Brain Power Takes a Trip!
On December 12-14, Brain Power had the special honor of taking a trip down to Orlando, FL to join the Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence 2019 Conference. Our Executive Director, Dave Beal, and Assistant Coordinator, Katie Brisley-Logue, were invited and presented a keynote speech to the 300 educators and school leaders in attendance along with an hour long workshop demonstrating Brain Power exercises. With participants from around the country, conversations were started with various school leaders showing their interest in bringing Brain Power to their schools in states such as Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, New Jersey, as well as New York. At Brain Power, 2020 is shaping up to be a big year!
Principals Play Too!
The famous "Wolfpack" - a powerhouse collection of 19 principals from the Gray Fellowship for Transformative Leadership who are utilizing BPW to enhance their executive leadership - reunited in December to continue their growth with Brain Power fun and games at our Forest Hills central office. Whether it was using chopsticks to pick up small beans under pressure, or taking a moment to feel their breath, these principals explored themselves more deeply, continued their practice of self-care, and got to experience new triumphs as they worked together to complete their goals. 2019 has been a big year for these principals and we're honored to call these great leaders our vision partners.
Frosty Brain Power Leaders!
Before closing out our final Mentor training of 2019, 31 up and coming Brain Power Leaders pushed through cold and snow to upstate New York in search of the answer to: what is a Brain Power Leader? Now, as this is a question better to experience than simply have answered, we encourage you to reach out to any Brain Power Leaders you may know to ask them about their experience so they can share some of the hundreds of activities they learned with you, and if they are from your school, to certainly go to them as a Brain Power resource when you need support. We are grateful for our 9th term Leaders and the 200+ BPW Leaders from NYC to Nicaragua to Denmark who facilitate vibrant Brain Power programs in their schools each day.
Staff Member Shoutout:
Sofia Kahn
Sofia is a graduate from CUNY Queens College. With a B.A Psychology and Women & Gender Studies, and a minor in counseling, Sofia discovered her passion for helping others through being a peer counselor during her time in college. College having a huge toll on her mentally and physically, Sofia discovered kickboxing as a way to deal with the stress that school brought on. Since then, she started taking a more proactive approach with her physical and mental health, from being more mindful of the food she puts into her body, to taking the time to meditate. Her hobbies include listening to music, writing, and eating good food! Sofia is excited to have joined Brain Power Wellness as one of their newest trainers, getting to grow and help others grow as well, and create a better future for the world; one in which we learn to love ourselves and each other.