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Peace through Service
April 2015
 
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"The Simple Path
Silence is Prayer
Prayer is Faith
Faith is Love
Love is Service
The Fruit of Service is Peace" 
- Mother Teresa 

 

Students at Ferris Primary in Jamaica love to pose for the camera!

 

Greetings! 

     

In this month's newsletter, we're sharing stories about what we learned during our recent service projects in Jamaica, New York City, and on the east side of Indianapolis. 


"Grow Yourself" highlights research about why service matters and how giving back, even in small ways, can make your life even better. 

  

Peace on,
 Events
UPCOMING EVENTS
Blaze Pizza Peace Crew Fundraiser - Please Join Us Tonight!

When: Thursday, April 16, 5-8 pm
Where: Blaze Pizza, 913 Indiana Ave, Indianapolis (By IUPUI)
What: Bring a copy of the event flyer (click on link below for PDF copy), present it to the cashier before you order, and 20% of your purchase will benefit PLC's Peace Crew program. Blaze Pizza prices are very affordable and they offer vegan and gluten free options as well. All pizzas are 11 inches and prepared to order in less than 5 minutes.

 

   

 GRAND OPENING: Open House & Tours

 

When: Saturday, April 18, 10 am - 2 pm

Where: Peace Learning Center - Ground Floor

What: Tours starting at 11 am and 1 pm. Registration is not required, but those who register to attend will be sent a gate pass for Eagle Creek Park and will not be required to pay the $5 gate entry fee. Click here to register to attend! 

 

POP Logo  

POP's Night of Humane Education

 

When: Tuesday, May 12, 6-7:30 pm, networking until 8 pm

 

Where: TBD
What:  Have you ever wondered what humane education is? Here's your chance to learn more through POP's first ever interactive humane education learning workshop! Visit peacelearningcenter.org/pop for more details and for registration information.
What is POP? Peace Learning Center's young professional's group that empowers its members to build bridges within central Indianapolis by increasing community awareness through the impact of service. Please contact jhoran@peacelearningcenter.org to learn how you can join POP. 

 

 

Rotary Better Together 2015 Conference

 

When: Friday, May 1 - Saturday, May 2, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Where: Indiana State Fairgrounds

What: The goal of this conference is to further catalyze attendees to redouble efforts and work together to perhaps be the first state to eliminate the meal-gap in our home communities. Visit http://rotarybettertogether.org/ to register or learn more.

 

 

PLC's Social Justice Leadership Camp

 

When: July 6-18, 2015 from 9 am to 4 pm (Plus 2 overnights)

Where: Meet in downtown Indianapolis - Indiana Humanities Council: 1500 N. Delaware St., 46202) 

What: We are looking for teens who are dedicated to being a positive leader in their community - people who care, are ready to focus, work hard, and play hard. Click here to learn more and/or apply: http://peacelearningcenter.org/sjcamp/

 

 

 

When: Saturdays - June 13, June 20, June 27, July 11, and July 18

Where: Peace Learning Center

What: A series of fun summer workshops for youth, ages 7-11, and families of any age! All workshops are 2 hours. Visit http://peacelearningcenter.org/summerfun/

to learn more.

 

 


  

PLC's 3rd Annual Mustached Turtle Dash:

Registration is open!

 

When: Saturday, Sept. 26th, 8:30 am

Where: Peace Learning Center - Eagle Creek Park

What: 5k run/walk, 10k and 15k run to benefit PLC's peace education programs

Click here to learn more and register. 

 

volunteer 
VOLUNTEERING AT PLC
VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH

 

Peace Learning Center would like to recognize Albert Ellis as volunteer of the month!

Albert is standing in the back middle.

Albert has only been with Peace Learning Center for a short time, but he has already made a lasting impact.  As a certified CDL driver, Albert donated his talents to drive our Peace Crew to NYC.  Jay Horan, our volunteer and intern coordinator,

said, "Albert is the most kind and compassionate person I have ever met.  He is constantly worried about everyone else's needs and offers help where it is needed.  It feels like Albert has been a part of PLC forever, he fits in seamlessly with the PLC family!"

 

Thank you Albert for everything you have done for our organization.  We are very grateful to have you on our team!

 

Volunteering at PLC

    

"Why do you go away?   So that you can come back.  So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors.  And the people there see you differently, too.   Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving" - Terry Pratchett

Opportunities for our Peace Crew members to be peace makers didn't stop at spring break. Our group of students took time over their break to participate in an Alternative Spring Break trip to New York City!

While in the city our students were able to participate in many learning and service opportunities.  Each morning was spent in discussions about food and housing insecurity, HIV/AIDS, and global advocacy.   The afternoons were spent doing service projects at food pantries, clothing closets, community gardens or visiting the United Nations.

The students were also able to visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and see the Statue of Liberty.  To finish the trip, the students participated in a reflective walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.   One student said, "This experience is what forces people to grow in the most important areas, and those areas are the heart, spirit, and mind."

 

Are you interested in volunteering at Peace Learning Center? 

Conact Jay at jhoran@peacelearningcenter.org to learn how you can make a difference or click here to visit our website to complete a volunteer interest survey. 


Programs
PLC PROGRAMS
The Koinonia Project - Three Days of Service!

 

People of all ages came together to help clean-up the east side of Indy despite the cold, rainy weather.

We are extremely grateful and proud of the time and effort people of all ages gave while participating in PLC's first ever Koinonia Project from March 24-26. The goal of the project was to inspire youth participating in PLC's peace education programs to give back to their community by cleaning the streets on the east side of Indianapolis - in a neighborhood notorious for having extremely high rates of crime and violence. 

The project was even featured on several local news stations: 

 Due to its tremendous success in bringing neighbors together in common unity and shared responsibility, the Koinonia Project will continue this summer. We'll be sure to share updates about how you can get involved!

ED
TIM'S PEACE UPDATE
Jamaican teachers took turns being the leader through a Blind Caterpillar exercise.

 

Teaching: An honorable profession

 

In the last few months I've met with a number of administrators and professors from schools of education at Marian, Butler and IUPUI. A common theme is a noticeable drop in applications from students who want to be teachers.

 

Contrast this with a recent service trip I took with a team from Peace Learning Center to Sav La Mar Jamaica for a 3-day teacher vocational training focused on conflict resolution and peace building in the classroom.

 

In Jamaica, the teaching profession is still ranked as a prestigious position for females and males.  Many teachers told stories of their parents urging them to be educators even though Jamaican schools are oftentimes crowded and underfunded with a lack of basic teaching supplies and technology.

 

Click here to read more.

 

This section is written by Tim Nation, Executive Director and Co-founder of Peace Learning Center.

 Growing
GROW YOURSELF

So this month's topic is "Peace through Service". I can tell you personally that when I do service work, the whole experience is rewarding, unforgettable and brings a certain peace to my heart.  This got me thinking about how other people feel when they do service work, so off to Google I went, searching for the answer.  I found the majority of people feel that service is very rewarding.
 

"There are different types of community service work...I am a social worker by choice...it is community service work...and it has led me on many strange adventures...I love being of service to my fellow human beings. It makes my heart sing and grows my spirit in ways I would never have imagined..."

"To work in the community without getting anything in return is very rewarding and brings on blessings from on high, it also makes you feel ten feet tall when you see someone smile after you have helped them do something they could not have done themselves. There is no amount of money that you could get paid that would equal that feeling. It is pure joy".

"I feel healthier physically, and I feel better inside knowing that I made a difference in my community".

Michael Steger, a psychologist at the University of Louisville, KY conducted a survey of 65 undergraduates to see what made them happier; meaningful activities such as service or pleasure seeking, self-serving activities.  The results found that the individuals who did service were happier, saying service made their lives feel more purposeful.  Those who sought self serving activities, found they weren't any happier than before the survey.

Click here to read more.

This section is written by Lisa Jones, PLC's Director of Human Resources and Operations. 

support
 SUPPORT PEACE 
Make Good Changes Happen!  
 
 
 All donations to Peace Learning Center are currently being used to support our One Indy project as well as other ongoing peace education programs. Please make a donation today to help us reach our goal to serve kindergarten and 1st grade students and their families during 2015. Click here to donate now!

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