Michael Shaw, center, on Public Safety Day with Jamie Johnson & Crystal Kittridge

And then there is this “other” section. It’s that small list at the bottom of the page. It has a few one-liners… a year mentoring someone in the Big Brother program, performing in dramas at church, and the like. However, the common theme is that each of those happened because someone asked if I would help. None of it was intentional.

Early on in this program, each of us started a development plan. The first few items were easy…list twenty-five traits and behaviors that represent me and then narrow the list down to a few. It was at that point I struggled because I couldn’t come up with a one-word mission statement. It’s sometimes the simplest things that are the toughest, and the only thing I could come up with was ‘knowledge.’ Although the word fits me, it doesn’t denote action and it isn’t what I wanted it to be.

Moving forward, I had an opportunity to be on a team that developed the Community Impact Project that came in second place. There were three individuals on that team, Nicole, Sarah, and Mandy that had a passion for the project. I never told anyone, but that’s what I wanted to find for myself.

Then our class chose the Golden Hill project and it was evident there were even more people passionate about this one. I’ll admit that my next poignant moment came at my first LGR meeting at the school. I arrived just as class was getting out. I walk in wearing business formal and there are kids literally bouncing off the walls, young mothers carrying babies, and I immediately tensed up. Then that still, small voice said “This may be the only time in their lives someone invests heavily in them… and it may take a day or decades, but perhaps they may find worth in themselves, or even the desire to invest in others.” From that moment on, I knew we were doing the right thing.

A couple of weeks ago, I continued to struggle with the one-word, and then I remembered a quote a mentor had told me when I was in my twenties. At the time he told me one day I’d know what it meant. He said, “Anything good you see in me is the result of someone else’s influence in my life, and the rest I’m still working on.”

Because of thirty-seven exceptional classmates, a group of dedicated instructors and alumni, a company that invests in their own, a principal who showed that planting one seed could reap great rewards, as well as students and teachers at a terrific school, I became a better person these past ten months.

Finally, just two days ago I figured out what my word is… transform. The LGR program has taught me that I have the power to transform myself, as well as transform my community. Now I know how to change that “other” part of my resume, and fill it with intention.

Are you ready to transform? The application process for Leadership Greater Rochester 2012-13 is now open.

Included in the list are Southeast Service Cooperative and First Alliance Credit Union, who have also been honored as Alfred P. Sloan Award recipients for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility.

Read the entire list and story in the Post-Bulletin

The Check-In/Screening provides thorough attention to the health and early childhood development of each child. There is no cost for the screening.

The Rochester Public Schools provide screenings at Northrop Education Center for any child who is at least 3 years of age. Language interpretation is provided upon request. To schedule an appointment, parents/guardians should call Early Childhood Screening at 507-328-4004.

If you would like or more information or have additional questions, please feel free to call Early Childhood Family Services at 507-328-4020.

School Readiness is everyone’s business

The First Steps Business Alliance, an initiative of the Rochester Area Foundation, is our business leaders’ commitment to economic growth through community-wide action and investment in early childhood. As a partner and co-founder of the alliance, the Chamber Foundation is dedicated to First Steps and its mission to lay the foundation for long-term economic growth by investing in children and families today.

Growing tomorrow’s Workforce Today
Our workforce is getting older. Who is going to replace them as the largest percentage of American workers in the history of our country prepares to retire in the next decade? Studies show that children who lack the skills to succeed in school are more likely to drop out, which results in a poorly skilled workforce, unemployment, and dependence on public resources. With nearly 50% of Minnesota kids arriving at kindergarten unprepared to succeed in school, business leaders must get to work and start investing in tomorrow’s workforce by supporting early childhood development today.

For more information about the First Steps initiative and the Rochester Area Foundation, including how your business can invest and become a member, visit www.rochesterarea.org and www.firststeps.us, respectively.

Dawn Rainey, HR Director for Custom Alarm/CCI said, “Our recognition in Money Magazine came about because of our investment in the Sloan process. It was very exciting! They flew in their photographer, his assistant, a make-up artist, and a wardrobe specialist who spent Friday at Custom Alarm and Saturday with Loren’s family. They took hundreds of pictures (for 2 that were included in the article). Crazy, but Loren and his family sure enjoyed the experience!

Read the full article, here

For more information about the Sloan awards, sign up for the next “when work works” roundtable on the Sloan award process on March 7. More information and registration here.

More information about the Sloan awards, visit the Foundation website.

Back Row: Austin McCoy, Michael Thomas, Jonas Tost, and Greta Van Loon (all Friedell Middle School); Front Row: Nathan Kanzelman (Kellogg Middle School), Weston Fyles (Kellogg Middle School), and Claire Schleusner (Willow Creek Middle School).

Other winners included Kylee Novak, Kellogg Middle School – iPod donated by Olmsted Medical Center, Karly Hindt, LeRoy-Ostrander High School – iPod donated by Think Bank, Kayla Kazelman, Kellogg Middle School – Kindle e-reader donated by Best Buy, Nicole Krenzke, Spring Grove Middle School – e-reader donated by Best Buy, Miranda Jones, Plainview Schools - $100 Visa gift card, donated by Crenlo, Madeline Pypa, Rochester Off Campus – fish tank with fish, donated by InSciedOut.  Anna Vo, Friedell Middle School and Jonah A., Friedell Middle School also won gift packages consisting of gift cards, Girl Scout cookies, college t-shirts, hats and sweatshirts and a flash drive.

The Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce extends our thanks to the exhibitors and businesses who continue to support the efforts to build a globally competitive workforce.  A special thank you to those who donated door prizes, spend the day exhibiting at the Summit, and actively engaged with our Rochester area students.

When the Rochester Chamber of Commerce hosted its fourth annual STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math)  Summit, I was one of the volunteers who helped out. After my assigned duty at the registration area was done, I spent several hours talking to students and exhibitors. Previous to last week’s event, the Chamber ran a Summit Roadshow, where business leaders and others  with technical skills visited Rochester and area schools. The idea was to generate interest in the upcoming event and talk to students about the importance of technical education. STEM Summit enrollment exceeded the cap of 1800 students by 700 this year.

The STEM Roadshow brought me to John Adams Middle School where I talked to three separate science classes about STEM and what it means to their futures.  At one point, I described the  test recently run at Europe’s Large Hadron Collider, where physicists smashed two atomic particles together  head-on after super accelerating them. The resulting collision created a subatomic particle that was measured to be traveling faster than the speed of light. We talked about this kind of basic research and the kind of peer review and replication required to determine the experiment’s accuracy.

We also laughed about all the math that would need to be done again with Einstein’s theory of special relativity, if a particle was proven to have exceeded the speed of light. Einstein’s math showed nothing with mass could go faster than light. I asked the class when Einstein published his first theory of relativity and told them I’d give $1 to any student who had the right answer.  A student immediately answered “1905, ” the correct answer.

I also talked to a several groups of students at  Kasson-Mantorville middle school during the Summit Roadshow. We talked of the need for technical knowledge of today’s auto mechanic, because modern cars all have many on-board computers which monitor and control engine performance. When an auto needs repair, mechanics use computer diagnostic machines, a specialized piece of equipment that requires training and expertise. I talked of the complexity of modern hospitals, from Emergency Rooms to Intensive Care Units, and the high tech demands of working as a nurse in modern hospitals with all of the sophisticated monitoring equipment and the need to constantly learn more.

While walking around the exhibit areas at the STEM Summit last week, I watched the RCTC Math and Physics club demonstrate conservation of angular momentum using a bicycle wheel and stool, and a vacuum powered dart gun, among other things. I stopped and chatted with two Mayo High School students who demonstrated how they used CAD (Computer Aided Design) to create a design for  an airplane model which they built and brought to the exhibit. When I asked how they simulated drag on the airplane’s wings when testing  their design, they quickly explained how they had to switch to another tool as CAD couldn’t test air drag. Both students intend to be aeronautical engineers.

During my tour of the exhibits I spotted a bright yellow Trek carbon fiber bicycle frame. As an avid cyclist, I had to stop and admire this thing of beauty. I was told the frame was used by Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France and was, of course, custom made. As the exhibitor and I talked, we were joined by a middle school student who built his own bicycles from the ground up. The student and exhibitor quickly turned their conversation to bottom bracket fitting, frame geometry, and who was a “roadie” vs. off-road rider. This student may some day build bikes I can only admire, not afford. It was such a pleasure to talk with him about a passion we both share.

During my time at the STEM Summit, I witnessed some active learning. Students who use this style of learning ask questions, and say things like “oh, ya, that reminds of this.” Or, “that works a little something this other thing I’ve seen before.”  Active learners are always working to connect new things together with the things they already know, always building on their knowledge base. Seeing the light that goes on in a student’s eyes when you are witnessing active learning in progress is a privileged moment.

This event is a great way to broaden students’ horizons and give them a glimpse of high quality jobs, challenging work environment, and the kinds of people they may have the opportunity to work with should they focus on technical careers. These careers are the path to higher income and demonstrate to students why it’s important to take on math and sciences throughout their K-12 school years and into their post-secondary education.  I look forward to being part of next year’s Summit to be part of a great learning experience.

A successful STEM Summit created much buzz around our region. The event drew more than 1800 students from Rochester and surrounding districts.  Students interacted with over 60 businesses and higher education providers, who provided hands-on, interactive exhibits in order for students to experience science, technology, engineering and math first-hand.

STEM Summit stirs students’ interest in studying math, science for careers
Post Bulletin, November 4, 2011

Summit Gets Kids Interested in STEM Jobs
KAAL TV, November 3, 2011

Summit to focus on science, technology
Post Bulletin, October 28, 2011

Think to participate in STEM Summit
Think News, October 28, 2011