Posts by etladmin
Why We Work With Those Who Work With Youth
Working with youth is about touching the future and making a difference in someone else’s life when the impact of your work is magnified by the recipient themselves. Youth are like sponges, soaking up as much as possible so they can figure out how to navigate the world. People who work with youth experience the…
Read MoreWhat Picture Do You See?
Recently I was channel surfing, disappointed that I wasn’t finding something to pique my interest. Just about when I had given up, I happened upon a PBS channel that I didn’t even realize was in my service area. A young man was talking about his passion for rescue animals and how in trying to save…
Read MoreChanging the Learning Experience for Youth
What sort of experience do we want youth to have in our afterschool and other out-or-school time programs? The Learning in Afterschool and Summer Principles capture this clearly—learning that is active, collaborative, meaningful, develops skills and broadens horizons. Experiences for youth that embody these principles are key to closing the opportunity gap and creating citizens…
Read MoreLeaving a Legacy–Why Is It Important?
When you are young one of the last things you are thinking about is leaving a legacy. Your focus is on the here and now—the living you are trying to make and the lifestyle you are eager to create. What if there was a way to also create a legacy that you probably wouldn’t even…
Read MoreThe Importance of a Lot from a Little
There is an old adage that states, “Many hands make hard work light.” This thought is absolutely correct. It is very difficult to do things alone, to ensure that change occurs, to make sure that every t” is crossed and every “i” is dotted. But when we work together, the load is easier to carry…
Read MoreBeing a Role Model for a Group of Youth
A positive role model is someone who others look up to and admire. A role model is someone that others want to emulate. Simply through “being”, a role model is inspirational and motivational. Others can see the possibilities of themselves in the role model. A role model demonstrates self-confidence but is not overbearing and arrogant. …
Read MoreEmpowerment
What if you had the capacity to empower youth to exceed beyond all expectations? What if you had the opportunity to empower role models and mentors for youth to be a guide for those who come to them looking for support? What if you could impact the lives of youth and change the path a…
Read MoreMany Hands Make Hard Work Light
What do hands, synergy and recycling have in common? How do these three distinct things connect? When I was young, my mother used to tell my sister and me, “many hands make hard work light.” We knew that those weren’t her words originally, I’m not sure how, but we got the message. She expected us…
Read MoreImpact
Margaret Mead (1901-1978) was an American cultural anthropologist who was often a featured writer and speaker in the 1960s and 1970s. She worked to explain the human condition and why people do what they do. One of her most famous quotes, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;…
Read MoreDeveloping Grit
Don’t know about you, but when I hear the word “grit”, the first thinking I think about is the old John Wayne movie (I know, they’ve remade it recently) “True Grit”. Whether you watched the John Wayne or the Jeff Bridges version, you know that the person with grit is the young woman, Mattie Ross,…
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