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Reflections of a Foster Child

By Nicki Sanders | Oct 30, 2013 | 0 Comments

Reflections of a Foster Child   When you see a child in care, when you see me… Answer this question, what do you see?   Do you see resiliency? Do you see what I plan to be?   I don’t think so, I think you see the system because to you, I have no face! […]

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SPOTLIGHT On Jordan F.

By Nicki Sanders | Oct 28, 2013 | 0 Comments

Jordan F. is an 8th grade student in Georgia. He entered foster care at 7 years old and was shuffled around in several homes before arriving at his adoptive parents’ home when he was 10. Jordan spent six years of his young life in foster care before being adopted one year ago.   Jordan is […]

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Are You Ready To Join Them?

By Nicki Sanders | Oct 25, 2013 | 0 Comments

In case this is your visit to our website, allow me to introduce myself.   My name is Nicki Sanders, Chief Visionary Officer of The Teen Toolbox. Our mission is to help teenagers make a smoother transition into adulthood. I’m a Mother, Youth Advocate, Life Skills Expert, Entrepreneur, and Trainer. I developed our Packaged For […]

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12th Annual Jannie P. Hayes Adoption Awards Gala

By Nicki Sanders | Oct 23, 2013 | 0 Comments

Coalition of Adoption Programs 12th Annual Jannie P. Hayes Adoption Awards Gala “Celebration of Champions”   Saturday, November 2, 2013 Bay Ridge Christian Church 1071 Bay Ridge Road Annapolis, MD 7:30 PM Semi-formal attire Purchase tickets here   Previously called the Annual Academy Awards of Adoption, the event has been renamed after the founder, Mrs. […]

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Unconditional Love and Life-Long Connections

By Nicki Sanders | Oct 21, 2013 | 0 Comments

This past weekend I attended yet another funeral. A classmate I had known since elementary school passed suddenly. This friend and I graduated from elementary school, junior high school, and high school together. Many of our classmates celebrated his life together this weekend because we were more than classmates. We were a family and three decades later […]

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Tools For Independent Living

By Nicki Sanders | Oct 18, 2013 | 0 Comments

Did You Know? Unemployment rates for adults under 25 has been as high as 54% in recent years. National unemployment averages for teens remains above 20% Fifty-three percent of 18-24 year olds have never moved out or have returned to their parents homes.   Due to the economic downturn, young adults are facing tough employment […]

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How Did You Get Hired?

By Nicki Sanders | Oct 16, 2013 | 0 Comments

Today it is all about YOU! Understanding yourself better will always help you understand others better.   How did you get hired?   I want you to dig a little deeper than how you landed your current position. What experiences, goals, values, opportunities, and skills helped you get hired?  Why did you apply for the […]

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Teens and the Government Shutdown

By Nicki Sanders | Oct 14, 2013 | 0 Comments

For years, many well-meaning adults advised students to pursue a job with the federal government or a large corporation. Jobs that provided a sense of security by way of a steady paycheck, good health care coverage, paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, regular cost of living increases, and upward mobility. Other sought after benefits include […]

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Something Of Their Own

By Nicki Sanders | Oct 11, 2013 | 0 Comments

This past summer, I witnessed two professionals with different backgrounds having a polite but serious disagreement about whether a workforce readiness program should be limited to youth in foster care or expanded to include other disconnected young people.   The “Educator” was advocating for an exclusive group despite the fact that in her previous “mixed” […]

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