author. speaker. motivator.
Affectionately known as "America's #1 Success Coach," Jack Canfield is the originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and a leading authority in the areas of self-esteem, achievement motivation, and peak performance. www.jackcanfield.com
political powerhouse. media mogul. author.
Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and Editor in Chief of the Huffington Post and the author of twelve books. www.huffingtonpost.com
author. speaker. linchpin.
Seth Godin is a prominent author, blogger and speaker. www.squidoo.com/linchpin
yogi. philanthropist. dynamic teacher.
Krishna Kaur is the founder of YOGA for Youth, a program that takes yoga, meditation, and stimulating discussions on the philosophy of yoga to urban youth. www.yogaforyouth.org
producer. philanthropist. tv legend.
Norman Lear has enjoyed a long career in television and film. He is also a political and social activist and philanthropist. www.normanlear.com
race car driver. activist. carbon free girl.
Leilani Münter is a professional race car driver and an environmental activist who uses her voice in the number one spectator sport in America as a catalyst for change. www.leilanimunter.com
Freedom Fighter. Philanthropist. Game Changer.
By going undercover to meet slaves and slaveholders, Kevin Bales exposed modern slavery’s penetration into the global economy. He co-founded Free the Slaves, which has helped to liberate thousands of slaves. www.freetheslaves.net
mom. TED-talker. no-bullsh**er.
Sophie Chiche, founder of lifebyme.com, is the single mom of an amazing 16-year-old, Leah, and wicked step-mom of 22-year-old, Sarah. They all live in LA. You can find them boxing, cooking, collaging, hosting brunches, laughing their head off or bickering over who’s washing and who’s drying the dishes.
Writer. Entrepreneur. Daily Lover.
Entrepreneur and writer Mastin Kipp founded TheDailyLove.com, which merges pop culture with inspiration, and co-founded The Love Yourself Company, an apparel company that has started a global self-esteem movement. www.TheDailyLove.com
singer. musician. crier.
Liz Phair is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. www.lizphair.com
archbishop. author. peaceful leader.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu is Chairman of The Elders, a group of world leaders who address some of the world's most pressing problems. He works energetically for human-rights and in his ministry. www.tutu.org
author. ceo. humanitarian.
Zainab Salbi is the founder and CEO of Women for Women International, a group dedicated to helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives. www.womenforwomen.org
speaker. psychotherapist. life embracer.
Despite his physical challenges, Sean Stephenson has taken a stand for a quality of life that has inspired millions of people around the world. He’s a professional speaker, psychotherapist, and author. www.timetostand.com
yogi. meditator. teacher.
Kia Miller teaches Yoga at Yoga Works in Los Angeles, leads teacher trainings, and runs retreats and workshops on meditation, chakras, pranayam, and mantras, and other practices. www.kiamiller.com
creator. writer. idea geek.
Simon Mainwaring is an ex-Nike/Wieden creative, former Worldwide Creative Director at Motorola/Ogilvy, branding/advertising writer, author/speaker/blogger, Australian, idea geek. www.simonmainwaring.com
Strategist. Writer. Life Coach.
Shannon Bindler is a style editor, life coach, and the co-founder of Get Up Girl, an empowerment company that inspires women to shine. www.getupgirl.com
Designer. Art Director. Passionate Creator.
Grammy-nominated art director/designer/photographer Mathieu Bitton has designed over 450 CDs and movie posters. He’s a renowned collector of and authority on black films and their soundtracks. www.candytangerine.com
Agent. Producer. Photography Enthusiast.
Opus Reps founder and agent-producer Jorge Perez travels the world producing photo shoots with great photographers and celebrities. He's also very involved with Meals on Wheels in Los Angeles. www.opusreps.com
learning
Lee Overtree
creative teacher. storyteller. kid sparker.
Lee is an actor, director, and a founding member of Story Pirates. He enjoys playing music and being a teaching artist. www.storypirates.org
Arts education is about creating the desire to learn about the world around you. A phrase we use a lot in our work with kids in schools is “Desire drives learning.” Sometimes it feels like our school system forgets that you have to help kids find the desire within themselves to learn instead of forcing learning upon them and then administering standardized tests to measure achievement. The most important thing to learn in school is that learning itself is fun. What’s meaningful to me is what I do in my work with Story Pirates – we take excitement into classrooms to give kids a positive experience with learning and school.
One of our mentors here at Story Pirates is a man named Charlie Russo. He said something to me once that I think about a lot. He said that when he’s doing charitable work what he’s trying to do is give kids a positive experience with an adult – and sometimes that’s all he does. That’s a very influential thing to do for a child. When we take that idea into schools with our programs, kids come away with the sense that they interacted with an adult and it wasn’t terrible. It was even fun and positive. If we create more positive experiences in schools and between adults and kids, then hopefully some of that transfers to a feeling in kids about what education can be.
It’s pretty amazing to see the way people light up over education reform once they have kids. I see a lot of parents who’ve spent their lives being passionate about things, then they have kids and all of a sudden their eyes are opened to the disparities and the inefficiencies of our education system.
The sorts of things we’re doing in schools right now are a tiny fraction of what could be modeled for integrating the arts into curricular studies that have become so dry for so many kids. It’s important to bring passion back into learning. Then kids are interested in a way that comes from within. And that changes everything.
- Lee Overtree
Explore More Meaning
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yoga teacher. humanitarian. voice for social change.
Seane Corn is an internationally celebrated yoga teacher and humanitarian, the National Yoga Ambassador for YouthAIDS, and cofounder of Off The Mat, Into the World, a leadership-training program. www.seanecorn.com
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author. business provocateur. right-brainer.
Daniel H. Pink is the best-selling author of four provocative books about the changing world of work. His books have been translated into 32 languages. www.danpink.com
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strategist. innovator. fire starter.
Inspirational speaker and business strategist Danielle LaPorte is the creator of WhiteHotTruth.com, which helps entrepreneurs rock their careers with integrity, audacity, and their truest strengths. www.whitehottruth.com
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author. nagual. wisdom sharer.
Combining new insights with old wisdom, don Miguel Ruiz has dedicated his life to sharing the ancient Toltec wisdom by translating it into practical concepts that promote transformation through truth and common sense. www.miguelruiz.com
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budding author. life rewriter. scribble lover.
Kaleigh Somers studies Media Arts & Design and Creative Writing at James Madison University. She wants to publish a young adult novel and work for a non-profit dedicated to empowering young women. www.kaleighsomers.wordpress.com
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psychologist. facilitator. relationship alchemist.
Melvin Allen is a relationship alchemist with a PhD in Depth Psychology – the study of the unconscious, and an MA in Spiritual Psychology. He has appeared on television and radio shows around the world. www.melvinandsherrie.com
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writer. activist. asker of questions.
Pat Thomas is a journalist, campaigner, and author specializing in health and environment. She’s the author of dozens of books for adults and children and creator of the interactive game Infrequently Asked Questions. www.iaqs.org.uk
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television journalist. author. chief correspondent.
Jim Moret is a veteran television journalist, author, and attorney who’s currently Chief Correspondent for Inside Edition and a CNN contributor. www.jimmoret.com
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