Paramount Pictures Mentors and Their Mentees Give Back

Right before the holidays, our LeConte Middle School youth teamed up with their mentors from Paramount Studios to give a little something back to the community. Our mentor/mentee groups worked together to build and decorate tasty gingerbread houses that would then be given as gifts to Covenant House - a place decicated to helping homeless youth and their families. The old cliche is true, though - it feels good to give. Constructing these houses was not only an excuse to have some laughs and be creative, but it served as yet another opportunity to bring our youth and their mentors a little closer together. Even though the holiday season is just now in our rear view mirror, it's nice to take a moment to remember what this time of year was really all about. Thanks everyone!

Connecting Mentors and Mentees through “Connecting Cultures”

It’s striking how much we discover our similarities by examining our differences. This past Tuesday, students from LeConte middle school not only found out their Paramount mentor matches, but they got a unique opportunity to get to know each other with help from our friends at Connecting Cultures.  Our two groups learned about their own heritage, as well as the cultures of others, through artifacts and art pieces from around the world in a beautiful mobile museum display. But let’s be honest, the best part about exploring our cultures is the food! All of our participants were also able to grind their own spice blends to be taken home and used in a recipe of their choice from various regions of the globe. It was a chance to learn, share, explore and connect. All of us at YMC, LeConte Middle School and Paramount would like to thank Connecting Cultures for this exciting experience. Check out more of what they do at http://www.connectingcultures.us/