FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Debra J. Slover
541.928.2232

Personal Leadership and Educational Needs around the Globe

November 16, 2007 – Albany, OR - Mark Beattie, a doctoral candidate from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington is currently working on his dissertation: The Role of Education in Economic Development: A Phenomenlogical Study through NetTel@Africa at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. He has learned first hand: no electricity, no teachers, no books, no computers equals no education. When he visited the Head Matron of a nearby and recently built school, he asked about computers, she asked about electricity. The school has a 450 student waiting list to begin secondary school. The building is missing the necessary infrastructure: electricity, water, teachers, desks, and books to open its doors. The village just received its first water tank a just a few weeks.

As part of Mark's awareness of the need to assist countries whose economic and political situations have precluded the introduction of systems to achieve their goal of education for all, he maintains, via the worldwide web, a network of individuals with similar interests can make a difference.

When Debra J. Slover received correspondence from Mark about his blog http://beattie.edublogs.org/ she responded by donating copies of her book, U.N.I.Q.U.E.: Growing the Leader Within. After considering the needs of the area, Debra thought the books would help Mark develop the leadership that is so important to help advance the countries goal to provide an education to everyone as a social right.

Mark had used Debra's book as the required text for a Service-Learning course he created and conducted in the Bachelor of General Studies (BSG) Program at Gonzaga University last summer. The learning objectives of the course began with an eight-week personal journaling using the exercises outlined in the book to have the students discover their unique leadership attributes and understand the six leader-friendly gardening practices for growing the metaphorical Leadership Garden™ she advocates for everyone. During the Leadership Garden Course, the students planted an actual garden, with produce donated to the Spokane Valley Food bank, while learning of global issues around food including water scarcity, genetic modification, food safety, and sustainable economics. It was Mark’s goal to have the students think globally and act locally and Debra was delighted with the opportunity to visit the student this last summer and meet Mark personally.

In his correspondence about the school in Dar es Salaam, Debra learned from Mark how important - really crucial – gardens are to the people who live and work there. He described the Doctor at the hospital who did surgery in the morning and then went to work in the garden in the afternoon so that there would be food for the patients. Debra saw this as a chance to help them grow one the eleven million Leadership Gardens she wants to plant around the Globe.

In her book, the Leadership Garden is an abstraction described in a fable used to illustrate leadership gardening principles and practices you need to thrive. Debra felt that the concepts would be easily understood and applied by people who so directly relate to the garden as a means of sustenance.

In so doing, Debra can advance her primary goal of helping others understand that they are the only true leaders of their lives and give them the tools to grow and sustain a prosperous Leadership Garden and assist Mark is his vision to make a difference on the planet.

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Debra J. Slover is the author of U.N.I.Q.U.E.: Growing the Leader Within and is an inspirational speaker, trainer, and coach to grow and sprout Leadership Garden greatness. Her goal is to plant 11 million Leadership Gardens worldwide by 11/11/2011. Debra is a graduate of Oregon State University and has 27 years experience training and empowering youth and adult leaders. To learn more, visit her blog: www.leadershipgardencoach.com or web site: www.leadergardenpress.com

U.N.I.Q.U.E.: Growing the Leader Within is available at shop.leadergardenpress.com or www.Amazon.com. The newly released audio version of U.N.I.Q.U.E.: Growing the Leader Within is also available in CD or MP3 format online at shop.leadergardenpress.com

For a media review copy of U.N.I.Q.U.E.: Growing the Leader Within or to arrange for an interview please contact Ms. Slover at the email or phone number below:

541-928-2232