Private Dance Lesson at Ailey

WE LOVE DANCING!!!! :O

KAYLAH,TENAJ,DIAMOND,CAMRA,TIERRA,GIANNI

NYC Pizza with Pizza a Casa

Pizza-making in New York with Mark Bello, Jenny & Sam. Thanks, Pizza a Casa!

Today was a lot of fun!!!

Well first we went to the National Constitution Center right across the lawn from the Liberty Bell. We learned a lot of stuff about Presidents, slaves, and the Civil War but we mainly talked about George Washington. I learned that he had to wear fake metal teeth because he had teeth problems growing up. When he was growing his teeth fell out. While he was president his mouth was like poked out so that wasn’t really good. So after that we went shopping and then off to lunch. For lunch we had cheese steaks, which were the best. Then after lunch we went to the African American museum where we learned about the civil war and how people fought for their freedom. Next the difference between Philadelphia and New York is that Philadelphia is more laid back and quiet and New York is loud with a lot of people and action. Lastly the main difference I saw was that Philadelphia had not that many people on the sidewalk unlike New York it was almost thousands.

Sincerely, Camra

Leeches

Today I went to the Constitution Hall in Philadelphia. I learned how George Washington died. He died because his doctor told him that his blood was unbalanced. So, his doctor gave him a prescription for leeches. The leeches were very successful, but the doctor forgot to take them off of George .So the leeches took to much blood and that’s how Washington died.

Kaylah

Mr. Clinton

I enjoyed going to the Mr. Clinton’s office, it amazing to see all of the medals he received. I also enjoyed looking at the view. The one thing that stood out to me is that every picture he had he hung it up himself and all of the pictures and awards. I noticed he had a lot of books in his office and every book he had he read and put it up on the bookshelf himself. This was one of the best thing I enjoyed doing in New York.

-Tenaj

Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren was the most unique tour that we went on in New York. Who would’ve ever thought that so much work goes into window decorations and dressing mannequins? I learned so many new careers and professions that I had never heard of before. When I think retail, I think cashier, sales director or something along those lines? When I think Ralph Lauren retail now that I’ve been there, I think creative design team, luxury specialist, cashier, mannequin designer and much more. They even bring you refreshments when you are walking around shopping. I have never in my life been treated like a celebrity. They made me feel comfortable and if I had the money I probably would have stayed all day. It is not a store I have ever seen that is as beautiful as those Ralph Lauren stores. I loved it! When I am successful and I have some money(LOL) they will see me again. Tierra ;)

My last day in New York

I really enjoyed the Ralph Lauren part. I liked the part when we were treated like royalty I love to be treated like royalty because in my house there is a lot of people in my house and you really don’t get a chance like this-this is like a one in a life chance so I took advantage of it and enjoyed it. The trip really made me realize that I would want to go big on my dreams so that my house can be as big as the store someday. Also the last day in New York I enjoyed the making of the pizzas they really are easy to make. I feel like if I take a cooking class then I will be able to cook anything that my heart desires. As a result I right now at this age do not know how to cook I only cook out of the microwave. I’ve learned that if I keep my mind open then there will be a lot in store for me. I did enjoy this Youth Trek trip and this did impact my life on a really big part. Youth Trek has this them and I love it the theme is to really be mature and don’t let little things get to you because I have this tendency to get annoyed at everything but its very little. I really am thankful and to have you know I did take advantage of this trip.

-Gianni :p

Today

Today was very educational and a very fun learning environment. We are now in Philadelphia and we visited the Constitution Center, where they talked mainly about the Constitution and what some presidents did during that time of the Constitution. Next we went to the African American Art Musuem where we visited many different exhibits. But the one that stood out more to me was the exhibit, which was titled “Audacious Freedom.” This specific exhibit stood out more because if you look at the title it has a very meaningful name. In the title it says FREEDOM, and when you think of freedom you think of back in the times African Americans and whites were segregated and slavery was taking place and the next word is AUDACIOUS. Audacious means risky or doing things that you know may cause you a heap of trouble or the possible effects could be impacting. If you connect both the word freedom and audacious back to slavery the meaning of the title means things slaves did to gain there freedom that they know would put them in harms way and be very sneaky. Some things that these slaves did that were very risky in the Journey of gaining their freedom were, learning how to read and write, sneaking away at night or trying to escape knowing if their master caught them they would be in a lot of trouble. Diamond

New York is very different from Philly

The first way is the smell. When your in New York every where you go is a different smell, sometime times it smells really good and the other time it was very smelly. The second way is the people. People are more calm here because they don’t have to rush, they can just take their lovely time. The third way is the look for New York is more modern and Philly is more like the historic part of D.C. I enjoyed my stay at New York because of the shopping and it’s more like me in some ways.

Tenaj

My last day in NYC was very fun.

We got to meet one of the workers for Ralph Lauren .She does the window designs on the mannequins. She took us through the men and women’s store. She said they use to be old mansion. Also we went to Bill Clintons office it was a very fun experience. He had a civil rights wall.

- Kaylah

Audacious

Audacious. To be audacious means to be bold and daring. For example, during the civil rights movement with Martin Luther King Jr. was a time when you had to be audacious. He had to be very bold especially because he was strong man of color. He carried himself as if he was any other man with authority and respect. Think about it. Martin Luther King did all these protests and speeches against segregation. Most men in the South during that time got lynched all because they looked a white man in the face. Dr. King had to be extremely audacious to speak out against almost all whites publicly. He didn’t care about dying or being in jail if it was for the rights of his people. One day, I hope to be known as an audacious woman who is very successful and doesn’t take no for an answer. J - Tierra

Philly is different from New York in a plethora of ways

First Philly is different because Philly is much more organized than New York. They have a lot of good things but they are neat and tight about what is up there. In addition Philly is different from New York because Philly has a lot of historical sites and places that you can go to. My last thing about Philly that I will never forget is the horse carriages and the way the streets are very close together. ABOUT NEW YORK I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT THE STREETS ARE ALWAYS BUSY THERES ALWAYS PEOPLE AND THERE IS ALWAYS A STORE YOU CAN GO TO.

TO ME THE PLACES I WENT ON THIS YOUTH TREK TRIP YOU CAN NEVER BE BORED THERE.

-GIANNI :P

President Clinton’s office

What was unique about President Clinton’s office was how he got to pick out and decorate whatever he wanted to put in his office and the bodyguards couldn’t tell what he can and cannot. Also we got to see valuable things that were in his office that you wouldn’t think a president would have. Most importantly it was very amazing to see pictures of his accomplishments or documents and how he had his own little picture wall that he created which was very extraordinary. - Diamond

Ralph Lauren

Well yesterday we went to the Ralph Lauren exclusive shop in New York. They had the whole block of fansy Ralph Lauren shops to their selves. We went into the mens place first where they had like 4 floors with humungus space. Their style was so creative especially their window manicans. Their window manicans were dressed like actual people. They had such a unique style to them. Also in their store they had like different groups where they do different things like do security, room work, and some mainly focus on the clothes. Then after we came from the mens side we went across the street to the womens where they had like a better sense of style, like stuff us girls can connect to. They had beautiful jewelry, clothes, and purses. We had the best time!

Sincerely, Camra

We've arrived in Philadelphia and, looking back at the last few days in New York, it's hard to choose which of the great experiences to focus on. Dancing at Alvin Ailey Dance Studio, and especially seeing the dress rehearsal for a new performance by Ailey 2 was really amazing, so was pizza making with Pizza a Casa and visiting President Clinton's office and going to Amateur Night at the Apollo and meeting Deputy Mayor Wolfson and breakfast with Ms. McCarthy! Whew!

It's all been a truly wonderful trip so far and I'm so grateful both to be on it and to all the great folks that met with us and helped make this trip happen.

-Niki

From NYC to Philly

It's hard to believe we've left New York and arrived in Philadelphia. New York was amazing. It's hard to pinpoint my favorite experience - in all honesty, each visit was my favorite while we were there. Every single person we've met has been kind and generous with their time and knowledge. We've learned about tv production, visual and creative presentation in fashion, journalism, pizza making and healthy eating, public relations, and more. Yesterday we were fortunate to visit President Clinton's office in Harlem. It was filled with books, history, and amazing (and rare) items from around the world. I could have stayed there for hours, but I am not sure he would have appreciated that. My favorite was his 'civil rights' wall with pictures from civil right struggles here and abroad. Thank you again to all of my friends and colleagues who have helped make this journey unique, educational, and super fun! -- Jessica

Last day in New York....

Sadly, this was our last time in the city that never sleeps. I will surely miss New York and I hope to have many future visits. Our last day started off early with breakfast in the hotel and then we were off! We were treated as queens as we went to Ralph Lauren Stores on the block of Madison Ave. Our amazing tour guides Jimmy and Jen were absolutely gracious and caring. Jimmy gave us a tour of the women's Ralph Lauren store. It was like a palace. I absolutely could not believe my eyes. I wasn't feeling very well but when I saw everything I shook it off and I convinced myself that I wouldn't let my body put me down. Jimmy offered us juice and he treated us as if we were his best clients! I was thinking in my head, "This guy is so sweet and generous." We learned the way people decorate the windows of the store and the way they decorate the store. I had no idea so much work goes into that type of stuff. Our other tour guide Ms. Jen, showed us around the men's store and told us about what she does. She has an amazing job as a creative stylist. She can work anywhere in the world where there is a Ralph Lauren store. THAT is AMAZING! I loved that tour and they made me feel like I was a VIP that could afford all the expensive things we saw in there. Can you guys believe I saw a belt for like $300? That is definitely not in my budget but I am pretty sure it is worth every dime. After that, we went to lunch at Pizza a Casa to create our our masterpiece pizza. That was my favorite thing we did today. Mr. Mark taught us to make the Margherita, White and Dessert pizza. I loved it so much. I made the Dessert pizza which had peanuts, Nutella, and bananas. It was delicious! It was very fun and now I know how to make a pizza. :) Afterwards, we went to Mr. Bill Clinton's office in Harlem, New York. This was another favorite for me because I love politics and Bill Clinton was a very famous president which I admire. His office was beautiful. He had memorabilia from so many places in the world. He hung every picture that was in his office with a hammer and nails all by himself which shows how dedicated and caring he is. I say that because almost every picture was of him helping someone, or a citizen helping him in a way. His office shows a lot about what an amazing type of person he is. That was amazing to see and I feel honored. Then finally, we headed to the hotel, stayed there for a while and next thing you know, we are in historic Philly. What an amazing day for me. I left New York feeling inspired, honored and blessed. Thank you so much Youth Trek you have really touched me. The trip is not EVEN over YET! :)

Tierra <3

Enjoy Your Company While You Have It

Hello Again I am having alot of fun on this trip Umm,,,,,breakfast with Sheryl Mc Carthy was fun I hve this feeling like I have known her before she was very fun to talk to and you could understand where she comes from and how serious she is about what she does and how she does it.When we went to the city hall it was not what I had expected we were talking to him like regular people and we had alot of fun.I thought that when we talked to him he was going to talk about his job and what he does for a living but he didnt. It seemed like he wanted to learn more about us then we wanted to hear from him. I really enjoyed the talk show we learned what some people do before the show. It turns out that the place is really small and that the camera makes the studio look bigger than it is really is.The food from New York is mostly made fresh and after a while you will get used to it.I had got used to the way the food was made after I had tasted some things.I have thought of something that I would want to do I would want to dance because it is something that I do and enjoy. Oh my goodnesss we went to this place called kitchennette and the food was Ok but it was really big and I had ate it all BigStomachache couldnt even walk but I manged.We were walking back to the hotel and we enjoyed eachothers company. We made eachother laugh and people made us laugh. As we got back to the hotel we were all hanging out dancing laughing and listening to music and watching the tv. Then we left back out like some hours later and shopped and went to this diner where they had sang and danced and had tv it was like a teen diner everyone enjoyed it . We ate we sang we danced and we left. Came back to the hotel and we was still hanging out and then we got tired and went our seperate ways. Lastly we went to sleep..Something I learned was to keep going and sick to whatever you are committed too. - Gianni

Yesterday in New York City

Well yesterday we went to have breakfast with Ms. McCarthy. She was a a journalist,author,and talk show host. We had the best pancakes in the WORLD!!!1 They were blueberry. Also we went to city hall to meet the deputy mayor of New York City. Also we went to the Today Show studio downtown in New York. We saw the control room, kitchen, and the place where they do the news. That was alot of fun. Lastly we went back to the hotel and went to Ellens Stardust Diner where they sing while you eat.......we had the best time! I learned to never accept the answer NO because if you want something you have to go get it. Also I learned to dream big and expect the unexpected!

Sincerely, Camra

Another Day At NYC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was fun.I went to the today show setting it was a fun experience we saw the main set and the cooking set.I really enjoyed the cooking setting because I want to be a chef when i grow up, Also the studio looked very small compared to the television.Also we took the subway it was extremely crowded .The lines are so confusing to me . Today was a very fun day .Now i am about to go to time square again .

- Love Kaylah

Lets hear it for New York!!

Wow oh WOW! Yet another action packed day! We started off our day with some breakfast with Ms. McCarthy. She is an amazing woman. I loved her attitude and how she seemed so genuine. She helped me personally by giving me advice as a young woman who is interested in political science and journalism. She actually went to law school and she teaches journalism! I admire her and I listened closely to everything she said so one day I can accomplish my goals and be as successful as her. Afterwards, we headed out to go meet Deputy Mayor Wolfson at City Hall. He was so charismatic and fun to be around. Usually when you go out to meet people of authority they are serious and straight forward but he was different. To be honest, I never heard of a deputy mayor before today. So I'm glad I learned something new. Then we headed to Kitchenette for lunch. It was a cute little spot and the food was delicious. We saved the best for last, The Today Show. The Today Show is located inside the Rockefeller Center. It is a truly amazing place. Our tour guide Amanda was a producer. Amanda and I were extremely similar. Guess what she studied in college? POLITICAL Science and journalism. :) I was immediately drawn to everything she was saying and she helped guide my interests. She gave me advice on what to do coming straight out of college so that was really sweet of her. We saw the studio and test kitchen for the Today Show also. It was great to be behind the scenes and now I cannot wait until I watch the show and be able to say, "I was there August 11, 2011!" Today was a beautiful day and now I have to go and get ready to explore Times Square yet again!! Talk to you guys tomorrow. ;D

Tierra

First Day at NYC!

I apologize for not blogging yesterday, I was so SLEEPY. The train ride was OK for the first time. It was hard for me to sleep because i couldn't lay the seat back to recline. When we arrived in New York City we went to check in at the hotel. After that we went to Style House Public Relation Firm. We learned the difference between an add and an editorial. Then we went to Time Square, We went inside of this HUGE Toys R Us in the inside of it. New York is so diverse everywhere you go. I love to see how everyone has their own style. No one wants to look the same like people in D.C.

Love, Tenaj

What a GREAT start!

I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday only because I was EXHAUSTED(in a good way)! I must say though, it was an absolutely amazing way to start to our journey. I have caught the Amtrak train once before but it was still an experience. When we arrived in New York, all I could think is, "This is just like the movies!" All the people, buildings and BIRDS(ugh) were not a surprise. When we came up from underground on the train we were right by Madison Square Garden. How amazing is that? I loved all the diversity I saw immediately. After that, we headed straight to the Style House public relations firm. I never really knew what people who work with public relations do, so that was awesome because I learned something new. For lunch we had Chipotle. I was so happy because it is my favorite :). The private dance lesson at Alvin Ailey was amazing. Ms. Lisa(our coach) was very inspirational and I hope to meet her again someday. She works as a director for the Ailey Extension Program. Last but not least, we attended Amateur Night at the world famous Apollo Theater in Harlem. It was nothing like it looks on the TV. I absolutely loved the show and I felt honored to be there. The first day was action packed and it sure did wear me out. :)

Tierra

More Pictures

Be sure to check out more pics at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/youthtrekglobal!

- Jessica

A Day Full Of Fun!!!!!!

Today was very exciting .I had a wonderful time with the other 5 girls.My favorite part of the day was when we got to watch the Ailey 2 did a run through their dance .The dance told a story about a street that most teens hung out.I also had fun when we went to time square.So fun.

I cant wait for the new adventures tomorrow.

-Love,Kaylah

What a More Better Way to Celebrate Our First Day !

WOW...! Today was full of lots of fun and another opportunity of learning new things. We had to wake up very early, but hey it was worth coming here to NYC.When I stepped out of the train station I seen shopping stores it was bright, full, active and I just knew this is where I have to be and want to live, its always active and full of many kinds of people.Anyways, we first went to the Style House PR were they talked about how their clients hire them to promote a sales item. We then had lunch at Chipotle, my favorite place to eat and it was delicious. Next we then headed to the Alvin Ailey dance studio were they have many students practice performing arts and different techniques of dance. the girls and I had a private dance lesson and it was much fun and while we were at the dance studio we got to sit in on a performance by the Alvin Ailey Camp(AILEY 2) and it was awesome..they really worked hard. Now here's were I tell you all about the World Famous Apollo Theater !!! It was very nice and amazing, people traveled from afar and some right hear in NY just in a different area showcased their talents where many famous historians performed. It was exciting because we got to see talent from the different age levels and it was kind of funny because several people got boo'd off stage, but hey I say they knew what they got theirselves into. Also we got to see the comedian CO Pone and he was a very good host at the theater. Overall NYC has been very wonderful so far and exciting...what i Love so much is how the billboards are so fancy and full of colors, it really brightens up the city. Lastly Time Square was very intriguing and it was very interesting to see a ferris wheel in TOY R US. But Im looking forward to seeing more and I can't wait to share more of my experiences.

-DIAMOND

The Best Day Ever!!!!

Hello! And I had soo much fun TODAY!!!The best part about today was everything and that its only day 1 so there is much more than just todayl.The train trip today was so depressing because I was leaving my home sweet home for some day out of the state and everyone kept sleeping so my mind was empty but then after a while I had went to sleep. Yes the nap was really worth it because the day was really pretty much busy. THE APOLLO was the best!!! I had been there before but it wasnt the same because for one I went with my school and the lights music entertainment was not on display.When I (Gianni Evane Bobbitt) went it was the best I have learned that people are different and you can not judge a book by its cover because it may turn out that its a really good social funny person. The style house was very informative.It made me learn alot of things I havent learned before. The Alvin Ailey to tell you the truth I never wanted to leave to me it was a very friendly environment where you can express yourself through dance. My Goodness the streets are very busy the fire people was coming and people were acting as if nothing was there.They'd walk slow across the streets they wouldnt stop. The people in New York City are not weird but they are different. I am so happy that i came on this trip because if I didnt come I probably wouldve stayed home and rot my brain. Instead of that Im out exploring and learning that people can be very different.

IM READY FOR WHATEVER IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT!!!! :P

-GIANNI

Today was alot of fun......... First we got to go to the Style of DPR on Fashion st. in new york. We learned alot of new stuff about advertisements and editorial. I learned that a advertisement is when you pay someone to put up your ad like in a magazine and editorial is when someone chooses to put your idea in a magazine. I didnt know that stuff before. So after that we went to the Alvin Ailey Dance theatre where we got to see people dance and even dance our selves. Next we went back to the hotel freshened up and went to the Apollo theatre and went to amateur night where legends are born......We had alot of fun today cant wait untill tomorrow!!!!!

Sincerely, Camra

Youth Trek 2011

Day 1 New York City...

Huge success. Very early start to the day. Tons of fun. Thank you Style House PR, Alvin Ailey Dance American Theater, and the Apollo Theater. Can't wait for Day 2. - Jessica