Posts

Establishing Trusting Relationships to Transform School Systems

Ball, J., Guros, C., Scott, A., Aceves, L., & Holquist, S.E. (2023). Establishing trusting relationships to transform school systems. Child Trends. DOI: 10.56417/7023q7506u By Ja’Chelle Ball, Cassidy Guros, Alyssa Scott, Lorena Aceves, and Samantha Holquist, Reprinted from Child Trends Relationships are the foundation of any school system transformation because students, teachers, families, and communities need […]

Building Connection: Conversation Starters for Youth in Challenging Times

Reprinted from the Search Institute We’ve all noticed that young people seem to escape into their own world. And it’s not just the screens and headphones. Let’s face it, these are challenging times for young people—and for all of us, to be fair. It’s challenging to find common ground and share a positive future for […]

Why better data on students’ networks can start the school year off right

By Julia Freeland Fisher, Reprinted from The Christensen Institute Back to school means back to building relationships. Across high school campuses this fall, the first weeks of class will be marked by new rosters, ice breakers, hopes and dreams conferences, and the like as teachers set out to get to know their students and to […]

Relationships and Equitable Environments: Meeting Young People Where They Are

Reprinted from the Search Institute How well is your organization doing at creating an equitable relational climate where all young people have access to the resources and relationships they need to thrive? Creating more equitable climates in our classrooms and programs takes knowledge, investment, and resources. Search Institute’s Rooted in Relationships model is a research-based […]

Connections as currency: A conversation with Stephanie Krauss

By Julia Freeland Fisher, Reprinted from The Christensen Institute What do students need to thrive? That’s the question that my friend and colleague Stephanie Krauss set out to answer in her new book out this spring, Making it: What Today’s Kids Need for Tomorrow’s World. As an educator and school leader turned researcher and writer, […]

The missing metrics: Emerging practices for measuring students’ relationships and networks

By Mahnaz Charania and Julia Freeland Fisher, Christensen Institute The following is the executive summary of a longer report, which may be found here. Young people need the right resources at their disposal to navigate uncertain times and to pursue their evolving interests and passions. All too often, however, a critical resource in the opportunity […]

[Webinar] Mentorship in the context of COVID-19: Why relationships matter now more than ever

Higher education institutions across the country are facing tremendous turbulence in the face of COVID-19. With college campuses closing and learning being moved online, it is now more important than ever that socially distanced students have a relevant and engaged support network. Mentorship in the Context of COVID-19: Why Relationships Matter More Than Ever; A […]

Teens can teach classmates to recognize depression

POSTED BY KARA GAVIN, Futurity Editor’s Note: How can we encourage and teach youth to help their peers around them? High school students can improve their peers’ understanding of depression, and their attitudes about seeking help for themselves or others, according to a new study. NATIONWIDE, ABOUT 7.5 PERCENT OF TEENS HAVE EXPERIENCED DEPRESSION IN THE […]

High staff turnover affects kids in after-school programs

  By Stell Simonton, Youth Today Many out-of-school time programs experience frequent staff turnover, to the chagrin of leaders in the field. Some estimates put the turnover rate at 40%. Children feel the impact. In one middle school youth development program in Boston, fully one-third of kids interviewed said they considered quitting the program when a […]

Non-family relationships can help heal trauma, report says

By Stell Simonton, Youth Today Editor’s Note: Relationship quality is an important aspect of mentoring success and working with youth in general. A new report from the Search Institute finds that relationships outside the family can be highly beneficial to help youth heal and work through trauma. This report also addresses the notion that relationships […]