Professional Development

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

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

Every year, over 1.2 million students drop out of high school in the United States alone. That’s a student every 26 seconds – or 7,000 a day.   Jaden Smith’s parents are well-connected, multi-millionaire celebrities. He and his well-known siblings have starred in movies, released hit albums, and traveled the world on private jets with

Last year I facilitated a workshop titled “Packaged For Success: 5 Steps To Help Transition-Aged Youth Excel” at the 32nd Annual Maryland Association of Resources for Families and Youth (MARFY) Conference. I also served as Moderator for the youth panel.   This year I am assisting with the planning ad organizing of the first MARFY

My awesome business coach, Dr. Linette Montae, posed a question on Facebook that I want to pose to you.   Question of the Day: What’s one thing you could learn from your high school self?   The thing that I can learn from my high school self is to ASK questions. I have always been

Last night I watched the finale on Rachel vs Guy Kids Cook Off on The Food Network. Eight young chefs competed for a title and their own webs series on FoodNetwork.com. Ten year old Brandon was the winner.  These kids really made some really complex dishes.Although I did not see the three prior episodes in

I facilitated a team building session for at a staff retreat for an awesome organization on Wednesday – Challenger Independent Living Inc. I’m writing this blog to give a shout out to “The Winners”.  You’re wondering who “The Winners” aren’t you? I used various methods to divide staff into groups and various activities to allow

I dedicate this post and my LOVE to my great grandparents and grandparents. #Blessed #Grateful #Loved #Supported #Inspired   Related Post: I’m Living A Legacy   Nicki Sanders, MSW, Chief Visionary Officer The Teen Toolbox utilizes youth portfolio development and civic engagement and academic empowerment strategies to help teens set goals for life after high

I don’t generally write about the details of my personal life in this blog or on social media but I couldn’t shake the thoughts today. I’ve attended 4 funerals in 6 weeks. Five funerals in total this year. This is so foreign to me at this stage in my life. In the late 1980’s and

1. Begin Each Day In A Positive Way – The way you start your day has a powerful impact on how you end your day. Set your intention on having a good day. Things won’t always go as planned but you can better manage the roller coasters of life when you begin on a solid