Spotlight Archive
Spreading the Ripples of Paths to Peace Beyond The Blake School
The Blake School is an independent pre-k-12, private, non-sectarian, coeducational, college preparatory day school with campuses in Minneapolis, Hopkins, and Wayzata, MN. It is a “home” of Nan Peterson, Blake’s Director of Service Learning. Along with Deacon Steve Herrera of San Jose Diocese and Archbishop Mitty High School, and Leif Erickson of Youth Community Service, both in California, Nan is one of our beloved Senior Shinnyo Fellows. Last year, Nan had shifted her full-time position to become half-time as she is attempting to wind down her career at Blake that goes beyond three decades. Nonetheless, Nan hasn’t decreased any of her peacebuilding endeavors. Especially now with her friendship, partnership and collaboration with Lisa Sackreiter, Assistant Director of Service Learning & Community Engagement at Blake, Nan is ever more efficient and thoughtful about ways to spread the ripples of Paths to Peace into the communities beyond Blake. Here are just two examples of ways that Nan and Lisa have been actualizing their Paths to Peace with Blake’s students: The public-private partnership that exists between Little Earth Youth Pathways & Blake School students For the past four years, Little Earth of United Tribes and the Blake School have engaged in a public-private partnership to bring the communities together through a series of storytelling-based events. Between 15 and 18 Blake high school seniors enrolled in Native American Fiction, Folklore, and Film use four class days to 1) host visitors from Little Earth at Blake and share a meal and introductory conversation, 2) learn from a local expert in Indigenous cultural, socio-economic, and/or artistic development, 3) visit Little Earth to share a meal with students, elders, and employees of Little Earth, and 4) share the stage at The Depot Coffeehouse with Little Earth partners in presenting written pieces based on their time together and learning in the literature course. Between the third and fourth gatherings, students share their written drafts with Little Earth partners for collaboration, editing, and revision. This partnership together has shown how two geographically close communities can learn from each other. The Blake community members have room to develop their oral storytelling skills and interpersonal, intercultural communication skills, while learning from Little Earth community members who are more adept at impromptu dialogue and verbal sharing of knowledge. Likewise, the Little Earth community has the opportunity to practice written dialogue via Google Docs and educate a student population previously less informed about the lived experiences of their Indigenous neighbors. In the upcoming fifth year of the Little Earth & Blake Story Sharing partnership, Maurissa Bigjohn is hoping to expand this successful partnership by launching an eight-part program for a cohort of 15 8th-10th grade Little Earth students. The Blake students will engage with this cohort of Indigenous youth in practicing public speaking skills and academic enrichment. The Little Earth students will have the opportunity to share their cultural knowledge with the Blake students during the fall semester with opportunities for after-school tutoring and peer-to-peer relationship building through Blake Service Learning. Blake School students choose water as their Path to Peace In the Blake School Arts lobby you will now find a collaborative photography and environmental science project that Blake students created last year for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. These projects were on display at the Eco Experience building at the Minnesota State Fair...
read moreOur Newest Senior Shinnyo Fellow
Shinnyo-en Foundation is pleased to welcome our Senior Shinnyo Fellow, Leif Erickson. Leif is the Executive Director of Youth Community Service (YCS), which engages young people from diverse midpeninsula communities of the Bay Area in meaningful service-based learning. Leif has served in this position since April of 2004, and the Foundation has had the privilege of knowing and working with Leif and YCS since then. He previously worked for almost 25 years in corporate marketing in Silicon Valley’s high tech and biotech industries, but began volunteering with YCS in 1995 as a parent supporter of its youth programs. Senior Shinnyo Fellows are individuals who model lives of compassion and service, and lead others by their own examples of walking their paths to peace at work and in daily life. They are considered to be exemplary leaders in the fields of service-learning, youth leadership development, and education. This position is voluntary and is awarded to individuals who, after a sustained relationship with the Foundation, have gained a considerable understanding of our mission. Senior Shinnyo Fellows are also familiar with the Shinnyo-en Buddhist Order and its values, and they are willing and prepared to represent the Foundation in a positive light. Leif has been a long-time advocate of the Foundation’s peace initiative, Infinite Paths to Peace, and incorporates the initiative in his work at YCS, encouraging youth to discover their own unique passions and strengths, and ultimately supporting youth to define their paths to peace. Leif is a humble and generous leader, always willing to share his wisdom with colleagues and the next generation of leaders. He has been a resource to the Foundation’s grantees, such as The School Fund, as well as to Shinnyo-en Youth Association members, who were looking for guidance and support in the nonprofit field. Leif joins Nan Peterson and Steve Herrera as a Senior Shinnyo Fellow, and the Foundation recognized them at our 2015 Annual Retreat in Marshall, CA. Even after attending every year for over a decade, all three continue coming to the Retreat with exuberance and eagerness to learn from others. Without their participation, our Retreat wouldn’t be the same! Nan is the Director of Service Learning at The Blake School in Minneapolis, MN. Steve is an educator at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, CA, and the Co-director of the Teen Interfaith Leadership Council of Santa Clara County. All three Fellows have been significant contributors to the Foundation’s work and provide critical advice to what we do. They illustrate what partnership and collaboration between the Foundation and its grantees can look like, and we hope to continue looking to them for wisdom, well into the...
read moreSenior Shinnyo Fellows Are Announced With Gratitude and Respect!
Shinnyo-en Foundation is proud to share the great news that Nan Peterson of The Blake School in Minneapolis, MN and Steve Herrera, Deacon of San Jose Diocese and religious studies teacher at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, CA were appointed as Shinnyo-en Foundation’s 2012-2013 Senior Shinnyo Fellows during the 13th Shinnyo-en Foundation Annual Retreat. Steve and Nan received the certificates of appreciation and gratitude from Ben Takagi, Vice President of the Foundation on Friday, August 10 at the Marconi Conference Center, in Marshall, CA. Senior Shinnyo Fellows are individuals who model lives of compassion and service, and lead others by their own examples of walking their paths to peace at work and in daily life. They are considered to be exemplary leaders in the field of service, education, and related fields. The Senior Shinnyo Fellow position is voluntary and is awarded to individuals who, after a sustained relationship with Shinnyo-en Foundation, have gained a considerable understanding of the Foundation’s mission and priorities. Senior Shinnyo Fellows are also familiar with the Shinnyo-en Buddhist Order and its fundamental values. Both Nan Peterson and Steve Herrera have been close, long-time supporters of Shinnyo-en Foundation and practitioners of the Foundation’s peace initiative, Six Billion Paths to Peace. They have been a vital part of the Foundation’s educational programs, events, and activities as they share their expertise, act as sounding boards, and advise on the issues and needs relevant to the Foundation’s grantmaking and programming. In particular, they have collaborated with the Foundation in designing, developing and facilitating the Foundation’s Annual Retreat at the Marconi Conference Center for many years. Between Nan and Steve, they have attended the Annual Retreat close to 20 times out of the last 13 Annual Retreats! For this reason, it was very appropriate that the announcement of their appointment as Senior Shinnyo Fellows was made at the Marconi retreat this year. Please read the Spotlight on Nan Peterson in our “Spotlight Archive” section for more information on her accomplishments. In the next Spotlight, Steve Herrera will be featured in a few weeks. Congratulations to Nan and Steve! Thank you for all you do for service, peace and social...
read moreInterview with Nan Peterson
Ms. Nan Peterson is the Director of Service Learning for The Blake School located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is also the first and only Senior Fellow of the Shinnyo-en Foundation. 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...
read moreIn the Garden with Sarah Johnson
Ms. Sarah Johnson is a Biology and Environmental Science teacher at Leadership Public School-College Park on the Castlemont Community of SmallSchools campus and the Program Coordinator of the Green Pioneers Program, a grantee of the Shinnyo-en Foundation. 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...
read moreInterview with Amy Ambrose
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...
read moreLetter from Alie Bollaidlaw
Dear Friends at the Foundation, 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...
read moreInterview with John C. Gulla
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...
read moreInterview with Dr. James “Jim” Kielsmeier
James “Jim” Kielsmeier is founder and President/CEO of the National Youth Leadership Council, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. He also founded the Center for Experiential Education and Service-Learning at the University of Minnesota, where he is also an Adjunct Professor. Kielsmeier helped initiate the nonprofit African Reconciliation and Development Corps International and led their first project in Somalia (1993-94) during the civil war. 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...
read moreInterview with Steve Guttenberg
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...
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