Submitted by Judge Ernestine Gray, Judge, Orleans Parish Juvenile Court and RYI Board Member

Raising children can be very difficult and stressful – it is not easy. Parenting comes with huge responsibility and is perhaps the most important role that a person can have.

Parents have to take responsibility for the life they have created and bought into the world. Once the child is born it is the responsibility of the parent to raise him or her properly.

It was not the government, grandparents, schools, babysitters, day-care workers or friends who brought your child into the world. And none of the above should be given primary responsibility of raising your children. Government should support parents by providing schools that educate, adequate health care, and safe recreation centers. Parents must do the heavy lifting ... the really hard work. They have got to be there twenty-four/ seven.

The government won’t turn off the TV; government won’t read to them, government won’t monitor their curfew, their peers, their school attendance or their grades.

Submitted by Cindy Crabtree, Seminar & Training Coordinator

Spring is the perfect time of year to visit Victoria, British Columbia – and attending the Reclaiming Youth Seminar is the perfect reason to go there next April! This beautiful city is once again the location of our Spring Seminar. It is not a hard decision to make.

Each year, we eagerly look forward to returning to this scenic and blooming backdrop for our Reclaiming Youth trainings. We sincerely and humbly enjoy connecting with the dedicated adults who come from all over the world to join us at workshops based on learning, sharing, encouraging and creating positive relationships and environments for children. We have discovered that no matter where in the world you live and work, children everywhere need the same essential elements as defined within the Circle of Courage™ Model for healthy youth development: belonging, mastery, independence and generosity. The Reclaiming Youth Seminars, open to everyone, are recommended for all adults who work with and care for youth – including educators, counselors, social workers, residential staff, juvenile justice professionals, community leaders and elders, foster parents and parents. It is exciting to look ahead and know that we will get to expand our circle of friends in 2011.

Here is a little trivia test for those of you who have visited Victoria BC in past years, or are planning to join us for the first time next April. (Answers are listed at the bottom of this article.)

Submitted by Mark Freado, President of RYI

Reclaiming Youth International is grateful to have had staff from Sydney, Darwin and Perth in attendance at our Black Hills Seminars. Those cities are on the East Coast, the Northern Coast and the West Coast of the continent and the states of New South Wales, The Northern Territory and Western Australia. Colleagues from each of those areas came separately, all from organizations that enjoy relationships with RYI, and some have attended previously. In an interesting twist, they were introduced to each other by RYI staff in the Black Hills. They came as strangers and left as acquaintances and colleagues joined by their commitment to the values of the Circle of Courage and their new sense of belonging in the Reclaiming Youth International network.

Submitted by Dr. Steve Van Bockern, Dean of RYI 

 The Adverse Childhood Experience study provides evidence of something most recognize; that children who experience painful childhoods through abuse, neglect and household dysfunction are more likely to have health issues as they get older. If you are interested in learning more about this study, a brief PowerPoint highlights some important ideas. You can access the powerpoint (in pdf format) by opening the attachment below.