LPEF Gold Star Educators Podcast Series, Rick Blasing

Great things are happening every day in La Crosse public schools. Hear first-hand from teachers on the front lines about how the La Crosse Public Education Foundation is strengthening the community, one student at a time.To make a donation please visit our website https://lacrosseeducationfoundation.org/Transcription is for seo purposes and is not 100% accurate. Rick Blasing, counselor at Lincoln Middle School.welcome to Goldstar educators podcast from the La Crosse public education foundation. Great things are happening every day lacrosse public schools hear first-hand from teachers that are on the front lines about how this nonprofit education foundation is strengthening our community, one student at a time, every educator may have different replacing as a counselor at Lincoln middle school at a counselor if I had a friend that you know what I made a difference today and I'm actually seeing the results within that same 24 hour period. Whether it's helping with the family. The student kid situation. Sometimes you can see immediate results, and after very rewarding. After some something going on in terms of conflict or, or something of that nature. Rick tell me about how you got drawn into the La Crosse public education foundation. I was made aware that at one point come by the advertising and one of the board members approached me because I had them the privilege of being a student counselor, advisor, and we don't hold different assemblies for different things got beakers and understood real quickly that La Crosse public education foundation is like a aspiring for encouraging educators instead of the jumpstart that situation, it became clear to me that yes there providing funding but I thought at the bike providing the creative fuel for all the extraordinary possibilities of what a teacher could do with that funding and I just start applying for some grants and some different speakers in the different assemblies and things and they been nothing but supportive IT across the board. Their support of an adventure that the distal wide-ranging will to leave a couple of the grants you've received from the La Crosse public education foundation will over the years as a counselor in student counselor, advisor with my mission is to contribute to the environment of the school, the well-being of the students, and more importantly increasingly, much more so in recent years. In recent decades, let's say, helping families and neighborhoods whose children come to our school so there's a direct connection there. So some of the things we've done have been inspirational speakers, people are coming to talk about. Keep your eyes and the prize and plowing ahead in life. Even if your situation at home or elsewhere isn't perfect. At the time that is not who you are is a student that your future is ahead of you and we can create your own life that some speakers have been to discuss the challenge of folks who may be have not been advanced have not had the advantage. Most recently I met them. Judge Kristi Yang. He was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and now he is an elected judge in the city of Milwaukee. Kristi Yang actually agreed to come to our school. La Crosse public education foundation funded that she talked to her students he taught from high school students and she also talked educators this quite amazing that there is an example that that funding, providing that for everyone here. It sounds like the La Crosse public education foundation does a lot of things for a lot of different people. I am amazed when I look at the list of the different grants awarded how wide-ranging they are. I think it empowers teachers. It really does. It encourages and empowers them. What I see those wonderful outside of the box kind of ideas get. It provides that that inspiration and encouragement to go for I am honored and I would say that I'm so grateful for the La Crosse public education foundation for the funding that are supporting for these these wonderful ideas I can say it jumpstart to get those ideas off the drawing boards and insidious limitations. One just things are happening a little cross public schools through the work of the La Crosse public education foundation. The foundation depends on private fundraising to provide grants to teachers and money for random act of kindness to address students leave grid obstacles to attendance, self-esteem and academic success. To learn more and to donate please visit La Crosse education foundation.org that's La Crosse education foundation.award the Goldstar educators podcast is a podcast for hire.com production