More @IAmKidPresident from @SoulPancake! #EdChat

I'm excited to share some more Kid President with all of you! There are two more videos that you have to watch that explore our connections with people all around us. Please take some time to see how you might be able to share these with students in your class to have important conversations about empathy, refugees, and so much more. 

Next stop: the beach! Robby and Brad find themselves at a retreat for families who have a child that’s been diagnosed with cancer. Robby immediately befriends a group of kids to jump in the pool with, play ultimate frisbee on the beach, and launch into fierce card games. Yet, underneath all the joy, is the discovery that they’ve all been closely affected by cancer — either themselves or a sibling. Two sisters share their story of remaining hopeful and keeping each other strong, in spite of all that’s come their way. Archival clips include moments from ’Letter To a Person on their First Day Here’, the parade thrown for a postal worker, and the oft-quoted Kid President phrase “Treat Everybody Like It’s Their Birthday”. Brad and Robby are part of throwing a huge birthday party for every kid there with cake, music, and of course dancing. Brad even pulls out his ‘karaoke backpack’ to help celebrate.

Robby and Brad visit a town that’s been called ‘the Ellis Island of the South’. For more than 20 years, Clarkston, GA has served as a place of peace, community, and healing for refugees from all walks of life. They visit the Fugees Academy where they meet Luma Mufleh, who founded the organization shortly after fleeing to the United States from Jordan when she was 19. Three young refugees from completely different cultures are highlighted. Though they’re from entirely different backgrounds they’re all best friends and they don’t refer to it as ‘Fugees Academy’ but as the Fugees Family. Archival video includes the Pep Talk from Kid President To You, Kid President playing baseball with a young Muslim girl, and other select clips focused on unity, teamwork, and Robby’s love of athletics. Robby joins the Fugees Family on the field for one of their practices.

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@iamkidpresident visits Selma in new episode of Are We There Yet

I'm excited to see another episode live on YouTube from my buddy Brad and Kid President. In this episode they are visiting Selma, AL to see some kids doing awesome things in their community and to chat with Joanne Bland. She was active in the Civil Rights Movement and was arrested 3 times by the age of 11 when she marched to Montgomery with Dr. King.

I think this video is important to show students because there is this belief that you need to be an adult to make change in the world and we are seeing that is not true today with Greta Thunberg, but child activists have a long history and I love that Brad and Robby are recognizing someone that many people never learned about in History classes.

Check out this video and consider sharing with your students.

A Kid President and a Nerdy Teacher

I met the President last week. Yup. The Kid President. He was every bit as awesome as I could have hoped. I was able to set up KP and is crew to speak at an elementary school in my district as they promoted their new book, Kid President's Guide to Being Awesome. While in town, I asked if they would like to join me for lunch and they stopped by for a bit of the afternoon. Now, Robby does not travel solo. He has his brother-in-law Brad, his mom, and Correy and Katie from SoulPancake at his side making sure that everything is as awesome as it could be during their trip. Here are some great shots from his visit to Grosse Pointe South High School and Trombly Elementary. 

Trying to break the combination. 

Robby signed my Smartboard

Correy and Nick v Principal Fitzpatrick and Robby

Robby and Brad pose with my 6th Hour class

The entire day is a blur to me at this point. They came, the kids at the schools were so excited, there was dancing involved, secret handshakes were created, and everyone felt a bit more awesome when they left. While in my room, the KP crew took a moment to write on my Dream Door. This is a place where students are encouraged to write down their dreams for all to see. Here is what some of them shared.

We all have dreams in the world and it is important that we share them so the world can cheer us on to success. Kid President embodies the ideals that I try to pass on to my students every day. Life should be loud and it will be awesome if you treat people awesome. We are all going face adversity and it is ok to get discouraged, but we need to pick ourselves up and get to work making the world a little more awesome for everyone we meet. I'm lucky to have been able to hang out with Kid President for this short period of time, but I know I have made some new friends that will keep working to make the world a more awesome place.