Successful kids get excellent grades, right? They play at least one sport very well. Successful kids do regular community service and, of course, take Advanced Placement courses. They attend the best colleges and attain great-paying jobs. Wait. If you’ve ever envisioned this fairy-tale definition of kids’ success, it’s time to […]
Compass-Inspired
Terrorism has become a sad and terrifying part of life in the 21st century. It is difficult enough for adults to understand and make sense of violent acts perpetrated against innocent people, but what about children? How do adults help kids make sense of terrorism while promoting children’s well-being at […]
Resilience
Do you parent, teach, or mentor a child with special needs? Of course you do! As you know, the term special needs is most often associated with disabilities. It usually refers to a child who needs special assistance or accommodations for medical, psychological, or learning deficits. But have we allowed […]
Self-Awareness
Lifelong learning is a buzzword in 21st century education. And for good reason. Becoming a seeker of lifelong learning is critical in today’s fast-changing world. Learning is not only a matter of absorbing information but a process of developing many other internal skills, like curiosity, perseverance, and the ability to […]
Curiosity
Can meditation positively affect teenagers’ lives? Absolutely it can! Research in neuroscience and attention provides evidence that meditation strengthens the neural systems of the brain that are responsible for concentration and generating empathy. Becoming more mindful helps children and adolescents better regulate how life circumstances impact their mental health. I […]
Self-Awareness
When David McCullough Jr. delivered the commencement address at Wellesley High School in Massachusetts in 2012, it turned out to be more special than anticipated. Why? Because McCullough was gutsy enough to speak words rarely heard by teenagers. “You are not special,” he said. “You are not exceptional.” As he […]
Compass-Inspired
For thousands of years, heroic stories have been used to inspire, motivate, and transfer cultural values to children. The stories have a common pattern. They begin with a likeable hero who encounters a challenge or roadblock in life. And then, with the help of others, the hero emerges from the […]
Resilience
The impact of media is a growing topic of research. And for good reason. In 1970, the average age at which children watched television was four years old. Today, the average age is four months. The typical child before the age of five is watching 4 ½ hours of television […]
Curiosity
Jake Bernstein, age 17, is a great example of how service-learning changes lives. In fact, in one of President Obama’s annual “Back-to-School” addresses, he praised three extraordinary high school students for giving back to their communities. One was Jake Bernstein. Jake volunteers with Autism Speaks and co-launched StLouisVolunteen.com with his […]
Empathy
Whew! I wrote over fifty articles this year on the topic of positive youth development! My articles were accessed by over 50,000 unique readers, tweeted thousands of times, reprinted in more than 20 online publications, and even translated into several languages! I am honored by your support. Thank you! In […]
Compass-Inspired
Were you one of the thousands of parents who recently left your college freshman in an unfamiliar place? For college freshmen and their families, September is usually a time of excitement and trepidation – an honored American rite of passage. But what has changed for you and your child? And […]
Resilience
Before my daughter entered elementary school, I knew she learned differently from other kids. But I always imagined that no matter how she learned, her future teachers would create an environment where she would thrive and we would work as partners to support her learning. My view of education was […]
Curiosity
