Workshops for Youth and Families has not drifted from its mission to foster personal leadership and resiliency in youth and families through programs that inspire positive growth and change.
Our organization is committed to fortifying the social and emotional well-being of teens and preteens, especially those who seem perfectly healthy on the surface, but may be struggling on their own with personal issues surrounding school, friends, and family.
These "normal" youth are an underserved population in our society. They are bombarded with mixed messages from parents, peers, and the media; and what used to "take a village" now requires a more proactive, preventive approach. We afford them an opportunity to prepare for adulthood and reconnect with qualities such as self-confidence, generosity, and compassion.
Workshop for Youth and Families wants to provide young people with the necessary tools and information to expand social, emotional, and life skills; negotiate new and conflicting demands and pressures; build a higher level of interpersonal and leadership behavior; nurture necessary personal strengths and assets for success, and enhance resiliency for a healthy transition through the adolescent years.
The foundation of Workshops for Youth & Families’ curriculum is inter/intra personal skills. The interpersonal skills we cover include: service orientation, social skills, cultural competence, teamwork, and oral communication. The intrapersonal skills we cover include: ethical responsibly to self and others, reliability and dependability, resilience and adaptability, and capacity for improvement. We introduce these skills through writing and speaking activities in group, partner, or individual settings.
As we focus a great deal on these skills we also understand the "Power of Play" and give our participants a chance to be silly and goofy with our simulating yet fun games.
In Workshop, one of our many focuses is the importance of validation. "The Language of Validation" is unique to the program because we offer a chance for participants to openly share a few kind words to a fellow participant. "I Cherish" "I Respect" and "I Appreciate" are just a few of the validation words we introduce.
