NELA Week

This was a pretty big week for us in City Year New Hampshire for a few reasons. First, it was our last week of service in 2009. The first four months wound down with a two week break that will allow us to rest up for the long haul beginning in January.

Second, nine corps members from CYNH and I traveled to Boston on Tuesday for NELA, the New England Leadership Academy. It was a three day conference bringing together corps members from the three New England City Year sites: Boston, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. It was an incredible opportunity to meet people from other sites and compare our approaches to service.

On the first day, we learned about the future of City Year and its approach to beginning new sites and strengthening existing ones. I think my favorite part of Tuesday was meeting my NELA team. We only spent a few days together, but learned a lot from each other. Obviously we discussed the way our different sites operate -- I plan on bringing back this information to my team in January -- but we also had the chance to learn about each other as people. We discussed the problems with the American education system during our IJ session. Idealist Journey sessions are times for corps members to discuss ideas about service or ask for help with problems we may be having. At the end of the night, we participated in Big Night. This was a time for each of us to talk briefly about something that inspires us. I talked about the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, American transcendentalist. His work made me realize I should do things because I want to, not because society says so -- a realization that has led me to City Year.

I had a chance to lead PT on Wednesday morning as part of the NELA PT crew. PT is physical training, a power tool we use many mornings to prepare ourselves for a great day of service. I am not on the CYNH PT crew, something I lament every time I do PT. I loved being able to introduce corps members from Boston and Rhode Island to exercises that we do often in New Hampshire. Leading PT may have been part of my time at NELA.

Friday, we were all reunited as a site. After lunch, we had a Mentor Cookie Extravaganza. Since CYNH is located in Timberland's headquarters, corps members are paired up with Timberland employees who serve as mentors throughout the year. It's a great way for corps members to meet and talk with people outside of City Year and get guidance and support from others. I spent the hour eating cookies and talking with my mentor about City Year and other things in my life. We closed the day with a Community Meeting led by the corps members serving in Nashua's Phoenix Program. The Community Meeting is a gathering of all corps members and staff at a site and gives us a chance to reflect on our work. It was a glorious way to end the week and begin our break. I am already looking forward to getting back with my team, but for now its time to recharge!