Stacey Bess is an inspirational educator and author who speaks on the importance of service, mentorship and leadership, and overcoming adversity. Drawing on her fascinating and inspirational personal story – teaching homeless children in a small shed known as The School with No Name – she offers powerful insights and lessons that audiences yearning to make a difference can apply to their community or organization.
Through ups and downs and many personal struggles – including a battle with thyroid cancer—Bess taught kindergarten through sixth grade for 11 years at The School with No Name, an experience that effected a profound change in the teacher as well as her students. During that time she discovered that, by teaching and modeling love, self worth, personal power, and courage, she could reach children with no homes and little hope, children who had previously been labeled “unteachable.” These children grew into living proof that Bess’ methods work. To inspire and motivate others with a passion for service, Bess penned the memoir Nobody Don’t Love Nobody, which was adapted into the April 2011 Hallmark Hall of Fame movie Beyond the Blackboard starring Emily VanCamp.
After she published her first book and gained the support of the Utah community, Bess gained international recognition for her unusual success with “hopeless” children. She has won prestigious land national and International awards. A highlight came when she was honored with the esteemed National Jefferson Award for Greatest Public Service along with First Lady Barbara Bush, Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackman, and Ambassador Walter Annenberg.
Stacey Bess earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Utah and continues to be a leading advocate in the nation for the educational rights of impoverished children. A dynamic and powerful speaker, she engages groups large and small, sharing the story that changed her life as she taught and nurtured hundreds of underprivileged children. Her story continues to change lives as her audiences are inspired to become more involved in their own communities.
In this presentation, speaker Stacey Bess offers three powerful lessons that can change the life of a child, build and empower a family, and improve a community. She shares these lessons by recounting stories as seen through the eyes of underprivileged children.
Powerful and dynamic, speaker Stacey Bess engages groups by sharing the story that changed her life as she taught and nurtured hundreds of underprivileged children. She speaks on the importance of service, mentorship and leadership, and overcoming adversity. Drawing on her fascinating and inspirational personal story – teaching homeless children in a small shed known as “The School with No Name” – she offers powerful insights and lessons that inspire audiences to become more involved in their own communities.
All women have a story to tell. Speaker Stacey Bess engages her audiences by sharing her personal story of triumph over all odds to create a school for underprivileged children. She challenges her audiences to use their own trials and triumphs to make a difference in their communities. Bess teaches women that it is important to commit to what you believe in: don’t be afraid to stand up and make a difference!
Through the eyes of at risk populations Stacey teaches her audiences the importance of building a stronger community. She emphasizes trust, follow through and commitment. She believes that in order to build trust, we need to listen more and act with courage and accountability. Stacey also expresses through her stories of triumph and tragedy that our accountability to ourselves and others defines our character. Audiences laugh and cry as they recognize that they are capable of building strong connections to the people they serve. They leave this presentation inspired to make that difference and with the tools necessary to begin today.
What are you going to be today?
Leadership is not about you .. Its about you serving.
Adaptability is the greatest gift you can give to others.
When we invest in a child, we lift their family and change our communities for the better. This is a call to action in behalf of all children regardless of economics.
Let Stacey take you on a journey into her world and you will leave wanting to be a volunteer in the schools.
"It was a pleasure for our campus to host the Midwest premier of Beyond the Blackboard. It was an inspirational movie and our community and campus audience were treated to a great evening. Beyond that, Stacey appeared in several campus venues with students and faculty. She is an effective communicator of the values and techniques of great teaching. She has been where the toughest educators labor, and did it with skill and passion. Southern Nazarene University would welcome her again as she shared values of genuine care and concern for students that we try to teach. I highly recommend her to any audience who wants to understand the challenges of education today, and who wants to hear from a person who knows how to get it done, even in the most difficult circumstances." -Southern Nazarene University
"I would personally like to thank you for coming to speak at my school last night. I was truly inspired by your story after recently viewing your movie Beyond the Blackboard and getting to hear you firsthand was a testament that no matter the circumstances one starts out with, there is always a bright light to be illuminated if one is dedicated and passionate enough to make the best out of their situation. I will definitely use your experience as motivation when I have a classroom of my own to let my students know that I have compassion and care for each and every one of them, no matter what background they may come from." -Student, St. John’s University
"Stacey Bess captivated a group of close to 400 women at our event for Nurture Home, a homeless shelter. The event, called Hearts for Hope and Homes, was an idea to inform our audience of the needs of homeless mothers and their children as well as inform our community of the mission of Nurture Home. The experience of working with APB and Stacey was smooth and not at all intimidating as this was our first event of this type. Thank you for your role in our successful event!" -Mental Health America of Aiken County