Inkandescent Kids

What were James and Dolley Madison really like?

For insights into the lives of these founders of the country, we visited with Kat Imhoff, who has been president of The Montpelier Foundation since January 2013.

You’ll be fascinated and delighted to learn more about this couple, including how quickly they married.

Did you know:

After a brief courtship spanning the spring and summer—26-year-old widow Dolley Payne Todd married 43-year-old Congressman James Madison on September 15, 1794. Her first husband, John Todd, died of yellow fever in 1793. As Madison continued to rise in the political ranks, first as Thomas Jefferson’s secretary of state and then as two-term president of the United States, from 1809-1817, Dolley served as a dynamic political partner, national hostess, and first lady. Since Thomas Jefferson was a widower when he was president of the United States, Dolley assisted him with the social functions of the administration. After Madison’s stint as president, James and Dolley retired to Montpelier in 1817 where they managed a large plantation, entertained hundreds of visitors, and jointly edited Madison’s significant political papers—including his notes on the Constitutional Convention. Madison predeceased Dolley by 13 years, after which she traveled back and forth between Montpelier and Washington, DC, before permanently settling in the nation’s capital in 1844. read more...

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On this episode of David Bruce Smith’s Grateful American™ Series, you’ll head inside the home of founding father Alexander Hamilton.

The Hamilton Grange National Memorial is a National Park Service site in upper New York City. And to talk about the home, Hamilton, and the impact he made on American history is Liam Strain — who currently serves as District Ranger for a collection of individually legislated units of the National Park System that also includes Grant’s Tomb and Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace N. Memorial. read more...

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For American history buffs, there’s nothing quite like visiting the home of a former president. And when that president is one of the nation’s most revered and beloved, as is Abraham Lincoln, it’s especially meaningful to meander through his summer home in Washington, DC.

David Bruce Smith and Hope Katz Gibbs were thrilled to sit down for an interview with Erin Carlson Mast, executive director of President Lincoln’s Cottage at The Soldiers’ Home, which stands just 3.5 miles from the White House. read more...

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We are here today at the hq of SeriousFun in Westport, CT with Alyson Fox, Director of Global Partnership Program of the SeriousFun Children’s Network.

Founded in 1988 by actor Paul Newman, this incredible program serves more than 440,000 children who are suffering from illnesses in more than 50 countries. It has 30 initiatives worldwide, including 14 full member camps, 13 Global Partnership Programs, and 3 new camps in development.

Alyson (aka: Aly) has been with the organization since 2005, first as part of the New Camp Development team, supporting camp founders from their first inspiration of building a camp all the way to opening their doors for their first campers. In 2008, she transitioned to the new Global Partnership Program (GPP), building it from a pilot of three camp partnerships to a network of 13 camps and growing. She took on the role of Director of GPP in November 2012. read more...

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Do you have a budding entrepreneur in the house?

The founders of Tomorrow’s Lemonade Stand (TLS) think you do — and their community of little ladies and mini men promote and instill the spirit of entrepreneurship for girls and boys in America.

“We empower them at an early age to become confident, self-reliant and capable individuals,” explains Amanda Antico, an entrepreneur herself, who saw a spark in her daughter Kylee — and was determined to keep it alive.

“Our focus is to instill the joys of being creative, taking a risk and finding a passion for children ages 7-11 (2nd-4th graders). read more...

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Reading Partners is a national nonprofit organization that provides volunteer-led, one-on-one literacy tutoring to more than 5,500 elementary school students in 103 schools in low-income communities across six states and the District of Columbia.

It delivers a highly effective, research-validated program that has helped thousands of children master the fundamental reading skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.

We are here today in Oakland, CA with the organization’s CEO, Michael Lombardo, to learn more about this exciting initiative, and how across the country, more and more leaders are recognizing how critically important it is for children to master reading in elementary school. read more...

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AUGUST 18, 2012

TODAY ON THE INKANDESCENT RADIO SHOW

Our spotlight is on: Danielle Goldstone, the Change Leader at Ashoka.

Our hot topic: How can you become more empathetic?

Your host: Hope Katz Gibbs, publisher of Be Inkandescent magazine, and founder & president of The Inkandescent Group, LLC

We are excited to be talking today to Danielle Goldstone on this episode of The Inkandescent Radio Show.

As a Change Leader at Ashoka, Goldstone heads up the international organization’s Start Empathy Initiative.. The mission, she explains, is to create a world where every child masters empathy. That is, they foster the ability to understand the feelings and perspectives of others and to use that understanding to guide their actions. read more...

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