2011
Fun-filled Weekend @ MTW - MTW blog (8/18/11)
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Posted by mtwmanager
273 days
ago
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By Wilmer
Come by this Friday, we are going to have Open-Mic, Aug 19, 2011. Sign-ups are at 7:30 and performances start at 8:00pm. Our features are going to be Masterpiece and Joker. They're rappers and it is a youth feature. Come by to have a great time!
We also have a great event going on Sunday, August 21, 2011. We are holding a coffee tasting from 1:00 - 3:00pm. We are going to be brewing coffee throgh a bunch of different methods so you can figure out which method you like best. We are going to have differents types of foods that you can taste so you can find out what goes best with your coffee. It's going to be an exciting weekend at MTW, don't miss it!
Dress For Sucess and Solutions Wear- MTW Blog (7/20/11)
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Posted by mtwmanager
302 days
ago
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By: Dj & Katya On Tuesday and Thursday the girls went to Dress For Success and the men went to Solutions Wear to obtain proffesional outfits. These tools will help them be dressed and ready for an interview or an important job. The girls recieved their own personal stylists. From the suits to the shoes to the classy jewlery to the accesoriess, they looked like proffesional young adults ready to take charge of their lives. The men recieved multiple suits, shoes, belts, ties, and accessories. Everyone had a great expierence and learned a lot about what it feels like and looks like to be proffesional.
Hitchhiking with Larry David-MTW Blog (7/14/11)
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Posted by mtwmanager
308 days
ago
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By:Robert
Paul Dolman, the author of Hitchhiking with Larry David, is coming to MTW to practice his John Hancock plus speak about his book. http://www.hitchhikingwithlarrydavid.com/ This is the link that will get you more connected with the knowledge of the book's origin. It's a true story of his painful break up and his halirous encounter with Larry David, the creator or our very own "Seinfeld" and "Curb your Enthusiasm". He will be making his appearance at MTW Tuesday, July 19th From 6:30 to 8:30. JOIN US!!!
Youth Led Screening of Co-Exist - MTW blog (6/29/11)
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Posted by mtwmanager
323 days
ago
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Thursday June 23, 2011 Jill and I hosted a youth led public screening of the documentary Co-Exist. Mishy Lesser was the brains behind the curriculum of the documentary and Adam Mazo was the film maker. We had a great audience and we had some great conversations about the Rwandan genocide and how we felt about it. There were quite a few audience members including some More Than Words youth that really got into the documentary and how it felt to watch these people talk about the awful things that happened. Mishy and Adam answered some great questions for Jill and I and the audience as well. Mishy and Adam thank you so much for taking the time to come to the store and be part of this event, It was greatly appreciated.
By Katya Krepelka
...
How To Manage Your Money - MTW blog (06/09/11)
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Posted by mtwmanager
343 days
ago
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By Wilmer. I read this article called 3 dangerous debt management myths that is about managing your debts. They say that no matter the way that you're trying to get out easily of debt you are always going to end up owing more. I think that they're right because the best way to get out of debt is to be on track with your payments. This month on tansitions we're working on financial literacy. We've been talking about our saving goals for the month and the future. This is very important because it help us to manage our money and stay out of debt.
A college degree but not a college job? - MTW blog (June 2, 2011)
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Posted by mtwmanager
350 days
ago
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By: Jill MacKenzie
I recently came accross an article on people in their mid twenties who are graduating with college degrees, but aren't finding jobs that require them. Only seventy-one percent of people recent graduates in the educational field are employed in jobs that require a degree. Due to the high demand in popular jobs, more people are working at gas stations, liquor + food stores, and limo + taxi services. This makes it harder for the less-educated to get jobs.
Employment statistics of college graduates under the age of twenty-five:
Not working: 22.4%
Working in jobs that do not require a college degree: 22%
Working in jobs that require a college degree: 55.6%
I think that the reason why common jobs are in such high employment demand is because of the fact that ...
Inspiration at the Town Hall Meeting ! - MTW blog (5/25/11)
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Posted by mtwmanager
358 days
ago
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By: Katya
May 24,2011 we went to the town hall meeting at Harvard. We all sat patiently and listened to the speakers about what they had in mind to change the way foster care works and how it effectes youths education. It was very inspirational and we even had two members from our team stand up and ask some questions and talk about MTW and what we do. Afterwards we went down to the lobby and met with everyone. Enjoyed some refreshments and had some very interesting talks with all these people that dedicate their time to move youths lives towards outcomes.
Rwanda Documentary-MTW blog (5/19/11)
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Posted by mtwmanager
364 days
ago
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By Robert- I watched the Rwanda documentary, "Co-Exist," on how life is like after the genocide. The genocide was caused by numerous aspects. After the Hutu Presedent Juvenal Habyarimana was killed and beleived to be murdered by a Tutis follower, who is the current Presedent Paul Kagame, the genocide began. The uprise lasted for 100 days. Now 16 years later Tutsis and Hutus are living next door from one another, learning how to reconcile and forgive. The movie focused on both sides, interviewing Hutu who killed and Tutsi who were abused and froced out of their homes. It was quite emotional and hard to see people telling their horrifying ordeals. Now Tutsis and Hutus are working together to rebuild what they've lost. It was a very educational and moving film.
Re-Envisioning Foster Care - MTW Blog (5/10/11)
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Posted by mtwmanager
373 days
ago
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By Jorge. Last week I went to an event about people trying to help kids in the foster care system. There were a whole bunch of organizations that got together and talked about the different ways they support youth with their programs. One of the programs I learned about was Rise Above. This program makes kid's dreams come true. For example, if your dream is to meet your favorite artist, they will do as much as they can to make it come true. I was really interested in these programs and what people are trying to do for kids.
Money Doesn't Buy Everything! - MTW Blog (5/5/11)
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Posted by mtwmanager
378 days
ago
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By Shanice. On May 3rd, Mark Albion came to MTW to talk about his book More Than Money. The book was about how you can work at something you love while still making money. Isabel and I hosted this event and many people showed up and got involved. Mark was very inspirational, talking about how sometimes you have to listen to your heart and not your head. I agree with that whole-heartedly. I've always been told to follow my heart and go for the things I desire in life. Explore the world and you can find answers to your questions and still find what you're really interested in. It's never only about the money. We want to give a huge thank you to Mark Albion for coming and donating copies of his book. We had a blast!
More Than Money - 4/28/11 (MTW blog)
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Posted by mtwmanager
385 days
ago
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By Wilmer
Hey everyone have you heard about the new event at MTW on Tuesday May 3rd? Our colleague Mark Albion is going to be at MTW presenting his book More Than Money. His sucessful book is about how you can make more money while doing what you love to do. He will be at MTW at 6:30 pm. Do not miss it please.
A Change in Students - MTW Blog (4/6/11)
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Posted by mtwmanager
407 days
ago
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By:Shanice I have read this article, Learning with Disabilities. It is about many students who are at Landmark, which is a two year college for young teens with disabilities or A.D.H.D. Only 30 percent of students graduate with a degree. Several drop out within the first or second semester. It tells how drop out is a serious matter because at the moment, several students are failing classes. Six percent were only taking noncredit courses, and another sixteen percent of this class was only taking partial credit courses that are based on writing or reading.
I can comprehend with this; one of my most recent middle schools didn...
Crisis Alert - MTW blog (3/30/11)
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Posted by mtwmanager
414 days
ago
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By Chris In this article, "Making Sense of the Japan Donation Frenzy" the writer is giving a brief report of the tragedy in Japan. The article consists of the disasters and conflicts Japan is now facing. There are many organizations that are aiding Japan so it can recover from all the mayhem Japan has faced. The United States and Britain are providing support towards this cause giving medical, shelter, and health support. The reason why I chose this article was because it seemed to be the most infamous and recent crisis at this time. Not to mention very important because these are people who are living in an insecure enviroment at this moment.
Students in Western Massachusetts: Authors of Their Own Education - MTW Blog (3/23/11)
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Posted by mtwmanager
421 days
ago
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By: Hanna
“As many as a quarter of American students are not finishing high school.”
-President Barack Obama
Students in New Marlborough, MA are letting go of the classic high school experience, and taking the reigns of their education. Eight high school students, ages 15-17 have started a school within a school of sorts that they call "the Independent Project". These teens have been given complete power over their education. As a group ranging from honor roll students, to almost drop-outs they collectively brainstormed their own curiculum.
The curiculum the teens designed is not based on grades and tests, but rather advice from teachers, feedback on eachother's work, and evaluation of fellow students. During their newly devised eight week terms, students accomplished readi...
Saint Pattys Day is Here! - MTW Blog (3-17-2011)
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Posted by mtwmanager
427 days
ago
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by Mark M
Happy Saint Pattys day everyone! I am personally not Irish but I love Saint Pattys day and I hope you are all in the same spirit. Here at More Than Words we have green shamrocks all over the store and we are serving Irish Creme Flavor shots for your coffee or latte as a special for this special day. We also have unique Irish books on display through out the store. Please feel free to come by and learn a little something about this holiday and enjoy this cheerful day.
PluggedIn: Teaching Teens How to Perform in a Rock Band - MTW Blog (3/10/11)
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Posted by mtwmanager
434 days
ago
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By Hanna. Have you heard of PluggedIn? It’s a Needham, MA based non-profit organization focused on bringing teens together to perform in a band. Playing in a band acts as an opportunity for creativity, a place to make good friends, and a time to have fun while growing musically. PluggedIn began in 2002 as one band with five students, and has now grown to an organization of 90 students in 25 bands that have helped to raise thousands of dollars for charities all over the world through live concerts. To date, PluggedIn has supported the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Music for Relief (started by the band Linkin Park), Amnesty International, and Keep a Child Alive, along with several others.
Before programs begin, students come together at an event called “Charity Night” and br...
Invest in a Pig, Change a Life! - MTW Blog (2/24/11)
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Posted by jodi
448 days
ago
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By Jorge. I read an article called "Invest in a Pig. Change a Life." You can read it here: http://dutiee.com/invest-in-a-pig-end-poverty. This article is about helping the Mushahar people. They are a very poor group of people who live in a village in India and eat rats because they struggle with their food and living situation. We can help them out by donating $50 so that they can buy a pig for themselves. The Mushahar can raise the pig and then sell it on the market after it has piglets. They can then do the same things with all of the piglets and continue the cycle. This helps them by allowing them to have money and a better life. When I read this article I thought it would be a great help for the Mushahar people because then they won't have to struggle so much with their hunger and livi...
Terrific Training! - MTW Blog (2/16/11)
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Posted by mtwmanager
456 days
ago
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By: Hanna-Mia
This month I had the great pleasure of joining the MTW team on a new training round. With myself are five other youth eager to move forward, hit outcomes, and become a part of the business that is More Than Words. Yesterday we were shown a video documenting the first few months of MTW as a business. It was amazing to see the business transform from a one room online store in Watertown to the full store front that it is today. Following the video we were shown a Powerpoint Presentation featuring data around youth and their succcesses upon coming to and leaving More Than Words. The numbers were astonishing! The kids who had come through the program had flipped original statistics- the ones that deemed them as a failing demographic- ...
Winter Disaster! - MTW Blog ( 2/2/11)
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Posted by mtwmanager
470 days
ago
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By: Shanice
This article I read, " Thowing Out Business," is about how the snow is cutting into sales and many shops are trying to lure customers in. A lot of stores are offering discounts if costumers come in at an exact time that they are trying to market. For example Patrick Pezzati offered $10 for $20 worth of CDs, DVDs and LPs. More than 300 people took advantage of this offer, but it wasn't good enough to offset the 10 to 15 percent drop in revenue that has happened. This affected us because our numbers are low to due to the snow we've been having. On snow days we've been discussing having dsicounts on hot cocoa, coffee and tea. We are hoping that customers will come in the store despite the bad weather to take advantage of our awesome deals. It has been a to...
The Importance of Self-Efficacy - MTW Blog (1/6/11)
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Posted by mtwmanager
497 days
ago
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By Michael. Self-efficacy... well, if you look up the word, you'll probably find something like "the belief in one's capabilities to achieve a goal or outcome." BUT, if you're like me, you probably don't have time to look up words. To me, self-efficacy is something that you do for yourself to help yourself. It could be anything, from getting a bus pass to getting promoted at work to opening up a bank account. It's linked to self esteem. For example, picture two people walking down the street. One has high self esteem and self-efficacy. He has his head up high, knows where he's going, and is going with purpose. The other person has low self esteem and no self-efficacy. He has his head down and looks like he doesn't know or care where he's going. Self-efficacy isn't always getting something ...