our Successors had an early boost fueled by major gifts from the Achievement Foundation, Jack Kosakowski (current President & CEO, JA USA), David Chernow (former President, JA USA), and Jim Hemak (former Regional Vice President, JA USA).

The campaign’s success is allowing the Executive Committee to entertain additional options, including:

Awarding up to 75 scholarships the first year.
Expanding the number of years to offer these scholarships.
Expanding networking experiences for recipients using Zoom meetings.
Applying a keener focus to identify and support delegates to build a more diverse leadership.
Ensuring recipients have one-on-one connections with JASAN members.

The campaign runs through the end of June 2021 and you can still make a significant difference in the professional lives of future JA leaders. It is easy to contribute…go to https://www.jastaffalumninetwook.org/donate.

Looking for Fun Photos!

We’ve got a new website coming! You’ll want to stay tuned for the great unveiling sometime in May.

In the meantime, we’re looking for some great photos for our inventory. As we move forward with the new website, we want to be able to change the photos on a regular basis. So, we need lots more than we have!

How will you know it’s a photo we should consider?

Make sure people’s faces are clear. Remember, these will be on the internet, so, if you send us a photo, you are agreeing to have us post the photo. (In other words, if your mother saw this photo on the internet, would you be ok with that?) Key – if the photo makes you smile, it’s likely it will make others smile as well!

If you’ve got such photos, please send them to jastaffalumninetwork@gmail.com.

Making a Difference from a Distance

We’ve been reading about the amazing shift JA USA has made to develop strategies for volunteers to connect with students remotely. Jennifer Mykytyn shared her story with us during our February Zoom party…

“Four years ago, we moved our retired selves to an area just outside Charleston, SC. I reached out to the JA office in Columbia, where my JA career began in 1991. They placed me in the fall and spring semesters in elementary schools 30-40 minutes from my home, to teach Our Community. These were positive experiences although time-consuming.

When the Covid quarantine hit, JA asked if I would do a virtual class in Columbia. Although I was very familiar with the program, I was nervous at first because of the virtual platform. It was a no-brainer. The “kit” and the lessons were online. Most classes lasted about 30 minutes. After completing the first lesson, it became great fun. Then I was assigned to another class in Columbia. After working out the technology so we could see each other, it was so easy to teach. AND - I didn’t have to leave my home.

I felt that I was making a difference and being a positive force in the students’ lives and had a sense of fulfillment. JUST DO IT!!!”

There’s still time to make a difference in a child’s life by volunteering in a JA Classroom! Find one near you!

JA USA Has a Busy April

The Arena is back! On April 21 at 1:30 pm ET, teen entrepreneurs enter “The Arena!” This episode's celebrity coaches are eight-time Olympic medalist Apolo Ohno and Dancing with the Stars’ Julianne Hough!

For more information, https://jausa.ja.org/events/-the-arena-web-series.

On April 22 at 1:00 pm ET, JA USA and CNBC are holding a virtual summit focused on “Leveling the Playing Field Through Education.” Register using this link.