Proud To Be Me The Proud To Be Me program is a Turn 2 signature program. It is located at Lincoln International Studies School and Washington Writer's Academy in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The goal of the Proud To Be Me Program is to provide a small group of fourth, fifth and sixth graders with an opportunity to increase their ability to withstand the pressure of drug and alcohol abuse throughout their lifespan.Washington Writer's Academy 2007-2008 Program Highlights MARCH 2008 • Snack Field Trip and Out-to-eat; the 8 students who proved themselves the most by living out the Life Lessons were chosen to go to Gordon's Food Services and pick out snack for the remainder of the year. Immediately following that, we went CiCi's Pizza to eat. It was a really fun time for both students and adults. • Tae Kwon Do; Team Building Activities; Homework; Cleaned the playground of litter and trash • Homework; Team Building Game -- Randomly drew one name out of a hat and had to write 3 things we noticed that person did well; great game!
• Tae Kwon Do; Homework; Team Building -- assignment of senior PTBM students who are responsible for teaching new PTBM students all 10 Life Lessons • Final Mad Science Session -- Talked about matter and combining elements. Final take home project was chalk made out of plaster of Paris, powder coloring, and water. Diplomas are also handed out! • Stress Management Presentation -- Taught by a WMU Counseling Intern
• Mad Science -- Students learned about different types of structures and in the end made a structure out of gum drops and toothpicks • Mad Science -- Students learned about magnetic forces, the north and south poles, and then were given a magnet packet to take home • VALENTINE'S DAY! -- Students made a handmade book for the final project out of paper we made the two previous weeks • Mad Science -- Students learned about mirrors and reflections, and the final take home project was a periscope
• 14 out of 15 students passed the Life Lessons Quiz • Showing tremendous leadership qualities out of some of our students
• Tuesdays -- Tae Kwon Do • Tribes lesson -- Acting out feelings and others had to guess what the feeling was.
• Jeter's Leaders came! Leaders played some team building games and taught us the pillars they are learning/teaching about! Fun event! • I Have a Dream -- in honor of MLK and Black History Month (FEB) students had to develop a dream for our school and for our school. Students wrote about the dreams and illustrated them.
• The Turn 2 Proud To Be Me Washington group had an opportunity to work exclusively with our Art Teacher, Ms. Sarah Cheek. Since most of our students love to do art projects, we decided to have them learn the art of paper making. The final product was an individual book, the front and back cover decorated with our hand-made papers.
• Hockey Field Trip to WMU Lawson Ice Arena with the hockey team! Best field trip ever! Kids had so much fun, players were great, and lots of things to take home -- hockey stick, jersey, and autographed picture of the players.
• Art projects continue to be a big hit and the students are expressing themselves better. • TRIBES continues. • Learned all 10 Life Lessons!!!
• 3 students regularly attend the TKD on Wednesdays after school, and several others attend on different weeks. • Counseling partnership with WMU counselors continues to take place • Community Service project began and was a huge success! Students painted with residents at Heritage Community of Kalamazoo in the dementia ward. • Art projects have been introduced as this group really loves to express themselves creatively. • TRIBES (community building) has been started as a way of getting along as a group. • Learned the first 8 Life Lessons.
• WMU Football game with Jeter's Leaders • Trip to Apple Orchard • Snack purchasing trip • After hours TKD at the dojo • Nature center trip • Soccer game field trip with the soccer team • Sherman Lake team building trip • Life Lessons -- we have learned the first 4!
Proud to Be Me at Washington Writers' Academy is the place to be! Proud to Be Me students strive to be leaders in the school. Students participate in weekly Tae-kwon-do practice to develop discipline and promote healthy lifestyles. Students also participate in weekly alcohol and drug prevention education. 
Throughout the year, Proud to Be Me students study Derek Jeter's 10 life lessons. They learn to apply these lessons to their everyday lives. Each week, students complete a team building activity that relates to one or more of the life lessons. These activities provide a more hands-on approach for the children so that they can easily relate them to situations that arise in their daily lives. We had an exciting opportunity this year to participate in the Empty Bowls project. Students learned about world hunger, and were then given a chance to make bowls out of clay. These bowls were then sold at the Empty Bowls dinner, which the children attended. Throughout the year, we continue to make positive changes in our school and community. The Proud to Be Me children participate in several community service projects, such as cleaning litter off our school playground and local parks. It gives the children a strong sense of accomplishment, while helping to better our community. Lincoln International Studies School
"Proud 2 Be Me" at Lincoln International Studies School is a program where students learn to reject unhealthy lifestyles and learn to embrace living healthy productive lives. In "Proud 2 Be Me", the students learn life skills that will enable them to resist unhealthy life choices and practices. They will learn coping skills that will enable them to function in a group and in their community. More importantly, they will learn to find strength with in their selves and become truly proud of who they are. Education continues to be our main focus. We start each day by completing at least 30 minutes of homework or reading. Our track record speaks for itself. Members of "Proud 2 Be Me" raise their letter grades in all areas by at least one letter grade by the years end. Our environment is one that encourages free thought and is known around the building as a safe place for all to come. By creating a synergistic environment in "Proud 2 Be Me", our members will be able use their acquired skill wherever they go! Some of the activities/lessons "Proud 2 Be Me" members have participated in are as follows:
A Special Thank You The Turn 2 Foundation would like to thank the Main Street establishments on West Main, South Westnedge, Gull Road and in Vicksburg and Mattawan as well as The University Roadhouse, Main Street Grill and Fletchers for their extremely generous donations over the past couple of years of healthy after school snacks to the children of one of our Signature Programs, the Proud To Be Me Program. The children are definitely grateful as is the Foundation for their partnership in this endeavor. |
 • Sights & Sounds from the Turn 2 Foundation »  
 The Turn 2 Foundation is set to hold clinics August 13-16 in Derek's hometown. More > 
 The Turn 2 Foundation hosted its annual Holiday Express in December, benefiting over 1,000 children in the Turn 2 Signature Programs in West Michigan, New York and Tampa. More > |
The Jeter’s Leaders is a youth leadership, social change program named by the captain of the New york Yankees, Derek Jeter, and funded by his Turn 2 Foundation. The program is designed to promote healthy lifestyles, academic achievement and social change activism among high school students.
Jeter’s Leaders Information
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• Jeter's Leaders Mentoring -- Leaders helped with homework, played games, and just hung out getting know each other
• Tae Kwon Do; Decorated posters for the school Open House in March 
• Jeter's Leaders came to help prepare for Empty Bowls Celebration
• Community Service at Heritage Community of Kalamazoo. Students worked with patients in the dementia ward. We painted and decorated valentines and various craft materials while talking and interacting with the patients. 
• Community Service Project -- Made posters for the school's EXPO coming up in March. 
