Year Two of #Literacy4Life, @CWPFairfield Thanks @StagsMensBball For Their Intellectual Support @LeapToLead

Earlier this month, Abu and Lossine Bility worked with Coach Sydney Johnson and me to host a conversation with the Fairfield University Men's Basketball team on the importance of their student-athlete leadership on and off campus and the value for them to give back to the community. Emphasizing Skills4Life as supported by Hoops4Hope, the athletes brainstormed and wrote about the importance of integrity, self-esteem, self-awareness, focus, integrity, responsibility and Ubuntu. They wrote (like those of us at CWP-Fairfield) so they would be better prepared for a special event/collaboration between their team and CWP's young adult literacy labs (It's writing Y'ALL). We seem to sponsor our partnerships on the hottest days of summer!

Even so, the experience was very cool once again. In groups (a little larger than anticipated) students discussed their school goals, their motivations, the teachers who have influenced them, the choices they've made to LEAP towards the future, what it takes to be a great leader, and the importance of education. Each group consisted of:

• an immigrant or refugee youth attending Ubuntu Academy,
• an American-born youth participating in Project Citizen, Journalism, or TedX Talks,
• a teacher attending a summer invitational workshop on writing,
• a member of the men's basketball team,
• a participant in Fairfield University's Upward Bound program,
• a coach, and
• a graduate student taking a Young Adult Literature course.

This particular task was one of many events this summer asking young people and teachers to think of ways to LEAP together beyond their comfort zone into new experiences where they can celebrate who they are and learn from others who may or may not be like them. The primary purpose was to build community between individuals who, otherwise, would be unlikely to ever meet.

In response, the Men's basketball team made the teachers and non-athletes a little uncomfortable in their boxes by offering several drills in which they participated (everyone is extremely proud of Paul Jurasek, a teacher at St. Martin de Porres, who dunked - even the men's team had their cell phones out to record his achievement!). 

Other highlights were Sydney's LEAP across the gym floor (which surpassed Coach Koncz prediction), several individuals coming into the gym wondering how it was such diverse groups found each other in dialogue, the cheers and support from all the students in the stands, the reflection of teachers and kids when we returned to our own niches, and all the smiles...

all the smiles.

The Literacy4Life collaboration with Hoops4Hope and Fairfield University's Men's Basketball program is a phenomenal example of the philosophy of being strong together. Although an exhausting feat to pull off, it is worth every second. I am extremely awe-struck by the leadership demonstrated by the Men's team (one teacher said, "They were phenomenal communicators. I was impressed by how much they had to offer with what they had to say) and the investment their coaches continue to make for the team. I also appreciated the conversations with the coaches afterwards and what they learned from the kids! The dialogue was definitely a democratic experience.

And with that, I leave you with Coach Sydney Johnson's LEAP of support. His jump says it all!