Being a Role Model for a Group of Youth

A positive role model is someone who others look up to and admire.  A role model is someone that others want to emulate.  Simply through “being”, a role model is inspirational and motivational.  Others can see the possibilities of themselves in the role model.  A role model demonstrates self-confidence but is not overbearing and arrogant.  A role model is humble and grateful for the opportunities he/she has had. 

It is challenging enough to be a positive role model one on one, but for afterschool professionals, being a role model to a group of young people—maybe 15-20 of them, is not unheard of.  So what are some things that a positive role model can consider when working with a group of youth? 

Remember that there are always eyes and ears paying attention.  How you respond to youth when they are the least deserving will speak volumes to those who are watching.

Learn to take a few minutes each day to connect personally with each youth.  Whether this is during check in when you are initially greeting students for the day or as you make your rounds during homework, look each youth in the eye and ask a question that is relevant to that youth. 

Celebrate the successes of your youth.  Chart your praises so you can be sure to include everyone during the course of several weeks.

Walk your talk.  Nothing is as important that what you do rings true and authentic to the words you say.  Young people do research to see if adults say what they mean and mean what they say.  As a positive role model, you need to “pass this test”.  If you make a mistake, own it and apologize-- youth understand that no one is perfect!

Finally, share with youth the thinking you do when making decisions.  This will help them to understand that good choices aren’t necessarily easy for anyone plus they will begin to understand how to think critically.

Entrusted Legacy’s work is to provide the staff development that role models who work with groups of youth need to be successful.  Help us to help those who are changing the future.  Invest now!  Check out our website at www.entrustedlegacy.org and contribute to our work.

Many Hands Make Hard Work Light

What do hands, synergy and recycling have in common?  How do these three distinct things connect. 

When I was young, my mother used to tell my sister and me, “many hands make hard work light.”  We knew that those weren’t her words originally, I’m not sure how, but we got the message.  She expected us to work together and help each other out whether that was folding clothes, weeding the garden or doing the nightly dishes.  Many times she joined her hands with ours to make the work lighter for all of us. 

Steven Covey would share that we need to work together to synergize and not only make hard work lighter but change the face of the hard work altogether.  He believed that by working together, working to understand one another we created a space for something better that any one of us could have thought of on our own.  He labeled this notion as Habit #6. 

I would also like you to consider the whole notion of recycling.  Fifty years ago people may have saved things but it was not because they were interested in recycling but rather because many of them had lived through the Great Depression and learned that is was best to throw away nothing.  However their children (the Baby Boomers) learned that the world was disposable.  Evidence of this can be found in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch which stretches for hundreds of miles and have formed a nebulous, floating junk yard.  However, as our consciousness was raised, recycling hit most everyone’s radar and it is challenging to throw anything away that we think might recycle.  You find “blue cans” regularly, even in cities that require you to pay for the privilege of recycling.  The notion of many hands applies to this as does the notion of synergizing to accomplish something you couldn’t do on your own. 

Now it seems to me that out-of-school time should want to be the “next recycling” effort.  Imagine what would happen if everyone understood that afterschool programs are as essential as recycling.    What if everyone understood how important role models and mentors are for the youth who spend time in the afterschool programs?  What if everyone understood that if everyone does a little, what we end up with is a lot? 

Please join us in making a difference. Contact us at www.entrustedlegacy.org or at support@entrustedlegacy.org

What’s Your Point of View?

What are you passionate about?  What is it that you want to accomplish?  I saw a clever license plate the other day and it shared this message:

LV♥NLOL

After pondering the message for a while, I realized it said, “Live, Love, and Laugh Out Loud.”  I would agree with this sentiment, but I would also want to add “LAL” or Leave a Legacy.  I think it is important that each of us leave the world better than when we arrived, in other words leave a legacy that will support the realization of possibilities in our fellow humans. 

Entrusted Legacy has a passion to ensure that everyone has a positive role model and mentor.  When I reflect on my own life I think about those special people who acted as a guide for me simply by being who they were and then being willing to share that with me.  They expected nothing in return and took pleasure from being the mentor and role model that I needed.  Entrusted Legacy strives to ensure that those who are in a position to be that positive role model and mentor, those who work with youth in the space afterschool, are well prepared to take the helm.  If you don’t have time to be a mentor yourself, leave a legacy that will support both the mentor and the mentee.  Contact us at support@centrustedlegacy.org or visit our website for more information.  www.entrustedlegacy.org