Press Release….

Mindfulness Without Borders, a San Francisco-based non-profit organization announces the launching of its innovative Mindfulness Ambassador Council program teaching youth and their educators on fundamental social and emotional skills in Essex County, New Jersey. The organization brings best practices in mindfulness and social-emotional learning (SEL) that bolster well-being, positive emotional development, and critical thinking skills. Since 2007, their programs on character and peace education have reached across borders to Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Israel and North America.

Increasing interest for present moment awareness is recorded by best-selling titles such as A New Earth by Eckart Tolle with book sales listed at over 4.7 million copies and the accompanying webcast on Oprah.com that attracted 27 million viewers. According to Dr. Siegel, child psychiatrist and international teacher in the frontiers of neurobiology, psychiatry and mindful awareness, “[we learn that] paying attention in the present moment, (mindful awareness) may directly shape the activity and growth of the parts of the brain responsible for our relationships, our emotional life and our physiological response to stress.” Studies have documented that SEL has a positive impact on promoting ethical and pro-social behavior in young people as well as supporting their academic learning.

Theo Koffler, Founder of Mindfulness Without Borders, says, “Teaching mindfulness – an emphasis on being in the moment can stimulate genuine personal and positive change from the inside-out. By learning ways to manage emotions and behavior skillfully, young people develop a new leadership, founded on the experience of increased self-awareness, respect for oneself and others.”

Stephanie Jelley, Co-Founder of the HK Foundations Center of Maplewood & South Orange(The Center) believes, “We are fortunate to identify ourselves with Mindfulness Without Borders as they are committed to developing a shared language of compassion and peace in our neighborhood, particularly among our youth, where people of all cultures can support one another and live together mindful of our shared humanity.”

When searching to expand her work to neighboring youth, Jelley reached out to Chris Beljour of Newark Interfaith Coalition of Hope and Peace who says, “The Newark Interfaith Coalition for Hope and Peace supports the installation of the Essex County Mindfulness Without Borders’s Mindfulness Ambassador Council (MAC) program. MAC will play an instrumental role in our collective efforts to empower young people in our community affected by the cycle of violence, addiction, poverty. MAC teaches the time proven method of mindfulness which will help our youth develop inner peace, a core appreciation for life, and an alternative to habitual thinking and the dehumanization of violence.”

The installation of MAC will take place at the Institute for International Peace, Rutgers University with Mindfulness Ambassador Council installations in Maplewood & South Orange, Irvington and Newark.  Aldo Civico, founder and the director of the International Institute for Peace at Rutgers University, Newark, is “very proud to partner with Mindfulness without Boarders and with The HK Foundations Center. The institutes mission is to be a space where we can imagine in creative and innovative ways how to build community and peace in the midst of challenging environments. There is total identity between us and training in leadership designed by Mindfulness without Borders.”

The HK Foundations Center (The Center) is a branch of the HK Community Fund, Inc, a n innovative grassroots initiative that provides programs that empower and enhance our youth’s sense of self and belonging through dynamic programing that encourages creative self-exploration and expression. For further information please visit www.mwsohkfc.org or contactprograms@mwsohkfc.org

For more information on Mindfulness Without Borders, contact Jasmin Zeger: Director of Program Development jasmin@mwithoutborders.org

HK Community Fund, Inc. and JelleyJoint LLC, parent of Loovatoo Inc. join forces to help empower and enrich the lives of the youth of Maplewood and South Orange.

HK Community Fund, Inc. of Maplewood and South Orange, a community based charitable organization that focuses on education, teenage activism, theater, arts and cultural activities, has teamed up with non-profit media arts and education organization, JelleyJoint.

JelleyJoint’s most recent project was the creation of a music video with Sony recording artist, Jasmine V.  The video, under the creative direction of Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah of Creative Control, was shot on location in Newark and Maplewood with the participation and energy of Newark youth.  These teens were also responsible for the wardrobe, make-up, camera, and design aspects of the creation of the video.

JelleyJoint and the HK Community Fund announce the creation of the Foundations Center of Maplewood/South Orange. The Center will focus on creating programs that foster creativity through media arts that will also offer a hands on media experience for the youth of Maplewood and South Orange.  JelleyJoint’s programming infuses learning experiences with technology that encourages teenagers to think more creatively and communicate effectively in a collaborative environment. Collectively, our objective is to foster skills critical to success in the 21^st century.

Stephanie Jelley, co-founder and President of JelleyJoint, finds the joining of resources extraordinary: “Partnership with the HK Community Fund provides support that will help JelleyJoint’s unique outreach/scholarship program to reach and empower students through the encouragement of creative self-expression.  The program illustrates the practical importance and power of language while writing and producing digital media projects.”

Michele Jelley, co-founder of JelleyJoint and Director of curriculum development, is a professor of English at Rutgers and NJIT.  With over 25 years of film and theater production experience, Professor Jelley engages teens in sharing their authentic new voices and perspectives through writing in all forms of communication and digital media: “My access to brilliant, dynamic instructors at Rutgers and NJIT will help ensure a diverse, rich learning experience for youth and adults attending workshops at The Center.”

Tom Kerns, the founder and President of HK Community Fund, Inc is also excited about the partnership: “When we first launched HK Community Fund our mission was to enhance the sense of belonging and unity within the Maplewood/South Orange community.  Initially we chose to focus on building a sense of belonging with the youth of our community as this will have lasting impact and will continue to foster that unity for a long time.  When Stephanie approached me to inquire if there was some way to work together for the youth of our community, and after seeing what the JelleyJoint teens accomplished with the Jasmine V video, I knew that we needed to pool our resources.  HK Community Fund and JelleyJoint, individually, have done great things for our area’s youth.  Just imagine what we can do as a team.  I am very excited.”

For more information please visit www.mwsocc.org or www.hkcommunityfund.org

Recent Press

Maplewood Patch  http://maplewood.patch.com/articles/can-peace-grow-in-newark

Umojawa  http://umojawa.com/mindfulness-without-borders-comes-to-the-youth-of-maplewood-south-orange/

Maplewood Patch  http://maplewood.patch.com/articles/hk-foundations-center-fundraiser

Maplewood Patch  http://maplewood.patch.com/articles/the-center-opens-its-doors-to-local-teens

Maplewood Muse  Maplewood Muse  http://maplewoodmuse.com/the-hk-foundations-center-benefit-at-the-st-james-gate/