Happy New Year from the Trekkers Training Institute!

 

As the new year approaches, I can’t help but reflect on the last 12 months as the Director of TTI. 2018 has proven to be another year of significant growth. We piloted new training content and continued to do deep consulting work necessary to support replication of Trekkers’ success within Maine-based networks such as the Emanuel & Pauline A. Lerner Foundation’s Aspirations Incubator and out-of-state organizations like Florida Dreamcatchers. I leave 2018 behind feeling grateful for the new relationships forged with the many youth practitioners, school staff and other folks who participated in our open enrollment trainings this summer and fall. It is such a privilege to get know and work with remarkable people who are having a meaningful impact on the lives young people.

There are even more exciting developments in the works! New training offerings will be announced soon (aren’t you on the edge of your seat?!) and this newsletter will be published on a regular basis. My intention is to create a way to keep this network informed about new training opportunities, partnerships and collaborations/ors, as well as provide insights, tips, tricks, articles, events, activities, etc. that I’m gathering from Trekkers 25-year history and the field of youth development.

May 2019 re-energize you, inspire you and teach you something new.

-Meredith Lynt, TTI Director

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Upcoming Events: 

January 14th, 5:30-7:30: TTI is hosting a Trekkers Volunteer Training focused on Embracing a Strengths-Based Perspective with Youth. Space is reserved for current Trekkers volunteers on a first come first served basis and will be opened to the public if capacity allows. If you are a Trekkers Volunteer please email Cathy Lookabaugh, cathy@trekkers.org, for more information and to sign up.

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Partner Spotlight: Florida Dreamcatchers

Trekkers Training Institute Empowers Youth Serving Organizations in Southwest Florida

Trekkers Training Institute (TTI) Director, Meredith Lynt, traveled to Immokalee Florida to provide three youth-serving organizations, Florida Dreamcatchers, Wellfit Girls Program, and 1 By 1 Leadership Foundation, with an immersive overview of the Trekkers’ Youth Programming Principles. The 10 Principles highlight the evidence-based program philosophies and strategies that make Trekkers unique and have contributed to their success over the past 25 years. While implementation may look slightly different in each community, Trekkers’ principles are now being replicated by different organizations in other communities across the nation and Trekkers is excited to extend their support to out-of-state organizations such as Dreamcatchers. Continue reading the full article here

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Interesting Reads:

• An October article from Education Week (register for free to access to a limited number of articles per month), encourages the adoption of a strengths-based perspective when looking at the increased risk-taking behavior during the teen years: “Adolescence tends to be seen by parents—and many teachers—with dread. Teenagers are likelier to engage in risky behaviors and disengage from school. But emerging cognitive and neuroscience research suggests ways schools can help leverage teens’ strengths in this unique developmental period.” Whether you work with young people within a traditional classroom setting or not, check out the full article here.

• “If we want people to fully show up, to bring their whole selves including their unarmored, whole hearts—so that we can innovate, solve problems, and serve people—we have to be vigilant about creating a culture in which people feel safe, seen, heard, and respected.” And don’t we want the same thing for our young people? For anyone who has participated in any of our trainings, you probably won’t be surprised to see that I’m currently reading Dare to Lead by Brené Brown, PhD, LCMSW. This book is all about leading ourselves and our organizations with the same courage, authenticity and bravery we hope young people will also lead with.

• The Chronicle of Evidence-Based Mentoring released an article in July: New Research Identifies “elusive ingredient” in mentoring: mutuality. While it might seem simple to many of us, it’s validating to see more and more research coming out about the power of vulnerability in mentoring relationships: “In selecting future mentors, leaders should seek out mentors that are enthusiastic and willing to share openly about their life, which will help foster both relational excitement and experiential empathy.”

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TTI is dedicated to improving outcomes for young people by providing training, coaching and professional development opportunities that are based on many of the most effective, tested techniques and principles.

With a commitment to meeting young people and the adults that care for them where they are, our work is driven by the idea that relationships are critical in keeping youth on an aspirational trajectory and therefore vital for the future of thriving communities.

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