As a child, daydreaming was one of my favorite activities. Or should I say, non-activities? I spent hours alone in my room with random thoughts wandering through my mind. I loved to think about patterns, people, and the mysteries of how things were connected. My parents believed I was doing […]
Creativity
A positive role model serves as an example–inspiring children to live meaningful lives. Role models show young people how to live with integrity, optimism, hope, determination, and compassion. They play an essential part in a child’s positive development. Natalie, age 18, described her role model as a person with “a […]
Integrity
Do you have green spaces within walking, driving, or public transport distance from your home? If you’re looking for positive ways to feel connected as a family, it’s time to get yourselves and your kids outdoors—into green spaces, parks, beaches, forests, backyards, and neighborhoods! The latest research is compelling about […]
Sociability
Your encouraging words for kids can help them thrive in school and life! How do your words matter? Positive words from parents, teachers, and mentors are a rich source of internal motivation and guidance to children and teens. Often, kids recall your words of encouragement for years to come. At […]
Compass-Inspired
Positive youth development is the practice of nurturing core internal strengths and abilities in children and teens. It is about providing opportunities for youth to believe in themselves and their abilities to influence their lives and the world around them. As families, schools, and communities, we share one goal. We want […]
Compass-Inspired
What is emotional intelligence? How do parents and teachers nurture it at home and in the classroom? What methods are working? Emotional intelligence (EI for short) has become a popular term since Daniel Goleman authored his book with the same title in 1995. Several decades of research not only confirms the […]
Sociability
Childhood trauma often occurs from distressing events or relationships that exceed a young person’s ability to understand or process a traumatic experience. Most of us link trauma with tragedies like mass shootings, rape, accidents, war, or natural disasters. But childhood trauma is also associated with “adverse childhood experiences” (ACES) including […]
Resilience
If you had to choose between teaching your child empathy or helping her study for tomorrow’s math test, which would you choose? If you had to choose between raising a kind child or making sure he was fully prepared for next week’s basketball tournament, which would you choose? Of course, […]
Empathy
At its core, creativity is about brewing new ideas. If you carefully observe children before the age of six, you’ll notice they are idea-generating enthusiasts! Why? Because humans are uniquely creative beings, born with a gift to create new ideas and innovative outcomes that evolve from their ideas. What happens […]
Creativity
When our daughter Sarah was in 7th grade, her Latin Class held student chariot races—reenacting a sport that began in ancient Greece. Sarah’s goal was to build the best chariot so she and her team could win the competition. It was a fun school project, and one that had the […]
Resourcefulness
We live in an age where integrity often takes a back seat to power and material success — where “the end justifies the means” is a mantra for too many adults who influence children. Nowhere has this mantra played out more publicly than in U.S. politics, where deceit, dishonesty, and […]
Integrity
The concept of self-awareness has intrigued philosophers since the dawn of antiquity. In today’s world, it’s a term that can easily be dismissed as frivolous self-absorption, or even worse, narcissism. Yet, self-awareness is a core ability that helps us gain a deeper understanding of how we think, feel, and act […]
Self-Awareness
