The first Berea Leadership Experience was a rousing success!! Check out these great photos!
From July 24th-29th, 49 kids ages 6-13 from Berea and Richmond came together at the Friends’ Meeting House to learn skills of conflict resolution, mindful meditation, connecting with nature, media literacy, and cooperative leadership. It took the forms of practicing yoga poses, drumming in a giant circle, dancing contra dances, being trained to interrupt violence before it starts, building bookshelves for Habitat for Humanity, making our own ads for peace and nonviolence, touring a sustainable farm, hearing from justice leaders old and young, and much, much more! No wonder everyone is exhausted!
This camp was designed to honor the legacy of Dr. Michelle Tooley, a member of our congregation and Professor of Peace and Justice at Berea College, who died two years ago. Educating young people in peace and justice was her mission, and we are proud to have helped carry that to 49 more people in Berea.
This could not have happened without many, many local partnerships, including all of those listed below. The true leader was our camp director, Kim Kobersmith, who brought all the pieces together to make a truly amazing experience. We thank you, Kim!
With exhausted and delighted gratitude,
The Berea Leadership Experience Steering Committee: Rev. Rachel Small Stokes, Jeff From, and Jenny Hobson.
Thank you to all of our BLE Community Partners:
- Union Church
- Friends Meeting House
- City of Berea Human Rights Commission
- Madison County Health Department
- Americorps Volunteers – Partners for Education
- St. Clare Catholic Church
- Berea United Methodist Church Music Department
- Grow Appalachia Summer Feeding Program
- Lakes Funeral Home
- Bill and Annriette Stolte
- Lois Morgan
- Loyal Jones
- Jessica Holly
- Alva Peloquin
- Donna Eder & David Duffee
- Emily LaDouceur
- Madison County Public Library and Brandon Thompson
- Berea Art House
- Habitat for Humanity
- Green Dot Madison County
- Rev. Kent Gilbert
- Deborah Thompson and Frank Jenkins
- Berea Urban Farm
- Sarah Jo Jacobs
- Maya Todd, Melissa Neal, Jeannette Campbell, Laura Howard, Hazel Morris, Ashley Hammond, Abigale Embry, Paul Green and Jenny Hobson for loaning drums and yoga mats
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