A seventh grade boy struggles with the stress of living in a household of tension.  Arguing with his father, he cringes from the sound of his shouting voice.  The boy admits to himself that his life path will take a downward turn if he succumbs to his anger.  And so he writes from his heart to describe how the thoughtfulness of his sister inspires him to constructively manage his feelings.   Choosing a direction toward something positive, despite what circumstances might present, this boy’s story is just a snapshot of many stories written by seventh, eighth and ninth grade students for our exhibit, Who Inspires You?

Students at Pine Valley School in South Dayton, New York were given a list of nouns, which included integrity, creativity, strength and perseverance, as prompts to describe who inspired them to work toward these attributes. Although many students included family members or friends, a fair number of students also wrote about educators in their lives who prompted them to orient towards ‘the better angels’ within themselves. The exhibit was directly born out of Robert H. Jackson’s relationship with Mary Willard, his Jamestown High School English teacher and a lifelong source of inspiration to him.  To quote Jackson’s eulogy to Ms. Willard, “[n]o teacher of my time so completely identified herself with the interests and hopes and worries and pleasures of her students.”  It was she who planted the seeds to feed Jackson’s appetite for learning and who recognized  “youth as wholesome, its errors due to lack of guidance more than lack of right intent.”

Through Robert Jackson’s lifelong commitment to excellence, as inspired by Mary Willard and expressed in his unwavering dedication to justice, the Center believes that the heights to which a well fed mind can soar are limitless. The Center exists to create many sources of inspiration through its programming, exhibits and special events.  It provide forums through essay contests, author lectures, films and programming for the whole community to be inspired beyond the classroom and to nurture the best within each of us.

Over fifteen thousand visitors, including over five thousand students, visit the Center every year to see new and innovative programs.  Whether it’s listening to the experiences of a child soldier in Sierra Leone, hearing stories of hope from a Holocaust survivor who inspires young people to cherish their civil liberties, or being motivated to write life changing stories by an author who never dreamed of being a writer until he learned how it transformed other people’s lives, the Center is invested in providing these experiences for future generations.  Join us to motivate the young and old to think, read, write and speak in ways that engage citizens to address pressing issues of community, country and world.