Creativity, Imagination, & Hope

Yesterday I had the honour of meeting grade seven students who were creating scarecrows of hope. They were doing this to kick off their study to understand how intentionally using hope enhances quality of life. They were also making the 'hope' scarecrows for the Hope Foundation's annual Harvest of Hope Affair on September 26. The students were working in groups to create thematic scarecrows of hope that represent their hopes for the future. For example, one of the scarecrows was a graduation scarecrow.

As I reflect back on my visit and the conversations that I had with the students and their teacher, Ms. Holt, I could not help but think about the relationship between hope, creativity and imagination. "Creativity is most often defined as a process of construction of the new, while imagineation is a form of thought in whihc the new is brought to awareness"(Gallas, 2001, p. 460).

As these students create their scarecrows and then imagine (in the reflections they will be doing) how "their scarecrow" represents what they hope for in the future and what they will have to do to get to the images that surface as they imagine what is possible.

I believe this tells us that creativity and imagination have a special role to play in learning to hope. Furthermore, for those who feel that hope is about goal achievement, it would appear that it is equally important to pay attention to the role of creativity and imagination.

Reference:
Gallas, K. (2001). "Look, Karen, I'm running like jell-o": Imagination as a question, a topic, a tool for literacy research and learning. Research in the Teaching of English. 35, 457 - 492.

Nurturing Hopeful Souls Workshop

Nurturing Hopeful Souls:
Hopeful Practices and Activities
for
Children and Youth
Workshop

For individuals who would like to know more about specific hope-focused practices and strategies and how to implement them with children and youth so they are able to:
- visualize and work toward a positive and meaningful future
- work toward goals
- build resilience
- become more engaged in their school studies

Friday, November 28, 2008
at
The Hope Foundation of Alberta
11032-89 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
$250.00

In addition to learning more about making hope visible and accessible, you will receive a copy of Nurturing Hopeful Souls resource with easy ten easy to implement strategies to help get you started!!

Register by calling (780) 492-1222 before November 21, 2008

Hope Wonders

I thought you might be interested in seeing the 128 questions grade five students generated about hope when they participated in the Hope-Focused Service-Learning program last year. They each chose three questions from this list to write their hope essays. I will share some of their findings in future postings.

Does hope matter?
What does hope mean?
Where does hope come from?
Where is hope all the time?
What is hope?
Why is it called hope?
How can you make hope?
Does everyone have hope?
Where can you find hope?
How does hope work?
Where do we keep hope?
Whey do we need hope?
What does hope sound like?
Why do we have hope?
When does hope come into action?
What is the history of hope?
Can you give hope to one another?
How old is hope?
Is hope contagious?
Where does hope live in people?
Can someone take your hope away?
How many times has hope been said in the world?
Can hope make a difference in your life?
Who is hope?
Can hope give you help?
Where can you find hope?
What does hope mean to other people?
Who has hope?
What does hope look like?
Where can you get hope?
Are there different types of hope?
Why do we have hope?
Who made hope?
Is hope useful?
Can people see hope in different ways?
When do you need hope?
When can hope come to you?
Is hope useful?
Does hope communicate?
Why do we need hope?
Can you touch hope?
What s the point of hope?
Does hope affect people?
Do aliens have hope?
Does hope bring peace?
Does everyone in the world have hope?
What can see hope?
Do animals have hope?
Can hope take the form of a person?
How big can hope get?
How is hope connected to love?
Are people hope?
Does hope have hope?
Does hope connect the world?
Can hope morph?
Is hope connected to people?
What makes hope special?
How small can hope get?
What does hope bring?
Do all living things have hope?
Does hope hide?
Is hope alive?
Does hope have a voice?
Is hope endangered sometimes?
Is hope here?
Does hope involve science?
Does hope connect with the universe?
What does hope eat?
Why is hope everywhere?
Does hope bring you luck?
Does hope make our lives better?
Do you need hope?
Does hope involve someone?
Where is hope in our life?
Can people destroy hope?
Should there be a “hope day”?
Has there been a “hope day”?
How smart is hope?
How can you feed your hope?
How does hope help us?
Does hope bring us humour?
Is there a relationship between hope and humour?
Is hope love?
Are people hope?
Does hope die?
How does hope move?
What does hope help us with?
What does hope feel like?
Does hope involve countries?
What is hope made of?
Can people make hope?
How much hope is there in the world?
Are there places that give us hope?
Is hope a dream?
Is hope loud?
Is hope soundless?
How strong is hope?
How does hope survive?
Does hope have feelings?
Is there hope in heaven?
Is there hope in our classroom?
Who gave us hope?
Can God give us hope?
Is hope above us?
Do hope and peace connect?
Is hope in the mountains?
Is hope in friends?
Do trees have hope?
Is hope connected to kindness, friendship, and peace?
Where does hope come from?
Does hope communicate?

Looking Forward and Back

It's funny, but when I started this blog I could not stop writing on it. This summer something else happened. I got busy finishing up a few publications and I pretty left this blog to fend for itself. Funnier yet, blogs don't do well when left alone to fend for themselves. I guess I hoped that someone would contact me ~ let me know what they think about my musings in relation to their experiences.

In the meantime, I did publish. The 'Nurturing Hopeful Souls' resource with hope-focused practices and activities for working with children and youth is being printed as I write this. I have to secure an ISBN number and the cover to add to the 'Teacher Hope Initiative Story' monograph and then that publication will be ready to print. I had wonderful discussions with teachers who were attending the Alberta Teacher's Association Summer Conference in Banff in mid August. I created my first ever digital story last week and am excited about sharing what I learned with teachers and students who participate in the Hope-Focused Service-Learning program.

It has been a summer to catch up. Now it is time to gear up.

We have three Hope-Focused Service-Learning workshops planned on October 3, January 23, April 24 and a celebration wrap-up scheduled for July 2.

We have a 'Nurturing Hopeful Souls' Workshop planned for October 16. Those attending this workshop will receive a copy of the resource and will have a chance to participate in the practices and activities in a safe environment.

I am looking forward to working with the St. Albert Rotarians early in September as they step forward to mentor the new Hope Kids in the various projects that we have been building over the last four years. Funding from TD Trust in St. Albert will also help us move forward on some of the new ideas that developed since our last wrap-up meeting on July 3.

I am looking forward to the 'Principals of Hope' seminar that we have planned for February 3.

It seems that I am learning that hope is about endings and beginnings...looking forward and back.

A Poem of Hope

I preparation for a workshop for teachers title 'Hope for Humanity', I came across this poem, composed by a young girl in Belarus, Russia, near the site of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster area.

I did not pick the title for the workshop. That was done by the organizers after we had a conversation about our Hope-Focused Service-Learning program. As I think about what I am seeing and hearing from teachers, parents, community mentors and members, students and funders about the Hope-Focused Service-Learning program, I believe this poem speaks to the many ways we can activate hope. And so I will take this poem to the presentation. In the meantime, I wanted to share it with those of you who won't be in the presentation.


One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake a dream.
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.
One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal.
One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room,
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.
One step must start each journey,
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.
One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what's true.
One life can make the difference.
You see, it's up to you.

TELUS: Building Critical Hope and Learned Hopefulness

I just have to share with you the wonderful event that Laurie, our Executive Director at the Hope Foundation, and I attended last evening. It was the TELUS Celebration of Giving event held here in Edmonton. We were invited because we received funding from TELUS last year.

Twenty different charities received a cheque from the Employee Giving program. What that means is that besides the community grants that TELUS provides every year to assist non-profits make a difference in their community, the employees also give to their charities of their choice! The mood in the room was indeed celebatory for everyone - those receiving cheques and those of us who were there because we had received previous funding. We had an opportunity to share with each other the good work that is happening in our communities. We also had an opportunity to see what happens when an organization chooses to make a real difference in the communities where their employees live and work - TELUS calls it "give where you live". I know that TELUS employees also volunteer their time in their community. That resonates for me because it is what our Hope-Focused Service-Learning program espouses. Students are encouraged to interact with and bring hope to those in their own community first. Stephen John Quaye calls that building critical hope. He states, "When students become active, their critical hope often leads to three learning outcomes that are valued in higher education: appreciation of differences, cultivation of students' voices, and connection to global society." It's also about building opportunities for learned hopefulness. Back in 1990 Zimmerman learned that those who gave back to the community were better able to envision and work toward a personally desired future.

But there is more - TELUS is donating 200 dinners to the Bissel Centre and Hope Mission in honour of the 200 guests who attended the Celebration of Giving event.

This morning I woke up feeling rejuvenated knowing that there are hopeful organizations like TELUS out there who are bringing hope both to their employees and to individuals within our community.

As I come to the end of this entry I realize that I have just repeated myself. The previous blog (image) says it all!

References:
Quaye, S. J. (2007). Hope and learning: The outcomes of contemporary student activism. About Campus, 12(2), 2-9.

Zimmerman, M.A. (1990). Toward a theory of learned hopefulness: A structural model analysis of participation and empowerment. Journal of Research in Personality, 24, 71-86.

Connect the World With HOPE

Another slogan from a grade five student who participated in the Hope-Focused Service-Learning program.