LILI BERNARD
 
Fine Artist
 
Honoring Father God, Mother Nature & the Human Race

PHOTO ALBUM: Youth Mentoring           Return to Main Page            

"My Brother Gabriel"

Oil on Canvas 40"x20"

© 1993 Lili Bernard

Contact Lili
 

I have mentored youth my whole adult and teenage life. Recently, I incorporated a nonprofit youth arts mentoring program entitled ¡HABLA! Harvesting Asian, Black, Latino Artists. In 2001, I founded and chartered the nonprofit, all volunteer-run organization, City of Angels Little League (CALL) which serves youth in central Los Angeles. I function as an active board member in the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) of my sons' school in Los Angeles. In Harlem New York, I ran a youth mentoring program which brought in weekly guest speakers to disadvantaged youth. As a young adult and teenager, I coached gymnastics, taught English, and served as a camp counselor to youth in both Japan and the US, where I also coached Little League baseball. Below are some letters, articles and pictures of my work in youth mentoring.

For more information as well as articles and letters of support, regarding my work mentoring youth, click here for my youth mentoring page.

MARCH 2007 PICTURES OF MY WORK WITH THE CITY OF ANGELS LITTLE LEAGUE (CALL) WHICH I FOUNDED AND CHARTERED IN 2001
   
 

Here I am with some of our Minor League Girls Softballers

  Here I am with some of our Minor and Major League Boys
   
 
Dedicated team mom's Charlotte Myhr (left) and Melissa Ince (right) and I man the snack bar, during our sons' Rookie League game. Our league is 100% volunteer run, from the president (me) on up and down.
 
Fellow team parent Mathew Kennedy, Esq., babysits my fifth-born son while I serve in the snack bar, during two of my sons' Rookie game, while my husband coaches our eldest son in his Minor League game.
   
 
Three of my sons with some of their Rookie Ball teammates
 
Reciting the Little League Pledge at the 2007 Opening Ceremony with Team Manager Rick Suh (foreground, a founding CALL board member) and coach Armondo Ortega (background).
   
 
Some of our devoted CALL coaches. The rainbow demographics of our league reflect the diversity of the community which we serve.
 
My husband Franklin (left) is the Vice President of CALL and has been serving as the mastermind behind our league, since 2002.
 

FALL 2006 PICTURES OF MY WORK AS A PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION (PTO) BOARD MEMBER OF OUR SONS' SCHOOL

I designed and organized our First Annual Career Day and First Annual Back to School Potluck

 
I've been a PTO board member at our sons' school since the inception of the board and designed and organized our schools First Annual Career Day, which occurred in November of 2006.  All of the 18 speakers were either parents or aunts and uncles of students. Here I am on Career Day with my 5th-born and one of the elaborate photo-illustrated Career Day brochures I designed.
 
The speakers presented (in panels of two) to each classroom (grades K-8) in rotations. Here, mom Lynn Barrie and dad Robert Floyd presented their careers in the entertainment industry. Lynn is Vice President of Comedy Development for 20th Century Fox. Robert Floyd is a TV and film actor and was featured in the film Godzilla, among many other projects.
     
 
Mom Esther Ahn (Duplicate Manager for fashion company Rock & Republic) donated the red T-shirts for everyone, which I designed.
  Mom and Freelance designer Bali James shows her portfolio to a class of first graders. Her son is in the sixth grade.
     
 
My brother, José Rodríguez, PhD, spoke on his career as a Physics Professor. Here he gives a demonstration to 4th graders.
 
My brother's co-panalist was clinical scientist-mom Marilou Estandarte-Dichoso, MD. She's a VP at California Clinical Trials.
     
 
Dad Gold K. Kim describes his career in commercial real estate.   Attorney mom Viiu Spangler-Khare, Esq., shares her background.
     
 
My husband, Career Day Speaker, Franklin Ferguson, Esq. (civil rights attorney) enjoys snacktime with our eldest son (far left) and his 4th grade peers.
 
Mom Karen Cruz (LA County Deputy Sheriff) and Uncle Freddy Arroyo (LAPD Robbery & Homicide Detective) present their careers.
     
 
Doctor Moms Mercedez Narez (Family Physician, sitting) and Portia D, Turner (Dentist/Surgeon) present to the eighth graders.
 
Dads Thaddeus Duffelmeier (Registered Nurse, right) and Don Lee Cho (Licensed Acupuncturist, left) speak to 2nd graders.
     
 
High school teacher and dad Kevin Glynn encourages the students to consider a career in education.
  Mom Veronica Hinestrosa presents her career as a pre-K special education teacher. That's my second born son, smiling.
     
 
Volunteer mom and fellow PTO board member Wenda Evans shows the "Your Time is UP! Thanks!" card to the speaker.
 
My youngest son and the 17 of the 18 Career Day Speakers.  Missing, due to a family emergency, is dad Jye Hoon Kang (CPA).
 
Here I am, in October 2006, with my fifth-born son and our school principal (middle) and fellow PTO board member Heather Fonseca (right) at our school's First Annual Back to School Potluck, which Heather and I organized.
 
We blessed the food before we ate. The food reflected the wonderful ethnic mix of families in our school.
     
 
We played several rounds of tug-o'-war. That's my third-born son in the front, in red.
 
Parents Hugo Fonseca and Yami Arroyo cheer the girls on. The girls ruled!!!!
     
 
Lining up for the wheelbarrow race   Mom Helen Glynn steers a student
     
 
Dad David Muir joins students in the egg and spoon race. My eldest son is in red.  In crowds, my sons wear identical bright-colored shirts, so that my husband and I can spot the five of them.
  My second-born son and his classmate cross the finish line in the three-legged race.

1992-1993 PICTURES OF MY WORK MENTORING YOUTH IN MY HARLEM, NEW YORK PROGRAM

 
I used my my connections in the entertainment industry and elsewhere to bring in dynamic guest speakers every week into the 8th grade classroom of the St. Aloysius School in Harlem where I ran a youth mentoring program.  Here I am in the classroom with guest speakers Deon Richmond and Merlin Santana (1976-2002)
 
I ran the mentoring program in 1992 and 1993, until I moved to Los Angeles.  The program received quite a bit of attention in the press.  Here are Merlin and Deon with the entire 8th grade class. I had co-starred with Merlin and Deon in an episode of The Cosby Show where I played the zany and very pregnant Mrs. Minifield.
     
 
Here I am in the classroom with my husband (then boyfriend) Franklin Ferguson, during his day as a guest speaker.  At that time (1992), Franklin was a law student at NYU.  To the left is Sister Catherine, the teacher who made the initial contact with me.
 
Franklin at the chalkboard, giving his talk.  I instructed the guest speakers to talk on their background, their accomplishments and the steps they took in arriving at their careers. The student to the right is holding a tape recorder. We tape recorded every session.
     
 
My dear friend Deborah Gregory ("Cheetah Girls" Author/Creator) talks about her career in creative writing and journalism.
 
Mel Davis, executive of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and former Nicks legend brought NBA caps for all the students.
     
 
Music Industry Lawyer and co-author of "Bling", Reggie Ossé, took a break from his post as attorney for Def Jam Records to come mentor the children for an afternoon.
 
Professional comic and robotics engineer Wil Sylvince does a robotics demonstration for the children. Thereafter, he sampled some of his stand-up routine.
     
 
Joe Brewster, MD (Psychiatrist and filmmaker) captivated the kids.   Sybil Anderson, MD, talks to the children about medical school.
     
 
After the children graduated from 8th grade, I continued the program in my home.  Here I am with a fellow mentee and guest speaker actress/writer/producer Joie Lee (Spike Lee's sister) at my home.
 
Here's Joie in my home with the St. Aloysius children. Joie was in development for her wonderful film "Crooklyn" which she wrote, produced and starred in.
     
 
Kim Barker, Esq. speaks to the children about law school.   I kept in touch with the children after I moved to Los Angeles. Here we are in 1995, during one of my visits back home to Harlem.

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All photographs © 2007 Lili Bernard