Young people face challenges and uncertainty while navigating today’s world. Bye … [+]
In a study by the American Psychological Association (APA), more than 50% of young people have always reported depression, anxiety, and depression. While most of this problem can be attributed to the digital addiction of young people, experts also believe that young people’s mental health problems lack resources to identify and deal with them. to their untapped potential.
My colleagues and I at Compassionate Leaders Circle have made it our mission to nurture our future leaders by bringing our Dream Lab for Teens program to the world. Dream Lab for Teens gives teens the tools to achieve goals beyond their imagination.
Dream Lab for Teens was founded in 1997 when the principal at a new high school in Red Hook, Brooklyn, wanted a program for his students to help them find and follow their calling. taking I had never worked with teenagers before, but I decided to take a leap of faith. I have worked with 40 14-year-olds and guided them through a repeat of the Dream Lab program I first developed for adults. It’s exciting and impactful. I learned a lot about students. Most importantly, they learned a lot about themselves through each other. From seeing how the program changed their lives, I worked to expand.
In the summer of 2022, Compassionate Leaders Circle partnered with Step-Up in Omaha, Nebraska, to facilitate a Dream Lab for Teens class with their high schools. Step-Up is an organization that works with 14 to 21-year-olds to give them real-life skills to get a job and, eventually, a business.
Later in the fall of 2022, we partnered with Learn with Leaders to run a course with their students. This is our second ride with them. Learn with Leaders is an EdTech organization that brings programs to high school students worldwide.
Every project we have planned and implemented with our partners has enabled these young leaders to embrace the value of charity by:
- Learn more about themselves and how they interact with their communities
- Gaining a deeper understanding of how to love others
- Find the truth about themselves and follow their dreams
- Knowing how small actions can make a big difference in the world
- Expand their experiences to give them new perspectives in life
At the end of each project, students present final projects incorporating their passion leadership ideas as part of Dream Shows. After the students have presented, each group gathers to select classmates and their projects to present the entire project. Here are those six programs:
- Natalia (Columbia): An educational program that focuses on personal development and teaches students to find self-love as they meet the challenges presented by their education.
- Raisa (Canada): A program called limitless students can manage their time, manage stress, and understand how they learn best.
- Zaara (Singapore): A project to reach children in Myanmar and teach them English every week on Zoom.
- Amy (US): A career as an artist that inspires self-confidence in former immigrant women in her community
- Elijah (US): A cinema that offers a more immersive experience with unique features such as a trampoline park
- Ximena (US): A company that helps people embrace and love exercise as a way to build self-esteem
Since the completion of the programs, the students have seen positive changes in their lives. For one thing, their goals became clearer as they learned to make small but powerful changes. They have also seen their confidence grow so that they can better deal with the challenges they face and strengthen their self-identity within their supportive community and the world.
We are launching a self-directed version of this program for adults on May 1, 2023 and are always looking for other organizations to join our program. If you would like to learn more or join us, please contact us here.