Students at Landing Trail Intermediate School were reminded last Tuesday that they have quite a bit to offer, regardless of how different they may be.
A company called Motivational Media Assemblies (MMA) Canada delivered that message to a gymnasium full of students and staff at LTIS last Tuesday morning.
In a presentation called ìShining Star,î the message was clear: ìStars never stop shining, neither should we.î
Since 1985, 51 million students in the U.S., Canada, Australia and Taiwan have witnessed the powerful message provided by MMA. In that time, MMA has brought real-life messages of self-empowerment and positive affirmation into schools, letting students know that thereís no clichÈ about it ó they can make a difference in the world.
ìFeaturing clips from todayís most popular movies, music videos, and incredible sports footage, MMA shows are generating the highest student responses to character-education and responsibility-improvement messages,î MMAís website states.
ìWe are succeeding because of our unsurpassed media content, our messages and our follow-up resources.î
Lindsay Hodges, a motivational speaker and presenter for MMA, gave a strong oral presentation at the end of the 40-minute video projected on three large screens against one side of the gymnasium.
Hodges has presented at schools for 20 years and said he gives about 30 presentations a year, but noted MMA presents to more than a million students across North America annually.
ìFor me, itís mostly about making sure the kids understand that they can be successful, for one, and they can make a difference; and, if some kid can get that message in the middle of it all, if they can figure ëyou know what, it doesnít matter about all these other kids bullying me or saying about me, I can actually make a difference,î said Hodges.
ìAll Iím doing is augmenting a lot of the stuff teachers are already telling them. I just do it in a flashy way.î
Numerous clips from Hollywood movies were drawn from as examples of moral messages that students identify with because many are already intimately familiar with the films.
Glen Finney, principal at LTIS, said the core message he wanted his students to take from the presentation is that the topics and themes presented ìprovide an opportunity to see them in a different wayî when portrayed through films such as ìKung Fu Pandaî and ìMadagascarî that students are already tuned into.
A number of quotes appeared at one point during the presentation, including one that read, ìWe are a lot stronger together than we are individually,î quoted from Samuel L. Jackson.
ìAt the end of the day, the overriding (message) is making good choices, and good decisions. Itís also about making a difference in other peopleís lives, helping to achieve their dreams,î said Hodges.
The company was also slated to give a presentation called ìPower of 3î at Edwin Parr Composite School at 2 p.m. that afternoon. That presentation is geared at individual global influence, and that ìtoday is a day of empowering people to do their best,î according to the MMA website.
Hodges said the message behind Power of 3 is about safe driving but also largely making positive decisions in life.
