Focus Fridays
To provide inspiration and learning to our future student leaders, Algoma High School has implemented the Focus Fridays series.
Nearly each Friday during the 2017 – 18 school year, a different presenter will speak to our youth about leadership, civic responsibility, goal setting, financial responsibility, physical well-being, along with other related topics.
It is the hope that this series will help build the leadership capacity of our youth. In conjunction with the ‘Bigger. Faster. Stronger.’ program offered Monday – Thursday each week, the primary focus is on our student-athletes, however, all Algoma High School students and staff are welcome to attend any of the presentations.
If you have any questions about the program please contact Teal VanLanen: TVanLanen@alghs.k12.wi.us.
Focus Fridays are held at the Algoma High School in the Little Theater from 3:05 – 3:25 p.m. Please consult the schedule below for speaker and topic information for each session.
Presentation videos are posted as soon as they become available. Click on the date/title in the right-hand menu to access each video.
Focus Friday Schedule
Speakers, topics, and schedule are subject to change.
April 27, 2018 Video coming soon
Topic: Shaping your financial future – everything your parents wished they had known!
Presenter: Chas Hartl
As a high school student your financial “slate” is clean. You’ve yet to impact yourself in a positive or negative way. This session will focus on a few things that your parents wish they would have known when they were younger, that will help set you up for financial success in the future.
Chas Hartl – Retail Product Specialist – Nicolet National Bank. Chas was born and raised in Door County, and like many of you, dreamed of the day she would leave and pursue her dreams far away from the prying eyes of her parents. She is a proud alumnus of Carthage College where she majored in Education and minored in History.
Though she never took the traditional route and taught in a school she has been in banking for 17 years and has been teaching both internally, where her primary focus is on products and services, and externally in our communities, providing financial education seminars. She is passionate about helping people gain control of their finances and feels honored to be a part of their journey. Chas currently resides in Sturgeon Bay with her husband and two children .
May 4, 2018 Video coming soon
Topic: Truth Revealed Through Travel
Presenter: Melissa Scheck
Ever had the desire to pack a bag, board a plane, and explore the world? Ms. Melissa Scheck has visited 15 different countries and each travel adventure has taught another valuable lesson. Come ready to hear crazy stories, learn travel hacks, and be inspired to plan your next adventure!
Melissa Scheck – Melissa Scheck has been a middle school/high school English teacher in Algoma for seven years; she also serves as librarian for the 7-12 building. She earned her undergraduate degree from UW-Green Bay and her Masters in Library Information Science from UW-Madison. Growing up in Florida but vacationing during the summers in Door County, Melissa loved travel from an early age. Her first international trip was a month-long trip to Australia when she was 16. Holding a koala and snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef were some of the highlights of that trip! Greece is next on her travel bucket list for summer 2018.
May 18, 2018 Video coming soon
Topic: Use Social Media For Positive Change
Presenter: Drew Martin
Social media can be used for many things: marketing, personal thoughts, and life events to name a few. There are powerful tools out there to make our voices heard. Have you ever thought of using social media to impact positive change? To make a difference in the world around you? Come to find out how we can leverage social media to organize, engage, and activate others in a social movement.
Drew Martin – Andrew (Drew) Martin is currently the Senior Manager at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. He works exclusively for the 100 Million Healthier Lives team. 100 Million Healthier Lives is an unprecedented collaboration of change agents across sectors who are pursuing an unprecedented result; which is to fundamentally transform the way the world thinks and acts to improve health, wellbeing, and equity to get to breakthrough results. Prior to his role at IHI, Drew worked as an executive for a social service non-profit that served thousands of clients annually in Chicago’s most underrepresented communities. His passion for community development continues through board memberships for organizations that serve underperforming high school students and young adults living with autism.
May 25, 2018 Video coming soon
Small Town Politics- How to get involved. Presenter: Mayor Wayne Schmidt
June 1, 2018
Final Focus Friday of 2018. We are going to review the speakers and topics that were presented for the past school year and have both written and verbal dialogue about the following:
- What is one take away you gained from Focus Friday? (If you have more we’d love to hear or read about them)
- What presentations or speakers did you connect with?
- Who would you like to see come back again?
- What improvements or suggestions do you have?
- Do you have other suggestions or feedback from which we can grow?
A handout has been prepared with pictures of each speaker. Next to the picture there will be a short summary or description of their presentation. Please bring a pencil/or pen and your willingness to have an open dialogue about Focus Friday.
Focus Fridays Videos