Community Education Series: Ending the Education Crisis in America

The Community Education Series

hosted by Dr. Rafael Mendez, Ph.D. 

welcomes Carrie Lobman, Ed.D., and Bonny Gildin, Ph.D.

If we all pretended that kids who are failing in school were school achievers heading for college, would the education crisis in America be over? 

WE THINK SO!

The most creative and innovative education leaders in the country know that developmental experiences put kids on the road to becoming good learners. Classroom learning can't substitute for development, and kids who come to school without these rich experiences don't learn what schools are teaching. Here's where pretending comes in. Thirty years ago, Drs. Lenora Fulani and Fred Newman founded supplemental after-school development programs to give poor inner-city kids opportunities to pretend their way to growth, and become who and what they're pretending to be. The continued success of this approach prompted them to write "Let's Pretend: Solving the Education Crisis in America." Their two colleagues, Carrie Lobman and Bonny Gildin will share with you what Fulani and Newman have to say, why it's so controversial, and how it can help transform our children's lives.

Bonny L Gildin, Ph.D. is vice president for education initiatives and senior development officer of the All Stars Project, Inc. Dr. Gildin is currently working to extend the reach of the All Stars' innovative developmental after-school model by training the next generation of youth workers and non-profit leaders through university partnerships and the establishment of an Institute for the Study of Play in Newark, NJ.

Carrie Lobman, Ed.D. is associate professor at the Rutgers University Graduate School of Education and director of pedagogy at the East Side Institute for Group and Short Term Psychotherapy. As a leading researcher on play, performance and learning, Dr. Lobman works with educators in the US and internationally in schools and with professional associations including the American Educational Research Association, The Association for the Study of Play and the International Society for Cultural and Activity Research. She is co-author of Unscripted Learning: Using Improvisation Across the K-8 Curriculum.

Friday, May 6, 2011, 6:30 - 8:30 pm

at

106 South Oxford Street, Brooklyn 11217

(C train to Lafayette Ave or any train to Atlantic Ave)

Suggested Donation: $10

Seating is on a first come/first served basis. RSVP to Rafael Mendez

rmendez@socialtherapygroup.com 

Sponsored by The Social Therapy Group

Kresky: Race Relations, Nonpartisan Elections, and Electoral Politics in New York City

Hankster continuing inside coverage of the fight for nonpartisan elections in New York City.

Part 2 of Harry Kresky at the Brooklyn Social Therapy Group Community Education Series community conversations hosted by Dr. Rafael Mendez. "What's Happening in Electoral Reform in a Time of Realignment?" August 6, 2010. Segment discusses nonpartisan elections relative to minority representation, the Democratic Party and partisan politics. "Why not do something big?" Kresky asks. "Why wait your turn?" That won't help do something about poverty."

Stay tuned -- it's a real New York City throwdown!

Hankster Summer Friday August 6

Hello everyone. Headed down to Brooklyn to

The Brooklyn Social Therapy Group
The Community Education Series
community conversations on politics, psychology, education and culture
hosted by Dr. Rafael Mendez

What's Happening in Electoral Reform
in a Time of Realignment?

California's 3.4 million independent voters on an equal footing with party members. Californians sent a message that they are tired of partisan gridlock and dysfunction and want a system where all voters participate in electing representatives who put what's best for their city, state and country first. Most Americans agree with them. Here in New York City, a Charter Revision Commission is considering whether to place a similar measure before the voters. Please come meet Harry Kresky, for a discussion of the electoral reform battle of the 21st century - the Parties versus the People. 

Harry Kresky is a graduate of Columbia Law School where he served as an editor of the Columbia Law Review.  He is one of the country's leading election attorneys. Harry Kresky was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to serve on the 2002 New York City Charter Commission. He is the Chair of the Election Law Committee of the New York County Lawyers Association, and also chaired the Ballot Access Subcommittee of the Election Law Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. Kresky has written extensively on election reform issues. He has represented independent voters, candidates and parties for the past 30 years as well as insurgents seeking ballot access in major party primaries. He serves as counsel to the IndependnetVoting.org and the New York City Independence Party.

Video at 11 -- or, well you know the drill!