Brushing up on Skills

Every year Arizona Department of Education has a state wide Transition conference. They have presenters with over 100 break- out sessions on all kinds of topics for parents, students and teachers addressing the needs of youth and young adults with disabilities. Having worked at ADE for many years, I knew they offered scholarships for parents. I requested one and luckily got a wonderful email from my dear former supervisor saying it had been granted. So blessed!

For the last few days, I have been listening to experts speak on topics near and dear to this project and to my heart. And as if the stars were lining up specifically for us, the first keynote was focused on At Risk Youth and how what they really needed to be successful was mentorship, relationships with positive adults who saw them as all they could be and possibly some “invention” rather than the usual “intervention”. This speaker unknowingly read the programming plan we have been creating. His name was Roberto Rivera and he started the week off totally lighting my fire.

One of my favorite parts was his advice for us grown ups to start being “elders” instead of “old people”. Many of us, as we get older and are working with our youth of today, want to just tell our kids what they need to do based on our past and how it’s always been done. But we don’t listen to them.  We offer solutions not being aware the problems have changed. We don't encourage them to find their own solutions and create change. He went on to present research which has found kids need three things to be successful: Positive relationships with adults other than parents, to find the thing that lights their spark, and to have a voice and be heard. He reminded us the word EDUCATE comes from a Latin root that mean “to bring out what’s already there”. He compared educators and parents to Michael Angelo and reminded us all when we look at the stone, we need to see the sculpture within waiting to emerge. He talked about the three tracks a youth could choose from: destruction, distraction or the track to the dream. Those who pursue a pleasure centered life are headed for destruction, and those who are self-focused may achieve many goals and seem happy on the outside, but deep down have no purpose.  Ultimately, we need to inspire more of our youth to jump on that dream track to a meaningful life of significance, purpose and fulfillment. It starts by helping others and connecting them to their community so those powerful dreams and voices can be heard and affect change. This powerful presentation validated our model for #OneSharedRoot and confirmed what we are really launching is an enterprise for social change.

I attended many sessions on methodology for teaching social and job skills, updates in transition laws, and how to navigate underutilized systems and resources already in place. There were so many amazing speakers and booths at the exhibit hall sharing information on connecting students with future employers, activating family engagement and giving our youth hope.  

I reconnected with so many colleagues in the various fields who want to support our endeavor and was introduced to a variety of resources to help fund our project. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude but also curiosity how the perfect opportunity presented itself at the perfect time. Once again confirming we are right where we are supposed to be. This is the first time in a long time where I am not swimming upstream to make something happen. It's simply unfolding.