{"id":175601,"date":"2023-11-14T16:52:39","date_gmt":"2023-11-14T21:52:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/?p=175601"},"modified":"2023-11-14T16:54:27","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T21:54:27","slug":"international-programs-october-2023-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/international\/international-programs-october-2023-newsletter\/","title":{"rendered":"International Programs: October 2023 Newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"
OCTOBER 2023<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”166034″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1685559665044{padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”][vc_column_text]\n “The more music that we’ve given him, the more language we got out of him. I used to teach him vocabulary by singing songs to him, said Tony’s mother, Janice DeBlois. Yet, he never really spoke conversationally until he went to the Berklee College of Music and graduated with honors, much to the amazement of all the so-called “experts.”<\/p>\n He started by studying playing the piano at 2 and finished his studies with honors in 1996. He is also the subject of a TV movie called “Journey of the Heart” (1997) as well as many other TV shows: 2 Catholic Global Showcase Specials (2001), The Learning Channel\u2019s \u201cUncommon Genius\u201d, Strange Science \u201cUnusual People\u201d, and \u201cUnderstanding the Mysteries of Memory\u201d) and has won numerous awards. Tony is also featured in \u201cIslands of Genius\u201d by Darold Treffert. His favorite personal motto is \u201cLet me do it independently\u201d.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”166034″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1685559684469{padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”][vc_column_text][\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]\n Monday, November 13, 2023<\/strong> Five Fundraising Trends to Watch for in 2024<\/strong><\/span> Tuesday, November 14, 2023<\/strong> Global Staff Webinar: Best Buddies Jobs<\/strong><\/span> Thursday, November 16, 2023<\/strong> \u201cWe are proud of Tijana, of LOGO and our team because we have overcome obstacles in partnership, persistently and with enthusiasm and enabled a person like Tijana to be part of a good collective great company! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity and for recognizing the importance of employing persons with developmental disabilities! Let\u2019s keep going!”[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”175660″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]This past month Best Buddies Dominican Republic held their third annual Social and Labor Inclusion Congress. This one-day conference brings together experts and professionals to discuss the challenges and opportunities of inclusion in the social and labor sphere. During the morning they offered workshops for companies and their Human Resources teams, and in the afternoon they offered training sessions for parents and people with disabilities. Thanks to Best Buddies Dominican Republic, their sponsors, and collaborators, they continue to build bridges toward a more inclusive and empathetic world![\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner] Kojo Danquah Amankrah, Country Director for Best Buddies Ghana!<\/strong><\/span> Stop multitasking to increase productivity. Many busy people think that by doing lots of things at once, they\u2019ll get more accomplished. In reality, multitasking is counterproductive (not to mention bad for your mental health). It makes it difficult to do anything well, and your attention gets split by too many distractions. Instead, focus on getting one thing done, and don\u2019t move to the next item on your to-do list until you\u2019ve completed that one thing. Then, jump down to the next item and so on. You\u2019ll be amazed at how quickly you begin knocking tasks off the list.[\/vc_column_text] The youngest person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize is Malala Yousafzai (aged just 17 in 2014), for her work as a child rights activist and champion of girls\u2019 right to education.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”166034″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1685559728423{padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”][vc_column_text]\n Global Staff Webinar Global Staff Webinar: Best Buddies Jobs<\/a><\/strong> (10\/19\/2023)<\/em><\/p>\n Global Staff Webinar: Fundraising<\/a><\/strong> (9\/07\/2023)<\/em><\/p>\n Global Staff Webinar: Digital Accessibility<\/a><\/strong> (8\/10\/2023)<\/em><\/p>\n Global Staff Webinar: Country Highlight, Best Buddies Dominican Republic<\/a><\/strong> (6\/21\/2023)<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”166034″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1685559735318{padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”][vc_column_text]If you have an event, story, or Bestie nomination to share in our next International Programs Newsletter<\/em><\/span>, please send it to international@bestbuddies.org<\/a>.<\/p>\nCelebrating Inclusion Figures<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”175602″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1699569483875{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text]At birth, Tony DeBlois weighed less than 2 pounds, became blind within days and was later diagnosed with autism, but ignoring conventional wisdom, his mother’s love uncovered his musical genius. Tony now plays 20 instruments and knows more than 8,000 songs.<\/p>\n
HQ Announcements<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1689110313082{padding-top: 15px !important;}”][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1699569622179{padding-top: 15px !important;}”]Bestie Award Nominations are Open!<\/strong><\/span>
\nDo you have an outstanding staff member or volunteer who you would like to recognize? If you have a staff member you would like to nominate for our monthly Bestie Award , please e-mail it to international@bestbuddies.org<\/a> with the subject line : Bestie Award[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_single_image image=”166034″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1685559694069{padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”][vc_column_text]\nMonthly Events<\/span><\/h2>\n[\/vc_column_text]
\nAs a new leader you are moving from buddy to boss; tactics to strategy; doing to managing. How do you navigate that? Leadership is a learned skill. If you haven’t practiced that skill, it can feel awkward and hard. Coaching skills, specifically powerful questions and active listening, can help you build your confidence and make leadership feel less difficult, awkward and hard. In this webinar you will learn specific coaching techniques of powerful questions and active listening to lead, manage and coach direct report staff. This webinar will also review the tools needed to move from a tactics focus to a strategy focus in your work as a leader.<\/p>\n
\n12:00 p.m. EST: Register Here<\/a><\/p>\n
\nPreparing for the year ahead can be an exciting time for fundraisers. Reflecting on past successes and areas of improvement can rejuvenate any development team. To best allocate resources for the upcoming year, it\u2019s crucial to know what\u2019s trending in the world of philanthropy. Join this free webinar to learn five fundraising trends to watch for in 2024.<\/p>\n
\n1:00 p.m. EST: Register Here<\/a><\/p>\n
\nJoin us as we discuss the importance of volunteer management in your programs.<\/p>\n
\n9:00 a.m. EST: Register Here<\/a>[\/vc_column_text]2023 Best Buddies Global Staff Forum<\/span><\/h2>\n[\/vc_column_text]
Best Buddies in Social Media<\/span><\/h2>\n[\/vc_column_text]
And the Bestie of the month goes to\u2026<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\nThis month’s Bestie Award goes to Kojo Danquah Amankrah, Best Buddies Ghana Country Director. Danquah founded Best Buddies Ghana in 2003 and, twenty years later, continues to offer rich, inclusive programs in Accra. Over the years, Danquah combined his business expertise with good heart to spread the word of inclusion. He is a leader in the region and we are grateful he is on our team. Thanks, Danquah![\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”166034″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1685559721432{padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”][vc_column_text]\nTip of the month!<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Fun Fact of the month<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Recorded Trainings on Google Drive<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n