"Somethin' to do." How many times have you heard a young person say – “there’s nothing to do?” We live in interesting times.  Some call it “the Age of Paradox” because we've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We plan more, but accomplish less.” Look around. There is so much good left to be done in the world, and we are lucky to be the ones called to do something. This workshop will have us all doing something together. Something that benefits children, youth, and families.. You will learn: Three experiential activities that can motivate people to “do something.” What is behind the “there’s nothing to do” statement. A simple call to action to “connect.”

Is Your Initiative Great or Not So Great?

In 2000, Jim Collins asked the question, "Can a good company become a great company and if so, how?" Do his findings apply to the work of your community and/or statewide initiative work? Derek Peterson thinks so. Using Collins’ findings, Peterson sorts through his experiences with 42 different initiatives, and will present the factors that are linked to the most successful – the ones that made substantial improvements in their performance, and support of youth, over time. In his review, he discovered common traits that challenged many of the conventional notions of the success of youth programs and practices. Initiatives, like for-profit companies, making the transition from good to great doesn't require a high-profile CEO, the latest technology, innovative change management, or even a fine-tuned strategic plan. At the heart of those rare and truly great initiatives was a culture of service that rigorously found and promoted intentional people to think and act in an intentional manner. Peppered with dozens of stories and examples from the great and not so great, this workshop offers a well-reasoned road map to excellence that any initiative would do well to consider.

What Do Young People Really Need?

Remember when we used to assume that most youth would progress successfully and painlessly through childhood and adolescence into adulthood?  We knew that each student would graduate without special effort or support.  Sure, some kids failed, but they were relatively hidden from public view.  These failed kids were “other people’s children.”

The world has changed.  In addition to state standards and assessments, the federal No Child Left Behind legislation has set a new expectation that in fact no child can be left behind.  School leaders today are struggling with the question of how to live up to that expectation.  This noon’s speaker, Derek Peterson, will share his insight and experience in mobilizing the collective will, energy, and ingenuity to ensure a bright future for every child.

Derek is the founder of Integrative Youth Development. A former college faculty member and administrator, Derek clearly is not a talking head. Rather, he is an experiential educator who creates a learning environment where people come to understand the material in the context of their own lives.

Creating invincible youth – the Work of Integrative Youth Development

Why do some children survive traumatic childhoods unscathed? The answers can help every child.

Nearly 40 years ago, child psychologist Emmy Werner went looking for trouble in paradise. In 1955 she began studying the children of chronically poor, alcoholic, abusive, and even psychotic parents to try and understand (and document) how “failure” was passed down, from one generation to the next. Her findings were a welcome surprise. She found that one out of every three youths she studied behaved nothing like the ones headed for disaster. Where she expected to find despair, she uncovered HOPE. She found that somehow these “resilient youth” could beat the odds - and grow into emotionally healthy, competent adults. Had she come to Alaska, she would have found the same thing - Hope, Resilient Youth, and Alaskans creating safety nets for their young people.

In this breakout session you will:

• Receive a brief overview of the history of resiliency research.
• Learn about the competing resiliency frameworks - how they differ and how they complement each other.
• Find out how to pass resiliency on to the children and youth within your circle of influence.
• Discover what School Board members throughout Alaska are doing to “Build Resilience” in children and youth.

Introduction to Changing THE World.
A Family, Youth, and Community Advocate’s Guide to Social Action

Do you ever wonder if what you do really matters? Do you look at the world that is being created around you and feel a sense of despair?

Come and focus on the hunger that all advocates share.  The hunger to move “upstream” by using your citizen rights that are constitutionally guaranteed.

This workshop is activity based, dynamic, and fun. It is designed to inspire advocates to “find their voice” and “change their world.” Each advocate will leave with new insights into their role as advocates, an understanding of the social action process, and an experience of the rights and privileges of being an Alaskan citizen advocate. Each will gain an appreciation of the process of change and practice building group cohesiveness through relationships.

Come and nourish your hunger to make a positive difference in the world.

Modules Connections Café. Connections Café creates a “Youth/Adult Interaction Experience IN A BOX” that can be replicated in your local community. (This tool is currently being improved and should be available in the months ahead. Ask us for more details.)

Modules Bootstraps – a game for youth and adult communication. The purpose of this game is to encourage constructive communication between adults and youth. The questions are based on the Integrative Youth Development framework outlined in the book, The General Theory of Integrative Youth Development. The play of the game allows the following to be shared: The current perspective of a youth. The perspective a youth will have when s/he is an adult. The perspective a youth has concerning his/her role in building strings in peers and young children. The current perspective of an adult. The historical perspective of an adult.

Modules Community Capacity Building Simulation Tool (a.k.a. Change Game) The simulation tool is used with local, statewide, national audiences to support and guide people in their understanding of grassroots organizing, capacity building, and creating and sustaining a movement around Integrative Youth Development. We begin by telling the story of the fictitious community of Anchorak, Alaska. Anchorak is a community that has the same strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and resources that your community has. The board consists of a series of seven capacity lines. These lines represent the ascending milestones that local community leaders need to achieve in as they are researched based benchmarks of progress.

Coaching and Support

1. Initiative Leaders

As the founder of Integrative Youth Development and a well-known veteran of the profession of youth development, school reform through caring and connection, and community engagement, I've coached hundreds of people to 1) add value to their initiative, 2) identify and get measurable results, and 3) support them in being more effective in their work, careers and life.

Initiative Coaching’s central mission is supporting you in making breakthrough adjustments and achieving the outcomes you most want.  As a professional support service, initiative coaching consistently delivers a high return on investment and can be a powerful partner in helping you achieve far greater levels of success and fulfillment. (Recent studies have shown that 98.5% of clients are happy with their coaching and find it a good value for their investment.)

If your initiative is not where you want it to be. If you are tired of the results you are currently getting, or simply frustrated by your workload - I invite you to look into working with me, as a professional initiative coach.

In my coaching practice, I provide a personal guarantee that you will get value out of every single session. If you are serious about making some important improvements in your work, I am eager chat with you, and give you a feel for what might be possible by working together.

2. Youth Leaders Coaching

What is youth coaching? Youth coaching, within the context of Integrative Youth Development, offers a comprehensive story within which a youth can understand and construct their life. Through a connected and supportive relationship between the coach and young person, the young person is able to identify, clarify, and pursue his/her passion, ambitions, talents, and while identifying barriers, limitations and challenges. And, then work to constructively, intentionally and move forward.

Youth coaching supports young people in seeing the story of their life, and the world within which they live. With this story, each youth will be able to see judge their strengths, see their limitations, create life plans to build upon strengths.

The coach supports the young person through providing opportunities, recognition, and skills, thereby allowing the young person to further express their true potential.

Benefits of this include:

• Increasing school/academic success.
• Reducing stress.
• Increase in self-confidence and efficacy.
• Increase in locus of control.
• Improved communication with parents and adults.
• Having better relationships with peers.
• Overcoming bullying.
• Clearer direction.
• College and career exploration.

After 20 years of working with young people, Integrative Youth Development has developed a unique approach to supporting youth.

The Institute:

• Uses practical tools and techniques over theory
• Uses tailored tools and techniques to each youths strengths, talents, and attitudes.
• Ensures that tools and techniques are practically used and followed through.

The Integrative Youth Development style of coaching support:

• Appeals to all learning styles.
• Empowers youth to think for themselves through a coaching style of relationship.
• Provides positive and safe environments to ensure connection.
• Practices learning so that behaviors can be used within real environments.
• Is interesting and lots of fun.

Youth developmental matters are intricate, challenging, and often exasperating (for the youth and adults). And the bonds that hold a youth to his/her web have great strength and potential. Unleashing that power of the web can give youth a far happier, better understanding of , and more well-rounded perspective on his/her talents and environment.

ICAR-US, through its Integrative Youth Development, offers a unique Teen Coaching framework – a partnership between a teen, their web of support and me - the youth coach. This unique coaching relationship inspires personal power in a young adult that improves self-esteem, enhances confidence and enables the teen to practice better decision-making.

We support teens in setting goals, dealing with stress and pressure, choosing a college or vocation, and preparing themselves for the many pressures associated with entering adulthood. The coach becomes the teen’s advocate, supporting the young adult to stay focused and ‘in action.’ Coaching can help a teen stay on track and assist them in reaching their goals – and their dreams.

Our Teen Coaching framework focuses on attitudes and behaviors needed to have POISE. (P = Physical health and well being, O = occupational, I = Intellectual, S = social and spiritual, and E = emotional.) The details of these attitudes and behaviors involve career & direction, relationships, youth leadership, goals and goal setting, school performance, job performance; conflict resolution better communication, to name a few.

Please review our IYD Youth Coaching Agreement, which must be filled out by a parent or legal guardian.