2007 Annual Community of Caring National Conference
July 26-28, 2007 - Las Vegas, NV
The recent 2007 conference "Catch the Vision" held in Las Vegas was insightful and relevant, and provided me with memories that will last a lifetime. My perspective of the conference is somewhat unique because of my demographics and recent history with the Community of Caring. I spent three years at Heron Creek Middle School, which was lauded as a cutting edge character education school and hosted Ms. Eunice Kennedy Shriver soon after the school's grand opening. I relocated to Las Vegas about two years ago and was once again deeply involved with the five core values. I noted in a previous article, how amazed I was that the entire concept of the Community of Caring transcends regions, economics and student ages. My inner city high school seniors were benefiting by this incredible program as much, if not more than my suburban middle class adolescents. As luck would have it, the recent conference was held in what is now my backyard. It was a special treat to see and spend time with my Florida friends and colleagues. It was also a wonderful experience to meet so many new friends associated with the Community of Caring. When I wasn't doing the tour guide/host thing, I was totally enthralled by keynotes and presentations. Each presentation offered a different perspective regarding character education and the maximization of academic and social potentials for all students. I enjoyed the fact that many of the presentations were highly engaging and offered humorous tones and anecdotes; time literally flew by. My favorite presentation was offered by Mr. Paul S. Wichansky; he truly is a personification of inspiration and perseverance! I must admit that I am permanently hooked on the Community of Caring and will continue to serve as a huge proponent for its implementation and growth in schools throughout the country. If you attended the conference, I'm sure you'll agree that it's a "must-do" annual event. If you weren't able to attend this past conference, you should do whatever it takes to make plans and attend next year's conference. You'll come away with great ideas, outstanding collaborative contacts and a renewed professional vigor.
-Dr. Ron Lustig, Principal, Burk Horizon High School
Recalling the memorable experiences of the past year, one of my personal highlights was a visit to Las Vegas in July, where I was honored to be the closing keynote speaker at the annual Community of Caring National Conference. I remember those two days were filled with plenty of sunshine and warmth, but I am not referring to the hot summertime weather typical of Las Vegas, but to the optimism emanating from all of the people I had the honor to interact with at this conference. Whether you are a teacher, counselor, or administrator, Community of Caring is a valuable network of people whose ideas and programs help ensure that K-12 students learn to embrace the core character education values that serve as hallmarks of peer leadership.
Earlier this year, the conference coordinator, Katie Lewis, found me through the website of my speakers bureau, A Vision in Motion. Even if I have cerebral palsy, the cerebral palsy does not need to have me! This kind of positive attitude, combined with a supportive network of family and friends, has allowed me to reach my dream of walking and many other goals as well. During the conference keynote, I shared some of these experiences to show, by example, that any dream can be realized with motivation and a winning attitude. For that hour, the hotel ballroom was filled with genuine laughter, good tears, and pertinent questions, as the audience responded positively to a program that was sincere, uplifting, and insightful. Showing video clips that helped personalize some of the experiences I shared (such as skydiving and scuba diving), I emphasized that even negative experiences always have a silver lining. The next day, I left Las Vegas with a renewed sense of hope, hope for the future of this country, and the hope that we can all work together to eliminate hate and prejudice while promoting tolerance, respect, and understanding, especially towards those students with special abilities.
I trust that your continued involvement with Community of Caring encourages you to deliver a message of tolerance, a spirit of compassion, and the knowledge that helps brighten the prospects of our country's future (which lies in our children). We should continue to bring out the best in others and that certainly helps bring out the best in ourselves. I am also sending my best and brightest wishes of the holiday season to you and your families.
-Paul Wichansky