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 […]
Continue ReadingSubstance Use Education and Support at YouthZone
If you suspect that your child, or another young person you know, is abusing drugs or alcohol, it can be a very scary time. At YouthZone, we help kids through a lot of issues, including substance use. While some teens “experiment” with substances and have little or no issues – for some teens, early use […]
Continue ReadingYouthZone: 2008-2011
In the four year period covering 2008-2011, we saw great loss – mostly in terms of financial net worth! In 2008, the sub-prime mortgage crises rocked the economy and continued to do so throughout 2009, leading to the collapse of several major financial institutions. History was made in November of 2008 when the U.S. elected […]
Continue ReadingYouthZone: 2012-2015
As we wrap up our reflection of the past 40 years, we look at 2012 through 2015, the most recent four-year period in our memory. It’s safe to say that the Earth uttered a sigh of relief that the world did not come to an end when the Mayan calendar stopped in 2012. Although devastation […]
Continue ReadingYouthZone: 2004-2007
The “Curse of the Bambino” is lifted as the Boston Red Sox win the World Series in 2004 for the first time since 1918. In 2005, a new website called YouTube is launched and achieves such quick success that Google purchased the site in 2006 for $1.65 billion in Google Stock. Pluto didn’t have such […]
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