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Absolute in Haiti

Published by absolute January 14th, 2010 in Mainpage and Featured. Closed

I am sure you have all heard, in some form or another, about the great tragedy that has occurred in Haiti. Many of you, including myself, probably thought to yourself, “Really! This is the last thing this country needs!” It is true, parts of Port-au-Prince had looked like a 7.0 earthquake already hit it before January 12th and we can only imagine the state it is in now.

I have been quite impressed by the volumes of messages and emails I have been receiving from people who want to do something to help. Everyone’s heart is broken for this nation and no one wants to sit by and let the people of Haiti deal with this disaster by themselves. Absolute has been directly involved with an orphanage of 60+ children in Port-au-Prince run by a man we know and love named David. You can read all about him in our 52 blog: http://52.absolute.org/2009/04/19/what-do-you-do-with-a-lost-pearl/. Currently, we have not been able to contact David or anyone connected to his orphanage. Some volunteers of Absolute have decided to jump into action and travel directly to where the orphanage is (or once was…) to make sure that all the children are safe and taken care of. Once this is done they will assess if there is something that Absolute can do to take care of our extended family. We will keep you posted on the progress of the team and will let you know if there is anything you can do to help.

Please keep an eye on our website and facebook page (absolute.org) for more updates. Thank you for your concern and desire to help. To give towards this pressing need please contact our office, or donate online here.

Hero Holiday is traveling to Haiti in May 2010. Check out the trip details on our website: http://heroholiday.absolute.org/haiti

Check out our 52 story on the earthquake: http://52.absolute.org/2010/01/14/but-a-breath/

**UPDATE: Absolute has received word that the children at the orphanage are all safe and accounted for. This is great news! We are going to hear from our volunteers as to how their homes are but will keep you informed.

2010 Calendar

Published by absolute November 6th, 2009 in School of Leadership, Hero Holiday, Mainpage and Featured. Closed

We’re excited to announce our 2010 Hero Holiday Calendar, “Together”. This calendar is full of incredible photos taken on Hero Holidays around the world by some of our very own photographers. Included in the calendar are excerpts from our blog, “52″, as well as some great quotes and thoughts on how to make a difference.

The calendar costs $20 and proceeds from the sale of each calendar go towards Absolute and Hero Holiday’s charitable projects.

Its the Circle of our Lives

Published by meagan August 5th, 2009 in School of Leadership, Staff Blogs, Hero Holiday, Mainpage and Featured. Closed

Think Day, Hero Holiday, School of Leadership, ONE Book … Absolute.org has a variety of interesting programs, but are they related, tied together somehow? Absolute is like a ring, no no not the one ring…you know the one…”in the darkness bind them?” That’s not us, that’s some other guy. At Absolute.org every one of our programs support and lead into the other. Someone asked me today what I do for Absolute, in what capacity I work for them. The truth is that my job title is irrelevant. Each of our jobs support and are connected to each other’s. Absolute is a circle.

I just returned from a Hero Holiday trip in the Dominican Republic. I met some fantastic people. There are few things more surprising than how content the people of Dominican Republic really are, compared with someone living in a developed country. Even more surprising is the effervescent joy that overflows and spills onto us from the displaced people of Haiti living in Dominican Republic. There are too many stories to tell here and now. For more on Hero Holiday, please visit Hero Holiday’s site or subscribe to 52 Stories. What I’ve come to realize is that my job, my official job at Absolute, is incredibly tied into Hero Holiday. The members of Team 3, my Hero Holiday team, had students (and one mom) from all across our fine country. Almost every province was represented by Team 3’s members, and we even had a girl from the Yukon! Most of these participants were there because of Think Day, a multimedia motivational experience that visited their schools. That is my job, Think Day. I am a Road Team Manager, along with my husband JP. We travel with teams across Canada from September to June (we break for Christmas of course!) tirelessly (most days) driving, setting up, performing, speaking, running workshops, discussion groups, etc etc etc. We tell our stories to bring hope and courage to our listeners and to let our generation know that they have value, that their voice can be heard, and that we want to join our voice with theirs to change our world!

On my Hero Holiday trip I saw those values not only realized in the lives of our participants, but applied to a people who are considered regrettable and forgettable by a world who has done very little to better their situation. All year I talk, and I talk, and I talk about social justice and trips like Hero Holiday, telling Canadian students that they can do something about the injustices they see in their world, and that it is just that; THEIR WORLD. And here they were! All 19 of them on Team 3 asking the same question I asked myself over and over again this year. “Have I actually accomplished anything? What is it that I’ve really done?”

The answer to my question was in the 100+ students who participated in Hero Holiday Dominican Republic Week 1, and more directly in the 19 members of my team. Not all had been at the shows that I spoke at, but there were quite a few who had been, and most of them had seen an Absolute show or had known someone who did, and that was why they were there! Their experiences in Dominican Republic taught them, not just told them, that they matter to the world. They matter to that stateless Haitian child, or to that Dominican Grandmother. They are actually making a difference.

My purpose in Absolute was reflected in the eyes of a girl who had been given the power and opportunity to help when she thought she couldn’t. When she thought she was helpless to do anything about the situation she saw in front of her, I got to help her realize that we’re stronger together and that we really could help this life, this girl, this time.

Hero Holiday had changed my life before I had ever been on one and experienced it for myself, but now it’s not just stories, it’s real. I got to work alongside some people I had met briefly in a gym somewhere in Canada and had asked “Now that you know, what will you do?” and they showed up. That gives me 19 new reasons to keep going. To keep telling my stories, stories about myself, and about the people I have met and been inspired by. To keep touring, and driving, and setting up, and tearing down, and talking and talking and talking, because though you may not all come on a Hero Holiday, some of you may. Some of you will hear for the first time that you are valuable, that your life counts for something, and you will take that message with you wherever you go, including a Hero Holiday.

I will step out onto the road again with fresh perspective on what it is that I do. 19 faces and stories to keep me going, and this is the cycle, this is the circle: Think Day, School of Leadership, Hero Holiday, 52, One, Think Day, School of Leadership…

So watch for us this Fall. Are we coming to your school? If we’re not and you want us there, CLICK HERE .

Press Release: Absolute launches character education initiative, sponsors services to Canadian schools

Published by absolute May 23rd, 2008 in Newsletter, Faculty Site, Hero Holiday and Mainpage. Closed

Hamilton, ONTARIO - May 23, 2008 - Absolute Leadership Development, Canada’s leading student empowerment organization, is a charity that has been partnering with Canadian schools since 2001. Their “Motivational Experience” - a hard hitting mixture of young speakers, multimedia and music - was the most popular motivational assembly amongst Canadian schools. Building upon the success of this presentation, Absolute is launching a new program called Think Day. Remaking the popular one hour motivational presentation with cutting-edge MakeYouThink® character education curriculum, Think Day will also give schools the option of adding workshops and global awareness sessions to create a comprehensive motivational program that will have lasting results in student’s lives. All of Think Day’s content is suitable for both Catholic and public schools.

“We look forward to increasing the effectiveness of our motivational teams, and we believe these additions will do just that”, says Vaden Earle, CEO of Absolute Leadership Development. “Our goal is to continue to inspire this generation with a relevant message that their lives have purpose and value”

The workshops and leave behind video curriculum are designed to facilitate discussion between students on issues that are fundamental to them. Global awareness sessions have a huge impact on the perspective students have of not only the world, but their own lives as well. Together, the package is a vital tool for schools that want their motivational and character education efforts to have a lasting impact.

The incredible news for schools is that in conjunction with the launch of Think Day, Absolute is fully sponsoring their services (that other organizations charge over $5000 for) with a donation based model of payment, so that all schools, regardless of budget or demographic, will be able to take advantage of the best student empowerment opportunity in North America.

Absolute is accepting bookings for the 2008-2009 school year and can be reached at www.thinkday.org or 1-866-432-4464

Click here for promotional brochure PDF! http://thinkday.org/thinkday.pdf

Step One: Care, Step Two: Act.

Published by absolute May 14th, 2008 in Newsletter, Hero Holiday and Mainpage. Closed

When you go on a Hero Holiday you cannot help but become completely attached to the people you meet along the way. Probably because these people undeniably touch your heart in one way or another.

Around this time last year I applied for a trip to the Dominican Republic; not knowing anyone. Closer to the departure date I found out that a peer from my High School, Sarah Mens, was also attending the trip. At the time we hardly knew each other.

When we returned to Canada, Sarah and I were in agreement that we could not continue living a typical Canadian lifestyle. Together we came up with some ideas of how to get the community involved and raise money for the people we met on our trip.

When September rolled around Sarah and I approached our Principle with a crafty power point presentation and a list of some cool ideas. Unknowing that we were trying to establish a group in our school that already existed, Social Justice. (It’s a good thing too. After all our school was named after Lester Pearson a Noble Peace Prize winner.)

Anyways… we instantaneously joined Social Justice and brought forward our cause. There were many other students with various causes, so we initiated a vote. To our surprise the students agreed with us that this was indeed a superb cause and although each cause was equally important and deserving the votes were without a doubt in favor for HUGS.

We were truly excited and the planning began. We have organized lots of fun fundraisers within our school since. Some examples are Guitar-Hero Fridays, Valentine’s Day Raffle, Easter Raffle, Music Entertainment, Talent Shows, Bake Sales, Pin Sales, A Penny Drive, Awareness Days and the biggest of all our School Charity Fashion Show, which also included a 50/50 draw and a Silent Auction.

The Charity Fashion Show was organized by two very devoted teachers Mrs. Galley and Mrs. Spencer, plus five main graduating students, Krista Sharpe, Nia Pavesi, Alicya Samuels, Michelle Cochrane, and Jen Bozak. We had three great MC’s including Sarah Mens, Rebecca Strauss and Jordan Gray plus a crew of 45.

It was a lot of fun practicing and presenting our work to the community, friends, family and special guests such as Christal Earle, however, it was not a simple production to put together. This event took us months of hard work by both students and teachers. Stress was inevitable because the teachers, organizers and crew were so incredibly adamant that the show would be perfect. These organizers cared so much and spent every last hour tweaking the production and in the end their caring really showed because it was a fabulous show. I thank you all for your hard work.

There are so many ways we can get involved and make a difference as individuals, so many that sometimes you don’t even know what’s out there. You just need to care enough to show up and participate. I encourage everyone, young and old, to get involved because it is the first step to a better future for everyone and when you look back on your life you can feel gratitude that you got involved and took a chance.

-Danielle Clouse, Lester B Pearson High School, Burlington ON

Why Not You?

Published by absolute April 14th, 2008 in Newsletter and Mainpage. Closed

Looking for something to do next year? Not quite prepared for university but ready to move on? Why not consider joining our School of Leadership for a year: change the world and get changed in the process! Absolute’s School of Leadership is a one-year alternative education program that allows you to travel all over Canada, study topics such as cultural diversity and religions of the world, live in Mexico for a semester, and have the time of your life!

Andie at School of Leadership Hey! My name is Andie, and I primarily joined the School of Leadership as an ‘intermission’ between high school and university. Little did I know all the opportunities that awaited me in this program! I just finished touring all over Western Canada, giving motivational assemblies in high schools, where we have been addressing relevant issues such as self worth, depression, and violence, as well as challenging students to be agents of change and to take up the cause of social justice.

I never imagined myself living on a pimpin’ tour bus and speaking to peers my age about a topic I cared so much about! It was an incredibly unique and life-changing experience that allowed me to connect with other teens from all sorts of backgrounds and situations. I wouldn’t give it up for the world. I am now living in Baja, Mexico for four months, immersed in a completely different culture. While here, I am studying social justice courses, volunteering around the community, building houses and community centers for families, and helping with the Hero Holiday humanitarian trips. It is incredible to have an opportunity like this where I am surrounded by such a rich and diverse culture.

Absolute’s School of Leadership has handed me so many awesome experiences, given me insight to a world outside of our own, and helped me to grow and mature so much in the past year. I am so stoked to be part of it and I invite you to experience it for yourself! Through what I have learned this year,the people I have met and friendships I have developed, and the lives that I have touched, I now realize something powerful: like Mahahtma Ghandi once said, “We must be the change we wish to see in the world”!

Fundraising with ONE

Published by vaden November 13th, 2007 in Newsletter, Faculty Site, Hero Holiday and Mainpage. Closed

We are so excited about the potential of this book to spark social awareness that we would like to offer a unique opportunity. Individuals or groups that are engaged in charitable fundraising, can now purchase bulk quantities of ONE: A Face Behind the Numbers, at wholesales prices and resell them. This is a great way to raise money for Hero Holiday trips or to help build a school or home in a developing nation. Now is a great time to start this, as you can take pre-orders for people who are doing Christmas shopping. This makes a GREAT GIFT! The book will be shipped in time for Christmas. Please go here for more info: http://one.absolute.org/the-cause

Help ONE Go Viral

Published by vaden November 13th, 2007 in Hero Holiday and Mainpage. Closed

Incase you haven’t noticed, we are pretty excited about our new book, ONE - A Face Behind The Numbers. We believe that this book has such potential to inspire people and spark social change. Besides that, it is a great Christmas gift, that keeps on giving as all proceeds go back towards helping us build schools and homes in developing nations.

We need your help. What we need from you is to help us spread the word about this book and this cause rapidly on the internet (make it “go viral”). This is really easy to do:

1. Click this link to for an easy way to send our Book Release info to social sites like Facebook.

2. Join our One: A Face Behind The Numbers Facebook Group and then invite all your friends!

ShareThis

Important News about School of Leadership

Published by absolute October 19th, 2007 in Hero Holiday and Mainpage. 0 Comments

Our School of Leadership has an exciting new development for 2008, and we would like to share it with you!

Due to popular demand, we are planning two start dates for 2008!

The first school of the year will be an 8 month program running from January 10th-August 13th, 2008. The school year will be an exciting mix of 20 weeks in Canada, 13 weeks in Dominican Republic, and an amazing social justice curriculum that will change the way you think and change your world view! While in Canada, our students tour the high schools of our nation with one of our road teams. While in Dominican Republic, our students will be involved with an innovative Social Justice Curriculum, working in the local communities, and helping to host our July Hero Holidays.

We will also be running our regular 9 month program from August 20th, 2008-May 31, 2009, with our students traveling to Mexico for thirteen weeks.

This means that you have two options if you are interested in joining Absolute in the coming year! We are accepting a maximum of 20 students for each term, so if you’re interested, please get your applications in as soon as possible, as we cannot accept any more applications once a semester is full.

During both programs, you will experience a wide range of opportunities and possibilities. (more...)

Thanksgiving Paragliding

Published by ryan October 7th, 2007 in Team 2, Road Team Blogs, Staff Blogs and Mainpage. 2 Comments

So we were having a lazy thanksgiving day in Sylvan Lake, Alberta and needed to get some fresh air, so what better to do than to strap our Team 2 girls into an oversized piece of nylon with strings and toss them into the wind!
Since we really didn’t have much of a hill, I hooked up some rope and tried out the old fashioned human tow:

I managed to launch Andy, Kelsey and Lena into the air for their first successful solo paragliding flights (not parasailing… that is what old ladies do in Mexico. Paragliders fly for hours and 100’s of km in a single flight with just the power of the wind). These girls caught very quickly, nailing some sweet landings and doing much better than Ricky Martin.

The dog however has more interested in looking cool and eating boogers.

After managing to pull of a bunch of small flights, I hooked up a longer rope to Kelsey and was able to pull her at 30 ft for the entire length of the soccer field for one awesome flight.