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Upcoming events
April 12, 2012
12:15-1:30pm
Mental Health Training Series Luncheon
Topic: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder's Impact on Parenting
Pre-registration required, space limited
All Great KIDS-sponsored training requires pre-registration. Click on the training link to learn how to register for each event.
View Past E-Newletters
Welcome to issue three of the Great KIDS make Great COMMUNITIES e-newsletter! In this issue:
Coordinator's Corner
Can you believe this winter we are having? Yes, of course the weather is part of it, with the warmer temperatures which gives me the ability to go running without six layers of clothes. While the thermometer may not hold good prospects for snowmen, this winter has been GREAT for future asset builders!
Great KIDS saw a strong start to the year with lots of calls about the 40 Developmental Assets, and four trainings scheduled in January alone! We also started two multi-week discussion groups on Say Yes to No for parents. Now THAT was a strong start to the year, and we are so excited about what the rest of the year holds.
In case you aren't familiar with Great KIDS' Assets trainings, let me share with you a bit about what we can offer your group. The basic message of the 40 Developmental Assets is the same in all of our presentations: Assets are built through intentional relationships with young people. However, depending on what "kind" of group you are, the application of how we apply assets may vary. We all have different roles to play in the lives of young people: parents, teachers, mentors, after-school volunteers, neighbors, church members, social workers, therapist... I could go on. When you schedule a presentation for your group, we customize that presentation so that it fits with your group's purpose, and the amount of time they have to give to training. Obviously, the longer a group has to spend in training, the more we can work through individual application. We've done overviews in 30 minutes if that's all the time we can get; we can do two-part sessions where we really "workshop" through the assets that group builds, or we can put together a presentation that falls somewhere in between.
Did I mention that we can work on your schedule - days, evenings, even weekends if necessary! Give us a call at (260) 449-7272 or drop us an email at info@greatkidsallencounty.org and we'll get you on the calendar today!
Until next time,
Megan Kelly
Great KIDS Coordinator
Resource Referral
Have you seen information about Khan Academy? A friend recently shared this resource with us, and we wanted to share it with you!
Khan Academy is a free, online resource for education and tutoring. It is available for students, educators, tutors, parents, anyone that is looking for some additional information and resources on a wide variety of subjects. Khan works in a couple of ways - they have 2,800 videos on their website and YouTube channel that provide lecture snippets, conversations on a topic, videos of blackboards working through a problem, etc. A lot of their information is science, math, technology based, but they also have a good sized collection of videos on the humanities. In addition to these videos, they also have a large number of practice exercises that students can work through. If someone has an account, which is free, the account tracks the student's progress, and provides the student (or whoever is watching this progress) with metrics on that progress. Its an interesting concept, and the price seems right!
You can see Khan Academy for yourself at: www.khanacademy.org.
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Page Turners |
Hello, from Great Kids Make Great Communities. First, I would like to say that it is a great pleasure to be a part of such an inspiring community initiative. Here is a quick introduction. My name is Todd Taylor, MS, LMHC, and I am a member of the advisory board for Great Kids Make Great Communities. I am a local therapist employed through the Indiana Juvenile Justice Task Force. Our agency serves children and families referred from Juvenile Probation and the Department of Child Services throughout Indiana. We provide intensive home based therapy through the implementation of a client centered multi-systems model that emphasizes respect, building upon existing strengths, and creating natural environment linkages. The Indiana Juvenile Justice Task Force is proud to serve Allen County.
I have recently read a book that I believe is an invaluable tool for anyone living with, or working with individuals and families that encounter criminal type behavior and thinking. The book, High Risk Children Without A Conscience, by Dr. Ken Magid and Carole A. McKelvey, covers a wide range of information related to conduct or antisocial type behavior. A section of the book focuses on parenting, which I believe is consistent with the 40 developmental assets. In my opinion, the most significant information gathered from this book focuses on child/parent attachment, which describes attachment signs, and a check list as it relates to the level of risk in later years. As stated in the book, "It is important to remember that strong attachment and bonding involves a positive interplay between the caregiver and the infant starts well before birth." (Magid & McKelvey, 1987). The book continues to explore attachment and positive parenting through adolescence. The parenting portion also discusses a parenting checklist, which suggests a lower risk for future high risk behaviors.
This book is consistent with many of the 40 Developmental Assets, most notably the assets under Support, Empowerment and Boundaries and Expectations. This is a great read for those involved personally or professionally with children or adolescence exhibiting conduct/antisocial type behavior. In my opinion, a child's attachment is crucial to his or her social, occupation, education, and personal functioning. This book provides a good description of the importance of positive development as well as mending traumas to reattach and to become more productive members of society. You can pick up your own copy of this book on Amazon here.