L.O.V.E. IS THE ANSWER DAY
The 6th Annual L.O.V.E. Is The Answer Day takes place 9/17/24. This annual international event celebrates putting love into action through random acts of kindness, celebrations, community cleanups, mural painting, music, games, speakers, and more. This year’s theme is “Bring L.O.V.E. to School.” Efforts this year will focus on entertaining, uplifting, inspiring, and empowering faculty, staff, and students — and will aim to reduce Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) by introducing more holistic support to student families in partnership with schools.
Suggested Activities for L.O.V.E. Is The Answer Day
TUESDAY 9/17/24
- Take healthy snacks, beverages and other goodies, gift cards, classroom supplies, inspirational posters and letters, and more items of affirmation to the students, faculty and staff at schools.
- Honor your favorite teacher in a special way with a restaurant gift card or other gift.
- Rally the community around the school janitor with some amazing gift or a collection of funds or a nice vacation getaway.
- Choose a student family for the community to rally around to help them through a time of crisis.
- Gather a group of wellness professionals (seated massage therapists, mental health counselors, nutritionists, personal trainers, yoga instructors, and others) to donate their services to school staff, students, and student families for the day.
- Gather community leaders from a wide variety of professions to share their wisdom with students.
- Let your imagination run wild with fun and meaningful gestures in support of our educators. Let’s show students, teachers, janitors, kitchen staff, administrators, coaches and others some love for their hard work and dedication!
- Gather your school to make a L.O.V.E. Is The Answer video. In this 2023 video from Bensalem High School in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, you’ll see students kicking off their school year with a show of global unity by sharing their lineage and taking the L.O.V.E. Is The Answer pledge together: L.O.V.E. Is The Answer at Bensalem High School
Every year, in addition to events and activities throughout the world, we host a main event. This year’s main event will be held in Howard County, MD.
Local to Howard County, Get Involved!
We’re looking for volunteers to help us bring L.O.V.E. into as many schools as possible on that day. See below for the Event Schedule.
2024 MAIN EVENT SCHEDULE
Howard County, MD
We are hosting celebrity school assemblies at three schools
- High School TBD (9:00 to 9:45 am)
- Elementary School TBD (10:00 to 10:45 am)
- Lake Elkhorn Middle School (11:00 to 11:45 am)
Location: Miller Branch of the HC library
10 speakers on a variety of topics that pertain to bringing L.O.V.E. into schools nationwide, such as:
- Social responsibility including getting more people to support teacher classroom supply needs so that they don’t have to use their own money to make those purchases, etc.
- Applying the L.O.V.E. principles in schools (teaching, counseling, security, etc).
- Wellness to reduce Adverse Childhood Experiences (mental and emotional health, making more wellness resources available to entire families through schools, etc.)
- Creation of a L.O.V.E. mural and other art projects
- and more
- A.J. Ali, Founder, L.O.V.E. Is The Answer
- Nat Alston, Co-Founder & Chairman, National Association of African Americans in Human Resources
- Ray Sydnor, CEO, Mentoring, Academics & Athletics in Partnership and former NFL Player (Eagles & Steelers)
- Brian Wallace, Principal, Lake Elkhorn Middle School
Live from the Summit with cuts to people putting love into action around the world.
Location: Miller Branch of the HC Library
Live music, food, art, games, spoken word, speakers and more!
CONFIRMED SUMMIT SPEAKERS
Keynote Speaker
Beverly White-Seals is currently the President & CEO of the Community Foundation of Howard County. Beverly was born and raised in Washington, D.C. where she attended the local public schools. She earned her undergraduate degree with honors from Ohio Wesleyan University, and attended Columbia University School of Law as a Charles Evans Hughes Fellow, where she received her Juris Doctor. Beverly began practicing law as a litigator with the U.S. Department of Labor, followed by a 20-year career at The Rouse Company in Columbia, Maryland. After leaving The Rouse Company in 1999, she worked in private practice as “Of Counsel” with the law firm of Hodes, Ulman, Pessin & Katz, and later in-house counsel with General Growth Properties until joining The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System in September 2009 as Director, Office of Workforce Diversity.
Beverly lives in Columbia, MD where she has served on the Boards of Trustees for over 24 different non-profit organizations, including serving as Chair of the Board of Howard County General Hospital. She served for seven (7) years on the Board of Trustees of Johns Hopkins Medicine, the Real Estate Charitable Foundation of Maryland, and the Howard County Estate Planning Council. Beverly has received numerous awards and honors for her commitment to diversity and community outreach including, but not limited to, the following:
- Howard County Women’s Hall of Fame Inductee
- Daily Record Health Care Hero Finalist for Volunteers in Health Care
- Citation from Senator Barbara Mikulski for outstanding efforts in community outreach on behalf of State of Maryland
- Governor’s Award for efforts on behalf of residents of Howard County, Maryland
- $20,000 Beverly White-Seals Scholarship Fund established in her honor by Howard County General Hospital Medical Executive Committee to benefit single parents entering careers in healthcare
- Recipient of Proclamations from Howard County and State of Maryland for service on behalf of Howard County General Hospital
- Official Citation from the Maryland General Assembly
- Certificate of Special Recognition from the Honorable John P. Sarbanes
- SHERO Award for Multi-Cultural Community Outreach
- Johns Hopkins Institutions 2009 Diversity Recognition Award
- Ohio Wesleyan University Distinguished Achievement Award
HONORED SPEAKERS
Jessie Newburn is a cultural anthropologist and writer with a particular expertise in how each American generation is formed, develops its collective identity and worldview, faces its own challenges and struggles, pursues desires and goals specific to its position in time, and impacts and affects society and, eventually, a new generation of children.
More to be Announced
SAMPLE SPEAKER TOPICS
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