Professional Development

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 Ways The Teen Toolbox Can Serve Your Youth   1)    Packaged For Success™ Portfolio Development Program for teens helps teens put their best foot forward! During our one day professional portfolio development seminar, young people discover their strengths, record their achievements, create their own definition of success, and develop goals and action steps.  The

SPOTLIGHT Teen of the Month Shorona L. November 2012   Shorona L. is a twenty year old junior in college in the state of New York.  Her hobbies include shopping, spending time with friends and family, and cooking.  Despite spending nine years in the foster care system, Shorona has decided to live life to the

I admit that it upsets me when Christmas decorations line the store shelves at the same time as Halloween decorations.  Commercialization can not only bombard us make us forget the real meaning of the Christmas season, but if we aren’t careful we can forget about Thanksgiving as well.  There are very few Thanksgiving movies on

What am I afraid to tell you? That’s a loaded question isn’t it?    What might a youth in foster care be afraid to tell their biological parent?   What might a youth in foster care be afraid to tell their social worker?   What might a youth in foster care be afraid to tell