The Gift of Failure Applies Far Beyond Parenting

Dec. 7, 2015: I've decided to freecycle the book I bought as my holiday gift to readers, so add your own "gift of failure" in the comments section (or tweet @ShapingYouth) for a chance to win it! … [Read more...]

The Invisible Boy: A Kids Storybook That Taps A Universal Nerve

Update Dec. 24, 2015 We're about to volunteer at a children's homeless shelter doing activities with kids and it reminded me about this post and how I've 'seen so much invisibility' over the holiday … [Read more...]

Using Media to Uplift and Inspire: When to Tune In, Not Out.

Dec. 20, 2011 True confessions, it’s been a heckuva challenging year, and it got me thinking about what different people do to bootstrap themselves out of adversity in its many forms whether it’s … [Read more...]

Survivor, The Lunch Table Edition: SEL to Prevent Bullying

Sept. 6, 2011 As school starts this week for the very few left that haven’t had summer short-circuited with August start dates, we’re continuing our focus on solutions-based media to ramp up Social … [Read more...]

Gen Y Book Launch: Coming of Age in a Crap Economy

July 12, 2011 Lately my generational layers have been interwoven like an Etsy blankie... Between my sandwich generation eldercare/teen scene and my Gen X and Gen Y nephews making the best of jobs … [Read more...]

Olympic Life Lessons: Go For Your Personal Gold

March 2, 2010 Do you miss the Olympics already? I know I do, as it’s one of the rare times I tune in to the tube regularly to witness the spectacle, the quests, the rivalries and glitches that … [Read more...]

Project Happiness: How Are YOU Faring?

Mar. 20, 2015 Update It's evidently #International Day of Happiness on Twitter which ironically takes up most of the 140 characters as a hashtag, so I'm reprising this post to give people some ideas … [Read more...]

The Civility Solution

Sept. 14, 2009 Rather than rehash the coarse conduct of music stars, athletes, and politicos reaching some new lows this past week, I’d like to point to The Civility Solution (Sept. '09) the sequel to … [Read more...]

Blame Drew’s Cancer For My Attitude of Gratitude

August 8, 2009 Who IS this hipster? Meet Drew Olanoff. Media geek. Mobile guru. Inspiration. Yesterday I wrote about kids' propensity to get their yucks at someone else's expense fostering an … [Read more...]

Standby: Real Life Has Usurped My Digital World

Jan. 26, 2009: I’m feeling very “First lady-ish” right now, since Michelle Obama recently described herself as "first and foremost . . . Malia and Sasha's mom." Likewise, Shaping Youth begins at … [Read more...]

Positive Coaching Alliance Offers Media Tips & Life Lessons

Last week MSNBC editorialized on the essential factors of a classic sports movie: “Feature Underdog(s), Stick it to the Man, Make Men Cry, Provide Memorable Quotes, and Inspire Real … [Read more...]