SO HOW DID THE WORKSHOP GO?

You might wonder why I haven’t posted since the Next Step Workshop three weekends ago. I am sort of wondering myself. I think the weekend was such a remarkable experience that I needed to assimilate it all before I posted.

I believe that each of us was deeply impacted by the events of those three days. It’s such a treasure to experience events that allow people, young and old alike, to understand that we each are unique and special and have important things to contribute to the world.

For some of us, this might have been the first time we’ve heard these words and the first time others affirmed our expanding concept of ourselves. For others of us, it confirmed and validated what we are up to in our lives.

I’ve spent the last three weeks reading, thinking, and expanding the vision of the impact we can make in our communities in Central Oregon. There is so much support “out there” and so many like-minded people “in here” that together WE WILL BE THE CATALYST that "energizes our families, schools, and neighborhoods to see the potential in each young person” as Peter Benson talks about in his book “Sparks”.

If this is your passion also, for starters go online to www.Search-Institute.org and print a copy of the 40 Developmental Assets for Adolescents, and order Benson’s book Sparks: How Parents Can Ignite the Hidden Strengths of Teenagers.

We're looking forward to 3 Challenge Days at Redmond High School on January 6th, 7th and 8th, and 1 day at Elton Gregory Middle School, also in Redmond, on the 9th, 2009. What an exciting way to start the new year, don't you think?

Please share your thoughts and ideas. It really does take a village to raise a child.

Next Step to Being the Change

Tomorrow Yvonne and Rich Dutra-St. John fly into Redmond, Oregon, from San Francisco to facilitate our Next Step to Being the Change Workshop we are holding this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. What a special treat to have the founders of Challenge Day here. It’s “Serendipity”.

We’ll have 40 adults (parents, teachers, counselors, community members) and 20 teenagers (representing various schools) participating. The vision is to create a core group of 60 people who are passionate about bringing programs such as Challenge Day and the Be the Change Movement to our schools and communities.

There are a lot of last minute things to be handled so my post today is very brief.

I can hardly wait to take this next step in our journey to put the pieces of the puzzle in place that will energize our families, schools, and neighborhoods to become Spark Champions for our kids.