Something New

Meet

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Meet

Our Staff

At Something New, our "staff" is a group of highly committed volunteers - our entire team donates their time and talent to make the world a better place. We have an incredible group of volunteers that are the heart and soul of our organization. We can't introduce you to all of them, but here are just some of the people leading us!
Jason Armstrong Photo

Jason Armstrong

Chief Executive Officer
Passionate world traveler, committed partner, a proud papa, loves equality, freedom and inclusion, doesn’t love being still for too long, seeks good food, fine wine and cold beer, always believes in underdogs, IS an underdog, bilingual nurse turned executive number cruncher, lives life BIG and in ALL CAPS.
Becca Armstrong Photo

Becca Armstrong

Executive Director
Longtime non-profit administrator, expertise in daily taxi service for her kids and their friends, partner to our CEO and believes we are better together. Passionate about different cultures, ice cream connoisseur, runner and yoga enthusiast. Loves the big city but loves being sent to all kinds of places to serve all kinds of people more.
Fontella Pappas Photo

Fontella Pappas

Development Director
Former cheerleader who never quit. Advocate for those hurting and hopeless. Kick-a** Realtor who uses her vocation to love and help people. Powerful force of positivity who makes people smile and feel better. Hates mediocrity. Loves God and her family. Seeks purpose in everything. Enjoys healthy food, a good glass of wine and yoga.
Gwen Brown Photo

Gwen Brown

Community Relations Director
Retired linebacker and sports announcer, motivational speaker, youth mentor, advocates for love and acceptance with her life, mother of one very bouncy baby boy, believes anything is possible, lives simply so others can simply live, inspired by Ghandi, sees potential in every person.
Ronald Smith Photo

Ronald Smith

New Way Director
Professional basketball player, fell on hard times, got back up, loves to see others succeed, pastor, preacher, Selma, AL native, friend, dynamic public speaker, loves equality and will fight for it, incredible dance moves.
Amanda Farnsworth Photo

Amanda Farnsworth

New Expression Director
Retired actress, passionate pianist, and vocalist who now channels her immense natural talent and energy toward youth in all of our locations, never sleeps, loves sweet tea, an advocate for young people like no other, believes EVERYONE can sing.
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Emily Mumford

New Alternative Director
Recent college grad, young professional working on a college campus, leads New Alternative in her spare time, embraces awkwardness in herself and others, loves community and family, believes good things are ahead.
Lee Farnsworth Photo

Lee Farnsworth

Nuevo Camino Program Specialist
Una mujer increíble. Loves culture and alternative education. Has traveled to 37 countries. Spanish teacher. Hippie with an edge. Gets seriously fired up over injustice. Believes EVERYONE is deserving of love, and gives her time to give it. Inspires people to change the world, one life, one smile, one hug, one ride at a time. Loves the truths of nonviolence and walks in them.
Robert Photo

Robert Botello

Nuevo Camino Program Director
Father of three spunky girls. Incredible chef. Teaches Spanish and cooking. Inspired by people who work to see the world get better. Works for it as well. Has a weakness for Oreos and milk. When not cooking, spends his time singing, acting and styling his daughters’ hair. Loves friendship and community. Hates Tupperware without lids. And injustice and the poor treatment of people considered “less”.
Alison Sheldon Photo

Alison Sheldon

New Expression Clarkston Program Specialist
Hard worker who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. Public servant with a heart for refugees. Arabic speaker. Soft spot for kids and those in need. Believes everyone can make a difference. Has committed her life to it. Lived in Jordan. Relocated to be a part of Something New. Courageous. Is happiest when she sees others, especially small people, HAPPY. Explorer at heart. Lover of all things international.
John and Kylie Gainey Photo

John and Kylie Gainey

Social Media Directors
Young attorneys. Long term civil rights advocates. Addicted to service, giving time, energy and resources to help others. And LaCroix. Passionate about seeing others overcome great odds. Seekers of good sushi and even mediocre pizza. He hates cynicism, loves satire. Amateur drone pilot. She loves dancing and the underdog. Born to be activists and fight for justice.
Carlos Photo

Carlos Tejada

Nuevo Camino Community Coordinator
Cusco native with a passion for fútbol, ceviche and justice. Family man. A friend to everyone he meets. Found his purpose in helping others discover peace. Amateur chef and salsa dancer. Believes every child deserves a chance to succeed. Dedicates his life to making that happen.

Meet Our Board

We also have a committed crew on our board of directors. Many of these individuals have been involved with us since the beginning and are well-respected community members. They help guide our organization and programs.
  • Dan Vaughn, Human Resources Executive
  • Mark Isherwood, Principal/Owner of a Media Production Firm
  • Jill Johnson, Wealth Management Executive
  • Jason Makaroff, Hospital Administrator
  • Scott Hadwiger, Operational Finance Director for International Retailer

Arts

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New Expression takes a different spin on youth arts. What’s different about it? Everything! Some details, please? We believe that performing and visual arts are an incredible way to develop self-expression, but the arts are just the beginning, and open the door to so much more. For starters, we aren’t about perfection or skill level. We don’t judge talent the way some do either. We are more interested in fun, creativity, authenticity, and helping young people find positive ways to impact the world around them.

The Back Story

New Expression (formerly Random Acts of Theatre Company) was founded in January of 2008, when a small group of service-minded young professionals felt inspired to design a program for young people. We hoped to create a space that was all-inclusive, focused on self-expression, and offered youth mentoring. We determined from the beginning that everyone was welcome, regardless of ethnicity, creed, gender, orientation, skill level, appearance, age, or experience. Our first production featured a diverse cast of 60 youth and adults, who performed Footloose: the Musical to sold-out audiences. We haven't slowed down since! Over the past nine years, New Expression has reached three states, with over 100 staff and volunteers, and thousands of participants over the years. Our young artists have performed more than fifty shows in cities across the country, including Washington, DC and New York. We have expanded our artistic scope beyond theatre and dance arts, into film production, spoken word, slam poetry, improv, music composition, sound design, writing, painting, and anything else our participants want to explore! Our continuing mission is to provide safe, inclusive, discrimination-free spaces for young people to develop their potential and discover their voices; where they can hone their artistic expression, have FUN, and build a community for more young people to join! Our primary aim is not to produce art, but rather to produce young, confident, humble leaders with hearts to give back. We currently host New Expression in two different communities in the Atlanta area -- Clarkston and Fayetteville E-mail: NewExpressionATL@somethingnew.org Leave us a message: (678) 664-4515

Service

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New Alternative celebrates the “crazy” in each one who chooses to spend their time learning about social justice issues and serving a community that is not their home. We love alternative breaks and partnering with colleges, universities and other groups who choose to spend their time this way. Over the past eight years, we’ve hosted thousands of college students from over 75 universities.

If you are looking for a fresh take on service-learning, we are happy you found our website! New Alternative is more than a service-learning trip. It is an intensive week-long leadership training that uses the principles of nonviolence to empower students to be change agents and community builders wherever they go. Our trips incorporate education, service opportunities and a lot of fun -- making for an experience that challenges and changes each participant. If you want to learn more, contact us!

New Alternative trips are designed with your group’s interests in mind. While no two trips are exactly alike, we focus on five common elements to create a meaningful experience:

  1. Participate in our intensive New Way training.
  2. Partner with local organizations for service projects.
  3. Learn about Atlanta’s roots in the struggle for equal rights by visiting local museums such as the King Center and Center for Civil and Human Rights.
  4. Debrief your daily experiences--we provide trip leaders with the level of support that’s right for their group, from full facilitation by an experienced group host to a set of tried-and-true guiding questions to a “hands-off” approach.
  5. Have fun and meet other like-minded individuals through nighttime activities--trivia, karaoke, and more!

Read on for an overview of the entire New Alternative service-learning break program.

PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY

We believe in the importance of blending education with service to provide Alternative Breakers with a week they will never forget. Groups generally participate in our New Way training, designed to foster open and supportive group dynamics, challenge personal biases, and prepare students for the ongoing practice of nonviolence. We will also work with your group to identify local organizations offering service opportunities that fit your group’s social justice interests. Whether you would like to serve homeless youth, support families starting over after entering the U.S. as refugees, participate in urban farming, or anything in between, we can help craft service days that give your group an outlet while also being a perfect complement to New Way training. Finally, we believe in working hard and having fun. Nighttime activities such as trivia and karaoke help to round out the experience and give alternative breakers a chance to meet others outside of their group. Read HERE to learn more about Who We Are.

GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS

Are you seeking a change more enduring than a fresh profile pic on Facebook? We encourage students to use their New Alternative experience to reflect on what they hope to get out of life and how to apply what they learn to directly impact their future.

While service is an important component of your trip, it is not the sole focus of our program, so it is important for groups considering our site to understand our emphasis on education and training. That said, we strive to customize each group’s visit to provide a well-balanced trip that incorporates the right amount of education and service.

Training

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When is the last time you went an entire day without being exposed to violence? Take in the news and you’re sure to hear about a bombing, war, shooting, or robbery. Attend class or a meeting and you’ll likely observe an insult, a cold shoulder, or some unresolved tension. On the road, aggressive drivers might lay on the horn or flash a one-finger salute. Even if you isolate yourself, it’s easy to feel self-hate or a negative thought toward someone. Conflict is everywhere. New Way’s goal is simple: train people to effectively and peacefully handle conflict. Our training inspires and educates individuals to think and act differently—to break free from their own prejudice, bias, conditioning and judgment, which then allows them to reconcile conflict instead of lashing out or holding grudges. When we take an honest and critical look at our preconceived notions and past experiences, we can embrace forgiveness, understanding, and acceptance. Our training sessions are hands-on, down to earth, relevant, and real. Applying the principles we teach is not easy or comfortable; it takes hard work and commitment. Interested? Let’s get started.

TRAINING OVERVIEW



Building on principles articulated and demonstrated by leaders such as Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the nonviolence method of conflict reconciliation can be powerfully applied to a wide variety of settings and issues. It has proven successful around the world in social movements, prison systems, school campuses, corporations, and personal relationships.

Our team has trained extensively with Dr. Bernard Lafayette (learn more about Dr. Lafayette here and here and here), who worked side by side with Dr. King and the other young leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King believed that nonviolence training was the key to really healing our country and allowing us to move forward.

In Selma, Alabama, our team gained practical experience using the principles of nonviolence as we worked to bridge divides in a deeply segregated town. The struggle became personal and every day that we worked toward building the beloved community, we realized that the real battle is within.  You can read some of our stories here.

We frequently draw on our experiences in delivering New Way training, and our hope is that behind the stories participants feel the spirit of the beloved community: that we are stronger together and community is about honoring and respecting each part that makes up the whole.  Our training techniques are interactive, creative and uniquely personal so that each participant walks away with insights and tools they can apply in their own corner of the world to be a difference-maker. Contact Barak@somethingnew.org to schedule a training for your group and to learn more about how New Way can help unite your team.

Give

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Give

Donations

Our “staff” is almost 100% volunteers. Our overhead is extremely low, and we work hard to ensure that your donations directly support the youth we serve. Since the start we have worked hard to focus on investing in the young people – whether we had the budget to do so or not. In order to grow and reach more youth, we need your help! New Alternative Students

Donate Online

You can make a secure donation online quick and easy with our Network For Good Donation Form!

Donate by Mail

You may send your donation to: Something New 1029 North Peachtree Parkway #268 Peachtree City, GA 30269
Make a matching gift
Your donation could be more through a matching gift from your company. Many companies offer matching gifts to qualifying non-profit organizations. We want your company to join us in offering Something New to young people across the country. We would love to help you apply for a matching gift. Contact Becca Armstrong at becca@somethingnew.org to learn more.

South America

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Something New will always be true to its name and will be on the lookout for new opportunities to make the world a better place. Our newest “new” is Nuevo Camino (New Path).

Our first location for Nuevo Camino is Cusco, Peru. Nuevo Camino helps abandoned and abused mothers and their children find a new path in life. It is a helping hand to those that are down in life, but not out.

New Alternative is also developing a program for service learning trips for Spring 2019. Contact Us to learn more.

North America

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While Something New calls Atlanta, GA home, our programs reach all corners of the United States. New Way trainers visit schools and college campuses across the country to teach conflict reconciliation and college students from all over visit us in Clarkston, GA to participate in our service learning program New Alternative. New Expression is also expanding its global reach with our program in Clarkston, GA that reaches young immigrants and refugees from around the world.

CONTACT INFO
Something New
1029 North Peachtree Parkway #268
Peachtree City, GA 30269
(678) 664-4515

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