You were mentioned Danielle Walker posted in NCCEP Announcements The World of Coordinators: Culture Carriers [Use the button below to view additional content]We’re about to take a short walk through pop culture. Stick with me, it will make sense later. I was a fan of the sitcom Family Matters and an even bigger Steve Urkel fan when I was younger. Life of the Party is one of my favorite episodes. Yes, I know the name of the episode. In this episode, Steve Urkel decides to crash a birthday party. When he arrives, however, they notice no one is dancing. Steve Urkel decides to shake things up. He teaches party-goers a dance he calls the “Urkel”. Within moments, party-goers are up, laughing, and dancing. Steve had successfully changed the energy of the room. Steve Urkel was a culture carrier. Have you ever heard of a culture carrier? This is someone that embodies the mission, values, and goals of an organization. Culture carriers are those professionals that use those values to inform the way they work. They turn organizational missions into practice. These individuals can drastically shift the energy of a room through their actions and attitude. Do you know any culture carriers? I do. Julius Brownlee is a GEAR UP Lead Site Coordinator with the University of Kansas. He and his colleagues serve 3,300 students in Kansas City Public Schools. Mr. Brownlee approaches his work with an attitude that embodies the values of the GEAR UP community. As a culture carrier, his attitude is infectious. He embraces positivity, choosing to begin his day with positive affirmations and encouragement for others. Julius draws just as much joy from the small victories as he does the big. Creativity and innovation are two driving forces behind his work. He encourages other coordinators to “let your minds run free.”  Who are the culture carriers on your team?  Julius' work, carrying the culture of GEAR UP into schools and homes, is essential to the success of every GEAR UP program. As we begin to close this year and enter a new year, we will continue to feature the voices, experiences, and practices of GEAR UP’s culture carriers. Like Julius, we will explore new engagement methods and look for new ways to share the spirit of GEAR UP.  Please follow KU GEAR UP on Instagram to learn more! Thank you, Mr. Brownlee , for all that you do!     View You can reply to this email to add a comment to this post.