youth

Ryan Courtade Works With Passion

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Ryan and I met a number of months back through mutual friends, and I knew when he spoke of the work he does that he would be a topic for a future blog post.

I have always truly admired people who follow their heart’s passion in life. Ryan is one of those special people.

It was while serving in the military, he told me, that he realized he wanted to do something in life to foster the success of young people. “I saw a lot of men and women come in who weren’t given a fair chance in life. They had a chip on their shoulder with a need to prove themselves,” he recalled. “I want to make sure everyone has a fair chance in life, not just to go to college but to gain life skills also.”

 Fast forward to 2010.

It was May of that year when Ryan got word the tax exempt status he had been working so hard to achieve, finally came through. It was official – there became the Northern Kentucky Youth Foundation and at its helm – Ryan as its volunteer executive director.

The Foundation’s focus is on bringing people (volunteers, parents, teachers, students and organizations) in Northern Kentucky together to work collaboratively to help young people grow to their full potential. Its goal is to provide positive changes and policies that impact youth and create a better community, learning environment and future.

A youth council consists of 13 students in grades 7 through 11 from Boone, Kenton and Campbell Counties. They meet monthly to discuss issues in their schools and how they can take leadership. Over time, Ryan told me, the council members will create chapters within their own schools to affect positive change.

 A new project.

Much of Ryan’s time lately has been on an anti-bullying campaign in schools that will be launched this fall. “We spend so much time focusing on the bully or the victim,” he said. “This campaign will be about empowering those who are watching the bully. As a culture we need to change. If someone is getting picked on, we want people to stand up and not tolerate it.”

The campaign will include a video with discussion guides, a television PSA, a website resource for parents and teachers.

The Children’s Home Sets Kids Up For Success With Theatre

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Last week my mom and I had such a treat. We were invited to The Children’s Home Lower School theatre production of Aladdin. It was so special for us. This wasn’t just any theatre production at any school, this was a way The Children’s Home has found to get kids who learn differently or who traditionally have struggled in the classroom to be excited about learning…in essence, setting these young people with so much potential up for success.

Below is a write-up I found on The Children’s Home website following the performance.

Over 30 students participated in the Lower School Theatre Program’s production of Aladdin for an audience of classmates, staff, board members and donors. The Lower School serves children in grades K-8 who have behavioral or learning challenges that have prevented them from succeeding in a traditional classroom. Many of them have experienced abuse and neglect or other factors that have inhibited their healthy development.

Last year, one student in particular had a very small role in the school play and he struggled to maintain his behavior and manage his emotions.

This year,  he told Director Sharon Walterman that he wanted a bigger role “I told him that we needed to be able to count on him to maintain good behavior, because kids who take on bigger roles are harder to replace if they slip up and lose the privilege of participating in the play,” says Walterman. “He looked me in the eye and said, ‘You can count on me this year. This is what I want to do,’ and he’s done an amazing job,” says Walterman. He’s back on track and the theatre program is helping.

The Lower School started the therapeutic theatre program in 2006 to enhance student’s social skills, self-esteem, and appreciation of the arts.  Students are involved in many aspects of the play, including learning to use the spotlight and helping with set design and painting. Several students also act as the stage crew, and their classmates rely on them to set up props and move the set around as needed during the performance. The Children’s Home is well equipped to help students learn to manage their behavior, and the Theatre program offers the perfect opportunity to practice. Children learn and develop their social skills, like how to accept feedback from the Director. Learning to accept feedback is one of the key pieces of the Teaching Family Model, the evidence-based behavior modification practice that has been implemented campus-wide at The Children’s Home.

 

YMCA Celebrates 40 Examples Of Character Values

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I’d like to introduce you to pretty awe-inspiring youth who I’m very lucky to be getting to know. They are some of our Greater Cincinnati area’s great role models for caring, respect, honest, responsibility and caring. I’m talking about the 40 teenagers who will be celebrated on April 17 as YMCA of Greater Cincinnati Character Award recipients.

Take for example…

Linnea Head, a student at Seven Hills School, whose influence has been described as ‘legendary’. A fearless model of ethics, it was during a school assembly when she stood before her student body and inspired every student to choose ‘trust’. Again she rallied her classmates to a cause when she heard about a Ugandan elementary school for displaced children.

Or

Dion’te Riley, a Withrow University High School student who traveled to the Domincan Republic to participate in a food drive. He personally collected enough food to fill 17 grocery carts for families in need.

Each one of the YMCA Character Award recipients has his/her own very personal story for impacting their world. I encourage you to please click the link and read more about them. If you know one of them…please congratulate them.

Or better yet…please join Tracey Johnson of FOX19 and the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati at the YMCA Character Awards Event on April 17.  It begins at 6 p.m. at the School for Creative and Performing Arts. Cost is $25 per person for adults; $10 for youth. You can call 513-246-3205 to reserve a seat.

2012 YMCA Character Award recipients 2012
YMCA Character Award recipient list 2012

WIN TICKETS!
I will have two pairs of tickets to the event to give-a-way. I will be randomly
drawing two names of people who are Good Things Pledge champions. An additional
chance will be given for participating in the Good Things Going Around Facebook page.
Drawing will be on Wednesday night, April 11, 2012.
Not a Good Things Pledge champion yet? Just add your contact information on the Pledge page!

Honoree Shamari Hinkston Talks About ‘Caring’

Cincinnati Recognized For Helping Teens Succeed

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For the second year in a row, Cincinnati has achieved national recognition as one of America’s Promise Alliance’s 100 Best Communities for Young People presented by ING for its initiatives to help young people. The competition recognizes communities across the country that focus on reducing high school dropout rates and providing service and support to their youth.

An awards ceremony this week will kick off a series of community engagement events designed to create and sustain a community-wide dialogue and movement that is all about providing young people the educational and personal development options that will help them to be successful in their adult lives.
Community partners include: ArtsWave, ArtWorks, Bridges for a Just Community, The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, CET Connect, Cincinnati Public Schools, Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, Jobs for Cincinnati Graduates, The Strive Partnership, The United Way of Greater Cincinnati, Cincinnati Public Schools and many more.

 

Cincinnati Youth Collaborative Honored Volunteer Mentors

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To celebrate National Mentoring Month and the dedication of so many adults who care, the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative recently honored 15 Outstanding Volunteers at its annual Thank You Mentor Dinner. Honorees are: Harry Blanton, Bishop Victor S.Couzens, Matt Curran, Mike Fredrick, Scott Grothaus, Andy Hofmann, Michael Liu, Brenda McCaskill, Sgt. Tia Pearson Miller, Tina Marie Mitchell, Darlene & Richard Ramon, Ellie Reiser, Keith Sams, Judy Schmitt and Brittany Tucker.

CYC’s Invested in Youth Award was given to Sgt. Tia Miller for her dedication to bettering the lives of young women both on and off duty. Sgt. Miller has officially mentored Dubrina for four years but has informally mentored more than five young women that she has met while on the job as a Cincinnati Police Officer.

Harry Blanton and Andy Hofmann received the Return on Investment award for their longevity in the mentoring program and having mentored at least one student through high school graduation.

Bishop Victor Couzens received the United for Youth award for his personal commitment to recruiting volunteers for the program. His passion and dedication has allowed an entire congregation to impact the lives of several hundred school students.

Thank you to all of them – and so many more – who have committed themselves to helping young people succeed in life!

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