By Emily Zetterholm
reprinted from the Vacaville Reporter
Posted: 05/23/2010 01:02:16 AM PDT

Last month, students and leadership classes from all over the world came together at Oregon State University with the PeaceJam Foundation to meet and learn from Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jody Williams.

The weekend trip was a life-changing experience. Before I tell you how this trip changed me, you must know how I was before that weekend in April.

From the time I joined my leadership class at the beginning of the school year, all I heard about was the trip to Oregon with PeaceJam and how we would meet a Nobel Peace Prize winner. I heard stories about the lessons they would teach us, the team-building skills we would participate in, and the community outreach we would do. But with my teenage ears, all I heard was that we were staying in a paid-for hotel with our close friends on a college campus, away from our parents.

We left early on a Friday morning. As everyone was placing their bags on the bus, it was easy to tell who went to which school. Students from each school, including my own, were bunched up together in their own cliques. No one wanted to mingle with anyone else. Our advisers came up with the idea of taking out the microphone so we could share what we were looking forward to in Oregon. About three students went up to speak.

The first night in Oregon, we went out to dinner and the atmosphere was exactly what you would find at a high school cafeteria: groups of kids who knew each other eating together, not ready to step out of their comfort zone and meet anyone else.

After dinner, we had our first experience with Jody Williams. She was not what I expected. She talked to us as if she were one of us. There was no tone in her voice to suggest she was trying to give us a "I'm high and mighty" lecture. She was upfront and honest and even sat cross-legged in front of us, as you would with your very best friend at a sleepover. She gave everyone the feeling that they could relax and be comfortable.

The next morning, we were divided into "family" groups. Not a single one of my classmates was in my group, but we started talking about who we were and what we thought of Williams. We were all a little shy. As the day went on, we spent time with each other, ate lunch and did our first community outreach program. The atmosphere around me soon changed. People were talking louder with one another.

After lunch, we had another lecture from Williams. This, too, was not what I expected. She told us about how she had been raped years ago and said she would not be a victim but would continue on her journey to peace. She told us about what inspires her to make this world better. After she was done, she lighted a candle and invited us to come up, tell everyone what inspires us and to place a lighted candle next to hers.

The question hit me hard: What does inspire me to make my world better, and why do I want peace?

I stood up the second I knew and walked with others up to the podium. I told them that my future is what inspires me. I want to know that, when I look back on my life, I can honestly say I did the best I could.

One by one, more kids told their stories. It was so moving to know that we really weren't all that different and we all did want our world to be a better place. It was a turning point that no one saw coming.

After that, everyone really cracked out of their shells. During team-building lessons the next day, we were falling into each other's arms, turning ourselves into human chairs, and making a human conveyer belt to hold people up and pass them down the line. The room was filled with laughter and joy as we worked together.

Soon it was time to pack up and get back to Vacaville. No longer were there cliques of schools, but groups of friends. On the bus again, the advisers pulled out the microphone and asked us to tell about our favorite experience in Oregon. This time, just about everyone spoke. We shared our fondest memories, gave special recognition to one another and described how we were going to change our lives when we got back home, to make it more peaceful. There was an uplifting feeling in the bus that night.

What I learned is that to be peaceful within yourself is a great trait, but to spread peace is the most wonderful thing you can do. I learned that in order to make our world a better place, I cannot be selfish, nor can I turn away a helping hand. I learned that sometimes, to get things done, you have to step out of your comfort zone and work together with people you never thought you would.

I am truly grateful for this experience, and I will forever tell this story.

The author, a Vacaville resident, attends Country High School.

By Sarah de Crescenzo
Fairfield Daily Republic | May 21, 2010 18:49


Peace Jam Club member Tynisha Clayton, 16, discusses her illustration of her strengths and weaknesses during an goal excerise at the Matt Garcia Youth Center Friday afternoon. Photo by Mike Greener

FAIRFIELD - Local middle and high school students pinpointed poverty, violence -- even short tempers -- as aspects of the community around them they would like to change at their Friday meeting.

The recently formed PeaceJam club, based at the Matt Garcia Youth Center, is the only such group not affiliated with a specific high school site.

In an effort to reach additional potential participants, the group will meet at 3:45 to 5 p.m. Fridays at the Youth Center, 250 Travis Blvd.

'What a better place to have a PeaceJam club than at Matt Garcia,' facilitator Gloria Ray said.

She and her daughter, Buckingham Charter School sophomore Allyson Ray, are working together to organize and run the community service group.

About 10 students met Friday. Together, they conducted team-building activities and proposed ideas for future service projects.

The goal of the club is to 'make youth leaders for their world,' Allyson Ray said.

She said the location was a good one to establish a club because it allows students more time to meet.

'We can accomplish more here than during 30 minutes at lunch,' she said.

Matt Garcia Youth Center intern Jessica Kelley-Bowman became involved with PeaceJam when the group chose to meet in the room she's in charge of at the center.

Kelley-Bowman said her interest in the club's activities were peaked when she traveled to Oregon for the annual PeaceJam conference and met Nobel Peace Laureate Jodie Williams, who received her prize in 1997 for her efforts to ban land mines.

'This is the place to come for kids after school,' she said of the center.

Now, she said, the main goal of the group is to get to know one another so they can work as a team in their community efforts.

'We all don't really know everyone, so when we're more comfortable our activities will be accomplished,' she said.

To that end, the group discussed their passions and fears and shared ideas of what they want to change about themselves and their world.

When asked what was most important to them, each one separately wrote down 'family.'

However, their ideas for change spanned the spectrum, from ending war to cleaning up the planet.

Armijo High School sophomore Yvonne Avina, 14, said she hopes to help victims of abuse and violence.

Though there are no PeaceJam clubs at middle schools in Solano County, the group at the Matt Garcia Youth Center accepts middle schoolers, like Grange Middle School eighth-grader Raimauri Barroe, 13.

He said his plans with the club are just to 'help out' and be there for those who need it.

Copyright © 2010 Daily Republic.

reprinted from the Vacaville Reporter
By Ryan Chalk
Article Launched: 08/31/2008

One Community: No hate, no violence.

That is the theme for a major youth nonviolence summit planned for January of 2009.

PeaceJam Solano is spearheading the Solano County Coalition to Eliminate Racism and Hate, a group of members throughout the community, including local law enforcement, school officials, clergy and businesses working together in an effort to eliminate racism and hate in Solano County.

"I believe personally that racism and hate play a much larger part in youth crime and violence," said Sherilyn Henry, president of PeaceJam Solano. "We're addressing this throughout the county."

Organizers are working hard in the planning stages to hold the event in Fairfield, with a tentative date of Jan. 10.

Henry envisions a huge "Martin Luther King, Jr.-like" march starting at Fairfield High School and moving its way down North Texas Street, ending at Armijo High School.

From there, the summit would take shape with activities throughout the day. Events such as panel discussions from violence prevention experts, discussions groups led by the youth, a 'peace picnic' and concert will be held as well as opportunities for families to interact, all with the goal of identifying and drafting solutions to local violence.

"We invite everyone in our community who have a heart for youth and who want to be part of an event for non-violence," added Henry.

The planning process is moving forward quickly, according to Henry. Organizers will be holding planning meetings on the second Monday of the each month with the next scheduled meeting set for Monday, Sept. 8 at the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District Office in room 319.

The 6 p.m. meeting is open to anyone who would like to get involved with the summit or would just like to learn more about PeaceJam Solano, according to Henry.

PeaceJam Solano grew out of the internationally recognized PeaceJam Foundation, which was founded in 2006 by 12 Nobel Peace Prize winners including The Dalai Lama.

According to Henry, PeaceJam Solano was the first chapter to grow out of the foundation, and it developed a model that is now being duplicated not only across the country, but also worldwide.

One of the goals of PeaceJam Solano is to provide youth the tools to deal with conflict.

"When the youth really believe they can make a difference, miracles can happen," said Henry.

For more information about the summit, contact PeaceJam Solano President Sherilyn Henry at 208-0853, or E-mail Sherilyn@PeaceJamSolano.org.

The youth need to be inspired in order to become caring and thoughtful citizens, according to Henry, "and I think PeaceJam can provide that."

PeaceJam Solano and The Coalition are working together make sure the nonviolence summit has an impact on the youth.

We would really like to see our youth move from coping alone with this environment of violence,"

All Solano County Youth, Ages 5 - 18 are invited to enter!

Entry forms and rules are available at www.PeaceJamSolano.org
Entries are accepted now through 5:00 PM on Friday October 17, 2008

The Solano Peace Contest, a program of Youth Peace Initiative (YPI) is a county-wide event. This year we are pleased that the Peace Contest is co-sponsored by the United Way of the Bay Area. This will be the third year of the Solano Peace Contest. In previous years, when the contest was limited to high school youth, we had entries from 12 different high schools in the county, representing six of the seven public school districts, and several entries from incarcerated youth in the Juvenile Detention Facility. We believe that expanding the ages to include elementary and middle school youth will greatly increase the interest in the community (both youth and parents) and will bring more awareness of the contest and how we each can contribute to peace in our community. We anticipate receiving 500 student entries.

We believe that students (and their parents) will be positively impacted by reflecting on the personal nature of the contest. Their entries must address either question: 1) “What does peace mean to you?” or “How can you contribute to peace in our community?” Self-esteem and confidence are increased when students see their work on public display; their efforts are celebrated; and they are exposed to a larger community of caring, peace-minded people.

Adults in the county are impacted by: 1) greater awareness of their personal responsibilities to be a peacemaker in our communities; 2) self-reflecting on how (and if) they are modeling personal peace behaviors; 3) supporting the youths’ involvement in the Peace Contest; and 4) witnessing the deeply moving student Peace Contest entries.

Distribution of the 2009 Peace Calendar will extend the positive influences of the event throughout the coming year.

The Topic: “What does Peace mean to YOU” and/or “How can YOU contribute to PEACE in our community?”

Three Categories are available for each age group: 5 – 10, 11 – 13, 14 - 18

Literature: Essay & Poetry ~ up to 150 words
Poster art ~ up to 9 x 12 inch size
Multi-media: Music & Film

Cash prizes will be awarded for each category – 27 prizes & $3,375 in all!

Elementary School (Ages 5 – 10): First Place Winners: $100
Second Place Winners: $50
Third Place Winners: $25

Middle School (Ages 11 – 13): First Place Winners: $200
Second Place Winners: $100
Third Place Winners: $50

High School (Ages 14 – 18): First Place Winners: $300
Second Place Winners: $200
Third Place Winners: $100

Selected entries will be featured in a 2009 PeaceJam Calendar

How to Enter: Go to www.PeaceJamSolano.org and download the Peace Contest Entry Form and Guidelines. Students may enter each category one time, but a separate entry form with parental permission must accompany each entry.

Mail or deliver entry with signed (parent and youth) entry form (preferably in a manila envelope) to Youth Peace Initiative, California Business Center, 1652 West Texas Street, #248, Fairfield, 94533.

Entries must be postmarked by October 17, 2008 ~ no exceptions

Winners will be announced at the PeaceJam Awards Dinner on Saturday, November 8, 2008 at the Fairfield Community Center, Willow Hall, 6 – 8:30 PM. All contest entries will be on display. SAVE THE DATE and get your dinner tickets now.

Dinner tickets for this exciting PeaceJam Peace Contest Awards Banquet on November 8, 2008 are free for student entrants 9 and under; $5.00 for all other students 18 and under; $15 for one parent per student entrant; and $25.00 for all other adults (including second parent). Donations and dinner tickets may be purchased by calling Peace Contest Chair, Jennifer Darcangelo at 707-427-6536 or emailing at jdarc623@yahoo.com

Judging: The Peace Contest entries will be judged by a distinguished panel of multi-cultural judges.

28 local high school youth, along with six Solano Community College students and eight chaperones will be attending the PeaceJam Northwest Regional Conference this weekend, February 22-24 at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon.    Argentinean Nobel Peace Laureate Adolfo Perez Esquivel will be the three-day conference speaker. 
   Students from ten local high schools and youth organizations as well as Solano Community College will attend.  They will represent all of the high schools in Vacaville:  Vacaville High School, Will C. Wood High School, Buckingham Charter School and Country High School as well as the Boys & Girls Club in Vacaville.  Vanden High School, Armijo High School, and Angelo Rodriguez High School from Fairfield will be represented as well as Liberty High School in Benicia and Peoples High School in Vallejo.  
    Five students in the PeaceJam Club at Solano Community College who serve as PeaceJam mentors at the Solano Juvenile Detention Facility will also be going. 
    Students will spend an action-packed weekend learning how Esquivel works to defend human rights in Argentina and reduce violence in Latin America.  They will also learn about social and economic rights, meet new friends, practice nonviolent/compassionate communication, do community service and personally share their local “Peace Projects” with Esquivel.
 
     The public is invited to learn more about PeaceJam and hear students share their conference experiences at a PeaceJam Reception on Tuesday, February 26 at 7:00 pm at Solano Community College, Fairfield, Rooms 402 and 403.
 
PeaceJam is an educational nonprofit in which twelve (12) Nobel Peace Laureates work directly with youth at weekend conferences to inspire and instill their experience, wisdom, skills and personal friendship in students around the world
 
Over 500,000 youth, worldwide, have attended PeaceJam conferences with these Nobel Peace Laureates in the past 10 years.  Students are inspired!  Over 200,000 community service projects have resulted from these conferences as youth learn “they really can make a difference.”
 
PeaceJam Nobel Peace Laureates include: The Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Rigoberta Menchu, Betty Williams, Mairead Corrigan McGuire and many more.  See www.peacejam.org for more information.
 
PeaceJam Solano, www.PeaceJamSolano.org, is a project of Youth Peace Initiative, Inc., a local 501(c) 3 non-profit organization working with our county’s youth.  Ten PeaceJam clubs are now meeting weekly at Vacaville High School, Will C. Wood, Country High School, Vanden Highs School,   Rodriguez High School, Armijo High School, Liberty High School, Peoples High School and The Boys and Girls Club on Alamo in Vacaville and at Solano Community College.  A PeaceJam club is set to begin soon at Buckingham Charter School.   
    All high school students are invited to participate.  If there is not a PeaceJam club at your school or youth organization yet, please help start one and call Sherilyn Henry at 707-208-0853.  We hope to inspire every high school student that they really can make a difference and to give them the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to be a person of peace.
 
PeaceJam volunteers, financial donors and business sponsors are urgently needed to continue the rapid growth of PeaceJam Solano.  With more people involved, we can begin PeaceJam clubs in our county Junior Highs were it is so desperately needed. 

live Webinar Training will take place:
3-5pm MST [2-4pm Pacific Time] Thursday, November 29
AND
3-5pm MST [2-4pm Pacific Time] Thursday, December 6
Read More...

Students at Vanden High have started the newest high school PeaceJam Club in Solano County

Read More...

PeaceJam Solano is pleased to sponsor the visit of Dr. Kate Cumbo, Director of Programs of PeaceJam Foundation, Denver Colorado. Dr. Cumbo will be in Solano County November 1 – 3, 2008 to meet county leaders, educators, politicians, law enforcement and parents interested in helping our local youth. She will also provide training for interested volunteers.

Read More...

Hurry teens! Only a few more days to turn in your PeaceJam Solano Peace Contest Entries!!!!

Read More...

from the Vacaville Reporter, September 30, 2007
Meet Sherilyn Henry, Founder of PeaceJam Solano


Read More...

Solano County High School Students are
invited to enter the Second Annual
PeaceJam Solano Peace Contest

Entries accepted August 15 through October 15, 2007

Read More...

By Julie Kay/Staff Writer



Country High School students (from left) Shantel Hawkins, Alyssa Espinoza and Samantha Bailey are members of PeaceJam Solano. (Photo credit: Rick Roach/The Reporter)


Very few people experience the profound impact of having a personal conversation with a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Even fewer have the experience of profoundly impacting a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

But several weeks ago, Country High School student Samantha Bailey became one of those few.

"She started crying," Bailey said of Nobel Peace Prize winner Betty Williams, referring to a conversation Bailey and Williams had. "I told her ... she changed my life forever."

Hundreds of youths across the country, including 18 from Solano County, came together at Oregon State University through the organization that aims to inspire a new generation of peacemakers. Twelve Nobel laureates participate in the program.

Bailey and her classmates Alyssa Espinoza and Shantel Hawkins took on the conference fully. When instructed to hug a neighbor, the three made a beeline for Williams.

"She gave really good hugs," said Hawkins, 18.

Later that day, a conference organizer invited Bailey to lunch. Little did she know she was one of a only a handful of students to have lunch with Williams.

There, Bailey told Williams about her greatest inspiration of all: her 20-month-old son, Damien.

"I talked about how it is to be a teen mom, the struggles, how bright he is," said Bailey.

Williams was impressed that Country High School students have played such an important role in PeaceJam, said Bailey. She was also impressed by Bailey herself.

Bailey recalled Williams describing how one person's life can make a difference in another's life.

"I told her that I was that one person in the audience," said Bailey. "And she changed my life forever."

Bailey saw tears in Williams' eyes.

Espinoza, too, gathered a new sense of strength at the conference.

"Some people look at it like we can't promote peace because we're from Country High School," said Espinoza, 18. "Like we're just going to be a waste of time."

"I thought about it, and I realized I can still promote peace, and I can still do my thing," she continued.

Hawkins said she left the conference more convinced than ever that making a difference starts at home.

"You can't preach to other countries," she said. "You need to start in your own community."

Bailey, Espinoza, and Hawkins admit that their lives haven't exactly been easy. But they see the importance in giving back to the world because it "gives me a good life," said Espinoza. "It makes me feel good even though I wasn't (always) treated that way."

Bailey, Espinoza, and Hawkins returned to Vacaville with a renewed sense of purpose. Espinoza said it clarified her desire to spend her life making the world a better place.

"I just want to carry on promoting peace. I want to carry on doing stuff for others."

Bailey, meanwhile, plans to keep in touch with Williams.

She still feels buoyed by Williams' encouraging faith.

"I haven't had an adult saying 'You can go farther, you can go to a four-year school,' " said Bailey. "By Betty Williams saying 'I see great things in you,' I realized there's so much more."

At the conference's end, said Bailey, she and Williams parted with an endearment.

"She said when I get home to give Damien a kiss," she said. "From Grandma Betty."

Fifteen additional Solano County youths attended the conference. They are: Liberty High School's Ernestina Ayala, Courtney McCutcheon, and Parrish Scott; Rodriguez High School's Julia Matteson and Justin Nievar; Vacaville High School's Evan Deubert, Lacy McGarry, and Everett Green; Vanden High School's Amber Lion; and Will C. Wood High School's Ashley Alvarez, David Bowen III, Alyssa Donoghue, Kristina McAndrew, Mariah Smith, and Jacob Woehler.

For more information on PeaceJam, visit www.peacejam.org.

Julie Kay can be reached at schools@thereporter.com.

Public reception honoring students who attended the PeaceJam conference with Nobel Peace Prize Winner Betty Williams!

Come hear their inspiring stories…support our local youth!

Tuesday, April 24, 2007
7:00 – 8:30 PM

Unity Church of the Valley
350 North Orchard Avenue, Vacaville

Invite your friends, colleagues & family!

You can make a difference too!

From Sherilyn Henry, President of PeaceJam Solano
 
18 local high school youth will be attending the PeaceJam weekend conference, April 20-22, at Oregon State University with Irish Nobel Peace Laureate Betty Williams.  Students will spend an action-packed weekend learning how Williams helped reduce the violence in Ireland, meeting new friends, practicing nonviolent/compassionate communication, doing community service and personally sharing their local “Peace Projects” with Williams. 
 
The public is invited to learn more about PeaceJam and hear students share their conference experiences at a PeaceJam Reception on Tuesday, April 24 at 7:00 pm at Unity Church of the Valley, 350 North Orchard Ave in Vacaville. 
 
PeaceJam is an educational nonprofit in which twelve (12) Nobel Peace Laureates work directly with youth in weekend conferences to inspire and instill their experience, wisdom, skills and personal friendship to students around the world
 
Over 500,000 youth, worldwide, have attended PeaceJam conferences with these Nobel Peace Laureates in the past 10 years.  Students are inspired!  Over 200,000 community service projects have resulted from these conferences as youth learn “they really can make a difference.”
 
PeaceJam Nobel Peace Laureates include: The Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Rigoberta Menchu, Betty Williams, Mairead Corrigan McGuire and many more.  See www.peacejam.org for more information.
 
PeaceJam Solano, www.PeaceJamSolano.org is the local organization working with our county’s youth.  Six PeaceJam clubs are now meeting weekly at Vacaville High School, Will C. Wood High School (Vacaville), Country High School (Vacaville), Rodriguez High School (Fairfield), Liberty High School (Benicia) and The Boys and Girls Club on Alamo in Vacaville.  All high school students are invited to participate.  If there is not a PeaceJam club at your school or youth organization yet, please help start one by contacting Sherilyn Henry.  We hope to inspire every high school student that they really can make a difference and to give them the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to be a person of peace.
 
PeaceJam volunteers, financial donors and business sponsors are urgently needed to continue the rapid growth of PeaceJam Solano.  With more people involved, we can begin PeaceJam clubs in our county Junior Highs were it is so desperately needed.  Please get involved.  Good people must get involved now with the youth of today if there is to be hope of world peace tomorrow.  We cannot wait.  Please contact Sherilyn Henry