Nan was nominated for the National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC) Service-Learning Practitioner Leadership Award by Scott Flemming, as Director of The Blake School’s Office of Equity and Community Engagement.  This award recognizes practitioners who have equipped young people to lead and serve, both through their direct service learning instruction with youth and by nurturing other practitioners to expand their service learning skills and knowledge.  Each year, this award is presented to a teacher or community member who has created a living legacy through service learning practice.  The 2012 Service-Learning Practitioner Leadership Award will be presented at the National Service Learning Conference (NSLC) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, April 11-14, 2012.

Nan, could you please tell us when and how you became interested in service learning experiences?

My family always believed in service by giving back and through their actions as role models, this value became ingrained in me very early in my life.  My mother’s passion for service was Catholic charities and she did a lot of volunteer work to help those less fortunate.  My father was an oral surgeon and shared his passion for service by providing a lot of free dentistry.  I have always loved incorporating whatever is going on in the local and global world in school.

How did you feel when you learned that you were the winner of the Service-Learning Practitioner Leadership Award?

When Kalita Bak, CEO of National Youth Leadership Council, called to congratulate me about being the winner of the Service-Learning Practitioner Leadership Award, I thought they must have called the wrong person.  I accepted the Service-Learning Practitioner Leadership Award with great surprise and honor on behalf of The Blake School and the Shinnyo-en Foundation.  It is with humility, surprise and excitement that I am recognized as someone who encourages service learning at The Blake School and beyond.  National Youth Leadership Council is “the” national service learning organization that leads best practices and service learning teaching and learning and I am so grateful to be recognized by them to receive the Service-Learning Practitioner Leadership Award.

Scott Flemming nominated you for the award but did Scott tell you what specific experience or accomplishment of yours stood out to him that caused him to nominate you?

Scott shared with me that he felt it was very obvious how important social justice is to me and how hard I continually work toward social justice.  He mentioned that he appreciates how well I connect with everyone; treating all with respect and compassion.

Receiving this award reflects good and important service work done by The Blake School and beyond.  I am hopeful that this recognition will help all of us think beyond ourselves and consider working toward peace through service.

How does your leadership as the Director of Service Learning intersect with or is part of The Blake School’s Office of Equity and Community Engagement?

Service learning continues to grow at The Blake School and nationally as a method of teaching and learning.  In addition, The Blake School Service Learning is part of the Office of Equity and Community Engagement (OECE).  Pluralism, International Threats, Learning Works, Cornerstone and the Gay-Straight Alliance are all part of this department that work together synergistically creating more effective outcomes for social justice.

Students are the hope for the world.  Service learning experiences encourage students to give of their best selves and to think about the world’s concerns and possibilities.  Service is a path to peace. My hope is that this award will encourage all of us to grow into compassion of service.

As the recipient of the 2012 Service-Learning Practitioner Leadership Award, how might your contribution at the next NSLC be?

I will be the primary presenter for our workshop “Equity and Community Engagement through the Heart of Service (scheduled at 9 AM to 10:30 AM on Friday, April 13)”; work in the book store; received and accepted the honor of being invited to be a panelist of the “Thought Leaders Panel (scheduled at 9 AM to 10:30 AM on Thursday, April 12)” at the National Service-Learning Conference that will focus on spirituality and service.  I will also offer a gathering that will be a place for practitioners to network.

Now could you share with us your thoughts and experiences in Six Billion Paths to Peace? In your view, what is the core of the Six Billion Paths to Peace Initiative?

I feel that the core of Shinnyo-en Foundation’s Six Billion Paths to Peace Initiative is the interconnectedness it brings.  The idea that your actions affect me and my actions affect others in my life is very exhilarating!  The Six Billion Paths to Peace Initiative encourages us to recognize and embrace our differences, understanding that we are all part of the whole of the human race.  The Six Billion Paths to Peace Initiative helps us think about our individual contributions and how we, individually, can use our time, talent and treasures to make a positive difference.  The Six Billion Paths to Peace Initiative focuses on harmony, peace and joy through service.  That is the way we “up shift” as we look at the concerns and needs of the world.

How did the students and faculty of The Blake School react to your attempt to incorporate the Six Billion Paths to Peace Initiative into the culture and the curriculum of The Blake School when you first introduced it to them?

The Six Billion Paths to Peace Initiative was easily and quickly welcomed into the core values of The Blake School.  It was an easy connector for service learning because we think about Mother Teresa and her words “Any act of service is an act of peace.”  It was easy to connect service and peace thinking about that mantra.  The Blake Lower School views the Six Billion Paths to Peace Initiative as friendship; they relate to the ideas of peace through service.  The Blake Middle School focuses on local concerns and The Blake Upper School focuses on global concerns.  The Six Billion Paths to Peace Initiative encourages us to think about how to connect with one another, and about interconnectedness, that encourages us to think about goals, dreams, and hopes.  The Six Billion Paths to Peace Initiative causes us to look individually at, “Who am I, and who do I want to be?”

In what way(s) has the Six Billion Paths to Peace Initiative transformed you and The Blake School, if any?

The Six Billion Paths to Peace Initiative has been very transformative in many ways.  It has helped us change our perspective from only thinking about ourselves to consider multiple perspectives.  It has helped us to be more aware of concerns, hopes, ideas and needs of others.  It has caused us to think, “How can I best use my time, talent and treasures for the common good?”  It leaves us with the question, “This day, this week, this month what is my path to peace?”

What do you think the students enjoy most about the Six Billion Paths to Peace Initiative?

I feel that the students enjoy the fact that the Six Billion Paths to Peace helps them relate to one another, think about their own personal identity while learning about one another in a new way and enlarge their idea of what service is.  It helps students to connect to one another and to connect to the concerns of the global community.  The students enjoy the fact that the Six Billion Paths to Peace Initiative encourages them to think as global citizens.

Could you please share with us some examples or instances when students have done wonderful things through the Six Billion Paths to Peace Initiative?

A recent wonderful event called “Empty Bowls” service event was created by the students at The Blake School.  The Blake Upper School students were studying global hunger and were involved in many projects to meet the needs of global hunger.  The Blake Upper School students shared with Lower and Middle School students about their concern about global hunger and that they planned to have a service event called “Empty Bowls” where they would earn money to help feed the hungry in Africa.  When this was shared with the Lower and Middle School students, some of the Lower and Middle School students mentioned that there are also many hungry people right here.  The students wanted to be involved.  The Middle School students said that they could make bread and soup and the Lower School students said they could make the bowls.  It was a wonderful “Kid Generated” event.  The students created the event; all of the students worked collaboratively and were in charge of the project.  They had this great “Empty Bowls” service event where they made a lot of money and a panel of Upper School Service Corps.  Students are deciding where the money should be spent.  This was one of my favorite projects where the project was “Kid Generated” and the kids were in charge.

This reminds me about the interconnectedness that exists in a school where a genuine concern such as hunger, can connect students to one another, and connect everyone at the school to this huge concern of local and global hunger.  Peace through service, we certainly hope so!  Peace, harmony and joy!

As the director of service-learning, do you have any recommendations to other educators regarding creating new or enhancing existing service learning experiences?

As the Director of Service Learning, I would encourage educators to look, in depth, at a local or global concern or authentic need; educate the children about the need and ask them “How do we help alleviate this problem?”  Students are always more creative than adults and they have this unfailing belief that they can make a difference.  It is not about solving the world’s problems; it is about recognizing the problems and believing that, as a young person, they can make a difference.  It is about encouraging the heart of service.

Thank you so much for sharing inspiring stories and suggestions for all of us! Again, congratulations on the Service-Learning Practitioner Leadership Award!

Sarah, thank you for making time to talk with us today.  To begin with, would you start by telling us a little about the Green Pioneers Program?

Green Pioneers is a LPS-College Park and Castlemont Community of Small Schools sustainable service-learning program and is composed of about 30 to 40 high school students who participate in designing and implementing environmentally focused, sustainable and peace promoting projects that will benefit the community.

The Green Pioneers primarily focus on learning outside of the classroom, using the Castlemont Community garden as a safe demonstration service-learning space.

What inspired the Green Pioneers Program and how did it get started?

I moved to California in part for the year-round growing season. I was excited to work at a school where we could run a garden-based program for the entire academic year. When I came to Castlemont and saw the space available I was really excited to use it because it was huge, but in disrepair.

It all started with a group of three students that got together after school to help fix up the garden space. It was really difficult to recruit other students for an afterschool program when many students that attend our schools have to work after school to help support their families. I was competing with places like McDonalds and KFC. So, one day, while I was driving to school, I thought, “I could start an internship program and pay students so that they would be able to participate in a garden program and also have a sense of value in their work”.

After talking to the students we started the Green Pioneers Program as an experiment. Soon, we had ten students that were being paid for their service by the YMCA. At that point we did not even have a name for the program; the students named it Green Pioneers later.

The program started with a small idea, a small group of students, and then it grew into something much larger then I ever thought it would, mostly because of the students involved.

What are the goals, objectives, and mission of the Green Pioneers Program?

Well, the mission evolved from the students themselves; it is to identify the students’ interests, develop urban sustainability skills, and teach their best practices to other students and then to the community.

The students also create their own goals around what they enjoy doing. It is really out of the students’ enjoyment of building projects, planting, and so on that pushes the program to evolve.

The mission of the Castlemont Community Garden is to provide a safe and beautiful urban space, open entirely to the community.

Our Student Motto is “Green is Good for the ‘Hood!”

What is unique about the Green Pioneers Program?

Every aspect of decision-making is democratic and the students are involved.

I really like free-school models. In the free-school model, whoever is present at a meeting has a voice. At every Green Pioneers meeting, we have an opening meeting and a closing one, where any student or adult can bring up whatever they want for a vote.

For example, this year the students did not want to work on Valentine’s Day, so they brought it up for a vote. It was actually a day I really wanted them to work, there were a lot of things that needed to be done in the garden. Even though I voted against it, the majority voted to take the day off and it was very important to them that our democracy was confirmed as real.

Also, the emphasis of the program is placed on allowing students to develop their own interests. This comes from the Aristotelian idea that all people have an innate desire to learn. I purposely do not have a specific goal for the students; I support them in developing their own goals.  For example, this year one student created a pamphlet on healthy-living in East Oakland while a different group of students  built an ecosystem pond. I really am trying to give students a safe and beautiful space to contemplate what they actually want to do, and why they are at school.

I think the fact that our program has existed sustainably for two years also makes us unique. I remember that a student who helped rejuvenate the Castlemont Community Garden wrote in her journal that our school does not often have the resources that it needs to finish the projects we start, but that she felt proud that she was a part of something to its completion.

Would you consider the Green Pioneers Program a service-learning program?

There is a difference between our school and others that have the opportunity to provide service-learning programs—80-90% of our students qualify for free or reduced lunch.  So when we started Green Pioneers, we were faced with two challenges; show the students that there was value in learning about urban sustainable development, and make it a viable economic opportunity.

The families of my students are in a situation where they are teaching their kids that part-time jobs with fast-food companies are valuable because those are the available jobs. Corporations put a value on working at a fast food chain, so students work at places like McDonalds or KFC to help support their families.  If we want lower-income students to participate in a program, we need to show them the value and meaning associated with that program. Green Pioneers was partly designed to show students that immediate value.

With the small stipends that we are able to give our students for participating in the Green Pioneers Program, we are showing the students and their families that this service to the community is very valuable.

The point of the program, of course, is not to make money, but to allow students an opportunity to explore their interests and build job and civic skills. At the end of the program, the students are not writing about the money, they write reflections on how they have been transformed through the experience of being in service to their communities.

How has the Green Pioneers Program transformed students?

This year, students that were not even in the Green Pioneers Program signed my yearbook saying that they thought that the garden had helped make the school a better learning environment. What I see in my students is that they have so much pride in their work.

My job is amazing because I have the opportunity to watch students transform from engaging in disrespectful and disruptive behavior to gaining confidence and practicing behavior that demonstrates leadership skills.

There are many examples of how Green Pioneers has transformed students. One particularly great student leader who has worked to maintain the garden space for the last two summers, entered my Biology class cussing and calling me names. After working with us in Green Pioneers, his grades have improved (he recently won two academic awards) and he is my go-to student when I need help with anything from fixing the chicken coop to publicizing events. It has also helped build a sense of community between students at the four different schools on the campus.

How has the Green Pioneers Program transformed you?

I often say that I trust my students more than I trust most adults. The love my students put into the garden, raising chickens, their individual projects—fills me with love for them. I teach all day, I run Green Pioneers sometimes into the evening, but I am still very inspired to come home and write grants to support our programs.

I know it may sound crazy, but there is something supernatural that happens when you give students free-range over their outdoor learning environment. The school day could be violent and difficult, but the garden softens students and the students soften me and push me to provide more opportunities for them. I have learned from my students that whenever they are seemingly difficult, they are actually asking “Do you love me?” If you answer “Yes” enough times, in the form of never giving up on them, then they will show you how brilliant and beautiful they are. My students have taught me the supernatural power of compassion.

Since working with students to create the Green Pioneers model, I have learned and reaffirmed that helping students identify their innate desire to learn is the key to great educational practices.

Starting Green Pioneers is the best personal and professional thing I have ever done.

As a teacher, do you have any recommendations to other educators regarding creating new programs to engage students?

Do not get frustrated by inevitable setbacks, especially when you are in a difficult situation. Instead, as an educator, use the difficult circumstances to teach your students perseverance and discipline. Your students will be so much more invested if you, as an educator, are invested in what you set out to do.

I would also say, “Take risks”.  It takes a great deal of courage to push further and further for student voice.  By giving students the power to create their own project means taking a great deal of risks.  I did not know anything about ponds for instance, but I knew it was important that the students know that they could pursue their project even if they were working with an adult that did not know anything about ponds. I think that by being honest with my students about my own limitations, while also demonstrating a willingness to assist them develop their projects; I earned their respect and inspired their own leadership.

For more information check out the Green Pioneers please visit the sites below

http://www.castlemontgreenpioneers.org/

http://castlemontgreenpioneers.blogspot.com/

http://www.foodfirst.org/en/Oakland+school+garden

Amy Ambrose is the Director of International Relations at University of California Berkeley.  Amy is a native of Sacramento, California and earned an undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley and proceeded to acquire a graduate degree in Business from the University of Chicago.  She has been working with the Office of International Relations and enjoys developing partnerships with individuals and organizations all over the world.

Amy, thank you for agreeing to talk with us today.  To begin with, would you tell us about how you came to be working at UC Berkeley?

I was working for the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology for several years before meeting my current colleagues at Berkeley. Given my background in international business and my academic degrees – one from Berkeley – it seemed a natural fit. Berkeley has always had a special place in my heart. It is great to be able to “give back” by working here.

Could you give us some information about your work with Cal?

I work in a very small team on campus, called International Relations. We are responsible for expanding the presence of Berkeley overseas through community building (Berkeley Clubs) and outreach to the press. These activities help to raise affinity for the campus, and enhance our other major activity of increasing international support for our faculty, students and infrastructure, in the form of gifts and grants.

What are the goals, objectives, and mission of your organization?

The University of California Berkeley is, I am proud to say, one of the world’s premier public universities and a wellspring of innovation. Based on a strong ethic of academic excellence and public service, our community of faculty, students and alumni make key contributions to the economic and social well-being of people around the world. In fact, as I interact with alumni around the world, I would say that the key unifying factor is our shared dedication to the betterment of others.

The Office of International Relations strives to support the mission of academic excellence and public service by unifying and expanding our communities around the world, and by ensuring meaningful supportive partnerships with individuals and organizations throughout the world.

What parallels and connections do you see between Shinnyo-en Foundation and your organization?

We share a commitment to peace-making in the active sense.

Shinnyo-en invites and inspires others to make an active difference in the world on a personal level and a public level. They translate esoteric peace doctrine into plain language and practice so that all make access and express their better selves.

It has long been said that faculty don’t come to Berkeley for the salary, the come for the community and the sense of public service. The fact that as an institution we have the highest number of Peace Corps alumni attests to this fact. Faculty successfully convey this commitment to the student body.

Can you tell us a little bit about the vision of UC Berkeley?

Our vision is one of access and excellence. That is, to provide the access or opportunity to the richness of our institution to all – to improve their lives whether through direct education, indirect benefits from scientific and intellectual discovery, and so forth. We are committed to ensuring that knowledge improves quality of life across the globe, and in turn brings about a more peaceful world.

What were your impressions of the Six Billion Paths to Peace event in San Francisco last year?

I was deeply impressed by the honorees’ achievements, and the insight of Shinnyo-en to include all types of individuals – from the world-renowned to the modest elementary school teacher. Very touching! I also enjoyed the spectrum of generations represented on stage. From Bishop Ito, hailing from the senior ranks to the very young singer Bianca. It is a work of peace to create meaningful dialogue across generations. We can envision active roles for ourselves throughout time, in various contexts, with the goal of serving others.

Now Amy, we’d like to learn a little about your interests outside of your professional work?  What is the best book you have read recently?

Gosh, the best book – hmmm, I read as much as possible when I have a quiet moment – fiction, books on finance, Buddhist scripture, you name it. The world offers us so much to ponder.

I would put two books in the “best of “ category right now – the whole Harry Potter series, and a very insightful classic entitled, “A Random Walk Down Wall Street.” Both are works of genius, but very different from each other. As an all-time favorite, I would vote for “Japanese Pilgrimage,” by Oliver Statler, which is about the Shingon pilgrimage on Shikoku Island, and “To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee.

When not working, how do you like to spend your free time?

More than reading….I spend a lot of time with my twin daughters and husband of 21 years! Mom stuff – volunteering at school and the softball team. I also have a daily yoga practice balanced with lap swimming. Finally, my husband and I are remodeling our 80+ year-old home. Our home is a lovely great dame, in need of a major face lift. Right now, we are studying the finer points stucco-ing exterior walls. Once that’s done, we will rewire the whole house and then rebuild the kitchen.

So, yoga is your passion?

Indeed, my passion. You know, I have yet to meet someone who does not appreciate yoga, after practicing it.

In principle, it is basically stretching, right? However this simple activity awakens the senses and spirit and refocuses my attention for the day. I practice what is called hot yoga, though I enjoy all forms. Hot yoga requires full attention to the poses – no room for outside thoughts. I also appreciate practicing in a group. It is very humbling and reassuring to see so many of us striving to live fuller, more conscious lives. – no matter what we look or sound like. No one looks too good after 90 minutes in a really hot room. But oh the smiles!

Secretly, I take a mental photo of people after their first lesson. There is a certain smile that tells me they reconnected with their higher self.

And in closing please share with our readers, what is your personal path to peace?

My personal path to peace is to consciously serve the world as best I can, with the talents I have been given. I have found a common challenge for us – human beings – is lack of self-confidence and spiritual support – not just from family, but from the community at large. I try to remain mindful of this in everything I do –to recognize the best intentions in others, and to encourage. It costs nothing to encourage, and to praise. Everyone wins!

Like in yoga, I set my intentions at the beginning of each day by reciting a short morning prayer. In the prayer I dedicate the day back to this great universal spirit which is reflected in those around me.

            I believe that the first day I walked into the Shinnyo-en Foundation to begin my nine week fellowship is very telling of the way the rest of my summer experience turned out, although I had no idea of this at the time.   I tentatively walked into the office not knowing quite what I was getting myself into but right away we were welcomed and put to work.  To my surprise our (my and Becca) first task was to go with Abby downstairs and bring up the flowers that you had just brought for the days guest.  Then more than that we were supposed to assist Abby in the flower arranging.  Less than 30 minutes of stepping into the office I was already through into flower arranging wondering if this was something normal.  Ironically my summer came full circle when during my last week I was also in charge of flower arranging, but this time I understood its importance and had a (slight) idea of how to do it properly. 

            The flower arranging was my first introduction into the Shinnyo-en Foundations teaching of how important intent is in.   Arranging the flowers in a way was a little path to peace, showing respect for the guests and capturing nature in a way that brought beauty to the room.  Then the intent and precision that went with it showed an added care and appreciation.  The idea of putting intent in everything you do is a huge lesson I learned from this summer.  In a way that is what I came to believe to be one of the most important aspects of the Shinnyo-en Foundations Six Billion Paths to Peace initiative.  Service has been around forever, smiling at people and holding doors are traditions that are commonly practiced, however the Six Billion Paths to Peace initiative changed my thinking in how those acts effect those around me.  Although those little acts may seem like trivial things, if they are done with the right intent they can be moments of peace, moments of compassion.  These moments then when they compile are what peace is.  This idea I have been grappling with throughout the summer has helped me bring tangible practices to an abstract seemingly impossible feat; bringing peace to the world.

             At the beginning of this summer I did not know what to expect, I wanted to do something that contributed some good to the world and through this process helped me figure out “who I am.”  I also had never had an office internship experience and thought that doing so was the next so called step on the way to real jobs after college.  It is hard for me to pin point moments when my growth and transformation happened this summer and it is hard to define what that was, as I feel it is only a starting point for further growth.  At all of the events I have helped plan and have attended this summer you always describe what the word Shinnyo-en actually means, borderless garden.  At the end of my summer I feel that I now better understand the true importance of that idea and name.  Through little moments of the summer I really opened myself up to the ideas and practices of the foundation such as “six billion paths to peace” and “roots and fruits” and “mind, body, heart alignment.”  Rather than keeping them at a surface level I eventually took them deeper and have started to use them as tools to help me answer the question of “who am I.”  In a way the foundation planted a seed in me and now it is my choice to foster the growth of that seed and in turn foster growth within myself.

            This brings me to one of the key facets of the summer for me, personal reflection.  Before this summer I always seemed too busy or too tired to ever take the time to stop and reflect on what I am doing, how I am living my life, and what are the values that are leading me.  This summer has shown me the importance of finding peace with in yourself as a way of starting service and creating peace in the world around you.  One of the main ways to this is through reflection.

 Now I am going to take a little tangent and tell you one of the ways I have started to embrace reflection and show another way this summer has come “full circle.”  On the first day you and the rest of the foundation took Becca and I to lunch and while we were there asked us to stand up and present our hopes for the summer and why we chose the fellowship.  Needless to say I was nervous and felt like I had no idea what to say.  Abby then informed us that this talking on the spot was a common practice of the foundation, I now understand why.  When you know you might be called on at any time to speak about your experience it forces you to think about your experiences and reflect and vocalize what you are going through, what you think, and how it fits in your “path to peace.”  This summer I have discovered the importance of this and it has helped me stay present and grounded in what I am doing.  Since working with the foundation I have been asked to present a number of occasions and as a result I have learned how to have confidence in myself and speak more from the heart.  I have discovered how vocalizing (or at least attempting to) what you think helps in the reflection process and in its own way shines a light on how you really feel and what you are really thinking.

            This summer changed me in ways I am still processing and I am grateful for this opportunity of change and reflection and understanding.  I have come to discover how truly unique and inspirational the Shinnyo-en Foundation is in all it does.  More importantly I am eternally grateful for the connections and relationships I have made as a result of this summer.  The people I have met and the ways in which they have helped me grow and have inspired me, whether its through giving me advice on a project I am working on or probing me to go deeper into my reflection I have formed relationships that I will cherish.  While the internship taught me a lot of concrete knowledge about foundations, how to work in an office, grant processes, planning events, etc. those are minute in comparison to the personal knowledge I have gained and the connections I have built.  I would like to give my sincerest “arigato” for allowing me this opportunity and I hope to continue my relationship with the Shinnyo-en Foundation and one day have my own project incorporating Six Billion Paths to Peace.

Sincerely,

Alie Bollaidlaw

“When I first talked with Roger Mills about the process he has researched and shared for the past twenty years, I didn’t really get it. While in concept it sounded great, on the practical level, it sounded too simple.

How could you just teach people there was a different way to see themselves and the world and ‘snap’, just like that, have them get it. No sitting on your feet meditating for hours. No stretching into wild positions with your body or walking over hot coals. Just teach some basic concepts, and watch people’s lives begin to change.

Two weeks later, I was converted.

In between the time I talked to Roger on the phone and the point two weeks later when I realized I now really got what he was talking about I had experimented with his approach. Every time I noticed that I was feeling anxious I called to mind Roger’s words, “Anxiety is created by thought. Though is initiated in our minds. In any moment, we have the power to access higher level thoughts.”

So in those moments I identified the thought that was causing the negative feelings and searched for a higher level thought. Usually the thought that emerged was, “All is well.”

Although it might sound it, it was not thought in a Pollyanna way. It did not deny the realities I was confronted with. I did it with the understanding that all that I might be confronting is still right there in front of me – but instead of facing my reality with thoughts like, “Oh, my god my son is not OK., I’m not sure what I’m going to do with this article I have to write. I have no idea what to cook for dinner, there is no food in the house.” I simply let those thoughts go and consciously thought, “All really is OK.” Sometime this thought would be followed by some other thoughts, “Even if I don’t know everything is OK, it is definitely more peaceful and enjoyable to think that all is well until I know different. If my son has been in an accident or I go home and I can’t find a thing to cook I can deal with that then. For this moment, I’m choosing to think that all is well.”

Often, as I generated the thought, “All is well,” my breath would begin to deepen and I would relax. Within a few moments my thinking was clearer and I’m sure if I was being monitored on a blood pressure machine, my heart beat would have slowed down. I began to experience higher order thoughts on a regular basis that brought peace and ease to my days. From this place of greater mental space I could think more clearly and creatively about the realities I was facing.

As a new believer I turned to the interview I conducted with him weeks before”

Interview with Roger

Please tell us about the research and the various findings.

Roger:  Over 25 years ago we discovered in our research that every human being is a spiritual being. At their core, everyone had direct access to a spiritually connected state of mind. Freud thought that the core of a person’s psychological make up was the primitive and self-centered id. We would say the exact opposite. We believe that at the core of all humans is the ability to access higher order feelings such as compassion, peacefulness and joy. Unfortunately, most people get told otherwise by parents and the culture as they grow up. It is what psychology would consider conditioning. People develop a framework of thinking that they have to get tough, or think about themselves in order to survive, or that they are not OK the way they are. They begin to develop an insecure self-image, all made up of thought.

What creates this “psychological” experience?

Roger:  Our research showed us that there are 3 principles that operate jointly to create all psychological experience. We call these principles mind, thought and consciousness. Mind represents the existence of spiritual intelligence behind life. The principle of thought is that we create reality via thought. This happens continuously with or without our awareness. And consciousness represents the idea that consciousness creates the awareness of reality, as seen through our thoughts.

How can people attain better mental health?

Roger:   We found that if people take their personal thoughts less seriously, they can have much better mental health. We began teaching people to see that any thought that makes you feel negative – whether is makes you feel angry or anxious or selfish – is a though generated from a lower level of consciousness. Of course the thought looks real to the person, but we help people to understand that they have a choice to pay attention to higher level of consciousness that generates other thoughts that bring about greater harmony.

Could you give us an example?

Roger:  Sure, this is how it works in my life. At the end of the day I come home. My wife has had a hard day. I didn’t clean the pots and pans and she takes it personally. She expresses her frustration. In that moment, I have a choice. I can take it personally and get upset right back at her for any number of reasons. Or I can understand why she might see my not doing the dishes as a personal insult, recognize that her tiredness may be playing a role in her communication and have some understanding. It all depends on how I am viewing the situation.

My higher wisdom thought is to say, “I’m sorry honey. I got caught up with things. I’ll take care of the dishes now.”

What is your advice to people reading this interview, on how to react to their thinking.

Roger:  It’s very simple. We teach people that they always have a choice in how they react to their thinking. Will they value the thought that is going to create more anger? Or are they going to value the higher order thought, that will result in greater harmony? We teach this the way you would a scientific idea. Here is the fact, the set of principles. We also show people through stories and examples. Sometimes it takes a while for people to get it, sometimes they get it right away.

Often people begin to see that their thinking is creating their reality. They can see that their wisdom is always trying to resurface. We talk about innate mental health because we believe our positive, healthy way of being human and seeing the world is always operating. Just as the immune system, within the physical body, is always working to bring us back into physical balance.

What is nice about this process is that it doesn’t involve any techniques so it’s incredibly accessible to anyone. If people grasp the principles, the rest will come. More information about these principles can be found at .www.centerforsustainablechange.org

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Health Realization Principles in Action

Extensive independent evaluations have been conducted on projects initiated by the Center for Health Realization. This is one of their many successes:

In Coliseum Gardens Housing Development in Oakland, the homicide rate went from the highest in the city to zero over a two-year period, and was still zero after nine years! For the first time, the youth were playing outside and residents planted a community garden, while other crime statistics were down substantially as well. Teachers reported better attitudes and behaviors from youth in this community and asked for youth programs in the schools based on Health Realization principles. Youth moved from being involved in gang related activities to being members of the Boys and Girls clubs and local church youth organizations.

In this project, the resident council became much more active, and worked with the Housing Authority on maintenance, security and employment concerns.

The Blake School is a pre-K-12, non-sectarian, independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school with campuses in Minnesota.  The Blake School is committed to strong academics with an emphasis on the whole child approach.  An integral part of this perspective is to support students in developing an attitude of service toward others, the school, the community, and even the world. The Foundation has supported the service learning program at the school since 2006

Head of School, John C. Gulla visited the Foundation in February 2010 and sat down to answer a few questions.

John, it is such a pleasure having you here today at the Foundation and thank you for answering a few questions.

Please begin by telling us about the partnership between The Blake School and the Shinnyo-en Foundation.

John:  I’ll begin by saying how grateful I am to be here, to be visiting my friends at the Foundation. It is my first time here at the Foundation though we have been working together for some years.  Through the good work and support of the Foundation and particularly the leadership of Nan Peterson, we have been able to develop a program that began as a dream for us, to expand our community service program, into a service learning program.

Please tell us about the Blake School’s commitment to service learning.

John:  The Blake School is a 110 year old school with an emphasis on the whole child approach and we are honored to have this partnership with the Foundation. We were interested in our students becoming more engaged with the world and to understand the responsibilities and opportunities that they have to make our world a better place, not only for themselves but for all of us on this planet.

Please tell us about what Six Billion Paths to Peace means to you.

John: When Nan first helped me come to understand the Six Billion Paths to Peace initiative, its underlying philosophy resonated with me.  The initiative has also resonated with our school at all levels of the school in large part because it recognizes the individual members of our global community and through the simple but meaningful and brilliant hope that each member of our human civilization would engage in a life of service that would bring peace and harmony.

How is the Six Billion Paths to Peace initiative implemented at the Blake School and how successful has it been?

John: The initiative has been successful, whether it is with our youngest 4 or 5 year old students or with our 17 or 18 year old juniors and seniors.  It is amazing but it also resonates with the adults in our community. The teachers, the staff members and the parents are all part of the initiative. There is regular reference in our community to the individual paths to peace that each of us will find.

Please tell us about the shared values of the Blake School and the Shinnyo-en Foundation.  

John:  I find alignment between the work we do at the Blake School and the values that I understand are espoused by the Foundation. For us it is are our commitment to peace and harmony in our world and to the sacred responsibility that we as adults have to raise children that will bring about some of the changes we seek.  With the Shinnyo-en Foundation there is a sense of gentleness, of respect, of honest engagement, and creativity, all of which are values consistent with the Blake School’s values as we try to work in our partnership with parents to raise a generation of children who we believe will be good citizens of our world.

Going forward, what is your vision on how you see our partnership growing?

John:  I would be very happy to speak about the future of this wonderful relationship. One of the most exciting elements of the Blake School’s partnership with the Foundation has been the opportunity for us to propose new ideas on how our school, and our school community, may engage more fully with other members of the twin cities community. One of the initiatives that I understand is of interest to the Foundation is also of interest to us is to figure out means by which we might create partnerships in the twin cities with some of the native American communities. Our hope is that as our partnership grows and develops, that there will be ongoing discussion and dialogue on how our school’s commitment to all elements of the twin cities community could be supported in an ongoing partnership with the Foundation.

I am most grateful for the support you have given to the service learning program at our school. The exponential growth, of which I am enormously pleased, in our community’s service learning program as a result of Nan Peterson being able to devote all of her considerable professional energies to service learning at the school, being made possible through the great generosity of the Foundation. I speak for my entire school community when I express our heartfelt gratitude to the Shinnyo-en Foundation for its support and partnership.  I hope the partnership will continue to grow and flourish.

And lastly, what is your personal path to peace?

John: My personal path to peace is to do all I can to lead a community of educators as we recognize the humanity of each of our children and connect them to the larger community that we all share on this planet.

Fantastic, thank you very much!

James “Jim” Kielsmeier

Jim, thank you for agreeing to talk with us today.  To begin with, would you tell us about how you came to be the President/CEO of the National Youth Leadership Council?

Yes, I turned out to be the founder of NYLC and that was brought on by the need to build an organizational structure around some programs that I had been implementing for 4 years and the need to maintain the integrity of these programs in a way that could not be maintained if I was a part of another organization. I was invited in 1983 to teach part time at the University of Minnesota but also to build the youth service/service learning/ positive youth development program areas.  And to do that in the form of retreats and trainings for young people, eventually evolved into training and retreats for teachers and youth workers.

Could you give us some information about the National Youth leadership Council and your work here?

Our mission is to build peaceful and more sustainable communities through service and service learning. It’s work that is related to creating context where young people can be useful in shaping their surroundings, shaping their world, and that the experience of being involved in the service could be connected to their own academic development and personal development, and civic engagement capacity. In the process of contribution, they will build better communities, and also in the process, they would be enhancing their skills and understanding. At the same time, they will gain a better understanding of what it means to be a citizen in a democratic society, which means you have to contribute. It is more than just volunteering. It has to do with thinking critically about what needs to be supported in the society, what needs to be changed in the society and being an active contributor around making those changes.

What are the goals and objectives of your organization?

Our vision is that every child, every student, every year would have the opportunity to be encouraged to contribute through service learning. That’s our vision. We see now about 33 % of all schools in the US have some form of service learning in them. 66% has some form of community services which means it’s volunteering without the learning dimension, and that’s okay because it often leads to service learning.

What parallels and connections do you see between Shinnyo-en Foundation and your organization?

I think we have a shared focus in our respective work of creating a more just and peaceful world. Both organizations have a profound respect for what young people say and how they contribute to society. We both understand the role of formal education in the process of working with young people, and lastly but not least I think it has to do with the spiritual dimension, in that we accept and encourage people of all faith traditions to be invested in service. All success in life does not revolve around one’s personal achievement, but is very closely related to the well-being of our families, well-being of our communities, well-being of our countries, and well-being of all the world citizens.  And I think in that perspective we have a share outlook with Shinnyo-en.

Can you tell us a little bit about the upcoming NSLC in San Jose?

The conference itself is built around the theme very close to the heart of what California has been about for years, especially in San Jose and the Silicon Valley which is the theme of Inspire, Imagine and Innovate. The one thing we are going to highlight is that it’s time for another generation of ideas and creativity to address important issues of our day. We have reached the point in human history where doing more of the same at a greater level is not going to be enough. We need new thinking and new creativity, and the hope is that the conference will demonstrate how young people working with older people as they invest in the world through service learning can be catalysts for greater creativity which will lead to greater problem-solving and greater solution development for issues about which we’re all concerned.

One of the things that we are introducing is the idea of the generator school network, a network of schools and teachers from around the country and eventually around the world, who will be joined together around service learning.  They will be able to support one another, through a professional development online community through the generator school network.  Over 200 schools have joined in a matter of a month. I was in London two weeks ago at the invitation of Federal Dept of Education. I spoke about the generator school network and how they can become involved in service learning. We’re beginning to explore networking. I know by talking to Haru that there’s an interest in Japan and other parts of East Asia, and it would be wonderful to have a dialogue on how there could be a parallel effort that involves a collaboration between countries and shared vision of encouraging active service by young people.

What were your impressions of the Six Billion Paths to Peace event in San Francisco?

I was very impressed in that the Six Billion Paths to Peace awards highlighted the contributions of some people who normally are not recognized in society for what they contribute. I think Shinnyo-en demonstrates a commitment to the ideal that everyone has something to contribute and in so doing they bring about the possibility of a more peaceful and sustainable world.

I was also at The Lantern Floating service in Honolulu, and I think the combination of recognizing the contributions of today and the strand of connectivity to our ancestors are something quite distinctive and important

Now Jim, we’d like to learn a little about your interests outside of your professional work?  What is the best book you have read recently?

As far as books I’m reading, I’m reading several at once, and the one I just finished is The Omnivore’s Dilemma and particularly influenced by the author Michael Pollan.  It’s a history of our food system in the United States and how incredibly unhealthy and destructive the foods can be, or healthy and very beneficial. The idea is that we can “vote” with our forks, and choose what we consume.

When not working, how do you spend your free time?

I have a fairly large garden, it’s almost a quarter acre, so I’ve been cultivating it now for well over 12 years. My apple trees are mature and producing apples, my cherry trees are mature and producing cherries, I have raspberries, and strawberries. I grow potatoes, squash, carrots, beans, peas, cabbage, and corn.

So, gardening is your passion?

It is a passion, yes.  And I’m very passionate and interested in the natural world and the outdoor world that I explore through hiking, through paddling my canoe or through cross-country skiing. When I was a younger person I did quite a bit of mountain climbing.

And in closing please share with our readers, what is your personal path to peace?

My path to peace has to do with my family. I find now that I have a much greater appreciation for meaningful relationships with the people that I’m the closest to: my wife, my three daughters, my two grandsons, and my extended families of sisters and cousins and nephews and the like. It’s important for me to maintain peaceful relationships with them, and then by extension people I work the most closely with, namely the people in my office, to work on being fair, being a good listener, to be honest when I have to provide a critique but at the same time encouraging in their own growth and development.  So this really starts first and foremost with me and my own spirit and my own heart, of being attentive to the things that bring me spiritual wholeness and includes my spiritual practices in appreciating my personal relationships starting with my family and then going out from there.

Bishop Isao Ito and Angela Baraquio Grey

Tell me, from your perspective as a Master of Ceremonies, what does it mean to be a Pathfinder to Peace?

Well, first of all, working with the Shinnyo-en Foundation, their mission is amazing, to build peace throughout the world. People talk about world peace all the time and being Miss America, it’s kind of an inside joke where people say, oh you just want world peace. But really, what’s wrong with wanting peace in the world with all the fighting in different countries, fighting in homes? It’s something to strive for on a daily basis in your homes, in your communities, and, of course, globally. So, being an emcee for the Pathfinders to Peace awards is a life-changing experience for me. Its great to see so many people in one room, or in one organization having the same goal, which is a path towards peace. I love the Six Billion Paths to Peace mantra, that motto, it just makes so much sense and we need to keep spreading that everywhere we go.

Has it inspired you in a personal way to live your life differently?

Rev. Amano, Angela Baraquio Grey, Rev. Sugiyama and Rev. Hasebe

 Absolutely. As an emcee of the first Six Billion Paths to Peace Awards Ceremony I remember listening to Martin Sheen. He had inspired me, listening to him speak and knowing that he has such celebrity and at the same time he uses it for good. He gives back on a continuous basis. I think what I got the most out of it was, it is my family where the peace starts. If I’m not happy with my husband, or I’m not happy with my kids and they’re angry, there’s something wrong. If I’m not at peace with myself at the end of the day, how can I talk about peace in the world if I can’t have peace with my family, in my home and in my heart? So it really challenges me to work everyday on my relationships and to work on my self first and foremost.  I am a first grade teacher, and I’m also a public speaker and I also do television and hosting. So I’m out there in the world, doing my Miss America thing and trying to be out there. At the end of the day, it’s me and my family, me and my students.  And I love my life, I love where I’m at right now and I think happiness comes from inner peace and that’s the beginning of creating peace on a more global level.

You have two roles, one as a public figure and the other, on a more personal level. Do you find one to be more effective at furthering peace in the world?

I wouldn’t say either is more effective, I think they’re both effective. I mean, being Miss America has a lot of effect when you’re talking to people. I’ve been in rooms and convention halls with 25,000 people and then I’ve been in classrooms with 10 children and I think one is not more effective than the other. I think as a teacher if you change one life you feel like, “Wow, I’ve done something, I’ve made a difference.” I’ve always felt being a teacher was the best job in the world. Being a teacher actually led me to become Miss America.  Having that whole classroom, having the world become my classroom was phenomenal. But I think everything comes full circle and that’s why I’m back in the classroom and still being able to do things as “celebrity” and they’re both effective.

Can you talk a little bit more about working with Shinnyo-en Foundation and what that’s like?

Angela Baraquio Grey applauds singing prodigy Bianca Ryan

When I was Miss America in 2001, 9/11 actually happened during my year of service. 11 days after 9/11 I passed on my crown to the next Miss America, Katie Harman, Miss America 2002. I came back to Hawaii with a lot of different priorities, one to be closer to my family, I wanted to marry my longtime boyfriend, we had a six year long distance relationship with and it was kind of like now or never. A lot of my priorities changed.
I started my own foundation, called the Angela Perez Baraquio Education Foundation, which is a non-profit 501(c)(3) foundation which promotes character education and gave scholarships and grants to teachers and students. That happened in October 2001. A few years later we met with the Shinnyo-en Foundation and had the privilege and the honor of to meet Haru Inouye and Liane Louis Badua and they had granted my foundation with about 25,000 to give character education training statewide to over 100 public and private school teacher in Hawaii. Through my foundation we were able to teach teachers, principals, and vice principals and infuse character education into their curriculum on a daily basis and that’s pretty powerful and because it was the first of its kind in our state. That was my introduction to Shinnyo-en and I love that they don’t just promote peace but they also promote education and fostering the arts and culture. It’s been a wonderful experience not only knowing Haru and Liane as individuals but also working with the Shinnyo-en Foundation.

What’s your path to peace?

My path to peace is spreading joy, light, love, and happiness to the rest of the world on a daily basis.

Steve Guttenberg was Master of Ceremonies at the Civic Energy Awards Luncheon at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service and is a beloved American actor and comedian, starring in films such as Cocoon, 3 Men and a Baby, and Police Academy, among many others in his diverse repertoire of both theater and film. He is also known for his philanthropic work in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as well as his dedication to helping the homeless and to improving opportunities for young people. We asked him about his role as Master of Ceremonies and his path to peace.

Have you been involved with Shinnyo-en foundation before, to know about their Pathfinders to Peace?

I’ve been involved with Shinnyo-en foundation for a couple years since 2007. I was introduced to the organization – I guess it was in April or May and since then have been so astounded by the work they do and the kindness and generosity and the spirit they have that its been something that’s really, really important to me.

What do you think it means for somebody to be called a Pathfinder to Peace?

I think we all have an ability to be a pathfinder to peace whether it’s in your own backyard with a neighbor who perhaps has their shrubs too high or their music too loud or perhaps its in a community where somebody is a bit of an irritation and you have to deal with them perhaps it’s with a neighboring country to a neighboring continent or its perhaps a disaster – it’s an earthquake, it’s a flood. It’s something, someplace, somewhere, where you’re going to make a difference and create a feeling of tension and make it morph into a feeling of peace. I think that’s what a pathfinder to peace does. We asked him about his

When you give somebody an award in your capacity as an Master of Ceremonies, what do you think you’re really acknowledging in them?

SG: When somebody gets an award, for being a pathfinder to peace, or any award what we’re trying to do is single them out and say, “You’re special. You’re doing something special. Your activity, your donations, your generosity, your kindness is being acknowledged. We’d like to say thank you, and not just in a private moment. We’d like to say publicly, ‘thank you.’” We’re also making them a model — model for activity, service, a way of life. So that other people in the audience, other people reading about this award can be inspired to do something in their own world.
We all know the story about the little boy and the man who walk on the beach and see all the starfish dying on the sand. The little boy starts throwing one starfish in after another and the adult says to the little boy: ”There’s thousands of starfish here. What are you doing? What does it matter?” And the little boy says, “To this starfish, it matters.” And he throws it in and saves its life.
What we’re trying to say to somebody who gets an award is, “You matter.” And we want everybody else to matter.

How have you personally be inspired by participating in these events?

I have been inspired since I was a little boy. My mom and dad were very philanthropic, very volunteer-oriented. I was lucky enough to start a house called Guttenhouse, which fosters a feeling of forgiveness to people who give up foster kids and takes kids who are emancipated after the foster program of the age of 18. They are finished with state funds and these kids go on the street and they become prostitutes, they become homeless, they become drug addicts. Guttenhouse is a halfway house where they learn life skills. They learn how to do their laundry and how to get a job, stay in school, and stay sober. They live one or two years at Guttenhouse, pay rent and at the end of that they get all of their rent back and have a little nest egg. So I’ve learned through Gutenhouse, I’ve learned through volunteerism when I was down during Hurricane Katrina, volunteering in New Orleans, in Astrodome where I spent a month volunteering. I volunteer now at different organizations. I volunteer at hospitals and I volunteer at orphanages. I volunteer at all kinds of centers and I got that inspiration from my parents.

How is working with Shinnyo-en different from working in other situations you might find yourself in — on stage, behind a microphone?

The Shinnyo-en Foundation is different in that they take a path of enlightenment. They take a path of kindness. They’re not forcing it, they’re not shoving it in your face. They’re saying come join us in a peaceful, sweet, easy, kind manner. Most organizations really push it at you and give you a feeling of guilt that you’re not involved. There is no feeling of guilt involved with Shinnyo-en. It’s only, “If you can help, we’d love you to join us.” You see their results constantly and they’re through a pathway of peace that we’re going to get this done through a non-stressful, easy, kind order. That’s one of the greatest ways you can give.

What is your path to peace?

My path to peace is to give and to constantly give and give until you can’t give anymore and then you’ll even have something else to give: generosity of spirit and kindness. And that’s my path to peace.

Thank you.

Nan Peterson is the Director of Service Learning at the Blake School, a K-12 private school in Minneapolis Minnesota.  She epitomizes the best as an educator, a mother, and leader.  But her work goes beyond simply being a good teacher: she has embodied the spirit of service through her 30 years of teaching.  Nan Peterson has brought the Six Billion Paths to Peace alive at The Blake School, using “peace through service” in innovative, engaging and meaningful ways.  She has recently been honored by the Minnesota Department of Education for this work, and we are honored to have Nan Peterson as our first 2009 Pathfinders to Peace Award Recipient for Local Service. We were delighted to talk to Nan about her Award and her service.

You were given a Pathfinders to Peace Award today.

Yes!

What does it mean to be a Pathfinder to Peace?

What a wonderful award. What a huge honor. I am so grateful to the Shinnyo-en Foundation for considering me for a Pathfinders to Peace Awardee. To me it means recognition of my colleagues and the students at the Blake School, thinking about service, humility, kindness, and compassion. We talk a lot about Six Billion Paths to Peace, which is a Shinnyo-en Initiative. What if each one of us took a small step towards a more peaceful action?  We think a lot about service and peace going together and as Mother Teresa said, “Any act of service is an act of peace”.  So the Peacemaker award really does fit with what we do at the Blake School and what we hope encourage in the world beyond.

How did the collaboration between Blake School and Shinnyo-en begin?

11 years ago I went to a service-learning conference and ran into some people who worked with Shinnyo-en and they invited me at that time to come in the summer, to return to Northern California to learn more about the Shinnyo-en Foundation and the Order. It was a wonderful retreat. We came away from it feeling refreshed, renewed, relaxed. During the retreat, all these people, perhaps 40 or 50 of us, talked about service, learned about the Shinnyo-en Foundation and talked about compassion and how service parallels with peace. Since then, I have gone back to the retreat every year and was so delighted to feel filled up both personally and professionally by the things that we did and I learned at the retreat.

How does the Shinnyo-en Foundation’s mission mesh with your own personal mission and with the Blake School’s mission?

The Shinnyo-en Foundation mission and the mission of the Blake School parallel. The mission of the Shinnyo-en Foundation is to promote service and often through youth. The mission of the Blake School is to raise good citizens, with an eye on service for the world.
Over the years I continued going to the retreats and Shinnyo-en was following the work that was being done at Blake School. Several years ago they were kind enough to give a gift to the Blake School and we were able to have two summers of service, two Summer of Service Camps for middle school children where we talked about personal identity, which is big with Shinnyo-en, thinking about what’s important to me, and also going out everyday to do acts of service and kindness. I am so grateful for the support given to the Blake School by the Foundation. We have been able to have retreats for adults and also we were able to work on religious pluralism, working with Eboo Patel, thanks to the help of the Shinnyo-en Foundation.

So it sounds like a natural fit.

I do believe it is a natural fit that the Shinnyo-en Foundation and the Blake School found each other. I am very grateful for the partnership.

What is your Path to Peace?

My Path to Peace is to model and encourage service at the Blake School and beyond.

Thank you