Thursday, June 10, 2010
Have you been to the website lately??
There are some BIG changes going on over at www.dignityandrespectcampaign.com have you been over there lately?
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Dignity and Respect Champion award honors Pittsburgh Project's Thompkins
Will Thompkins, director of community and outreach at The Pittsburgh Project, doesn't seek the spotlight. But it has found him: The Dignity and Respect Campaign, launched last fall to unite people and organizations throughout the city under the common belief that everyone deserves dignity and respect, has named Thompkins their first Dignity and Respect Champion. The award will be given monthly throughout the coming year to Pittsburghers who exemplify the campaign's goals.
Through his work at The Pittsburgh Project, and through service on the boards of KidsVoice, the Pittsburgh branch of the NAACP, Children 2 Champions, Northside Old Timers, Pittsburgh United, and The 100 Black Men of Western Pennsylvania, the campaign feels that Thompkins has devoted himself to promoting "the principles of dignity and respect" and "an environment of inclusion" here in Pittsburgh.
He was nominated for the award by Saleem Ghubril, executive director of the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship program for students in the Pittsburgh Public Schools.
"Will models servant-leadership in everything he does, but never with the aim of drawing attention to himself. He makes whomever is in his company feel deeply valued and highly regarded. He is a bridge-builder between those typically alienated whether because of race, ethnicity, gender, economics, age, or politics. This is Will's first nature," Ghubril said in a statement about the award.
What issues are taking up most of Thompkins' energy these days? Helping to combat homelessness tops the list, as does the challenge of helping low-income Pittsburgh students get access to the best possible education. As we enter the second year of recession, Thompkins says those two problems often cross paths. Homeless students do their best to stay in school, he says, but it can be incredibly difficult.
"Education is a major issue... and one great challenge we face for young people, whether in high school or college, is employment," he says. "To identify and work with those young people who go to school and are homeless is very important. ... A lot of young people, if they're given an opportunity to work, they will work. And they will do well, in some cases excelling beyond our imagination."
http://www.popcitymedia.com/forgood/dignityandrespect0331.aspx?utm_campaign=On%20the%20Edge&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=Dignity%20and%20Respect%20Champion%20award%20honors%20Pittsburgh%20Project%27s%20Thompkins
Through his work at The Pittsburgh Project, and through service on the boards of KidsVoice, the Pittsburgh branch of the NAACP, Children 2 Champions, Northside Old Timers, Pittsburgh United, and The 100 Black Men of Western Pennsylvania, the campaign feels that Thompkins has devoted himself to promoting "the principles of dignity and respect" and "an environment of inclusion" here in Pittsburgh.
He was nominated for the award by Saleem Ghubril, executive director of the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship program for students in the Pittsburgh Public Schools.
"Will models servant-leadership in everything he does, but never with the aim of drawing attention to himself. He makes whomever is in his company feel deeply valued and highly regarded. He is a bridge-builder between those typically alienated whether because of race, ethnicity, gender, economics, age, or politics. This is Will's first nature," Ghubril said in a statement about the award.
What issues are taking up most of Thompkins' energy these days? Helping to combat homelessness tops the list, as does the challenge of helping low-income Pittsburgh students get access to the best possible education. As we enter the second year of recession, Thompkins says those two problems often cross paths. Homeless students do their best to stay in school, he says, but it can be incredibly difficult.
"Education is a major issue... and one great challenge we face for young people, whether in high school or college, is employment," he says. "To identify and work with those young people who go to school and are homeless is very important. ... A lot of young people, if they're given an opportunity to work, they will work. And they will do well, in some cases excelling beyond our imagination."
http://www.popcitymedia.com/forgood/dignityandrespect0331.aspx?utm_campaign=On%20the%20Edge&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=Dignity%20and%20Respect%20Champion%20award%20honors%20Pittsburgh%20Project%27s%20Thompkins
Friday, February 5, 2010
Center for Inclusion reaches out to 6th-graders in the New Pittsburgh Courier!
Center for Inclusion reaches out to 6th-graders
Written by Rebecca Nuttall - Courier Staff Writer
Wednesday, 03 February 2010 11:35
Starting in February, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Center for Inclusion in Health Care will be hosting a series of career fairs for sixth-graders in the Pittsburgh Public School District. The fairs will expose students to a variety of careers in the health care field, beyond the usual professions.
“It gives the students the opportunity to explore the many different areas they can go into health care,” said Winifred Torbert, program director, education partnerships. “You don’t have to be a doctor or a nurse and students aren’t aware of that. So it’s an exploration activity.”
“We want to really talk to the students about health careers and post-secondary opportunities they can pursue if they are interested,” Torbert said. “In sixth grade they are beginning to question where they are going to be and things they need to know. This will show them this is what it will lead to and also to give them a pathway to the promise.”
The first of four sessions will be held at Greenway Middle School, Feb. 9, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
The Center for Inclusion, which was launched in October of 2008, has a number of initiatives aimed at customers, employees and the community.
“We launched the center in an effort to kind of re-brand the department and move the work to another level,” said Dawnita Wilson, chief of staff. “We wanted to provide a broad range of resources to UPMC employees as well as the people in the communities we serve.”
Among the center’s major initiatives is the Dignity and Respect campaign, which invites UPMC employees and the community to take a pledge to ensure that inclusion is at the core of what they do every day. After taking the pledge, participants can download a list of daily tips encouraging them to be mindful of their interactions with others and to commit to treating others the way they want to be treated.
“We engaged community partners and the community at-large to take the pledge,” Wilson said. “We ask them what dignity and respect mean to them.”
The campaign has engaged numerous organizations, including the Pittsburgh Foundation, Leadership Pittsburgh, UPMC Health Plan and the Office of the Mayor. October 2009 was designated as Dignity and Respect Month, during which time almost 5,000 pledges were received.
http://www.newpittsburghcourieronline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1365:center-for-inclusion-reaches-out-to-6th-graders&catid=38:metro&Itemid=27
Written by Rebecca Nuttall - Courier Staff Writer
Wednesday, 03 February 2010 11:35
Starting in February, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Center for Inclusion in Health Care will be hosting a series of career fairs for sixth-graders in the Pittsburgh Public School District. The fairs will expose students to a variety of careers in the health care field, beyond the usual professions.
“It gives the students the opportunity to explore the many different areas they can go into health care,” said Winifred Torbert, program director, education partnerships. “You don’t have to be a doctor or a nurse and students aren’t aware of that. So it’s an exploration activity.”
“We want to really talk to the students about health careers and post-secondary opportunities they can pursue if they are interested,” Torbert said. “In sixth grade they are beginning to question where they are going to be and things they need to know. This will show them this is what it will lead to and also to give them a pathway to the promise.”
The first of four sessions will be held at Greenway Middle School, Feb. 9, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
The Center for Inclusion, which was launched in October of 2008, has a number of initiatives aimed at customers, employees and the community.
“We launched the center in an effort to kind of re-brand the department and move the work to another level,” said Dawnita Wilson, chief of staff. “We wanted to provide a broad range of resources to UPMC employees as well as the people in the communities we serve.”
Among the center’s major initiatives is the Dignity and Respect campaign, which invites UPMC employees and the community to take a pledge to ensure that inclusion is at the core of what they do every day. After taking the pledge, participants can download a list of daily tips encouraging them to be mindful of their interactions with others and to commit to treating others the way they want to be treated.
“We engaged community partners and the community at-large to take the pledge,” Wilson said. “We ask them what dignity and respect mean to them.”
The campaign has engaged numerous organizations, including the Pittsburgh Foundation, Leadership Pittsburgh, UPMC Health Plan and the Office of the Mayor. October 2009 was designated as Dignity and Respect Month, during which time almost 5,000 pledges were received.
http://www.newpittsburghcourieronline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1365:center-for-inclusion-reaches-out-to-6th-graders&catid=38:metro&Itemid=27
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Wear Red Day!
GET Involved
Are you available between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm on Friday, February 5th? If you are, help us spread life-saving information about the "Go Red for Women" campaign. The goal of the campaign is to increase awareness of heart disease and stroke as threats to the health of women, and to urge women to take action to improve their heart health.
The campaign's goal is to have at least 200 men and women in downtown Pittsburgh and 100 more in Oakland, passing out bookmarks and red dress pins. You'll be given a red fleece scarf to wear to keep you warm and to identify you as part of the "Go Red for Women" campaign. Register here to Participate in Wear Red Day
Are you available between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm on Friday, February 5th? If you are, help us spread life-saving information about the "Go Red for Women" campaign. The goal of the campaign is to increase awareness of heart disease and stroke as threats to the health of women, and to urge women to take action to improve their heart health.
The campaign's goal is to have at least 200 men and women in downtown Pittsburgh and 100 more in Oakland, passing out bookmarks and red dress pins. You'll be given a red fleece scarf to wear to keep you warm and to identify you as part of the "Go Red for Women" campaign. Register here to Participate in Wear Red Day
Friday, January 22, 2010
Smart Futures eMentoring Features in Pittsburgh Tribune- Review!
UPMC enlisted for e-mentoring effort
By Rick Wills, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Dave Mosey said he thinks there are more teens in need of mentors than mentors with time.
"Being a face-to-face mentor is often complicated. There are even legal and security issues involved when you are dealing with underage kids," said Mosey, executive director of SmartFutures, a Downtown nonprofit that runs an online mentoring program.
SmartFutures got a big boost Wednesday, when UPMC -- the state's second largest employer after Wal-Mart -- volunteered to promote e-mentoring among its 50,000 employees.
"They have a wonderful program. It's a great opportunity to engage our professional people with students in the area," said Dawnita Wilson, chief of staff for UPMC's Center of Inclusion in Health Care.
The program aims to match thousands of high school students with UPMC employees over the Internet and to help them plan for their future.
Paula Balogh, a nurse practitioner at UPMC's Hillman Cancer Center, said she finds mentoring rewarding on several levels.
"I can talk to kids through the computer in a very non-threatening way. I feel like I can help students navigate the system and set goals. And I can tell them about how I started out with nothing," she said.
UPMC also has enlisted the support of partner organizations, including Community College of Allegheny County and Bidwell Training Center to expand the mentor pool.
The effort targets 10th graders, Mosey said.
"That seems like a good age. Senior year is too late to start planning what to do after high school," he said.
Each student will receive a personalized college and career plan, created with his or her mentor.
SmartFutures, which was founded in 2005, offers several educational and career-related online programs including Keys2Work, PA eMentoring, My Career Journey and Financial Literacy 101
By Rick Wills, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Dave Mosey said he thinks there are more teens in need of mentors than mentors with time.
"Being a face-to-face mentor is often complicated. There are even legal and security issues involved when you are dealing with underage kids," said Mosey, executive director of SmartFutures, a Downtown nonprofit that runs an online mentoring program.
SmartFutures got a big boost Wednesday, when UPMC -- the state's second largest employer after Wal-Mart -- volunteered to promote e-mentoring among its 50,000 employees.
"They have a wonderful program. It's a great opportunity to engage our professional people with students in the area," said Dawnita Wilson, chief of staff for UPMC's Center of Inclusion in Health Care.
The program aims to match thousands of high school students with UPMC employees over the Internet and to help them plan for their future.
Paula Balogh, a nurse practitioner at UPMC's Hillman Cancer Center, said she finds mentoring rewarding on several levels.
"I can talk to kids through the computer in a very non-threatening way. I feel like I can help students navigate the system and set goals. And I can tell them about how I started out with nothing," she said.
UPMC also has enlisted the support of partner organizations, including Community College of Allegheny County and Bidwell Training Center to expand the mentor pool.
The effort targets 10th graders, Mosey said.
"That seems like a good age. Senior year is too late to start planning what to do after high school," he said.
Each student will receive a personalized college and career plan, created with his or her mentor.
SmartFutures, which was founded in 2005, offers several educational and career-related online programs including Keys2Work, PA eMentoring, My Career Journey and Financial Literacy 101
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
MLK Day of Service Event!
Recently, the Center for Inclusion in Health Care, along with Pittsburgh Cares at the Duquesne-West Mifflin Boys and Girls Club held a youth orientated activity to commerate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and also to discuss ideas of how we can all work together to make the world a better place.
The event was even picked up by the McKeesport Daily News! See the article and some pics from the event below!
--
Young, old ponder modern vision of Dr. King’s dream
Buzz up!By Eric Slagle, MCKEESPORT DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
E-Edition
If Martin Luther King Jr. were still alive, what would his dream be today?
Children, teens and adults taking part in a celebration of the day honoring the slain civil rights leader at Duquesne-West Mifflin Boys and Girls Club on Monday all were asked that question in one form or another.
In an exercise called "I Have a Dream, Too," students recorded their ideas about how humanity could work together to make the world a better place.
"I have a dream that one day we'll all stop fighting and get along," said S'myiah Adams, 5, of Duquesne.
"I have a dream that people won't be talked about because of their skin color," wrote Alexis Berry, 11, also of Duquesne.
Carrick High School student Jenna Aleski, 14, wrote that her dream is a world where "everyone will be equal. Everyone will feel loved. Everyone will have a home."
There were hundreds of other inspiring answers offered at the event, which in addition to being attended by club members, drew students and adults from all over the Pittsburgh region through the volunteer organization Pittsburgh Cares.
This is the first year the club held an MLK Day activity. Patricia A. Bluett, who is executive director of the local Boys and Girls Club branch, said she is pleased the club could host such an event.
"It's a chance for kids in our community to get together with kids from outside the community and learn there's a world outside of Duquesne," she said. "It's time for us all to start working together."
Pittsburgh Cares Project Manager Holly McGraw said the youth club in Duquesne was a natural choice for her when she was looking for a place to hold the youth-oriented activity. Having worked with Bluett and the club on other occasions, she said of the director, "She's always welcoming and willing to open her doors to new faces."
Will Barmen, 10, who is a student at St. Edmunds Academy in Squirrel Hill and was at the club with the philanthropic Pittsburgh Social Venture Partners group, said he was inspired by the message of community service being promoted by the day's activities.
He said he'd remember it later this year when his school holds its annual clean-up event.
"I've learned we can work together to be a better community," he said.
Candi Castleberry-Singleton, of UPMC's Center for Inclusion in Health Care, was at the event encouraging participants to use club computers to pledge their support for treating colleagues and members of the community with dignity and respect in honor of King.
Justin Portis of Pittsburgh Cares was overseeing an event for older students to create a public service announcement honoring King's legacy that will be shown in area high schools and on his organization's Web site at www.pittsburghcares.org.
Portis said the program at the youth club was beneficial because it instills service values in children at an age when many still are too young to get involved in hands-on volunteer activities in the community.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/dailynewsmckeesport/s_662914.html
The event was even picked up by the McKeesport Daily News! See the article and some pics from the event below!
--
Young, old ponder modern vision of Dr. King’s dream
Buzz up!By Eric Slagle, MCKEESPORT DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
E-Edition
If Martin Luther King Jr. were still alive, what would his dream be today?
Children, teens and adults taking part in a celebration of the day honoring the slain civil rights leader at Duquesne-West Mifflin Boys and Girls Club on Monday all were asked that question in one form or another.
In an exercise called "I Have a Dream, Too," students recorded their ideas about how humanity could work together to make the world a better place.
"I have a dream that one day we'll all stop fighting and get along," said S'myiah Adams, 5, of Duquesne.
"I have a dream that people won't be talked about because of their skin color," wrote Alexis Berry, 11, also of Duquesne.
Carrick High School student Jenna Aleski, 14, wrote that her dream is a world where "everyone will be equal. Everyone will feel loved. Everyone will have a home."
There were hundreds of other inspiring answers offered at the event, which in addition to being attended by club members, drew students and adults from all over the Pittsburgh region through the volunteer organization Pittsburgh Cares.
This is the first year the club held an MLK Day activity. Patricia A. Bluett, who is executive director of the local Boys and Girls Club branch, said she is pleased the club could host such an event.
"It's a chance for kids in our community to get together with kids from outside the community and learn there's a world outside of Duquesne," she said. "It's time for us all to start working together."
Pittsburgh Cares Project Manager Holly McGraw said the youth club in Duquesne was a natural choice for her when she was looking for a place to hold the youth-oriented activity. Having worked with Bluett and the club on other occasions, she said of the director, "She's always welcoming and willing to open her doors to new faces."
Will Barmen, 10, who is a student at St. Edmunds Academy in Squirrel Hill and was at the club with the philanthropic Pittsburgh Social Venture Partners group, said he was inspired by the message of community service being promoted by the day's activities.
He said he'd remember it later this year when his school holds its annual clean-up event.
"I've learned we can work together to be a better community," he said.
Candi Castleberry-Singleton, of UPMC's Center for Inclusion in Health Care, was at the event encouraging participants to use club computers to pledge their support for treating colleagues and members of the community with dignity and respect in honor of King.
Justin Portis of Pittsburgh Cares was overseeing an event for older students to create a public service announcement honoring King's legacy that will be shown in area high schools and on his organization's Web site at www.pittsburghcares.org.
Portis said the program at the youth club was beneficial because it instills service values in children at an age when many still are too young to get involved in hands-on volunteer activities in the community.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/dailynewsmckeesport/s_662914.html
Monday, January 4, 2010
Make Dignity and Respect part of what you do everyday.
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"
-- Martin Luther King Jr.
Have you taken the pledge to support Dignity and Respect? In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day we are inviting you to take our Dignity and Respect Pledge again or for the first time.
About the Campaign
Dignity and respect are crucial to building and sustaining an environment in which everyone feels included, valued, and appreciated. Sometimes it's the smallest things that have the biggest impact. Join us in our Dignity and Respect Campaign by making sure that inclusion is at the core of what you do every day
Here's how it works: Every day we have the opportunity to test our commitment to dignity and respect through our behavior. The tips below encourage us all to be mindful of our interactions with others and to commit to treating others the way they want to be treated. By following the daily recommendations, we can all work to achieve a more inclusive community.
You can take the pledge by visiting www.dignityandrespectcampaign.com or by clicking here
-- Martin Luther King Jr.
Have you taken the pledge to support Dignity and Respect? In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day we are inviting you to take our Dignity and Respect Pledge again or for the first time.
About the Campaign
Dignity and respect are crucial to building and sustaining an environment in which everyone feels included, valued, and appreciated. Sometimes it's the smallest things that have the biggest impact. Join us in our Dignity and Respect Campaign by making sure that inclusion is at the core of what you do every day
Here's how it works: Every day we have the opportunity to test our commitment to dignity and respect through our behavior. The tips below encourage us all to be mindful of our interactions with others and to commit to treating others the way they want to be treated. By following the daily recommendations, we can all work to achieve a more inclusive community.
You can take the pledge by visiting www.dignityandrespectcampaign.com or by clicking here
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