Something Different: Junior Statesmen California Institute on Leadership and Politics

Did I mention, that's my old dorm!?!

Katie and Emelia started a new adventure today.

This is the first time, ever, that Katie has gone on one of these adventures with a friend. Emelia is actually a neighborhood friend who lives close and is nearly the same age as Katie (her birthday is the day after Katie's) so they mesh together really nicely.

The Institute is at UC Davis, my old alma mater, and they are staying in the Bixby dorms - my old dorm! It was awesome going back to the building and watching them get all excited about setting up their temporary home. 

The dorms, built in 1962 (ironically the year I was born) look the same with a few tiny upgrades (or distractions depending on how you look at it - they really messed up how the beds fit in the rooms with the addition of new heaters in front of the windows). 

Unbeknownst to me, Katie packed dorm decorations and a fan ("In case it gets hot mom") and so she had plenty to do upon arrival. I got them there nice and early so they had plenty of time to nest.

I don't know, do they look happy?

I hope they have a terrific time. It's going to go pretty quickly; I pick them up on Wednesday afternoon. If they have a good JSA experience, they can join local clubs at their high schools and attend more events in the future. Not familiar with JSA? From their website:

     The mission of the Junior State of America and the Junior Statesmen Foundation (JSA) is to strengthen American democracy by educating and preparing high school students for life-long involvement and responsible leadership in a democratic society. 

  In the student-run Junior State and at JSA summer schools and summer institutes, participants learn statesmanship as they engage in political discourse. They cultivate democratic leadership skills, challenge one another to think critically, advocate their own opinions, develop respect for opposing views and learn to rise above self-interest to promote the public good.

Here's the day's agenda: 

Time	Activity
9:00 am – 11:30 am	Registration – Segundo Service Center
11:30 am – 12:30 pm	Opening Session - Wellman 106
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm	Lunch – Segundo Dining Commons
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm	Project Citizen Workshop – Bixby Hall Lounge
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm	Group Project Planning – Bixby Hall Lounge
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm	Dinner – Segundo Dining Commons
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm	Documentary/Discussion – Wellman 106
9:00pm - 10:00 pm	Free time / Work on Group Project
10:00 pm	Floor Meeting
11:00 pm	Curfew

Katie already decorating in her mind.

Emelia looking for the bathroom.

PTPI Global Youth Forum 2012 What Did You Do With My Kid?

Flightaware.com. Excellent.

Katie left here early Wednesday morning, still exhausted and exhilarated from watching her candidate win the presidential election. She came back five days later a changed person. Smiling like an idiot. Goofy over the amazing time she had in Chicago and telling me she was going back next year - to Washington DC - so start planning on it.

I couldn't find Katie in any photos, so Liz made sure I did!

In less than a week, my introvert who has "friend" (that's the joke, Katie has just the one friend at school) came home thrilled she had finally found her people. She LOVED everybody there - the girls, the boys, the young ones (she was one) and the old ones (Juniors and Seniors in high school). Together they had looked at the big problems facing the world and together they struggled to come up with ideas for action, for change.

The theme was Serve the World, Save the World and while I have always been an altruist, Katie's had a much more pragmatic approach to giving. She doesn't really want to help unless she could do something that was directly impactful. I've had a much lower threshold for jumping in and saving something. Katie can actually say "no." (This is a desirable trait and coveted by women so I have nurtured her ability to do just that. I figure life will eventually wear her down over time.)

At the conference, there were two missions: work on a problem - her team had Romania - and come up with a solution for solving the problem. The task was broken down into steps and was peppered with inspirational speakers who offered proof that young people really can create change.

Here's the project on Romania.

The Bean has been sited!

Mission two: do a service project with Chicago Cares.

Katie worked in a food kitchen and a clothes pantry helping organize, serve and sort. According to her, it was outstanding. She learned about who they served (many old people who are now on Social Security and don't have enough money for food after paying for medication, then electricity and heat - apparently food is number four on the list), and children. That data touched her heart and brain.

After volunteering they had a scavenger hunt in Chicago (The BEAN!) and ran around like idiots taking in the sites and learning about the city. Of course she wants to go back there too - this trip didn't involve shopping; one of the few crimes Al Capone did not commit in that town.

[Sidebar: I swear the best shopping I have EVER done I did in Chicago. The buyers there are amazing and on the West Coast, we only get stupid clothes that don't cater to the seasons or women with curves. But I digress.] The conference ended with a smashing good time: a dinner and dance with plenty of silliness and photo-taking.

Since the kids have been home, they have been connecting on Facebook like wildfire. They have a private page just for the group so they can talk with one another. They are missing each other like crazy. Katie's still waking up every morning saying, "I just want to go back. I found my people, mom, I found my people." She keeps drifting back through the photos from the event (they are public).

Katie and The Bean.

People to People already hooked me on the international travel; but I have to say, this leadership conference was outstanding. Within a day, Katie was looking for opportunities to volunteer here at home and since she liked serving the hungry, she chose an opportunity at Loaves and Fishes in Watsonville. She started just three days after getting home. GYF made quite an impression.

So, I better keep working. I figured she has four more years of GYF before she graduates. I can only imagine how she'll grow in the years to come!

At the dance.

After the dance.

Katie and Chelsea at Loaves and Fishes.

Destination: Chicago 2012 Global Youth Forum

She's off again. This time a much shorter trip and she's staying kind of local. Katie's hitting Chicago the day after our President was re-elected. She's hoping she will see him at the airport!

Katie is participating in the People to People 2012 Global Youth Forum aimed at teaching the kids about the leadership skills needed to create change in the world. Katie was a political junkie in the last few weeks, devouring information about the candidates, having a friend over for every debate, and watching the Daily Show and The Colbert Report to help her understand how the machine really worked.

Now I'm hoping she'll learn how to collaborate with people that don't necessarily share her point of view. GYF says there will be 125 students attending the conference, representing 11 different countries including Russia, South Africa, Palestine and all over the United States.

She tends to approach the world like a scientist with an overdose of logic and absolution. But as we did the homework this weekend - go learn about Romania and their social issues and come up with solutions - we were quickly met with the reality of problem solving. The answers aren't black and white.They are context-driven. I thought her head would explode.

Here's an example of a Romanian challenge:

In Romania, when Ceausescu took over, unwanted children have been given to orphanages. This was the result of extreme poverty and abortions being deemed illegal. But when Ceausescu was removed in late 1989, the culture had accepted this behavior and it continues today. Unwanted children are still - to this day - given to orphanages or live on the street. This blew Katie's mind. Her simple solution: birth control. Immediately for everyone. Except looking a little closer, you learn the church is extremely powerful in Romania and health care is also not that accessible. It turns out they also have a great divide between those who are educated and those who are not. So solving the problem needs to work within those parameters. (Interested in learning more about Romania? Read this great blog by a guy who taught there for a year.)

Katie let out a heavy sigh and decided there was no way to solve the problem. But I assured her there was, it was just harder than a simple answer. That's why she was going to the GYF to learn how to approach problem solving in context. My fingers are crossed that she will get great ideas and inspiration that she can bring back and share with her friends and classmates.

I got a pleasant surprise at the airport.

We were completely prepared for me to say goodbye at the security line and I had rehearsed Katie in how to get through security and get to her gate since she is making this trip alone. But when we checked in her bag ($25 please - ug), the agent gave me a pass to get through security too! Since Katie's 13, I guess they do that sort so the kid isn't un-escorted. So I got to have an early breakfast with Katie and watch her do everything we talked about with me as backup.

She could have totally handled it. But I am glad I was there because she was in a bit of a coma from being up so late to watch Obama's speech last night and then up so early to catch the flight (we were up at 5am). She texted me from the plane; apparently she was the last person to sit down because she walked past row 10 to row 30 and had to back all the way up against the stream of one-way people!

Been a long time since I could see the plane with my loved one ON it.

I said I bet she'll never make that mistake again. She assured me, "No way."

Cool Find: did you know you can track flights real-time using FlightAware.com? I am loving it this morning as I watch her plane buzz over Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska and Iowa.