We’re not a full month past the most celebrated holiday season and most of us have to admit that family celebrations can be stressful. You may not have wanted to invite the sister who criticizes everyone, the uncle who challenges everyone to an arm wrestling match, the aunt who uses profanity at the dinner table, […]
My Family Is Familiar Read More »
I remember working with a group of youth a few years ago who had been given a school assignment to write their obituary. How morbid! I remember saying to myself, “Why would you ask teens to think about their deaths instead of their lives”. Young people surrounded by crime, poverty, and disappointment don’t need to
A Life List Is Better Than A Bucket List Read More »
Dictionary.com defines a mentor as a wise and trusted counselor or teacher. During National Mentoring Month, I want to offer to you that your life is either a cautionary tale or a positive example. With that being said, you can be a role model or a mentor to someone you may not know personally based on
Mentors, Goal Achievers, Game Changers Read More »
Here we are in the second week of January and most people have already let their New Year’s Resolutions fall by the wayside. According to some statistics about 45% of Americans make New Year’s Resolutions and only about 8% of us keep them. Nearly 25% of resolutions are broken in the first week of the
I Am… And You Are? Read More »
I love my iPhone. I can listen to music, send emails, record my grocery list, post to social media, take photos and A LOT more on a device that fits in my back pocket. In this technology obsessed culture I know that I’m not the only one that often wonders how I got
There Are Many Ways To Be A Mentor Read More »
Expressing your individuality and challenging social norms can be difficult in a culture that emphasizes conformity and fitting in. I am writing this blog to challenge you to begin the New Year with a renewed commitment to living life with purpose and pride. Take some time today to set the tone for how you want
What Does Success Mean To You? Read More »
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I have said my good-bye to 2012 and welcomed in 2013 with an expectation of abundance in all areas of my life. I am grateful to all of the people who helped shape my values, views, and victories. The one sentence that sums up my 2012 is “leap and the net
2012 Year In Review Read More »
December 2012 was a month of pride and enlightenment at The Teen Toolbox. We hosted our 6th Annual PACK A PURSE™ Drive and collected and distributed 705 purses and other bags filled with personal hygiene items to teen girls in foster care in 17 organizations. We were also greatly inspired by the seven women
Thank You For Sharing Your Foster Care Journey Read More »
Latrice Ware was born and raised in Ohio. She was in kinship care until age 12 and then went into the foster care system at age 13 after her grandmother had a stroke. Latrice was placed in three foster homes. Latrice questioned how a stranger could love a child that wasn’t theirs. Her foster mother’s
Latrice Ware, Mentor, Advocate, Foster Care Alumni Read More »
SPOTLIGHT Teen of the Month Jordan W. December 2012 Jordan W. is a 19 year old college freshman attending McNeese State University in Louisiana on a Division I basketball scholarship. Jordan began playing basketball during his sophomore year in high school. Basketball has given him a goal to strive for and a more
SPOTLIGHT on Jordan W. Read More »