UTICA N.Y.- On Tuesday, September 26 the member companies of the Utica National Insurance Group, Integrated Community Alternatives Network (ICAN), Oneida-Herkimer-Madison (OHM) BOCES, Oneida County Department of Mental Health and Westmoreland Central School District partnered for the second annual Overcoming Obstacles, a one-day educational program for local ninth grade students.
Keynote speaker, Erin Gruwell and six of her “Freedom Writers”, travelled from California to send a message of resilience, courage and hope. Nearly 2,000 students from 20 school districts in the OHM BOCES, Madison-Oneida BOCES and Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES, gathered in the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium and the Utica University Nexus Center. Gruwell and the Freedom Writers encouraged them to embrace themselves and accept their peers for who they are as they transition from junior high to senior high and continue to navigate the many challenges and hardships they may have experienced throughout their lives. Students were split up into two different groups. Gruwell spoke to the first group of students in the morning, and the second group in the afternoon. Throughout the day, they participated in one of more than 30 different breakout sessions that feature a unique activity led by a trained facilitator. At the conclusion of the breakout sessions, students debriefed with their facilitators to discuss the important lessons and concepts they learned.
Erin Gruwell is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, “The Freedom Writers Diary.” The book, and basis for the movie “Freedom Writers,” starring Hilary Swank, tells the story of Gruwell and her 150 at-risk students at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, CA during the early 1990s. Determined to create a brighter future for her students, Gruwell turned to writing and literature to persuade them to embrace history, humanity and hope. She specifically used literature to compare the turmoil of the time to some of the worst examples of society’s inhumanity towards one another. The parallels to their own lives emboldened Gruwell’s students to write their own journals becoming a form of solace. When the students anonymously read each other’s journals, the division was replaced with unity and understanding. As a result, the “Freedom Writers” were born.
Richard P. Creedon, Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Member Companies of the Utica National Insurance Group, said:
“An essential aspect of helping students grow, learn, and develop in their high school years is letting them know that they’re not in it alone – and that people are there to help them get through the many challenges they face. Erin Gruwell’s inspiring message and the Overcoming Obstacles program are important contributors for enabling young people to build hope, increase resilience, and feel connected. We are pleased and proud to work closely with Integrated Community Alternatives Network (ICAN), Oneida-Herkimer-Madison (OHM) BOCES, Oneida County Department of Mental Health and Westmoreland Central School District to bring this positive and valuable program to the students.”
Steven Bulger, CEO/Executive Director of ICAN, said:
“We are excited to join our great partners once again to provide this unique conference and experience for our area’s ninth graders. It will offer so many things ICAN emulates for youth to achieve their goals – connectedness, innovation, empowerment and hope. Students will leave with skills and insight that can they can implement right away, as well as throughout their future personal and professional lives.”
Patricia N. Kilburn, Ed.D., District Superintendent of the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES, said:
“We’re excited to partner with ICAN, Utica National, Oneida County Department of Mental Health and the Westmoreland CSD for a second year of this unique personal growth opportunity for our region’s ninth graders. There are so many stressors in today’s world, and while we can’t always shield children from challenges, we can teach them the skills needed to bounce back. As educators, we play an essential role in helping our students develop the determination and ability to persevere through difficult circumstances in both school and life. Cultivating connection, resilience and hope will help our students to view obstacles as a critical part of success, manage any adversity they face and feel hopeful about the future.”
Anthony J. Picente Jr., Oneida County Executive said:
“Today’s youth have many obstacles to overcome along the path to success. Navigating these hardships can be challenging, but knowing that we are there to support them every step of the way increases their chances and encourages them to reach for the greatest heights. Oneida County is proud to host and contribute to this outstanding event and I thank all of the dedicated partners who helped to make it happen.”
Rocco Migliori, Superintendent of Schools of the Westmoreland Central School District, said:
“Erin continues to come to our region to share messages of hope and resilience with our students. Erin is a gifted storyteller and is able to share real life stories with her audiences to help them see and understand that we all have the opportunity to write our own endings to our own stories. Everybody is able to see a piece of themselves in at least one of her stories, which helps them understand that nobody is alone in this world. She inspires her audiences time and time again, and because of her connections to our area she continues to come back so people see that her message is not just a once and done type of thing, rather it's a sustained effort to encourage others to be eternally hopeful.”
CLICK HERE for pictures of the event.