Sabbaticals, Seahawks and Super Bowls

I took a picture yesterday as I was coming home from the harbor that got me thinking about the process of planning my sabbatical.  I have been thinking about the picture since then.  Ironically, I was not feeling awfully well the last few days so I have been listening to 710 ESPN Sports Radio and endless talk with about the BIG game that my favorite team is playing tomorrow.  The image reminds me of the common ground that exists between planning and having a great sabbatical and planning and having a great football season.

Moving through the fog in Sunnyland.

Planning my sabbatical learning has and continues to be lots of work.  I have been more than persistent in making contacts in Arizona, California and New York City to visit scholars and programs.  The itinerary is becoming clearer.  I am also quite clear about my goal:  deepening my understanding of the impact immigration has on families (parent-child relationships. parenting decisions, youth vulnerability, etc.).  I liken the clear sunny street to the trip we will embark on next Sunday.  It looks predictable and safe.  Seeing Mt. Baker in the background, clear and sparkling reminds me of my goal.  I think the fog that is hanging over Lake Whatcom is akin to what I will be finding my way through as I visit people and programs on the journey.  How can I best understand and communicate that back to my colleagues and teams and how can we integrate nuggets of what works best into our work in Washington.    You are getting a sense of where this blog is going.

So what does all this have to do with the Seahawks and what they face this weekend and what they have faced all season?  I am a big fan of Pete Carroll whose approach to coaching inspires me as a leader and team member.  He believes in building on the strengths of each individual member of the team and then bringing them together in a shared vision of what they can do as a team.  They support each other.  I love that they surround their practices with music and practice mindfulness to stay centered.  I heard Pete being interviewed this morning about how the secret to their preparation is to get everyone to believe and play the way they know they can and at their best level.  They practice lots, and they understand as much about the other team that they can - but basically they plan to come out and play their game.  I think the fog in the picture above represents the journey they face on the field and what exactly the Patriots will look like and do when the whistle blows.  They do not know. One of the great thing I have learned from watching this team over the past few years is that they make adjustments in how they approach the other team.  We all know they are a second half team because they evaluate what is happening and adjust their approach at half-time and as the game progresses.  Wow.  What a lesson for me.  If I am not getting everything I think I need from this trip, and I have prepared to the best of my ability, then I will need to adjust as well. 

So tomorrow, I will be watching the BIG game with my "boys", husband Mike and son Ben and I will be looking for lessons for myself as I set out on my journey.

GO HAWKS!

Thanks for reading!

Preparing for the Journey

I recently met with some of our Whatcom Latino team and allies to find out what they would like to know from my trip and what questions they would like me to ask while I am visiting programs in the SW.  They also helped me focus on creating the questions that I want to use in my interviews and visits.

Front row left to right: Janae Hodge, Bellingham Schools, Christina Ortiz, Fortaleciendo Familias (FF) facilitator, Sylvia Mendoza, Nooksack Valley Schools, FF facilitator and FF coordinator, Isabel Meaker, Bellingham Schools and FF facilitator and recruiter extraordinaire.
Back row: Sharece Steinkamp, Bellingham Schools, Manuel Padilla, FF facilitator and fathering advocate.

Here are a few of the questions they came up with and I edited for the purpose of my interviews:

For program staff and allies:

How do parents and programs deal with the fear of deportation/detention?  What do think could be done that is not? 

How do you talk to kids about immigration and the risks associated with it?

How do you talk to parents about drugs, alcohol, sex?  Internet safety? Bullying?

How do you talk to youth about the above issues?

How do you involve fathers?  How do you make it more interesting for fathers?

What are some models that we can use to support kids and families where they are at?  How can we best bring families to the resources?

With which programs/agencies/schools etc  do you collaborate to reach the families?

What do you see as the key protective factors for early school years: 5-10 and how you are addressing them?

What are the results of your programs and how are you measuring them?

And here are a few of the questions I created for scholars:

Tell me about your research and what you are finding that would have implications for serving immigrant populations.

What are the key issues around immigration that you think need to be understood in order to be effective in a community based program with Latino families?

If you were asked to address a group of community professionals that may have limited knowledge of what recent Latino immigrants are experiencing, what topics would you speak to?  Can you give me an elevator speech version of your top two or three points?

And two last questions - these are for parents:

What are your dreams and wishes for your children and your family?

What is the biggest challenge for you?  For your children?

If you are reading this and you would like to comment on these questions or have one of your own, please let me know via e-mail or FB or some other channel.  I do not believe I have turned on the comment function on this blog.  You could always try.  

One of the greatest privileges of the sabbatical is having the time to think through and to pack not just material things for the journey but also the tools to make the learning experience as rich as possible.

Thanks for reading!