www.pannetwork.org   

 

May 2007

Leadership Beyond Business

 

in this issue ...

  A First-hand Perspective: What's Working and What's Not in U.S. Public Education

  Social Responsibility Network and Strategic Philanthropy Network Kick-off Event, San Francisco, 15-17 May - Register Now!

  Parent-Child Social Action in Guatemala, 30 June to 7 July - Register Now!

  Save the Dates: 27-29 November in Boston - 2007 YPO Social Enterprise Networks Summit

  Helping Disadvantaged Kids Network to Meet 14-16 June in New York

 Don't Miss This One! YPO Green Bucks: The Sustainable Business Advantage - 5-6 June in Seattle, WA

schedule of upcoming events

 

May 15-17

Social Responsibility Network & Strategic Philanthropy Network Event in San Francisco

May 16

PAN/SEN Conference Call
May. 21-25 Microfinance Action Forum and Opportunity International Global Conference

May 23

American-Arab Action Forum Video Conference Meeting

Jun. 5

JEMS Forum of New York Meeting

Jun. 5

Environment Network:  Green Bucks Event in Seattle

Jun. 14-16

Helping Disadvantaged Kids Network Meeting in New York

Jun. 20

PAN/SEN Conference Call

Jun. 30 - Jul. 7

 Parent-Child Social Action Program in Guatemala

Jul. 16-20

Helping Disadvantaged Kids Network at Orphan Olympics in El Salvador

Jul. 18

PAN/SEN Conference Call

Aug. 15

 PAN/SEN Conference Call
Nov. 27-29 YPO/WPO Social Enterprise Networks Summit

* PAN/SEN Conference Calls are open to all PAN/SEN members and/or spouses. For dial-in details, please click the links above.

For more information about becoming a PAN member, click here.

A First-hand Perspective: What's Working and What's Not in U.S. Public Education
 

WPOers and YPOers hit the streets and school playgrounds of New York and Newark in March to see first-hand what is wrong with U.S. education. They also learned what is working, despite heavy odds and conventional wisdom. It was all part of a combined event of the YPO Education Network and its sub-group, the New York Education Reform Action Forum.
 

Approximately 30 WPOers and YPOers and almost 70 community business leaders came together to hear from educators and program leaders who are achieving success in historically low-performing schools. A few of the power-packed speakers were Joel Klein, Chancellor of the NYC Department of Education; Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark, New Jersey; Chris Cerf, Deputy Chancellor of the NYC Department of Education; Cami Anderson, Superintendent, NYC Dept. of Alternative High Schools & Programs; Darla Romfo, The Children's Scholarship Fund; and David Levin, KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program).
 

At midday, after hearing about various new approaches and the personal experiences in education of some of the United States' most educationally neglected children, the group went onsite to the KIPP Academy, one of the best known and most widely acclaimed charter schools in the country. Participants were astounded as well as inspired to continue pursuing solutions.
 

"There was tremendous response from participants," says Whitney Tilson (YPO Manhattan), Champion of NY Education Reform Action Forum. He explained to the group that many children can't even read the most basic sentences found in childhood literature like the traditional American "Dick and Jane" books, where children share adventures with their dog, Spot. "The WPOers and YPOers were blown away. Most people don't have any understanding of the degree of failure of particularly large urban schools nationwide … I don't think even well-informed, caring people know that 58 percent of black fourth graders and 54 percent of Latinos in the country are testing below basic. They have difficulty reading, 'See Spot run,' and this is not just in inner-city schools. It's all across the country."
 

Many of the participants have already attended follow-up meetings and are likely to get involved in charter schools and political education efforts. Tilson, who has been involved with education issues for 18 years, also made a valuable new contact. He met John Katzman (YPO Metro New York), CEO of the Princeton Review. Together, the two arranged to fly to Washington, D.C., and meet with the education aides for Senators Obama, Kennedy, and Clinton about their views on U.S. education.
 

For Tilson, it's yet another step in improving education opportunities for disadvantaged children. For participants, it opened their eyes to a world where they can make vast improvements.

 

  

Social Responsibility Network and Strategic Philanthropy Network Kick-off Event, San Francisco, 15-17 May 2007 - Register Now!

 

This event will be a unique opportunity for WPO and YPO members, alumni and their spouses to learn from leaders in the fields of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Strategic Philanthropy, and to meet other WPOers and YPOers with passion in this area.


The objectives of the event are:
* To learn how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Strategic Philanthropy can integrate into your business
* To generate ideas for CSR and Strategic Philanthropy strategy for your own companies
* To set mission and strategy for Social Responsibility Network, Strategic Philanthropy Network
* To build relationships among Network members
 

Resources lined up for the event include Robert Haas, Chairman, Levi Strauss and Co., Steve Rochlin, Head of Accountability of North America, Aron Cramer, President, Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), Jed Emerson, Senior Fellow, Generation Foundation, Mark Kramer, Co-Founder, Center for Effective Philanthropy.
 

The meetings will take place on May 15 and May 16 in San Francisco. Participants are also invited to attend the 2007 Corporate Philanthropy Institute event taking place on May 17 in Oakland, sponsored by Northern California Grantmakers. It promises to deliver a dynamic day of learning, featuring world-class thinkers and practitioners who are shaping the future of integrated philanthropy.
 

To register, please contact Ken Tsunoda at ktsunoda@pannetwork.org, +1.408.353.9042.  Click here for a registration form.  Click here to get more information about the program. 

 

  

Parent-Child Social Action in Guatemala, 30 June to 7 July 2007 - Register Now!

 

A year ago Stephanie Sonnabend (WPO New England) and her family traveled with a small group of WPOers and YPOers to Guatemala to learn about microfinance and begin to understand how they might make a difference. "It was truly one of the most meaningful and memorable trips for our family," says Stephanie. "We were visiting micro entrepreneurs, hearing their stories and discovering how very small loans of $200 to $2000 could transform their lives. We saw how small loans could help parents send their children to school and put a concrete floor into their dirt houses. We saw how a stove that costs $125 to install could prevent respiratory ailments and burns in families, save them money in firewood, cut cooking time in half and improve the environment."

 

This summer (30 June to 7 July 2007) Stephanie and her son Nick Ciccolo are leading a group of high school youth and their parents to not only learn and observe, but actually make a difference. In partnership with HELPS International, they will be installing stoves in a village. In typical WPO/YPO fashion, they will be making great connections with other families and having fun. If you are interested in joining you don't need any particular experience, just a desire to help. Accommodation will be in a good hotel in a resort community.

What is in it for you or your spouse?
* A shared experience with your child that will be truly memorable
* Knowledge that you are contributing to people's lives
* A bonding experience with fellow WPOers/YPOers who may become friends for life
 

What is in it for your child?
* A shared experience with you and other WPO/YPO youth
* The ability to make a difference at a young age
* Experiencing a different culture and understanding real poverty
* An opportunity to bring the experience back home and continue to make a difference in his/her school or community (check out www.ymci.org)
* A great college essay and/or community service experience
 

We encourage you to register soon as the trip is limited to 30 people.  To register, please contact Stephanie Sonnabend at SSonnabend@sonesta.com.  Click here to get more information about the program. 

 

To view video on Youth Micro Credit International in Guatemala, click here.
 

Save the Dates:  27-29 November in Boston - 2007 Social Enterprise Networks Summit

The dates of this year's Social Enterprise Networks (SEN) Summit will be 27-29 November 2007 in Boston.  The program will start with dinner at 7pm Tuesday November 27 and will wrap up at 5pm Thursday November 29.

 

The agenda of the SEN Summit will focus on action - energizing new Action Forums and Initiatives, empowering Social Enterprise Network members to take action. It is different from the WPO Chapter Leadership Conference in that the focus is not on training, but on brainstorming and vetting new programs, focusing on initiatives that support all eight Social Enterprise Networks, fostering cross-fertilization across the Social Enterprise Networks and looking for new opportunities to collaborate. 
 
The SEN Summit is not just for network officers and champions.  The intended audience includes YPO and WPO members, alumni and their spouses who are not yet involved in the Social Enterprise Networks, but would like to learn more about how they can participate.  We will also invite thought leaders in the fields of philanthropy and social responsibility to share their insights and inspiration. 
 
Most of all, we will have the chance to put our heads together, deepen bonds, and focus on strategies to make the Social Enterprise Networks initiative even stronger and more vibrant in the years ahead.
 
More details will follow soon about venue, program and registration logistics.  Please stay tuned.  In the meantime, if you have any questions or need more information, please contact Shahnaaz Nasser (Email: snasser@ypo.org, Tel: +44 (0) 13.72.72.01.58) or Ken Tsunoda (Email: ktsunoda@pannetwork.org, Tel: +1.408.353.9042)

 

Helping Disadvantaged Kids Network to Meet 14-16 June 2007 in New York

 

The Helping Disadvantaged Kids Network brings together WPO/YPO members and their spouses currently engaged in leadership of organizations that serve disadvantaged kids. The aim is to share best practices, to connect with each other, to increase skills and to engage people seeking activity in helping kids with those who already are.
 

The Helping Disadvantaged Kids Network will hold its first meeting in New York, 14 to 16 June 2007. The event will be an important beginning in the Helping Disadvantaged Kids movement. It will provide a unique opportunity for WPO/YPO members, alumni and their spouses to learn from leaders facing children's issues in both the developing and developed worlds, as well as meeting other WPOers/YPOers with a passion in this area.


Details of the program are currently being finalized.  For more information, contact Greg Garrett at ggdirect@aol.com or click here.
   

Don't Miss This One!  YPO Green Bucks: The Sustainable Business Advantage - 5-6 June in Seattle, Washington
 

Wal-Mart's "Sustainability 360", GE's "Eco-imagination" and BP's "It's a start" campaign are just a few examples of large corporations integrating environmental initiatives into their corporate strategy and branding. Why are some of the biggest, toughest, most profit-seeking companies talking about the environment now, and what implications does this changing business environment have for your business strategy?

 

Green Bucks is the opportunity to engage in discussion with pioneering business leaders and WPO/YPO peers about the real-world complexity of integrating an environmental plan into your organization. Learn how an effective environmental strategy can help your company reduce environmental risks, save money, increase your competitive advantage and spur innovation.
 

The program will be on Tuesday 5 June from 3-6pm, followed by the end-of-year Chapter dinner from 6-9pm. The program then continues on Wednesday 6 June from 8:30am to 6:30pm. All YPO and WPO members are invited, however attendance is limited. Reservations will be opening shortly. If you would like to be on the early notification list, please email the YPO Pacific Northwest Chapter Administrator Joan Carl joancarl@verizon.net.
 

The co-chairs for this event are YPO Pacific Northwest Chapter and Environment Network Membership Chair Rud Browne ypo@rudbrowne.com and YPO Vancouver Chapter Chair Robert Safrata robert@novex.ca.