By Carol Wolff YouthZone Brings Award Winning Filmmakers to 2022 Ascent Film Festival Emmy-nominated Katherine Roberts and award-winning filmmaker Rob Shearer will be mentoring 10 youth filmmakers. The talents of these young filmmakers will be showcased through video, animation, music, writing, poetry, and photography. Mentors will work directly with each youth filmmaker to achieve their […]
Continue ReadingParenting is Difficult and You are Not Alone
By Tina Olson Parenting is Difficult and You are Not Alone Let’s start with the facts, parenting is difficult! And, far from what some may have you believe, there is no easy parenting situation. Parenting in a two-parent or nuclear family situation is difficult. Parenting as a single, divorced, or stepparent is also difficult. Parenting […]
Continue ReadingYouthZone Offering Teen Life Coaching as New Service
By Keith Berglund YouthZone Offering Teen Life Coaching as New Service The adolescent years are a time of transition on many levels. The changes that occur during this critical developmental period affect our biological, physical, psychological and behavioral areas of functioning. The scope of these changes makes this period of life somewhat risky, given that […]
Continue ReadingCollaboration allows YouthZone to mesh services with local partners
By Airen Goodman Program and Outreach Coordinator A collaborative approach with community partners provides effective opportunities for early intervention with youth in our region. As YouthZone’s new Program and Outreach Coordinator, my goal is to create and implement new ideas through these collaborations to identify gaps for each client. Utilizing each partner’s strengths and expertise […]
Continue ReadingRestorative questions help deepen relationship with a child
By Mary Bess Bolling Restorative Justice Coordinator I was at work when I received the call from a school administrator that my daughter had bitten a boy on the playground. My kid bit someone!? I rocketed down the rabbit hole in my mind: Who was this boy? Was it self-defense? Will my daughter grow up […]
Continue ReadingStudents sought for new YouthZone advisory council
By Magdalena Palomares Youth Representative, YouthZone Board of Directors As a youth-facing organization, YouthZone prioritizes the voices of our region’s youth. For the last two years, I have held a spot on YouthZone’s Board of Directors as one of a succession of high school students. In a new role as Youth Advisory Council Chair, I will […]
Continue ReadingLocal collaboration key to providing a network of youth support
By Stefanie Maurice Grants and Data Manager YouthZone’s recent efforts to strengthen collaboration with a strong network of community partners to share resources and funding will mean increased and positive outcomes for youth, families and communities. Increasing access and decreasing barriers through these partnerships provides a broader network of support at an earlier stage to […]
Continue ReadingDo you know what to look for when donating to your favorite charity?
By Robin Tolan, YouthZone Development Director Have you ever wondered about where the money goes after you’ve donated to your favorite charity? It’s a good question to ask, and before making a donation, it may be a good idea to do a little research to ensure that the organization you are donating to is fiscally […]
Continue ReadingRisky teen behavior can be a cry for help
By Jennifer Keener, Youth Advocate Often I hear, either among my friends or at work as a youth and family specialist, “Oh, that’s a typical teenager for you.” This gets me thinking … how many behaviors are normal and do parents know the difference between normal and high risk behaviors? Having two teenagers myself, I […]
Continue ReadingFind the ‘Why’ of Troubling Behavior
by Courtney Dunn, MSW Youth Advocate & Therapist Psychological trauma – words that no one likes to hear, especially when these words coincide with some of our community’s most vulnerable, children and teenagers. There is no doubt that psychological trauma is hard topic of discussion, but it is an important one because it drastically affects […]
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