Spring Break! [[[All work No play =]]]]

Elena Rae Schultz Invited me to Athens, Georgia as a Student Representative for Broward College to attend the Gulf South Summit. Here we went to various workshop on a three day schedule to figure out how we can implement student service learning in our system. The mission of the Gulf-South Summit on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement through Higher Education is to promote networking among practitioners, research, ethical practices, reciprocal campus-community partnerships, sustainable programs, and a culture of engagement and public awareness through service-learning and other forms of civic engagement. Who wouldn't want to get out into the community and give back all while still getting a college credit. this is a big epidemic for the the future of learning...

I got to hear LIVE IN PERSON!!! ... Blake Mycoskie! Founder of TOMS Shoes and my favorite of the trip.

Blake Mycoskie is the Founder and Chief Shoe Giver of TOMS Shoes, Inc. TOMS' simple promise to give a pair of new shoes to children in need around the world with every pair sold is revolutionizing the way consumers shop. The One for One business model has encouraged conscientious consumers to purchase and give more than 140,000 pairs of new shoes to children in need in just 3 years. By the end of 2009, TOMS will give an additional 500,000 pairs of new shoes to children in need all around the world, including at home in the U.S. The One for One business model is redefining social entrepreneurship for a new generation. Can the purchasing power of individuals be used to foster the greater good? Can an entrepreneur succeed financially and make the world a better place? The amazing success of TOMS Shoes proves that the answer to both of these questions is a resounding "Yes!" Embodying the entrepreneurial spirit of a new generation, Mycoskie has created five businesses since college. In the Bill Gates Time magazine article, "How to Fix Capitalism," TOMS is cited and Mycoskie caught the attention of AT&T, who has featured him in a major national ad campaign for the last several months. Mycoskie is an avid reader and traveler. He is 32-years-old and lives on a sailboat in Los Angeles.

How awesome was that. There were other speakers too and MASS work-shops.

But ultimately I am happy to be apart of the Student Service Learning Advisory Board.

It was an cold, but a very compelling experience.