The Elizabeth Edwards Foundation Takes a Stand Against Bullying

Recently, people all across the country have joined together to protect the nation’s youth and put an end to the bullying epidemic.  Bullying can make a huge difference in a student’s success in school.  The victim of a bully may lose self-confidence, leading to not only lowered academic expectations, but also inhibited personal growth. 

At the Elizabeth Edwards Foundation, we aim to support struggling students and empower them to take a stand against whatever obstacles they may face.  We want to unlock student potential and give them the resources they need to shine.  A huge part of that requires students to feel comfortable and confident among their peers. 

In a study by the Department of Justice last December found here, research recommends mentoring programs and community service opportunities to support students who struggle with bullying.  The EEF has already built these facets into the Elizabeth Fellows program. 

To tackle problems students may be facing, Fellows will be matched with mentors at local colleges who have tackled these problems already.  By building this relationship, we hope to give students a safe space for growth that is required to overcome bullying and other personal obstacles.  Our community service projects are developed and implemented by the Fellows, empowering them to make a positive change within their community and giving them confidence that they can make a difference.  We want to show our support for youth in the anti-bully movement and empower students to become leaders in their communities. 

If you or someone you know would make a great mentor and attends college in the Raleigh-Durham, NC area, follow this link for more details:

http://www.elizabethedwards.org/elizabeth-fellows-mentorship.php

The Elizabeth Edwards Foundation Welcomes Intern Katie Davey to the Team

The Elizabeth Edwards Foundation welcomes Katie Davey to the team.  Originally from Yonkers, New York, she is a senior at Georgetown University.  During the school year Katie supports Washington DC’s students through her role as a program coordinator for DC Reads, which is a tutoring, mentoring and advocacy organization based out of Georgetown.

Excited to begin working with the Foundation, Katie said,

“I believe that education is more than just academics.  The Elizabeth Edwards Foundation ‘s focus on mentorship, advocacy and public service capture the fundamentals of leadership, and I am so happy to be a part of such a great mission”.

The Elizabeth Edwards Foundation is pleased to have Katie's help as we continue our mission of educating, enriching and empowering youths.

Following in Elizabeth's Footsteps by Advocating for the ACA

Cate Edwards, President of the Elizabeth Edwards Foundation, follows in her mother's footsteps and calls upon Elizabeth words in supporting the Affordable Care Act.  Her op-ed in Poltico advocates the ACA as being an unprecedented step forward for women's health. 

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/74535.html

Note: this article reflects the views of Cate Edwards, not the views of the Elizabeth Edwards Foundation, which remains a nonpartisan nonprofit organization.  

Esteemed Consultant Christina Reynolds Joins the Board of the Elizabeth Edwards Foundation

The Elizabeth Edwards Foundation is proud to announce the addition of Christina Reynolds, beloved friend of Elizabeth Edwards and renowned political consultant, to its Board.  Excited to be part of the team, Reynolds comments:

"To know Elizabeth was to have a new member of the family—one who offered wit and wisdom, advice, opinions and support freely. While we miss her every day, her legacy lives on through the Foundation, which will offer that same support and strength to a new generation of students."

The Foundation is thrilled to welcome Christina to our team and our mission to create a positive, enduring legacy for our friend, Elizabeth Edwards. 

To learn more about Christina, who served on several presidential campaigns and is currently the Managing Director at The Glover Park Group, please visit www.elizabethedwards.org/christinareynolds.php 

Elizabeth Edwards Foundation Attends National Mentoring Summit in Washington, DC

The Elizabeth Edwards Foundation, through its President, Cate Edwards, participated in the 2012 National Mentoring Summit over the last two days in Washington, D.C.  We connected with other organizations working the mentoring field, learned about the latest research and best practices in mentoring, and heard inspiring stories about the impact mentors can have on the lives of young people.

We started the summit with moving speeches about the importance of mentoring programs like ours for changing the lives of "opportunity youth," young people whose futures have been dimmed by difficult life circumstances.  While opportunity youth harbor great potential to make a difference in the world,  they lack critical support and consistent care of an adult in their lives.  A mentor can fill that void, giving that young person the advice, trust, and self-confidence to succeed.

On Day One, we learned that only 20% of low-income youth are adequately prepared for college, but the chances of beating those odds dramatically increase when a mentor steps in.  We also heard the latest research for best practices in the field, reiterating that the quality and length of a mentoring relationship is critical to a program's effectiveness.  On Day Two, we received toolkits for helping opportunity youth envision & get to college and start to develop their own career goals.  We also learned a lot about community partnerships and use of technology to innovate mentor relationships. We left fully energized and empowered to make mentoring work for our Elizabeth Fellows.

We would like to thank the hosts of the Summit for putting on a wonderful event, filled with valuable information and inspiring passion for this work: MENTOR National Mentoring Partnership, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Corporation for National & Community Service, Harvard School of Public Health, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention & United Way.

Elizabeth Edwards Foundation & Cate Edwards in Above the Law

The Elizabeth Edwards Foundation and its President, Cate Edwards, were recently mentioned in the popular legal blog, Above the Law:

Cate Edwards and Trevor Upham
(Donate to the Elizabeth Edwards Foundation.)

The Case:
- Cate Edwards is a daughter of former Senator and Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards and [Elizabeth Edwards].  A graduate of Harvard Law School, she was at one time an associate at plaintiffs’ firm Sanford Wittels & Heisler and is now president of the Elizabeth Edwards Foundation.
- Trevor, who “was raised in a Republican family,” is a surgical fellow at Georgetown University Hospital. He and Cate met in 2002 when they were both undergraduates at Princeton. They broke up for two years before reuniting in 2006.
- Cate penned a lovely essay on her mother not long after her death. What’s always struck us about Elizabeth Edwards’s story is that the greatest tragedy of her too-short life wasn’t John Kerry’s loss in the 2004 election; it wasn’t her two-faced husband’s tawdry, humiliating, illegitimate-child-producing affair; it wasn’t even dying of cancer before she could see her children grow up. It was, one suspects, the death of her teenage son in a car accident in 1996. Sounds like her daughter inherited her grit and graciousness. We hope Cate’s path through life is easier than her mother’s.

http://abovethelaw.com/2012/01/legal-eagle-wedding-watch-the-voice/

EEF in Politico

Wednesday marks one year since the passing of Elizabeth Edwards from metastatic breast cancer.

In Self magazine, Elizabeth’s newlywed daughter, Cate, reflects on the many memories and momisms that have stayed with her:

There are things quintessentially Elizabeth that will always remind me of her. Some of them are grating (a constant flow of grammatical corrections). Some of them gracious (the constant claim that friends and family--not herself--are to thank for her own strength). Some of them are ill-advised (putting together meals comprised only of 100-calorie snacks). Some of them are good advice (to put together the biggest dream you can for yourself, then go one bigger). Some of them are passing (her idea to buy a bush hog and cut her own path in our backyard). Some of them are lasting (her idea to be herself, regardless, and forge her own path in life).

Cate left her job at a Washington law firm and started the Elizabeth Edwards Foundation in June. Click here to read the article.