We have a problem in America.  Juvenile violence is rapidly increasing and too many of our youths are becoming involved in gangs and criminal activity because there is little or nothing for them to do after school and during the summer.  Our guest for this week's program has found a solution that is working for many young people; theater.  By providing a safe place for young people to go and an activity that they learn to love, he is helping countless young people transform their lives from what could have been one of criminal activity or the victims of crime, to one that is productive and that has unlimited possibilities for their future.  Whether they remain in theater or not, just being in theater has given them confidence that they can succeed in other areas of life.  Many go on to succeed in college or pursue other career goals.  It is our distinct honor to welcome as our special guest, producer, director, writer, actor, musician (multiple instruments), songwriter, and poet, and outstanding humanitarian, Mr. Carlos Heredia.  Mr. Heredia states regarding his theater, "Hip Hip Heredia is committed to emphasizing the concept of family through performing arts. Creating material that empowers, educates and breaks the stereotypes in the media; Theatre with a purpose, yet entertaining to all."  Join us for this phenomenal experience learning the power of theater and the arts in transforming lives and overcoming racism. 

HOW THEATER CAN SAVE OUR YOUTH FROM INVOLVEMENT IN CRIME & VIOLENCE

Do you need a job, or is what you really need, a career?  Whether you have a job or not, it is important to know the advantages of a career over a job.  However, if you are unemployed or just starting out as a college graduate, obviously you just want work for the time being.  But, why should your long term goals be to have a career?  These are just some of the questions we will discuss with my guest on this episode of Donell Edwards: Viewpoints.  Our special guest is  Ms. Carolyn Owens, Chairwoman and CEO of Infinity Coaching, Inc. which provides career, leadership and life coaching.  She is a leading authority on leadership and professional development and has worked with and trained top leaders across the globe. She is recognized as one of the select few, certified Rapid Employment Master Coaches in the world.  She has been featured in Money Magazine, Fox News Magazine Website, Huffington Post, YourTango.com, Legacy in the Making Magazine, and many other publications.   Starting a career or looking for a job today, is a daunting task.  Whether you are a graduate just out of college, middle-aged or a senior looking to advance your career or looking for a new career, or someone who has been displaced as a result of layoff or merger, how you navigate through the complex maze of eliminators will determine your success or failure.  Join us for this very informative and educational program and learn from our expert guest,  success coach Carolyn Owens, how and where to find the skills you need to succeed in starting your career or finding a job in today's job market.

MASTERING THE ART OF HAVING A CAREER; NOT JUST FINDING A JOB

"What is mental health? How can you work to improve and maintain your mental health if you don’t even know what that means?"  Those questions are from an article in Psychology Today.  The writer of this article, Nancy S. Buck, PhD, goes on to say, "...when it comes to mental health we can’t even define it let alone take steps to develop or improve it." 
 
In a comprehensive new review published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, the effects of “subjective well-being”—a measure of how people evaluate their own lives—on various aspects of physical health was examined. According to lead author Edward Diener, professor of social psychology at the University of Utah, these studies have confirmed, with “almost no doubt,” that happiness really can influence health.”
 
In this week's program we will discuss why it is necessary to view mental health as important as physical health, and the importance happiness plays in achieving and maintaining good mental health.
​
Our special guest is Mr. Sporty King, CHP, who is a renowned motivational speaker and has been called the Master of Listening, and an Acronym Addict. He is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, facilitator and emcee who is an expert on interpersonal skills who uses the perfect blend of humor and wisdom to share his personal and corporate experiences, toward helping others feel good about themselves.

Mental Health Awareness Week and The Importance Of Finding Your Happy Zone

Imagine what it must be like to be brought to the United States from your native homeland at the age of three.  All of your young life, the only culture you are familiar with is your own South Asian culture, which required adhering to strict customs, including the need for females to remain silent. Then, upon coming to America and being introduced to liberties and freedoms you secretly longed to enjoy, only to be told that your "liberal mindset would bring dishonor” to your family name.  This is what happened with tonight's guest, author and poet, Duaah Hammad, who is a first generation Pakistani American immigrant.  Not only that, but for Duaah, and no doubt others who have come to America from other countries, when she returned to her native Pakistan with her parents for their annual visits, she was viewed as a foreigner because of her ideals.  Then, upon returning to America, she is also viewed as a foreigner.  Just how does one learn to fit into two very different worlds? Hammad published her first book, Finding Home, two weeks prior to her high school graduation. Finding Home offers readers her poignant poetry, detailing the difficult journey of her multi-cultural existence, the demands to stay true to the Pakistani heritage she cherishes, while also remaining true to her heart’s longings as an American citizen. She currently attends college in Virginia.  

LIFE AS A FIRST GENERATION TEENAGE IMMIGRANT

Immigration has become one of the most volatile issues in the United States. There also has been and continues to be litigation in the courts regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA). The purpose of DACA is to protect eligible immigrant youth who came to the United States when they were children from deportation.  What does all of this mean to the average American citizen? Why is immigration important to the future of the United States? What is the bigger picture that many fail to see that affects all Americans? We will discuss these and other important questions regarding immigration with my special guest for this program,  Attorney Dulce Garcia, an immigration lawyer who regularly defends other immigrants in court in California. She’s been living in the United States since her family immigrated from Mexico when she was four years old. Listen to this very informative and enlightening program, and learn why immigration matters to everyone, and why protecting DACA, supporting the Dreamers Movement and reasonable immigration policies is so important.
 
UPDATE:
Judge Andrew Hanen issues his ruling in the case of Texas v. United States, ruling that DACA is illegal despite the Biden administration's rulemaking efforts, but allowing renewals to continue for the time being.  Oct 31, 2024

Why Protecting DACA and Supporting Reasonable Immigration Reform Is Important

Our special guest for this program is Mr. Gil Michel, MBA, who is a CPA and is also CEO and President of The Caleb Group.  Gil's article, "Laying the Foundation For Your Financial Success," first appeared in our empowerment magazine, The College World Reporter (CWR).  It is imperative now more than ever to understand the dynamics of personal finances, simply put, we all need to know how to manage money.  Unfortunately most people avoid talking about how to better manage money like the proverbial plague.  But, knowing how to budget, to have the discipline to live within that budget, learning how to find ways to save even with limited income, and learning how to control spending are all keys to success in building personal wealth.  Another important factor that most are not well educated about is investing.  In this program, Mr. Michel covers all of these topics and provides sound advice and tips to listeners to help them get on the path to building personal wealth.

THE SECRET TO BUILDING WEALTH

Tonight's program is for anyone who has issues with body image, weight control, and questions about dieting and health.  Our special guest is speaker, writer, author, holistic health advocate, and creator of the Normal Eaters Club, Ms. Jenn Hand.  She is a world traveler and has worked in Thailand,  Quito, Ecuador, and other parts of South America.  She has a graduate education in holistic nutrition. Jenn struggled with eating disorders from the time she was in high school, and says that she tried every diet plan, program, and solution that promised weight loss, including hypnosis, diet pills, cleanses, detoxes, and more.  Her mission in life now is dispelling all myths related to dieting, debunking food rules, letting go of how we "should" eat and bringing enjoyment and sanity back to eating!  During this program Ms. Hand will share with us how she successfully overcame her eating disorder, the truth about dieting, how to enjoy eating and still control weight, the correct attitude about body image, and the importance of self-love and acceptance.

How to Enjoy Eating Normally: The Truth About Dieting and Health

We hear so much about the problems in America's public schools that one would think that our schools are a disaster.  Although there are many problems, there are also many dedicated teachers working hard under very difficult circumstances, and with limited resources, to teach our children and help them achieve their full potential. However, one of the issues that has concerned me for many years is the failure of the majority of school districts in the United States to adapt to change and employ more effective means of engaging students and the emphasis on standardized testing rather than focusing on the needs of the students.  Much of this has been mandated by the federal government. On tonight's show, we examine some of the schools that have departed from the normal methods used in most schools and who have been very successful in helping their students to excel.  Our special guest is Mr. Doron Townsell, a Partner with Ember Charter School for Mindful Education, Innovation & Transformation in Brooklyn, NY.  We will discuss why these "model schools" have been able to achieve such great success, Common Core and standardized testing, the inequities in resources between schools in more affluent areas in contrast with rural and urban schools, assisting students with learning disabilities, dealing with difficult students, and much more.

Are Model Schools The Blueprint For Solving The Crisis In America's Schools?

On this week's program we discuss "Developing and Supporting High Achieving Students."  The following statement from the organization our guest represents demonstrates the need for helping African American students:  "Every year, thousands of students with great minds and potential end up forfeiting available opportunities because there is a lack of knowledge and a lack of help available to them. Many students dream to be leaders and innovators but give up on those dreams because there is never anyone to guide and encourage them along the way.  Other individuals have yet to even realize their true potential and therefore never push themselves to be the best version of themselves. The Arkansas Commitment is dedicated to making sure that students find an environment to grow and develop through real world experience and mentoring.  We wish to make sure that the next generation of scientists, doctors, artists, educators, and politicians are prepared to take on their dreams and responsibilities." Our special guest is Mr. Darren Morgan, Executive Director of Arkansas Commitment – College Preparatory Program, a nonprofit organization created to identify academically talented African-American high school students throughout central Arkansas and guide them to become leaders of society at large as well as within the African-American community. Regardless of where you live, you need to learn about the important work this great organization is doing, and how it may help you, your family, or your community.

Developing and Supporting High Achieving Students

As part of our ongoing commitment to education, The CWR Talk Network features outstanding model schools that place emphasis on student-centric learning.  Schools that have been established to serve the needs of students of color that face challenges so drastically different from their white counterparts.  Schools that prove that under the right circumstances and given the necessary resources, students of color can and do achieve high levels of academic success.  Eagle Academy for Young Men in New York is such a school.  Last year the schools registered an 87% graduation rate and 98% of their graduates were accepted to college. Tonight Donell Edwards:VIEWPOINTS is proud to recognize Eagle Academy for Young Men in our Model Schools Changing America series, and discuss this phenomenal school with its co-founder, Mr. Paul Williams, who is also Managing Director of Williams Strategy Advisors.

A Success Story:  Lessons Learned From Eagle Academy For Young Men

Connecting with our young people can be one of the greatest challenges in life, and it can cause much frustration for children and adults.  Whether you are a parent, primary caregiver, sports coach, or academic educator, maintaining positive connections with kids is exponentially more difficult in our high-tech, information overload era. The good news? It does not have to be this hard. Small changes in critical thoughts and actions make a HUGE difference. This episode of Donell Edwards: VIEWPOINTS challenges many long held beliefs on parenting, and encourages a paradigm change from the use of household rules, to implementing the use of effective parenting tools.  Our special guest is author, speaker, and parenting coach Ms. Donna Volpitta.  Ms. Volpitta is co-author of the book “The Resilience Formula: A Guide to proactive– Not Reactive-Parenting” and creator of the Resilient Mindset Model, and co-creator of the Nametags Education Program. She holds Board positions for One Revolution Foundation (www.one-revolution.org) and Kids Helping Kids (www.kidshelpingkidsct.org), both of which develop resilience in youth. She is an expert contributor for Understood.org and presents at workshops throughout the country.

HOW THEATER CAN SAVE OUR YOUTH FROM INVOLVEMENT IN CRIME & VIOLENCE

The CWR Talk Network

Related tracks