Return on Investment
I know who I may be, if I choose
Don Quixote
Service learning has the capacity to build confidence through action, determination through challenges and cultural intelligence through working with a wide range of people. These qualities are not visible till years pass and suddenly there are surprises to behold in the form of creative ventures developed through years of training within a multicultural group of people.
Years later the impact of raising youth social entrepreneurs is felt in communities around the world among the givers and beneficiaries of the programs that reached out to make a difference in the lives of others. For the last 25 years the mentors at the Peter Wulff Center supported youth, at first through the grassroots chess program then at the center where the core mission remains to sponsor low income projects in the slums of Delhi, India and to develop youth social entrepreneurs through local and global projects. Last month the community was introduced to Chris Majkowski, a 31 year old software product developer from Chicago who is spearheading a fundraiser at 5 Iron Golf Simulator in Chicago. Chris was 10 years old when he started helping bring chess to the Barrington area. Now he is a confidant, determined, smart adult creating new projects to advance the mission of the center. Chris is also mentoring 12 year old Krish Nara and Jack Weed as they host the fundraiser with him next week. The Board at the Peter Wulff Center unanimously voted to have Chris serve as Vice President of the Peter Wulff Center.
Another successful social enterpreneur is 32 year old Tala Said who volunteered as a teenager to help fundraise for a variety of projects when she lived in Barrington, Illinois and later when she went to college here. Tala returned to Amman, Jordan carrying with her ideas and determination about continuing service learning. Tala is now a trained Drama teacher at the Orient Spirit Center in Amman, Jordan. She is expanding her program to include disabled students who cannot afford the fees to be in her programs. She read about Chris's work advancing the mission of the Peter Wulff Center and she thought of starting a chess program in a school in Amman, Jordan. A portion of the fees from the chess program will be donated towards helping needy handicapped students afford classes at the Orient Spirit Center. Rishi Sethi, now a Data Scientist running his own company who founded the chess program in the Barrington area in 1999 and Chris Majkowski will assist with organizing the chess club in Amman, Jordan. The program will be affiliated with the Jordanian Chess Federation and will follow lessons from the textbook, Chess! Lessons from a Grandmaster. The program will follow the highest standards developed through 25 years of work already established here in the Barrington area. The mission of the chess program will bring chess education and service learning to Amman, Jordan.
When children are nurtured in environments with high expectations they grow up often to go beyond their expectations. The many adults who mentored Chris and Tala are proud of their enterprise and ambition for others and their ability to act on their knowledge. The return on investment has been cultural, economic, intellectual, social and entrepreneurial for the individual, the community and the global society.
Join us on July 31st at 5 Iron in Chicago to help raise funds for the Peter Wulff Center so more stars like Tala, Chris, Jack and Krish shine their light in this world of possibilities.