It was a gray drizzly Saturday morning when HEART met with our partner organization Outdoor Outreach for a day trip on the open sea. Outdoor Outreach utilizes outdoor physical experiences to provide youth with the support, relationships, resources and opportunities they need to become successful adults. Two primary drivers facilitate positive transformation in the youth we both serve: the opportunity for ongoing experiences that are safe, fun, positive and challenging, and the relationships developed with supportive adult role models.
As we took to the road all were excited and looking forward to an experience that few had previously experienced… From the start, excitement filled the air during the initial push towards the ocean. Isaiah Coleman would later say” It felt like we were Vikings, driving into the drizzling rain!” After the tour of Sweetwater Marsh wetlands preserve, we went on to the Living Coast Discovery Center.
The Living Coast Discovery Center is a natural treasure on San Diego Bay. Their nonprofit zoo and aquarium is uniquely situated on the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, offering visitors an ideal setting in which to explore the amazing animals and plants that call our coastal region home. We had the opportunity to prepare the food and feed raptors including Hawks and Eagles! Jacques Morgan stated “Kayaking was an amazing and unforgettable experience for the books after that we went to an aquarium/zoo and some got to feed sea life and raptor life which was an amazing time!!!”
With a diverse collection of animal ambassadors and hands-on, interactive exhibits, the Discovery Center inspires curiosity and exploration of the living earth in guests of all ages. Through these experiences our guys garner a sense of achievement, which increases their confidence, self-esteem and resilience, and enables them to see new possibilities for their lives.
Our youth form long-term mentor relationships through these types of experiences. When youth consistently show up and are supported, it allows them to break out of the negative cycles in their lives, like drugs, gangs, poverty, abuse, and neglect, and replace them with new positive cycles
April 25, 2015 – It was chilly, early Saturday morning as HEART (Higher Education And Rising Together) rose to the challenge and volunteered to walk for babies… After raising $1000, HEART also contributed throughout the day. Setting up tents, moving tables, carrying water and any other opportunities where we could lend a helping hand. As HEART Member Dallas Edge stated “Volunteering benefits the community as it shows you support it and its people”.
When you walk in March for Babies, you give hope to nearly half a million babies born too soon each year. The money you raise supports programs in your community that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies
One cool moment was after helping Jack in the Box set up their tent Jack in the Box CEO Leonard Comma stopped by to take a photo op with us. I’m always amazed and inspired when the young men from HEART show up for volunteer service… After all how often do you see high school teens show up for volunteer work at 6 AM!!!
“All we have is each other and we have to constantly give back to our community, whether it’s money,time, or expertise. It’s the only way we will get better.” says HEART member Bernard Richardson…Of course after a hard days work we had lunch at Lefty’s Chicago Style Pizza because growing men have to eat.. What a Great Day! The Blue Heart Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 organization, find out how you can contribute or join us by contacting us via email at theblueheartfoundation@gmail.com
The Blue Heart Foundation in partnership with the Old Globe Theater provided a night out for the youth and families from the HEART mentoring program. HEART (Higher Education And Rising Together) is a locally based mentoring program that is focused on the empowerment and education of under-served youth. Our program is based on nine (9) core competencies which fall under three categories: 1) Abilities, 2) Applications, and 3) Character.
One piece of our program is to expose youth to events they may not normally have the opportunity to see and in the instance we viewed the Tony Award winning play “The White Snake”. The White Snake is a visionary staging of a classic Chinese fable, a gentle serpent transforms into a beautiful woman. She falls in love with a dashing young man and decides to stay human forever, until a wicked monk discovers her true identity and vows to destroy her. The play was amazing and left everyone with huge smiles afterward… I was thrilled that each and every young man had a great time. The White Snake was a bit different than what we’re used to but isn’t life about going outside of the box? Isaiah Coleman (HEART Participant) stated “The actors were so involved; they developed the characters and drew us in. I could tell they worked hard and I definitely enjoyed the show.”
We believe culturally enriching field trips matter. They produce significant benefits for students on a variety of educational outcomes that schools and communities care about. The effects of field trips to see live theater demonstrates that seeing plays is an effective way to teach academic content; increases our youth’s tolerance by providing exposure to a broader, more diverse world; and improves the ability of students to recognize what other people are thinking or feeling. These are significant benefits for students on specific educational outcomes that schools pursue and communities respect. Especially when considered alongside our community service efforts. Not all learning occurs most effectively within the walls of a school building. Going on enriching field trips to cultural institutions makes effective use of all of a community’s resources for teaching children. We even got photo bombed by Ben Vereen!!!
Lastly, you can never know what may impact a child’s life. As Demetria Hill (Parent) exclaimed “My sons, Damontae and Demeiko really enjoyed their experience at the Old Globe Theatre, watching the play White Snake. They came home excited to tell me about what they learned about performing arts and asian culture; they really enjoyed themselves. As a parent, allowing your children to experience opportunities which they might not have normally been exposed to is invaluable. A big “thank you” to The Blue Heart Foundation and Old Globe Theater for allowing young people the opportunity to explore San Diego’s rich history in theater and the performing arts.”
This past Saturday Head instructor of Primal Jiu Jitsu Professor Damien Davis provided a FREE lesson in Jiu Jitsu as well as discussed what it takes to be a business owner.
Professor Davis posed these important questions to H.E.A.R.T. “What is Kids self defense and how do you find the right training for your child? What is Self defense many people ask and they find the default “Karate” School. We are not here to talk bad about other martial arts but more so to bring to the public eye of the what MARTIAL ARTS is and should be” .
Every parent has or should have expectations of the education their child receives when training. That’s exactly what parents miss all together is Martial Arts is Training for life. Every day your child looks to you for guidance and support to get them to the best future, the highest grades and unshakable confidence. Martial arts should not just be about FIGHTING and combat. It needs to be the moment your child understands they matter, they are accountable for the actions in which they take part.
Self Defense is a key skill set that will follow your child into each and every class room, play ground and job interview. Primal Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will focus on the number one foundation to strong character “Confidence”. Why confidence it’s the personality trait that keeps your child from being bullied, picked on. A confident child will have the verbal skills and self defense awareness to protect themselves, friends and people they care about.
Watching the San Diego State State Aztecs dominate NAU 38-7 after tailgating was a perfect way to start off the 2014-2015 school year. The young men participating in the H.E.A.R.T. mentoring program were truly in for a treat on this beautiful Saturday afternoon. The victory in front of an announced crowd of 30,761 at Qualcomm Stadium showed flashes of how good the team could become.
The same could be said of the young men of H.E.A.R.T. of which 10 young men with unlimited potential will come together and devote themselves towards aspirations of a higher education. Many of these young men could “fall through the cracks” due to lack of resources and/or opportunities afforded in the public education system. What we address are the other needs that young men need to make better decisions, learn to be goal oriented as well as focus on character development.
This is an exciting time in these young men’s lives and we are looking forward to watching and tracking the growth of these ten young men as they work to achieve success together. Be sure to watch their growth and cheer them on as they strive to reach their potential and beyond.
H.E.A.R.T. had the opportunity to visit the Musuem of Tolerance in Los Angeles, CA. During this event there are many things that occurred that benefited the youth, the quality time shared with each other, the opportunity to see something they had not experienced before, the opportunity to meet one of the holocaust survivors (William Shaffer); the sit down lunch at Roscoe’s, and of of course, the anaconda finale.
The Museum of Tolerance (MOT) is the educational arm of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an internationally renowned Jewish human rights organization. The only museum of its kind in the world, the MOT is dedicated to challenging visitors to understand the Holocaust in both historic and contemporary contexts and confront all forms of prejudice and discrimination in our world today.
Established in 1993, the MOT has welcomed over five million visitors, mostly middle and high school students. Visitors become witnesses to history and explore the dynamics of bigotry and discrimination that are still embedded in society today. Through interactive exhibits, special events, and customized programs for youths and adults, the Museum engages visitors’ hearts and minds, while challenging them to assume personal responsibility for positive change.
Perhaps no other institution offers such a motivational mix of historical discovery and personal empowerment. I believe these children’s lives were changed and can only have a positive impact going forward. Let’s work to be sure they have the opportunity to grow uninhibited. After all doesn’t every child deserve a childhood.
museum of its kind in the world, the MOT is dedicated to challenging visitors to understand the Holocaust in both historic and contemporary contexts and confront all forms of prejudice and discrimination in our world today. 
