Raising Innovation

10/07/2024

"Parenting vs. Caregiving: Two Paths, One Journey"

Ever thought about the difference between parenting and caregiving? It’s kind of like the difference between a coach teaching you how to score a goal and just cheerleading from the sidelines. It’s like the difference between teaching mastery and just guiding a student during practice. 🎹👨‍🏫
Parenting and educating are about shaping skills, fostering growth, and building independence. It’s more than just guiding; it’s empowering a child to stand on their own. Caregiving nurtures and supports—but often builds dependency. That’s more about hugs, support, and making sure everyone’s got their snack. 🧃🍎 Both are great, but only one builds true independence and confidence to fly solo! 🕊️✨
Many can offer care and guidance. But only a few can truly educate and parent in a way that nurtures a strong, independent thinker ready to take on the world. 🌱💪So when you think about education or training, ask yourself: "Am I just getting some helpful hand-holding, or am I being equipped to take on the world like a boss?" 💼👑

When you consider investing in education or training, think about this: Are you being equipped with skills to grow independently, or simply receiving support to maintain where you are? The right approach shapes futures, the wrong one just sustains the present.

These revolutionary differences matter more than you think.
'Cause listen—empowerment isn’t just warm milk and cookies (although, yum!)—it's all about fostering growth and nurturing those "I-can-do-this!" moments. 🚀🌱
💡 Invest in growth, choose empowerment.

12/15/2023

Open enrollment for youth interested in
1. discovering how to unlock their innovative potential,
2. effectively navigate their interests and passions,
3. become leaders in their communities, and
4. engage globally with other youth. Contact [email protected] for more details.

3 month training program only $200 until the New Year!
Activation with Global Youth Cohort, training sessions, and coaching for project with which participants can earn college credits $500 plus the fee for the travel package with EF Tours, which will be hosted by Raising Innovation founder, David Hoffman. Interested adults can also apply to chaperone.

09/04/2023

The only library in our county is under attack! Library, our community depends on for various programs, is about to be defunded on October 1st. A small religious group of 53 people called "Clean Up Samuels" abusing Samuels Public Library's reconsideration system - drowning our librarians in now over 800 forms, the vast majority about books they've never even read. Claiming the books have sexual content.
Then, they went after the library's funding at the Warren County Board of Supervisors meeting on June 6th, 2023. Despite being forewarned that this special interest group was potentially violating Virginia law, the Supervisors allowed themselves to be used as political pawns - and held back 75% of the library's budget until the library finishes the plan they created to address the situation.
We, the community, see this for what it is, and we won't allow our library to be used as a political wedge to win over religious voters.
We, the over 600 members of Save Samuels, demand the funding be released now.



https://www.facebook.com/savesamuels

Citizens in support of Samuels Public Library

02/18/2023

Our Winter Youth Jazz Festival is BACK January 28th at Babeville! This festival is built to inspire and ignite a love for music while building relationships among our students and the professionals they will meet. The event is open to any “jazz inspired” groups and their teachers, including big bands, combos, bluegrass, fusion, dixieland, vocal jazz, hip-hop, and more.

Participating bands: Global Concepts Charter, Lockport Jazz Ensemble, City of Tonawanda, Las Vegas Academy, Alexander Jazz Experience, Kenmore West Jazz, Lockport Advanced, and Kenmore East Big Band.

For tickets to the 6pm performance, please visit babevillebuffalo.com!

02/16/2023

For over 2 decades, I committed myself to teaching and creating educa… David Hoffman needs your support for Saving Rust Belt Books & Empowering Our Community

02/16/2023

Currently, accepting interested candidates to enroll in Youth Innovation Cohorts. Participants will receive a participant-centered approach to learning the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem-Solving model, an application driven approach to Creative Problem-Solving tools, Agility training, and work in small cohorts in order to:
1. apply and analyze collaborative tools and principles,
2. apply and analyze communication skills while identifying mentors for a personal project, engaging with members of the cohort, and working with real-world clients to conduct a Creative Problem-Solving consultation,
3. apply and synthesize learning in order to complete a self-directed personal project (launch a product, business, create an action plan to resolve a challenge in their own life, in the local or global community, etc...)

Past successes using this program have included youth publishing their own works, launching their own small businesses with a positive return within 8 months, consulting for organizations and showing significant results through the implementation of their action plans within as little as 3 months. Participants have completed facilitations for Blue Apron, Body Armor, local animal shelters, organizations such as Autism Speaks, White Ribbon Campaign, Amnesty International, and more.

Contact: [email protected] for more information!

02/13/2023

Please support Raising Innovation's goal to keep Rust Belt Books in Buffalo and expand its reach in offering local and global youth cohorts powerful training and experiences in entrepreneurship, the arts, and creating change in their communities and globally!

For over 2 decades, I committed myself to teaching and creating educa… David Hoffman needs your support for Saving Rust Belt Books & Empowering Our Community

08/12/2020

Raising Innovation has been working closely with Pivot Professional Learning's Youth Voice Ambassador, Wren Gillett and diversity expert Dr. Joseph Nwoye in order to launch the initiative Youth Speak Their Truth, which we aim to air our first webinar for this series that will feature a variety of youth's stories from all over the world around topics, issues, and experiences that they share and decide on which to focus throughout the year. Please visit and register at: www.raising-innovation.org, if you are interested in supporting this initiative, getting involved, or would like a youth in your family to have the opportunity to participate in this "global campfire of storytelling." (Stories will be shared through- music, dance, food, poetry, inventions, creative fiction and non-fiction, journalism, discussions, and more!)

07/23/2020

Any students or parents interested in creating their view of a Blended Learning experience, can reach out to me at [email protected]. My organization Raising Innovation is working with Catalyst to bring students' and parents' views of what a Blended Learning experience might look like to the attention of key stakeholders in designing such models in over 40 countries. I can provide the description overview of the event, which will take place on July 30th, and some of the students will even have the opportunity to deliver their version of what the Blended Learning experience should look like.

07/21/2020

What captures the essence of your view of education and the degree to which it is meeting today's students needs? Please share a video, photo, or gif.

https://youtu.be/h3Tbhxz5l1k

A spoken word poem by Ryan Lotocki. Filmed by: Nick Stroczkowski and Kurt Schlewitt If you would like to get in contact with Nick shoot him an email at nick....

07/20/2020

Monday Madness: Share a frustration but spin it into a question that opens up opportunities or potential solutions. As people share their posts, throw out possible solutions to their questions.

Example: I am feeling frustrated because websites are insanely time consuming to get up and running.

How might I create the necessary content for my website faster?

07/19/2020

We are looking to amp up participation around topics on this page with the goal of being able to further explore viewpoints and ideas to drive solutions to challenges in our communities and the world. In order to start this conversation, I would love for everyone to share their stories around education. What was your educational experience like? What did you enjoy the most? What concerns did you have? What might you have changed about education supposing you had unlimited resources and power to make the change?