Hello

Hello Blogger Land--Why do I stay away so long? I wanted to check in and share the latest news. In July we celebrated our two (2) year anniversary. It is a process growing the organization, but myself and the board are committed to taking MYNG to the next level and look forward to the upcoming years.

Earlier this year we started providing life skill classes for residents/participants of the Turning Point program sponsored by the Center for Children and Young Adults, Inc. Turning Point is designed to provide vocational and independent living skills for older adolescents enabling them to become self-sufficient adults and in turn decrease their dependency on social services. MYNG sponsored workshops that included, creating vision boards, interview skills, public speaking and networking to name a few. You guys know I consistently promote higher education and my hope is that many of them will choose that path. We will resume the workshops this month and we are most excited.

We will be approaching our after school program MYNG Institute a little differently this year. The program will no longer be one day a week in one central location, but we will expand and travel to different locations throughout the week. This allows the program to reach a broader audience and enables us to reach and assist more students. We are still finalizing details, but we are set to begin mid October and I will have the details listed on the website. Additionally, if you have a school or organization that you would like to recommend for the program please contact me directly at ggipson@makeyournamegreat.com.

O.K., I think we are all caught up. As always, we appreciate your support through your financial donations, volunteering and prayers.

Checking In

Hello blogger land! It's almost the third month of the new year and things are moving along quickly. Make Your Name Great Institute (After School Program) is meeting weekly on Tuesdays from 4:30p-6:00pm at the Westside Branch YMCA (101 Ollie Street, Atlanta GA). Parents, teachers, counselors, ministry workers and the like please continue to support us in spreading the word about the program.

Last Saturday, we conducted a college workshop at Jackson Memorial Baptist Church. Thanks to Rev. Jones, Jennifer Scott and all the parents and students that supported the workshop. We look forward to coming back in the fall.

Make Your Name Great is partnering with Teens-In-Action for our first College Tour. During spring break (April 2009) we will be taking several students to Georgia Southern, Valdosta State, Savannah State, Florida State and Florida A&M University. We are looking forward to the tour and thank Mr. Bobby Frazier for this wonderful opportunity.

Please continue to support us in our efforts through your time and donations.

For additional information regarding our programs, volunteering and to donate online, visit us at www.makeyournamegreat.com.

Until next time...