The hours after school are the peak time for juvenile crime and experimentation with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and sex (Bureau, Urban Institute Estimate, 2000). However, kids’ inactivity has also proven to be dangerous. In the last 30 years, childhood obesity has more than tripled as a result of poor nutrition, working parents, video games, and funding cuts that cause schools to cut physical education and recess (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion). After school programs provide at risk kids with positive activities, role models, and life skills. By keeping young minds and bodies active, whether it be through sports, tutoring, leadership programs or the arts, students are better prepared for social and academic success today and for the future.

No Child Left Behind primarily promoted the academic/tutoring aspect of after school programs and failed to show the benefits other organizations and individuals could provide to students by making them socially and emotionally intelligent, says the American Association of School Administrators. Students’ health, self-esteem, and social and emotional intelligence are directly correlated with their academic success. If we can get parents and students involved after school,we can strengthen communities, improve student learning, and boost this education reform. As we all realize, education reform isn’t going to happen over night, but we can make progress on a smaller scale by getting students involved with individuals, organizations, and clubs who can give them the tools to succeed.

At LifeBound, we focus on helping students succeed both in and out of the classroom. Our study skills program, emotional intelligence tips, self-assessments, and transitional guides are used in schools across the country. We also offer extensive academic coaching classes to parents,teachers and program administrators to bolster student improvement. Recently, the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver contacted LifeBound to work with their team. We look forward to partnering with this dynamic organization to keep kids learning, safe, active, and healthy afterthe last bell rings.

In my experience, the best principals have three skills: vision, project management, and interpersonal skills. These skills are often found in many of the most successful business people as well. If we want progress in education we need principals to point their school in the right direction, support reform by planning and managing the school’s resources, and participate in vertical and horizontal communication similar to great leaders in business and non-profit.

Huffington Post writer Steffen Thybo Moller questioned the recent trend in blaming tenure for failing schools, in his article “School Reform’s Latest Challenge: Leadership.”  A new research project led by Anthony S. Bryk, president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, supports his opinion. Bryk’s research team concluded leadership is the most important factor in improving schools, not whether or not teachers are tenured, and school reform won’t happen unless these leadership roles are filled.   Leadership of a school is like a well run company.   Each person knows the vision and mission, knows their personal goals and is committed to the team of people with whom they work to achieve extraordinary things individually and as part of the collective staff.

Teachers are an important element in determining whether a student, a class and a community succeed or fail, but the principal can set the tone for the ways in which problems are solved, the spirit in which students, parents and community members are called forth and the way in which a vision is articulated, maintained and followed through on over time.  This is an important time for leadership in all aspects of our society and, especially for principals who can lead our country to new heights of student participation, experience, achievement and knowledge.

Whether you are a parent, a co-worker or a teacher, the holidays are an opportunity time to think of some of the neediest cases in our society and take action.  Last Friday, the LifeBound team had their client holiday party. Afterwards, we took the ham and several days worth of food to one of our families at Kepner Middle School  who lost their home to a fire two weeks ago.  As a family of seven with five children living now at their neighbors, the family was very grateful for the food.  As a company, we are now thinking about how we might involve Habitat for Humanity to rebuild their home and provide other ways to network to support the family with people we know.

There are many ways to help this holiday season and below are some ideas to get you started:

1.       Instead or in addition to a holiday party, make sandwiches and bag lunches for the homeless.  Spread out around town and deliver these lunches with a gift.

2.       Schedule a day to work at the soup kitchen.  Take your family or your office department to do this work and consider making time to volunteer on a regular basis.

3.       Call your local Hospice or nursing home and ask if you can come in to sing holiday songs.  Bring song sheets and provide them to the guests.

4.       Find out how you can make a difference at your local Children’s Hospital by learning what’s on their wish list and making a donation.

5.       Participate in a Toys for Tots campaign and collect gifts for children in foster families or poor families.

6.       If you have a group of school children, have them make cards for people in the public health hospital. Often these people have no or few family members.

7.       Gather blankets and coats for your local homeless shelter and ask all of your friends and neighbors to do the same.

8.       Have your family write out wishes and intentions for the community and the world—share this with families in the housing projects.

9.       Plan visits to the elderly in your community—neighbors who have lost their spouses and others who have no family.

10.   Call up a homeless youth shelter or a sober living community and offer to bring over a tree and other holiday decorations to brighten their spirits.

There are so many ways to help others this season.   The holidays this year will be especially difficult for many people and if you can look out, see the need and recruit your family and friends to make a difference the holidays will be much more meaningful than just going to the mall to buy gifts for others.   If you have that spirit, your class, your family and/or your company will bond in the most important way possible by reaching out to those in need.

After completing the first semester of freshman year, many college students find themselves wrestling with basic questions including: Who am I? Why am I in college? and What am I meant to do for the rest of my life? Not being able to answer these questions at the end of freshman year puts students at risk of being among the 40% who drop-out after the first year, or others who might stay in school but become students who take six years to graduate, or party disproportionately or feel aimless about what they want to do with their lives..

The revision of the best-selling book,  Majoring in the Rest of Your Life: Career Secrets for College Students is the perfect read for college freshmen over winter break.  “I remember well the scary feeling of being in college for the first year, ” said Peter Olsen, a college graduate. “This book helps to explain what makes college so overwhelming at times and how to successfully overcome these challenges.” High schoolers need to be given tools such as problem solving strategies to answer questions about their future while also learning about “real world” expectations so they can work toward career goals. Written in conversational style, Majoring is filled with interviews of people ranging from college aged interns to seasoned professionals, sharing advice on crucial issues including:

• Developing a savings plan
• Getting and staying out of debt
• Setting healthy boundaries with technology
• Exploring internships
• Discovering who you are
• Managing your time and study habits

Freshmen year and throughout college is the time for students to learn more about themselves, their interests and abilities, how their passions can lead to careers, and how to seek out experiences that will enhance learning in the classroom and open doors for their futures. “Majoring in the Rest of Your Life is your guide to connect students with what you want out of their lives. In simple, straightforward language, Carol Carter takes the guesswork out of pursuing, reaching and achieving your goals both in and out of college,” said national motivational speaker, Dr. Joe Martin.

To learn more about LifeBound’s library or purchasing information, visit us at LifeBound.com or Amazon.com