TIGblogs - Jennifer Corriero

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Sunday May 12
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Happy Mothers Day to all of your mom's :)

Today was insane. I woke up at 8:00 and spent a bit of time with my mom while she opened up her mother's day gifts...she LOVED what I got her!! (a clock from tribal rhythm, incense, candles and plastic flowers)!

Went to her a motivational speaker present to a group of high school 'leadership' students at Humber College (the conference was called HOBY). It started at 8:45.

Went to my nonna's (dad's mom) and spent a few hours having a bit of breakfast and enjoying small talk :)

Spent time with my grandmother (and my entire mom's side of the family) - working on a Family Newsletter!! We've had this idea for a while now...I have a list of the birth date for each member on my mom's side of the family (25 people!)...it is sooo good to honour people on the day that they were brought into this life :)

Caught up on school stuff (read through online materials for school)

Typed up notes from discussion with Andy about fundraising 'program areas'...the categories we've come up with based on recent and past discussions are the following:
- Digital Divide
- Education
- International Development
- Cross-Cultural Understanding
- Youth Empowerment

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Saturday May 11
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Went to the dojo for some karate. Learned a new crazy kick (spinning back roundhouse kick)! Really improving my form...will be having a fitness test next weekend!

Went to the Youth Action Network's Youth Week Launch Party at the Native Canadian Centre!! (met up with karis, martin, jarra and mike)...

Went out for some bubble tea and then to a movie with mike, jarra and martin :)

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Friday May 10
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Intense meeting with andy about TIG fundraising stuff. Developing a 'contact relations' strategy. This will involve me sending out regular updates (that I think I will call 'TakingITGlobal Insight') to current and potential TIG clients, partners and fenders...it will give an update on where we are at and what our needs are...

Part of what I need to do is scan in a stack of business cards that I have been collecting recently (at least 200) and then looking through my database of contacts in outlook (approx. 1000) to identify which people I should be keeping in closer contact with. Yikes!

Met with people who are developing the World Youth Centre. This is a legacy of the Toronto Olympic Bid and has many ideals that are similar to TIG (especially with the initial vision of having physical opportunity and resource centres for youth to collaborate globally)...They are very impressed with TIG and want to partner...They are just getting things going so we have a lot of experience to share! I will keep people posted with progress :)

Met with people who will be speaking on a panel that I am moderating this Thursday at Innoversity. We prepared for the event by talking about key themes that we want to cover in our session :)

Went shopping for my mother's day gift!

Spent a few hours with Michelle and the owner's of the hair salon that she works at. They are interested in having a website built and TIG might be the group that develops it...however, they may not be ready for it...we learned a lot about TIG's unique mindset and we also developed our negotiation skills ;) we will hear back from them about whether or not they want us to pursue this project by the end of the week...

Enjoyed dinner and a long chat with Michelle and mike :)

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Thursday May 9
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Meeting with Guidance councillor consultants to the TDSB's Peer-Leadership and Support Course. I am developing a resource that will be given to teachers of this course as part of their training program. Basically, they want us to help assist in the delivery of the program - and especially in the area of how technology can be used to enhance the overall classroom experience...I will be using elements of the TIG Guide to Action in creating the resource...they are in love with TIG!

Spent some time responding to e-mails and phone calls

Went to Karis' school for Co-Op Appreciation day - got a framed certificate for being the TIG Co-op Coordinator!! AWWW - it is soo cute :) I also got to see The Student School - which is a very cool alternative school that Karis goes to...

Upon returning to the office, I had an INCREDIBLY productive afternoon - working away on e-mails that continue to pile up in my in-box.

Went to the Native Canadian Centre with Karis - to a drumming circle...it was beautiful (even though I had to leave a bit early)...i think I might become a member and attend more of their cultural events...I really want to learn more about Native Canadians..while we were there, Karis and I talked a bit about her idea around creaming a portal for aboriginal youth within TIG to have a voice. I think that this is a concept definitely worth exploring

Went to my kung-fu class - which was therapeutic and stimulating

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Wednesday May 8
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Met with Jacqueline from the YMCA in the morning - reviewed the concepts that were designed by martin, sush and amanda for the youth employment website. She is sending them off to her team to get their opinions (I think that coming up with the design of the site is going to be a longer process than normal - just a head's up)..

Called Jerry from Nigeria...had an incredibly inspiring discussion (a phone call that we have been trying to have for WEEKS) about his plans for TIG in Nigeria. We need to develop an agreement between TIG Intl. and the TIG Centre for Youths Development that he wants to set up in Nigeria.

Met with michelle to discuss a strategy document that she is putting together for TakingITLocal / TIG Country Sites etc. I am really looking forward to developing this initiative in a way that truly taps into the potential of our network!!! Stay tuned for recent developments :)

Attended Regent Park Focus and Media Watch will be launching their websites at a launch party in the Regent Park Focus community centre. The launch included a display and orientation of the websites, an online discussion on the Media Watch site, a panel discussion that was live to air on CKLN, which is their first broadcast from their new studio. ...and of course some food and music. It was a lot of fun and shed light on a lot of issues...

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Tuesday May 7
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At UofT's Department of Public Health Sciences - there is an initiative called TeenNet. The goal of the TeenNet Research Project based at the University of Toronto is to study ways of engaging youth in health promotion using technology. TeenNet is based on respecting individual choice by teens and exploration of options regarding health behaviour. TeenNet takes a "teens in action / youth driven" approach that involves young people from diverse backgrounds in all stages of program development, evaluation and dissemination.

TeenNet has a project called Global Youth Voices. I met with the coordinator of this project and talked about the TIG online community. They might be interested in developing a partnership relationship where TIG serves as the community that they help develop research and resources for. They are trying to develop a model for fostering grass-roots community action.

Worked on documents/e-mails etc. in the office for a few hours.

Met with lawyers who are working on TIG's by-laws. After spending 2 hours with the lawyer, we found out that he charges $250/hour. Crap - lawyers are SOOO expensive. Hopefully we can leverage skadden's support once the ontario stuff is figured out. There are a lot of legal documents that need to be reviewed.

Kung-fu class in the evening

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Monday May 6
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Staff meeting

TIG Toronto Workshop meeting with facilitators!! The schedule is pretty much set!!

Month of May Schedule:
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Beginner HTML (Wednesday May 8 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Lab Fifth Floor) / Peter / Aubrey

Project Management (Wednesday May 15 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Lab Fifth Floor)/ Huss

Intermediate HTML (Wednesday May 22 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Lab Fifth Floor) / Nicole / Aubrey

Performing Arts (Thursday May 23 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Conference Room 4th Floor / Meghan

Advanced HTML (Wednesday May 29 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Lab Fifth Floor) / Martin

Collages (Thursday May 23 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Cafeteria) / Karis

Month of June Schedule:
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Resume Writing (Tuesdeay June 4 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Lab 5th Floor) / Rebecca, Anchla

Dreamweaver (Wednesday June 5 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Lab 5th Floor) / Martin / Houshi

Flash (Wednesday June 12 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Lab 5th Floor) / Jarra

Panel of Professionals (Thursday June 13 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Conference Room 9th Floor) / Anchla / Peter / Adam

Introduction to Java Scripting (Tuesday June 25 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Lab 5th Floor) /
Manisha / Meeta (Just let Maria know when a good date is for the intermediate ;)

*TakingITGlobal Open House* / Wednesday June 26 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Conference Room 9th Floor)
You are all invited to this event!!!!

Promoting Yourself (Wednesday June 19 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Conference Room 4th Floor) / Jesse

Month of July Schedule:
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Visual Arts / Drawing / (Wednesday July 3 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Cafeteria) / Neema / Sofia

Volunteerism / Community Involvement (Wednesday July 10 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Conference Room 4th Floor) / Emmanuel / Janice

Visual Arts / Painiting / (Thursday July 11 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Cafeteria ) / Neema / ?

Creativity (Wednesday July 17 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Cafeteria) / Mirella / Sonya

Leadership Skills (Thursday July 18 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Conference Room 4th
Floor) / Alex / Jason / Anchla

Experience Entrepreneureship (Wednesday July 24 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Conference Room 4th Floor Rebecca / Robert Lin

Art Therapy (Wednesday July 31 / 5:00 - 8:00 / Cafeteria) / Amanda

~ went to my Karate class at night

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Sunday May 5
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A day of rest, renewal, recovery

Ukranian Easter :)

Watched a rental movie (Training Day)

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Saturday May 4
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All-Day Abroad Pre-Departure Training Session for Sweden (I may or may not actually go)

At the training, I got to present to 100 students who are going to another country to study next year. I gave out TIG stickers and talked about how TakingITGlobal.org can be used as a resource for them while they are abroad! A few people came up to me afterwards and seemed really excited about what we offer :)

Saw Spider Man!! Really enjoyed the movie - but wasn't impressed AT ALL with the role of woman...they just seem so helpless and almost pathetic characters...i got really upset after the movie because it made me realize that there aren't very many films AT ALL that depict women in a way that is strong, yet attractive, smart and somewhat heroic...and even if these elements are present - it always seems like the woman is much weaker than the male figures.

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Friday May 3
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Fundraising meeting with Andy (jarra, martin and mike joined in)
Discussion about the need for a contact database/matrix. Priority for next meeting.
Discussion about upcoming events, current contacts (including TEN), latest progress etc.

Abroad Pre-Departure Training Session for Sweden (evening)

TIG Party at the Townhouse!! That was fun Fun FUN!!! It was great to hang out - watch a movie - laugh - eat cake - dance - laugh some more - see people who I haven't seen in a while - give/get hugs - be with people who I respect and admire :)

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Thursday May 2
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Nicole (from TIG@York) came to TIG to work on the TIG@York site

Met with Laura (VP at YMCA) about ownership of computers in the lab and challenges encountered with Trillium Funding. The Y is nervous about TIG owning the computers - because if they leave, then the lab will not have any computers. Soo - we came to an agreement that is currently being drafted in writing. Our 'partnership lease' has been extended to June of 2003. If TIG leaves before that date, then the computers in the lab will be owned by the YMCA. If the YMCA kicks TIG out, then TIG owns the comptuers in the lab. This is a basic summary to a very challenging situation. I think that this is a very fair compromise :)

We will be getting cheap software licences for the computers through the YMCA as they have charitable status and get good discounts.

Met with Houshi about TIG summer internship - he worked on banner designs and sent them out!! Houshi got a scholarship and hopes to work at TIG this summer as part of the work placement his scholarship sponsors!!

Went to The Learning Partnerships Fundraising Gala (unlike the last Gala where we got about 6 extra tickets, I went to this event by myself). I got to meet a group of interesting people and thought a lot about the fact that we have access to SOOO many powerful individuals - and I am not fully tapping into the resources that I have available to me. As a result - it feels like a wasted opportunity...

I really want to focus my time and energy in a way that has the best overall impact. I am committing to try and organize chunks in a way that allows me to stay in contact with some of the interesting people that I've been meeting at various conferences and gatherings...

Prioritizing always seems to be a personal challenge of mine...the one good thing about all the chaos that I create in my life is that I truly enjoy the experiences I am having and the people that I am encountering...there isn't one day that goes by where I'm not inspired at least once (even just for a moment)...

I hope that I am able to put as much good into the world as I feel I receive from the world.