The NOW! Organization

MEDIA RELEASE
April 22, 2009 (Earth Day)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TWO TEENAGE PLAYWRIGHTS WIN CANADA’S FIRST EVER NATIONAL YOUTH SUSTAINABILITY PLAYWRITING COMPETITION

Sixteen-year-old playwrights voice their concerns and ideas about the environment with a splash of creativity through the Act NOW! National Playwriting Competition

Vancouver, BC, Canada – Two teenagers passionate about raising awareness and taking action on sustainability, Mitchell Agostinho and Olivia Rempel, have won the 2008-2009 Act NOW! National Playwriting Competition. The winning plays will be performed – free to the public – across Canada at schools, festivals, community centres, and other locations by local theatre groups from June 2009 through October 2010 to an estimated audience of more than 10,000.

The Act NOW! National Playwriting Competition, organized by the NOW! Organization in collaboration with local and national outreach partners including the David Suzuki Foundation, the Let’s Talk Science Partnership Program, and the Environmental Youth Alliance, is the first of its kind to challenge Canadian youth ages 12 – 19 to evaluate issues in sustainability and devise interdisciplinary solutions.

“Today’s complex problems demand holistic solutions that bridge people from different backgrounds and disciplines. We are thrilled that youth are voicing their concerns and ideas with a splash of creativity,” said Janny Ke, Founder and President of the NOW! Organization.

Mitchell Agostinho, winner of the senior category, is a Grade 11 student from Windermere Secondary School in Vancouver, BC. His musical The High School Environmental innovatively weaves issues and solutions about environmental problems into dynamic artistic expression. An avid writer, Agostinho has written and directed several successful theatre productions. He will also lead his troupe to premier the performance of his winning musical in Vancouver.

Olivia Rempel, a 16-year-old homeschooled student from Abbotsford, BC, is the winner of the junior category with her imaginative entry The Essay. Judges commended her play as informative and “written in a natural, unpretentious way, full of humour.”

The two winners received $200 each in cash prize and exposure throughout Canada through the performance of their plays.

Honourable mention recipients are Fuluny Jang, 17, from Terry Fox Secondary in Port Coquitlam, Trisha Dulku, 16, from Fleetwood Park Secondary School in Surrey, and Emma Biron, 17, from Lord Byng Secondary in Vancouver.

The competition and the performance of the winning plays have attracted significant interest from organizations, theatre groups, educators, and students alike. The judges of this year’s competition include prominent playwrights and leaders in science and environmental non-for-profit organizations. In Greater Vancouver alone, nearly 20 elementary and secondary schools have enthusiastically signed up for the performances. Already, five youth theatre groups in Vancouver, Courtney, and Nelson have jumped on board to bring the free performances to their area.

About the NOW! Organization
Founded in 2006, the NOW! Organization is dedicated to bridging people from diverse backgrounds to sculpt creative, holistic solutions toward social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Run entirely by youth volunteers, the NOW! team implements innovative and grassroots programs to inspire youth, pique ideas and discussions, and spark action.

2008-2009 Act NOW! National Playwriting Competition Partners:
David Suzuki Foundation
Let’s Talk Science National Partnership Program
Environmental Youth Alliance
The Otesha Project
Global Agents for Change
Sierra Youth Coalition

Media Contact:
Janny Ke
The NOW! Organization
www.now-org.com
janny.ke@now-org.com
604-339-1251

NOW! in the media

MEDIA RELEASE
June 23, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

YOUTH SUSTAINABILITY PLAY PREMIERES IN VANCOUVER

Surrey-based youth theatre group debuts 16-year-old’s Act NOW! National Playwriting Competition winning entry to an audience of 300.

Vancouver, BC, Canada – 300 students and teachers at the Charles Dickens Elementary school cheered and applauded to a stunning premiere of the Act NOW! National Playwriting Competition junior category winning play The Essay.

“I was very impressed with the presentation and so were the staff and students,” praised Diane Lezlee Martinson, Vice Principal of Charles Dickens Elementary. “The actors did a superb job in their roles and the students’ attention was held for the entire performance.”

The imaginative winning entry The Essay was written by Olivia Rempel, a 16-year-old homeschooled student from Abbotsford, BC. Competition judges commended her play as informative and “written in a natural, unpretentious way, full of humour.”

The play performance was directed by Trisha Dulku, a grade 12 student at Fleetwood Park Secondary School. Her theatre group, aptly coined the Jai Ho! Theatre Troupe, consists of young volunteers passionate about sustainability: Fleetwood Park Secondary School students Taylor Harrison, Matthew Furtado, Fara Shah, Nesan Furtado, Kristina Dosanjh, and Jackson Chu, and Simon Fraser University World Literature major Ravi Sall. More performances of the sustainability play by the Jai Ho! Theatre Troupe will follow in the fall.

Two months ago on Earth Day, teenagers Mitchell Agostinho and Olivia Rempel won the 2008-2009 Act NOW! National Playwriting Competition, Canada’s first ever national playwriting competition on sustainability for youth. As promised, along with $200 in prizes, their winning plays will be performed across Canada at schools, festivals, community centres, and other locations by local theatre groups from June 2009 through October 2010 to an estimated audience of 10,000. Mitchell Agostinho will direct his own troupe to perform his senior category winning play The Highschool Environmental starting November 2009.

The first of its kind to challenge Canadian youth to evaluate issues in sustainability and devise interdisciplinary solutions, the competition is organized by the NOW! Organization in collaboration with diverse local and national groups.

Adds one of the competition judges, Lars Rose, a University of British Columbia Materials Engineer working at the National Research Council, “This competition is an extraordinary way of combining arts and science, and of expressing environmental concerns in a creative, educational effort; the plays are a must-see for everyone.”

About the NOW! Organization
Founded in 2006, the NOW! Organization is dedicated to bridging people from diverse backgrounds to sculpt creative, holistic solutions toward social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Run entirely by youth volunteers, the NOW! team implements innovative and grassroots programs to inspire youth, pique ideas and discussions, and spark action.

2008-2009 Act NOW! National Playwriting Competition Partners:
David Suzuki Foundation
Let’s Talk Science National Partnership Program
Environmental Youth Alliance
The Otesha Project
Global Agents for Change
Sierra Youth Coalition

Media Contact:
Janny Ke
The NOW! Organization
www.now-org.com
janny.ke@now-org.com
604-339-1251

NOW! in the media

That’s “write”, the 2009-2010 Act NOW! National Playwriting Competition is officially announced! Please check it out here :]

From pollution-related illnesses, food insecurity, to infectious diseases, global warming has serious implications for global health. The poorest will be hit the hardest. Can health care professionals leverage their clout in motivating the public to take better care of the planet – and in turn, a better care for our health?

The international community mobilized and collaborated  immediately during H1N1. But why are countries pointing fingers and delaying action when it comes to climate change? The impact of climate change on public health can be deadlier. After all, a vibrant economy is fueled by a healthy society.

Curious to learn more? A few resources to get started:
Human Development Reports (HDR) – United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
WHO | Climate change and human health
Climate change: The biggest global-health threat of the 21st century
Climate change diagnosed as biggest global health threat

[Blog]

If the project that you are working on (your company, non-profit, etc.) were a guy, what would he be like? Is he charming? Is he cute? Is he erudite? Is he caring? Is he someone who every girl would fall in love with? How clean is his room? What are his relationships like?

People often treat projects as inanimate objects or concepts. (They are inanimate after all, no?) But something today made me realize that to take each project to the next level, we need to think of it as a person – a person with dreams, strengths, weaknesses, personality, emotions, etc.  A friend of mine showed me what he envisioned himself to feel like in two years about everything from health, relationships, mindset, to success. It suddenly occurred to me that too often in project planning, people over-emphasize the inorganic and brief over the organic.

When planning projects people often set goals such as reaching abcd number of people, $xxxx in revenue, and yyyy% in annual growth. But how about thinking more about how the project will make people feel and the relationships that it develops? We often hear that that people might forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel. You buy a dress not necessarily because it is 0.6m wide. You buy it because it makes you feel gorgeous and special: you want it because you’ve developed a connection with that dress. If that store always sells dresses that make you feel gorgeous, you will keep going back. The store is as though a cute guy who makes you feel gorgeous and special. You’ve developed a relationship with that store.

By putting yourself into the shoes of your “project person”, you will discover how you could turn your inanimate project into an unforgettable person that engages the heart and soul of the participant/customer/etc – and develop strong relationships with them.

Musings: turning your project into Prince Charming in three simple steps?

1. What does your project need?

What does a person need?
- a loving family [is your project nurtured by a loving team?]
- knowledge [does your project have good content?]
- personality [how does your project make people feel? how does it channel its positive energy and love?]
- appearance [what impression does your project leave?]
- relationships [what's your project's relationship with its audience?]
- opportunities [is your project surrounded by opportunities that can take it to the next level?]
- mentorship [does your project have access to the guidance and advice it requires?]

etc.

2. Paint a picture of your project in ___ [insert time]

An example (answering questions in step 1) could be:

NOW! is a caring, smart and charismatic guy growing up in a loving environment that encourages creativity and holistic thinking. NOW! loves to learn and adventure. NOW! loves to play guitar. Erudite, simple, honest, and elegant, NOW! charms everyone he sees and develops meaningful long-term relationships. People remember NOW!’s passion, dedication, and energy in community service, empowering young people, and building interdisciplinary solutions. NOW! make people feel powerful, loving, caring, and happy. NOW! has big dreams and cherishes the mentorships and opportunities that will help turn his dream come true.

3. Determine what kind of person your project is currently, and what kind of personal development can help your project become the best person it could be.

An example could be:

1. NOW! could be a more approachable guy [find ways to make NOW! more accessible]
2. NOW! needs more long-term relationships [find ways to help NOW! participants etc. develop emotional connections with NOW! sustainability programs]
3. NOW! is a little lost about where to head. [get the NOW! team together to figure out NOW!'s focus]
… etc.

—–

Thoughts?

Cheers,

Janny

Happy holidays! Wishing you an amazing year :]

Our 2009  journey has been full of ups and downs. We’ve grown a lot as a team and as people. Here are a few highlights that we are proud of. And hey, we’ll keep learnin’ and dreamin’.

1500+
number of people participating in NOW! programs, in particular the Act NOW! Play Performances (2008: 200)

50+
size of the NOW! Team (2008: 15)

20
number of Act NOW! National Playwriting Competition Judges (2008: 11)

20+
number of Advisors who have been instrumental in the learning and growth of the NOW! Team.
(2008: 3)

22
number of Act NOW! sponsors and partners for a truly grassroots initiative across Canada. (2008: 6)

2100+
number of NOW! program participants (2006 – present). Learn more about our story.

Unquantifiable
The passion, dreams, inspirations, and energy felt at the NOW! team and beyond! Team adventures in the BC mountains and waterfalls. Bustling discussions at coffee shops. Recognizing our personal weaknesses and growing as people amidst leadership and teamwork. Splashing into things that we have no idea about and bumping into things that we believe in and love to do…. We will continue to work our butts off doing what we love to do while making a difference. We will lay a strong foundation to fashion NOW! into a platform for aspiring change-makers to realize their dreams. Visit our New Direction. Let’s dream sustainability.

Team motto: We dream, we do.

Organizational challenges that we are seeking to solve:
(Have any advice for us? Please give us a shout at info@now-org.com. Thanks in advance!)

• Better harness the power of internet and social networks to spread the word and engage youth across Canada
• A more financially independent and sustainability NOW!
• Building a strong national yet grassroots team
• Fashioning a vibrant platform to support youth dreamers and change-makers to turn sustainability innovations into reality

A Sneak Peek of Current Projects

>> Act NOW! National Playwriting Competition

>> Performances of Act NOW! winning plays

>> The [currently untitled] NOW What? Project

>> NOW What? Conference

>> Wanders: bits of insight

>> Workshops

2009 Press Releases

• Winning play debuts in Vancouver
• Two Teenage Playwrights Win Canada’s First Ever National Youth Sustainability Playwriting Competition

In the Media

• 24 hours
• The Vancouver Sun
• Terry*
• Sustainability Television
• Walking the Talk
• Youth in 57 Minutes Radio
• The Next Stage
• Summerworks Theatre Festival

Join us at this panel workshop in on 9 January 2010!

Global Health, Sustainability, and Leadership

Come to learn more about cutting edge ideas and ways to take action in sustainability and global health. This panel discussion is presented by the UBC Neglected Global Diseases Initiative (NGDI) (www.ngdi-ubc.com) and NOW! (now-org.com). Dr. Kishor Wasan, prominent professor and researcher at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and a leader in the UBC NGDI, will facilitate a panel of distinguished professors and community leaders to explore sustainability and global health in the context of leadership. The panel includes Dr. James Tansey (Executive Director, Centre for Sustainability and Social Innovation) and Jason Robinson (Founder and CEO, Sustainability Television).

About the Student Leadership Conference

The Student Leadership Conference (SLC) brings together more than 1000 student delegates to learn, discover, connect, and take action. Please visit http://slc.ubc.ca/ for more information. Hope to see you there!

Please watch below for a few words from Olivia Rempel featured on Sustainability TV. Winner of the 2008-2009 Act NOW! National Playwriting Competition, the 17-year-old Olivia will be embarking on some amazing adventures including the Students On Ice program (visiting the Antartica with students and scientists to study climate-related topics) and starting her own sustainability art initiative. Best wishes from the NOW! Team and beyond for Olivia’s endeavors!

Please visit here for more information about the Act NOW! National Playwriting Competition.

Related links:

Results of the 2008-2009 Act NOW! Playwriting Competition!

Winning play debuts in Vancouver [debut of Olivia's play by a youth troupe]

Write away!

Sustainability Television

One of my favourite parts of running NOW! is spending time with innovators from every walk of life who have wowed, inspired, motivated, and energized me with their passion and dedication. Through little things and big things, these daring and persevering dreamers have sparked smiles and dreams alike.

Have you ever wondered, how did these innovators get to where they are? How did they stand up and push boundaries? How did they get started? How did they find out what they are passionate about? How did they garner the support and guidance they received? Behind the success and glitters and fanfare, what were the bittersweet journeys that make these innovators who they are? How did they make the world a better place the way the did?

I think curiosity and knowledge are some of the most powerful things in the world, and one of the most empowering form of knowledge is storytelling. This got me into launching Wanders, articles which each asks an innovator a simple yet not yet simple behind-the-scenes question: how did you get to where you are? This project will hopefully help connect aspiring difference-makers bustling with big dreams with the how’s, experiences, insights, and stories from current innovators to take courage, passion, dedication, and impact to the next level.

Who will write these articles? The NOW! Team – and you! I would like to encourage you to get involved with this project through ways such as

• give innovators who you look up to a shout, and ask them to share the wisdom they have bumped into along the way. (You could also let us know which innovator you would like to contact for the article, and we will try to connect you with him/her for the story.) Please then email us your article at info@now-org.com so that we could share it with the NOW! network and beyond. (If this article is part of your blog post or web page, please send us the link so that we could share the link).
• recommend us things that you’ve bumped into that fall into the Wanders philosophy – send us a link so we could share it!
• let us know if you would like to coordinate the Wanders project
• feel free to share any Wanders content with others

Please stay tuned for the articles and article suggestions at Wanders. The articles will also be compiled in periodic newsletters and RSS.

I hope you enjoy Wanders. We’re currently building the framework for it – the first batch will be coming in a bit.

Cheers,

Janny

janny.ke@now-org.com

We walk past them, shutting our nose and our eyes.
We accept them as motionless statues of urbanization.
Some shower them with pity and food and clothing, some block them out in contempt.

We forget that homelessness in such a gorgeous, vibrant city is morally unacceptable.

How about let’s address the root cause of poverty – let’s empower homeless people through entrepreneurship?

THE EXPERIMENT

We will link a couple top entrepreneurs in Vancouver to mentor a couple homeless youth interested in starting their own ventures, and document the process from idea, product/service, revenue, to continuity to analyze the project’s impact and effectiveness. We would like as much community involvement as possible – planning, execution, etc. We hope that this small experiment could add to the social change movement of the business and entrepreneurship community mentoring the poorest people to help them full-fill their potential and their dreams.

OUR ACTION PLAN

We would like to make this project as grassroots as possible by turning to you for ideas and suggestions. We admit ignorance in homelessness and we would like to learn as much as possible. This grassroots project will be planned and carried out by the community. We invite you to share your experience, insights, and expertise on the community-powered project plan here.

SHARING THE STORY

We invite you to join us in our experiment through three possible components:

1. Our blog
We will reflect and document the process of this project from start to finish to facilitate a platform for discussion and support. Everyone involved in this project could be an author of the blog. We look forward for your comments, support, ideas, and suggestions!

2. A documentary
Again suggestions would be awesome.

3. Multimedia
Pictures, videos, dance, stories, theatre… whatever you can think of!

I strongly believe in the power of creativity, commitment, and community support to empower homeless people to achieve their dreams and potential. Hope to hear from you :]

Cheers,

Janny
janny.ke@now-org.com

We are finalizing the judges for the Act NOW! National Playwriting Competition. The latest here!

Recently, we’ve been very fortunate to receive guidance and support from numerous mentors from the community in evaluating where we are at as a non-profit. Special thanks to Pat Montani, Greg Overholt and Ryan Fetterly for their help.

We would like to share with you what we’ve come up with. Please give us a shout at info@now-org.com if you have any advice for us! Thanks in advance :]

A New Direction
Where are we going?
- increase in impact, grassroots involvement, and financial independence
- decrease in the amount of central organizing (which we feel is often bottle-necking; we would like to get the whole community to take ownership in sustainability!)

The Essence of NOW!
What are we most proud of and what would we like to spread?
- creativity and innovation
- holistic, interdisciplinary: social, environmental, and economic sustainability
- grassroots youth engagement and empowerment; youth-led, for youth
- low budget, high impact
- run entirely by volunteers

Our Vision
What would we like to achieve down the road?
- a decentralized grassroots movement on social change through the arts
- a social enterprise that empowers communities to learn, evaluate, act, and celebrate sustainability with a splash of creativity
- the “headquarter” provides a platform to support and facilitate collaboration, empowerment, and innovation
- grassroots “free-run chapters” around the world, each with its own flavour but all contributing to social change through the arts (there is no set box to dictate what each chapter does to achieve this common goal)
- leverage the support of the community as well as strategic partnerships with NGOs, companies, organizations, institutions, etc.

Who can lead a chapter?
anyone! individuals, groups and established organizations/institutions passionate about arts, education, youth empowerment, and sustainability
- start a NOW! (start a brand new NOW! chapter and run wild with it)
- adopt a NOW! (existing groups/companies/institutions/etc adopting NOW! as one of its programs)