Not Going Away by Jessi Strinmoen, Director of Services Minnesota Youth Intervention Programs Association

I recently came across an article in the Harvard Family Research Project journal from the summer of 2004. In light of the current economy, this piece served as a timely reminder of why we continue to provide quality trainings despite massive cuts to professional development budgets in non-profits across Minnesota and the country. The article provides data from studies on out-of-school time staff and the impact of quality professional development on their work. The results could easily apply to youth intervention as well.

The article begins by defining the two-fold purpose of professional development. Everyone knows that professional development serves to teach providers about new information, models, techniques etc., but we often forget that it also often serves to, “improve the quality and sustainability of the … workforce.” How much staff turnover has your program experienced in the last year? Would a better-informed, more professional staff reduce this frustrating and disruptive trend?

Looking at our own practices and attitudes can be one of the most difficult things we do as youth service providers. Change is hard. Not to mention that many of us have been pushing our own needs aside for a long time. Why spend money on a conference, when we can use that money to add another child to our program? Well, this article shows the link between quality professional development and youth outcomes. A program with poorly trained staff, frequent turnover and no mechanisms for change may be able to serve lots of kids, but can’t produce results in the end.

The need for professional development training for non-profit staff is growing. The challenges that youth face are ever increasing – dealing with everything from “sexting” to homelessness, mental health issues to aggression, increasing gang involvement to families that are struggling to survive. With those challenges comes a call to the youth service providers of Minnesota and beyond to be ready to tackle these challenges head on. Providers need to be well versed in current youth culture, knowledgeable about resources available to them, and have access to information that will allow them to better serve youth and families.

As you and your organizations work to put together 2010 budgets, remember that staff play a critical role in enacting quality programming for youth and better program outcomes. An investment in professional development means stronger youth programs as both new staff and seasoned veterans continue improving their skills.

YIPA is continuing our commitment to provide high-quality, affordable professional development opportunities for all who work with youth. In 2010, we will seek ways to do that via collaboration, new ways to offset conference fees, and the opportunity for web-based learning. Because youth intervention is so integrated into the worlds of out of school time, mentoring, juvenile justice, education and other points of service for youth, we will work to bring the expertise and quality of YIPA to new audiences within those fields.

We want everyone to leave our trainings saying, “I get much more applicable information and better tools from YIPA conferences than all other conferences I attend each year!” as did one Rochester conference attendee. So, we welcome your input for professional development needs and would love to hear about the training needs in your communities. We look forward to releasing our 2010 calendar of conferences and trainings in the near future.

Full Harvard Family Research Project report.

The Importance and Effectiveness of Grass Roots Advocacy by Scott Beaty, Executive Director MN Youth Intervention Programs Association

As a trade association representing youth service organizations providing early intervention services to youth, YIPA provides the foundation for its member’s advocacy. The reasons associations work so well is because it is very difficult for one person to influence policy and funding decisions with state or federal governments. However, an association, with the support of its membership, can make a huge impact.

YIPA has a registered lobbyist (me) that leads our government relations efforts. It is important that a lobbyist understands the legislative process, closely follow what is going on regarding pertinent policy and funding legislation, and ascertain the potential and strategies for success.

However, the best lobbyists for any association are its membership. Through grassroots efforts by its members, associations can wield extra influence on the legislative process. These efforts don’t replace the daily work of the lobbyist, but enhance and compliment the overall government relations effort of the association. How is this done? It’s done by each and every member developing relationships with their elected officials, talking to them about the important issues they are concerned about, and asking for their support when the time is right. A lawmaker who hears about an issue directly from a constituent (who has the power to vote for them and influence others to vote for them) is more likely to give consideration to that person’s concerns.

Grassroots advocacy helps an association in three distinct ways. First, it amplifies the voice of the association in public policy matters, demonstrating to lawmakers that there is broad support or disagreement on a particular issue. Second, it provides and avenue for members to get involved in the association and gain value from the membership. Third, it creates an atmosphere that success can happen when everyone works together.

As you know, the State of MN is facing another budget deficit for the 2010/2011 biennium. Program cuts and unallotment is a sure bet. It’s possible that the Governor and/or lawmakers may target the Youth Intervention Program for further cuts or even elimination. This is why now is the time to get to know your State Senators and Representatives. Make sure they have a good understanding of the early intervention work you do. Invite them out to your site so they can see first hand the work you are doing to improve the lives of youth and the community. If you are currently receiving State Youth Intervention Program funding make sure they know how important it is to your organization and that it is also leveraging community dollars. If you aren’t receiving Youth Intervention funding let them know about your struggles to obtain funding and that a partnership between your organization, your community, and the State is the best approach to addressing the needs of youth who are just beginning to make poor choices in their lives.

Use all the tools you have to make your case. Use the Social Return on Investment (SROI) research document, show your outcomes, talk about your organizations desire to provide quality programming, and demonstrate how additional funding will help you succeed with the youth you serve.

The key to any grassroots advocacy effort is for the association members to develop working relationships with their lawmakers. If you are not already doing this, now is the time to start!

Quality: Once We Know It, We Can Grow It by Laura LaCroix-Dalluhn, Executive Director Youth Community Connections

YIPA is thrilled to have Laura LaCroix-Dalluhn, Executive Director of Youth Community Connections, come train YIPA’s members at our annual meeting on December 4^th!

Many of us have been hearing about quality assessment a great deal over the past several years. What does it mean to have a quality program for youth? How do you measure it? Quality measures have been studied and implemented in early childhood and out-of-school time settings with exciting results. We hope to bring these ideas and resources to the youth intervention community. Who better to share these exciting developments with youth intervention providers than Laura, a person who has been working for over three years with the University of Minnesota Center for Youth Development, the Minnesota Department of Education, Greater Twin Cities United Way and many, many others to develop a quality framework for youth services across Minnesota?

Laura says:

Quality is a dynamic process with multiple dimensions. Quality is not neutral, rather it influences the participation of young people, the satisfaction and retention of youth workers and the impact programs have on young people, families and the community. A Framework for Quality Non-formal Learning Opportunities and Youth Work Practice was created to define quality practice and to promote quality as the driver for systems level investment and support for non-formal learning experiences in the out-of-school time.

Learning Objectives:

· Learn about the framework for non-formal learning opportunities and quality youth work practice

· Understand the dynamic dimensions of quality

· Learn how programs influence quality

· Understand how systems level investments in quality impacts quality at the programmatic level

For more Information:

Check out Youth Community Connections!

The Quality Task Force White Paper

Give to the Max Day!

On November 17 you have the opportunity to show your utmost support for YIPA! As you know, YIPA is seeking to raise funds so that we can continue to provide you with the best advocacy, highest quality training, and networking possibilities available. Without YIPA, funding for many youth intervention programs would be lost. Now YIPA needs your help so that we can continue to support the invaluable work that you do for youth across Minnesota.

Tuesday, November 17 is Give to the Max Day on the www.GiveMN.org website. Go to the website, type in YIPA as the non-profit you are supporting and you will be sent to the YIPA page where you can make a donation. GiveMN will be matching all contributions ONLY on this day. $500,000 is available in matching funds to be distributed to non-profits. Plus, the non-profit that receives the most individual contributions will receive an additional financial award of up to $5,000. 100% of your donation will be received by YIPA plus the match. This match opportunity starts at 8 a.m. on November 17 and continues until 8 a.m. the next morning. We greatly appreciate your help and support!

Against the Odds: The rise up from prison birth by Deborah Jiang Stein

When I was about 12, I found a letter hidden in my mother’s dresser drawer that she’d written to the family attorney. She wanted to change my birth certificate to remove my birthplace, Alderson. The letter said I’d been born in the Federal Women’s Prison there.

My world spun out of control after that news. West Virginia’s a long way from where I lived with my adopted family in Seattle. I also learned I was born addicted to heroin because my birth mother was an addict.

I already knew I was adopted by then and my racially ambiguous looks troubled me. My caramel-colored skin was more Latina than anything, but my eyes suggested Asian in me somewhere. Others thought I was biracial -- black and white. Altogether, I differed from my parents’ Eastern European looks. Only later would I find out my background: part Greek and a blend of Taiwanese American, Latina and more — at least as much as family stories and DNA testing can tell.

For years on my school bus rides home from elementary school, I endured name-calling. Like many adoptive parents, mine thought love answered everything. As much as she wanted to help, I needed more than love to understand the confusion and injustices I faced out in the world.

I was a wild child in the making and drugs, drinking and running with the wrong crowd gave me all I needed then, so I thought.

Over time, a wedge divided my family and me and it would take over a decade to re-unite. My life spiraled down, and I had nowhere to go but up. I’d experienced too many near-death episodes and I knew I’d end doing no good for the rest of my life. After too many close calls, I moved to Minneapolis, white-knuckled my way into changing, sought help from professionals, reconnected with my family from whom I’d been estranged for years, and worked my way up. It was a long slow climb up, but it was worth it!

While many adoptees seek to figure out where they came from and how they fit in, my story is compounded with the odds against me from the beginning. I’d already survived heroin addiction at birth — only 50 percent of heroin babies survive, and the recovery rate is just 19 percent for non-white drug addicts who start under age 16.

Still haunted by my prison roots, some years ago I requested a tour of my birthplace. I flew to the small town in the Appalachian Mountains and received a private tour. It was one of the most profound moments in my life. Afterward, as the warden walked me toward the front of the compound, we stopped at a white picket fence in back of her home on the grounds. “These are the babies that didn’t make it,” she said, her voice almost in a whisper. The fence embraced six grave markers. You were a lucky one, I remember she added.

At that moment, standing there at those gravesides, I thought, “Who better than someone like me who had made it out the other side?”

I recognized my good fortune. I vowed to reach back and give back to my roots. Shortly after, I started a year of quarterly visits to the Alderson prison where I led writing workshops with the same group of women time after time. I also began to tour other women’s prisons across the country to speak about resilience, hope, and positive attitude. I share my story as proof that the past does not always define the future. My goal is to establish regular speaking engagements and workshops at each of the “Big Six” federal women’s prisons.

I’m lucky to have broken the cycle of drug addiction and incarceration, and I feel it’s my duty to give back and reach out to others, and to share my gratitude for all those who walked with me on my path.

BIO

Deborah Jiang Stein is a freelance writer and creative consultant who lives in Minneapolis with her two young children. She can be reached at

www.huffingtonpost.com/deborah-jiang-stein

muttslikeme.wordpress.com

www.deborahstein.com

Eat This Not That by Andy Berndt Program Director, Catalyst

Andy Berndt will be presenting "Eat This Not That" at the THRIVE! Conference for All Youth, October 27th-28th in Saint Paul.

Did you know that a Big Mac at McDonalds is healthier than their salad?

Unbelievable right? It's true. When you add up all of the fat from the fried chicken they throw on top, and the high calorie dressing and cheese. You are actually saving yourself calories by eating the Big Mac! There are so many hidden food facts just like that, that we have no idea about. Something you might make at home like fish and rice, would be only a few hundred calories and very low in fat and sodium, if you get the same thing at Macaroni Grill (Their Parmesan-Crusted Sole dish) you will consume 2,190 calories, 141 grams of fat, 2,980 mg of sodium! That's as much saturated fat as you should consume in four days and more than one days calorie limit in one meal. All this info is in David Zincezenko's book "Eat This, Not That," that Catalyst is going to be presenting on in October. We are presenting an interactive session for students where they are quizzed on which meal they would eat, then we'll reveal each decision in a game show style program. It's interactive, educational, AND FUN! Can you believe it???

Catalyst is a statewide network for youth advocates across Minnesota. The movement is committed to taking action to support positive public health change across the state. We are getting the message out through creative youth activism. Our current focus is

aimed at promoting healthy eating and physical activity. We are beginning a campaign this fall in schools all over the state. The campaign aims to inform and empower youth--to get youth involved in things like changing school food, gaining better access to physical activity through after school games and biking to school, more access to gym facilities, using your voice to make a video or talk to the press, and much more.

Obesity is quickly becoming the nation biggest health problem. One in four adults in Minnesota is obese, and one in three is overweight. We know that preventing all of this means encouraging physical activity and healthy eating early on in life. These are just a few of the reasons why we are fighting back and involving high school students across the state. We hope you join us!

For more information: Check our website www.bethecatalyst.org or contact Andy Berndt at andy@bethecatalyst.org or 651-270-6589

Get Involved! By Mysee Chang, HmoobTeen Editor, 17, Buffalo, MN

You’ve probably heard this many times before from your parents, friends, role models and adults in your life to volunteer, join a club, or get involve in your communities. Today colleges, scholarship committees and employers look at your extra-curricular involvement before considering if they will accept your application.

Besides the fact that it “looks good” on your resume, getting involved is important for several reasons. Such as, personal development, enhancing educational and career opportunities learn socializing skills and becoming a well-rounded human being.

Personal Development

Getting involved—participating in extracurricular activities or donating your time to your community—is one of the best ways to learn about yourself and society at large. When you get involved, all the things you do- whether it is tutoring, fundraising, playing in a sport team, delivering a speech, writing an article, or shelving books—helps you discover your passions, strengths and weaknesses. Along the way you’ll uncover many hidden skills and talents too. Whatever it is that you choose to do, your experience will help you to develop a stronger sense of self and direction. It’ll help you answer those mind-boggling questions like: where do I see myself in the next ten years? What are my goals? And of course, what am I going to do after college?

Enhance Educational and Career Opportunities

Getting involved is a great way not only to learn about yourself but also to learn more about different communities, society and social issues, government, and the world. The knowledge and skills you gain from your involvement can be used to enhance your educational and career opportunities. Take for example that you’re really into science. You’ve taken all the biology classes offered at your school and think you want to go into nursing but you’re a little unsure. You can volunteer at a hospital or a nursing home to see if that’s really something you want to do. The best thing about getting involved is that there are a variety of choices. Thus, getting involved is a great way to explore educational and career possibilities. Another way participating in an activity enhances your opportunities is the relationships that you build. From being on the swimming team to being in Girl Scouts, you get the chance to meet many people. The relationships you build can open doors for you in the future. The professionals you come in contact with will gladly write your letters of recommendation for college, scholarships, refer you for a job or offer you advice and resources.

Positive Development: A Well-rounded Human Being

Last of all, studies show that adolescents who are involved are more likely to become people their families and community can be proud of. They are more likely to do well in high school and continue on into college. Therefore, more likely to become active in their communities, have better jobs, in stable personal relationships and happy with their lives. Think about this: the future is in your hands. When you decide to get involve, you have the ability to change someone’s life and your own at the same time. You may think you’re just one person but to another person, you are the world.

Barriers and Solutions

Now you know getting involved is so good for you but you still don’t do it. What’s getting in your way? Are you too cool? Maybe sports and clubs in school aren’t just for you. Or maybe you’re just really scared. Whatever your reason is, here are some ways to work around that barrier.

#1: Your parents don’t understand

For some Hmong parents, the idea of staying after school for a yearbook meeting or attending weekly meetings at a local organization on leadership development is a brand new idea, something they’ve never heard of before. So for some teens, getting your parents to understand that you’re really trying to do something useful instead of just wasting time is hard. If this is your situation, be patient. Try to explain as clearly and respectfully as possible to your parents that you are doing something good. Explain to them the mission and goals of the program, invite them to a gathering with you, and set up a meeting with the program coordinator and your parents. The more they are connected to your life, the less they are worried about you. And continue to keep them posted on what you’re doing.

Once you show that you’re doing positive things (by giving them a copy of that yearbook or inviting them to the program graduation ceremony) they’ll get it and continue to support you.

#2: Transportation

The major reason why teens don’t get involved is because they don’t drive so they can’t get to the event in the first place or their parents are working and can’t drop them off. Possible solutions include finding a buddy who is also involved in that activity or program and catching a ride with them. You could talk to the person in charge of that activity and tell them you’re really passionate about it but have a transportation issue. In most cases, they’d be happy to pick you up or find a ride for you. Or plan your schedule accordingly. If you’re mom shops near an organization you volunteer for, have her drop you off there. Timing is everything.

#3: No time. You have other commitments.

On average, a Hmong high school student has to balance school, homework, family responsibilities and a job. With the schedule that you have how can you possibly find the time to participate in school and outside of school programs? If you want to volunteer, most organizations understand that you are donating your time so they’re very flexibly. You can volunteer as little as two hours a week, every other week or if you really don’t have time, you can volunteer at random events that fit your schedule. If you want to get involved at school but don’t have the time, choose an activity that isn’t time consuming.

#4: I’m way too cool, besides there’s nothing interesting.

Hey, getting involved is not only for smart, good-two-shoes people. It is for everyone. Anyone can get involved. There are LOTS of opportunities out there. If you’re not into what the “nerds” are doing, find your own opportunity. You can be a summer camp coach or a tutor for a student struggling with his guitar lessons. Heck, you could start your own manga club! You can still be involved and be cool.

Besides exploring other things is a good thing. You might just discover that you have hidden talents you never knew before.

#5: You’re shy or just don’t know where to start

Don’t be shy! Try talking to people you know who volunteer. If you have friends who are involved, tag along once or twice and ask them questions. Once you get familiar with how it works, you won’t be shy anymore. By being familiar with unfamiliar surroundings, you’ll become more comfortable.

Or if you’re shy in the way that you want to volunteer but you don’t want to do the “dealing with people” type of jobs, there are lots of opportunities around where you work on your own. You can volunteer at a library by putting books, picking up trash, etc. The possibilities are endless.

How to get started

Now you absolutely have no excuses to get involved! There is so many ways you can make a difference! Just try once. Here’s how to get started.

First, think about what you like to do. What are your interests? Do you like pets? Do you like working with younger kids? What do you want to do? Always keep in mind that you can kill two birds with one stone when getting involved. I mean, if you want to become a journalist or a designer and really passionate about reaching out to other teens, volunteer for HmoobTeen!

Next, start searching for those opportunities. Try talking to any knowledgeable person, a teacher or a counselor. Or you could do an internet search. The websites below are great places to start!

Last, go MAD (Make a Difference)! Get involved and see what difference it makes to you. Below are some websites where you can start!

www. volunteermatch.org

www.redcross.org/donate/volunteer/

www.1-800volunteer.org

“Getting involved in my community has impacted me a lot! It’s one of the most inspiring and motivational things that changed my life. It has shown me that I can make a difference in the world.”

--------------------------------------------------

References:

“Why Volunteer?” (2008) Lifespan. Retrieved from http://lifespan.org/services/volunteer/why.htm on 12 January 2009.

Youth Community Connections. Retrieved from

www.youthcommunityconnections.org during the month of January 2009.

Published in the spring 2009 issue of HmoobTeen Magazine. Go to www.hmong.org for more information about HmoobTeen or to obtain a copy.

KidsChange 2009 Youth Intervention Conference

KidsChange is an amazing network of members doing valuable youth intervention work across the State of Minnesota. The purpose of this blog is not only to highlight the array of expertise and experience that we find in KidsChange’s members and presenters, but also to show what our members do day-to-day. What does youth intervention look like? What does a quality program look like? What resources are out there for troubled youth and the people who serve them? I would like to begin a discussion around these questions by highlighting different youth intervention programs.

To start us off, I would like to put out a call to our readers. Know of amazing work being done around youth intervention in your community? It doesn’t need to be in Minnesota, it just needs to provide services for youth who are heading toward a path of destructive and criminal behavior. If you want to highlight an organization, event or initiative, please contact us!

This week I am going to focus on the KidsChange 2009 Youth Intervention Conference that will be happening on October 27^th-28^th at the University of Minnesota’s Continuing Education Center in Saint Paul. Over at YIPA, we are getting so excited about this conference! We have over 40 different presentations on topics from “Wilderness Writing for Wild Youth” to “Promoting & Impacting Healthier Lives for African-American Boys & Their Families” to “No Second Chance - Helping Protect Non-Citizen Youth Against Deportation.” We are delighted that many of our presenters will also be contributing articles to this blog. Spots are filling up, but we still have many more openings for one or two day attendees. YIPA members still have scholarship opportunities available as well!

We are also thrilled about the THRIVE! Conference for all Youth, which will be happening at the same time and place as out Youth Intervention Conference. This conference will bring together young people from across Minnesota to explore issues like leadership, violence prevention, Internet safety, and healthy choices. Spaces are still available for youth attendees as well.

This conference would be a wonderful way to introduce your organization to KidsChange or deepen an existing bond. We know that budgets are tight this year, but there are very few conferences providing as much breadth and depth as the 2009 Youth Intervention Conference. Consider it your one-stop for the year’s training needs.

Welcome to KidsChange by J.Scott Beaty Executive Director of MN Youth Intervention Programs Association

I’m often asked, “What is KidsChange?” KidsChange is a central hub of information and resources of over 70 early youth intervention programs throughout the State of Minnesota. We offer families in crisis, law enforcement, youth service professionals and kids a simple way to find information and services that are most appropriate for their situation through the resources at our website, www.kidschange.org. With this blog, we intend to bring the experience and expertise of youth service professionals right to your door, as they share their insight, research, best practices and thoughts about working with and parenting youth.

A goal of the KidsChange initiative is to provide clarity about what youth intervention is and what intervention programs are all about. In addition to our nationally and internationally known experts in the youth field, guest bloggers will include youth service providers, parents, law enforcement, and youth.

What is Youth Intervention? The field of early intervention represents a variety of programs that give youth better decision making skills and help keep them from going down the wrong path in life. Services such as: mentoring, counseling, conflict resolution, anger management, diversion, and education are all forms of early intervention. Although the strategies may be diverse, they all share the ultimate goal of reaching kids when they are just showing signs of troublesome behaviors, keep them in school, living with a supportive family and out of the costly juvenile justice system.

Currently, over 85 YIPA member organizations from across the state of Minnesota serve over 50,000 at-risk youth per year. These KidsChange agencies work with youth ages 6-18 precisely when they are beginning to engage in problematic behaviors (e.g. truancy, petty crimes, alcohol/drug use, etc.). Instead of simply being punished for their actions, youth benefit from early intervention programs by receiving the help and resources they need to make positive life choices leading to a brighter future.

The Hostile Society by Dr. Michael Obsatz

Dr. Obsatz will be presenting "The Boy Crisis in America: Possible Solutions" at the 2009 Youth Intervention Conference on October 27th-28th in Saint Paul.

Children learn how to become nasty, dependent adults when they are very young. They see hundreds of unhealthy, immature adults all around them.

We live in a culture that focuses on gaining one’s sense of well-being from externals – caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, sugar, marijuana, cocaine, shopping, gambling, money, possessions, winning teams. Anne Wilson Shaef’s book, “When Society Becomes an Addict,” discussed this four decades ago. Drugs are rampant among middle and high school kids – where sex with benefits has replaced sex with commitment, sex with love, or sex with marriage. Internally, people feel empty.

Americans are taught to seek approval, pleasure, recognition and fame. We idolize and honor those who are famous, and then we watch them fall down as they can’t meet our incredibly high expectations. We live vicariously through the Hollywood and musical stars. Some song lyrics are sexist, demeaning, and death-focused. Videogames provide young children with destructive tools at their command.

We have become superficial, narcissistic addicts. We are encouraged to conform by wearing the latest fashions, and driving the newest Sports Utility Vehicles. Three-car garages are common, as the garage now equals the size of the 1950’s rambler in square feet. As self-absorbed, impulsive beings, we want immediate gratification; feeling entitled to receive whatever we want. This entitlement comes out in whining and lawsuits.

Children are taught from an early age to live up to gender role stereotypes – thinness and attractiveness for girls, and macho, stoic toughness for boys. The result of this is that many males see females as objects to be had and used. The abuse rate for women is 25% in America.

Eating disorders and steroid use are rampant. The average model is 5 foot 11 inches tall, and weighs 115 pounds. The average woman in America is 5 foot 3 inches tall, and weighs 144 pounds. The discrepancy between the real and the ideal results in shame, self-loathing and resentment. Fifth grade girls go on diets to lose weight. And yet, as a culture, we have a severe obesity problem. Supersize the fries, please.

Fathers leave their children because they lack nurturing and emotional communication skills. In custody issues, courts still favor mothers, because they assume fathers are incapable of caring for their children. Men don’t learn skills as boys, and are later punished for their ignorance. They take “anger management” classes 40 years too late.

Americans are angry because they have lost their center and their integrity. Political and religious leaders lie. Priests abuse children. Telemarketers act as if you are their personal friend. Advertising fills the airwaves, newspapers, and internet.

People are rushed, hurried, and angry about it. They have too much to accomplish in too little time. Many adults do not have time for their children who are raised by strangers.

As a result, some children experience feelings of abandonment, loneliness, and isolation. Many children are on medication for hyperactivity or depression. We try to medicate pain rather than face the real causes of it.

David Walsh calls America a “culture of disrespect.” Kids do not respect teachers, parents and other authority figures. Some police abuse their power. We see regular doses of fighting, cursing, whining, and screaming in the media Television and video games are about destroying others physically and emotionally.

Cell phones are everywhere. They interrupt lectures, sermons, conversations. People double and triple task, and try to focus in more than one direction at a time. So, many are distracted and not really present. So people continue to not get their needs met from others. They leave one relationship for another.

The social problems relate to trust, commitment, integrity, honesty, and compassion. A culture that is driven such as ours, has little empathy for the weak, the ill, the elderly, the powerless. Road rage is ten times what it was twenty years ago.

We still segregate and marginalize people. We suffer from sexism, heterosexism, racism, and social class domination We laugh at nerds unless they turn out to be Bill Gates.

To sum up, there is not enough – time, maturity, generosity, love, commitment, decency, politeness, honesty and patience. And there is too much money to be made off people who try to “fix” their lives by consuming something outside of themselves.

What can we do about this? First, we must take a real look at where we are, and how we got here. Second, we must commit to doing something about it. And third, we need to reclaim our individual wholeness and our sense of community. We need to stop waging war on ourselves and each other, and start healing the tremendous wounds we have suffered both individually and collectively.

Wake up, America. It is not going to get better until everyone feels safe, cared about, and has an opportunity for growth.

For more information, call Mike Obsatz at 651-696-6963.

Visit www.mirrormanfilms.org to learn about the film “Journeyman”, the producers, the directors, the Boys to Men mentoring program. Visit www.angeresources.com for more about Dr. Obsatz.

The Movie Making Process©: An Educational Prevention Program For 21st Century Learning by Linda Flanders, Taproot, Inc.

Linda Flanders will be presenting "The Movie Making Process: An Education Prevention Program for 21st Century Learning" at the at the 2009 Youth Intervention Conference on Oct. 27-28 in St. Paul.

The demands of living in a fast-paced and rapidly evolving 21^st Century are staggering. Communities are dealing with global issues at the local level. Technological skills, creative thinking and innovation are areas that the United States used to excel in; now we are falling dangerously behind. The national high school drop out rate is 35% and the 50 largest cities in the U.S. show a staggering 48% high school dropout rate. (Cities in Crisis, 2008) We are the most addicted country in the world and hold the record for the most incarcerations per capita of any other country. (2008 Pew Center Report)

What happened and what are we going to do about it?

The entertainment industry and the gaming designers are increasingly aware of games’ power to influence neural pathway formation. (Scientific American, February 2009) Now, communities can compete for their kids’ attention through the process of making a community movie; fusing together human development, education, activism and future job skills. We plan to show you how during a presentation at this year’s YIPA conference. First by showing the kids the excitement, creativity and positive attention they can get from being part of the process and then we’ll show the adults how a community can put an entire production together quickly and inexpensively; then use the finished product as a continuous learning tool.

Our most complete replicable community movie project that’s designed as a complete education and prevention program is The Northern Lights; Shining The Light on the Meth-edemic. While it educates about Meth specifically, it also covers addiction in general. It offers skill building and alternative activities; both are needed for any prevention program to work. And, it teaches creative and technological skills needed for the future. We’ll show clips of this production as part of the presentation.

Why It Works:

We’re all born with some level of natural intelligence, yet we may or not come into a safe and nurturing environment, or we might suffer from an early childhood trauma, but we ALL must navigate through the core processes of “human” development to emotionally mature. (Greenspan, S. 1997)

• We must attach to another human being
• We must learn to communicate our wants and needs
• We need to experience a range of emotions and “express” those emotions
• We must learn limits and boundaries

The window for learning these things is birth to five. What happens when we miss these developmental levels? We can end up apathetic or rage filled, treating others as things. We don’t communicate our wants and needs to others; not even knowing them ourselves. We can feel feelings of anger and fear, but they don’t get balanced out with feelings of love, peace and happiness. We don’t learn boundaries of basic common decency; we don’t learn self-control and the brain wires us up in a way that prevents learning from cause and effect. That is human development, and it has global implications. We can also end up with learning disabilities that create havoc for us in traditional public education. This has national implications on all the above statistics.

We designed “The Movie Making Process” to help fill this gap. Come visit our presentation and we’ll show you how. We use Multiple Intelligence Theory, experiential learning and the latest in neuroscience: The Power of Paying Attention.

The Movie Making Process Youtube Clip

More information on the website at www.taprootinc.com

Or, Linda Flanders at taproot@redwing.net