Part of the Problem: 

 Do you have trouble connecting with or engaging your adolescent students or clients? Many people and programs do. You ask a question and hear crickets in the background. You think someone is doing well only to learn that wasn't the case. They score points on the field but get suspended or fail classes.

Often part of the solution is beginning to identify the problem. ...Hopefully the words below will begin to bring some clarity to one of the most significant problems we face in working effectively with adolescents.

Traditional education and treatment are compartmentalized.

We often treat our adolescents as though we are only interested in one aspect of their lives. We act as though we are only supposed to address education/behavior/health/drugs/etc. in their lives. I am not talking about blurry boundaries, some lines we must not ever cross. It is critical, however, that we understand that the young person in front of us is not just a brain, a body, a peer group, or a spiritual person. They are ALL of those things. When we teach, counsel or coach, we will be MUCH more effective when we are demonstrating care and compassion for the whole person. It's not just a GPA to be raised, it's helping a person to rise. It's not just running the field, it's helping them learn to run their lives. It's not just a problem to be solved, it's a person to be nurtured.

I have heard this said as "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care". That is so true. The key, however, is that they need to know we care about them as a human being and not just in one specific area. As I look back over the people who have had the greatest impact on me in my life, they were more than experts on a subject. They were people who care enough about me to care about all of who I was and to help me be my best.

Let's strive to be that for each young person who we have the great fortune of encountering along the way. Let's care for them as a human being full of life, hope, possibility, and potential. The difference in our classes, teams, and services can be phenomenal!

The Family Excellence Program Director, James Campbell, recently had an opportunity to be a guest blogger at the following site:  http://worldprayrblog.org/worth/
Click on the link to see what he had to say about what YOU are worth!

 

 

 

As we look ahead to multiple Family Excellence Essay contests in Anderson and Greenville counties for the upcoming school year, take a moment to consider your family. For some, our recollections are of warmth and nostalgia. For others, remembering our family resurrects some old hurts and regrets. One thing, however, is certain-we all are impacted by either the presence or absence of those individuals we call family. With this fact in our hearts, why would we consider repeating old destructive habits needlessly or else discontinue traditions that meant so much to us?

 

The truth is that many of us spend little time considering the role our families play in our day-to-day lives. What if we could, however, begin to build on strengths that we learned either because of or in spite of the family we grew up in? What if we could strengthen the relationships and connections in our families today? What if we could begin to build a legacy within our relationships that will lead to a sense of contentment and joy over the years?

 

It is to this end that Family Excellence, Inc. and the Family Excellence Institute, LLC were established. Through contests, trainings, workshops, and experiential activities for individuals, families, civic groups, and agencies we seek to provide the tools necessary to promote, build, and sustain excellence in families.

 

 

We would welcome the opportunity to speak with you about how we might best work together to strengthen families in your school, agency, or neighborhood as well. Please use our "Contact Us" link to ask any questions that you may have. We look forward to speaking with you and aiding you on your journey.

 

All the best,

James Campbell

Founder/Director

The top three awards for the Family Excellence Essay Contest at Calhoun Academy of the Arts went to these three fourth grade students: Third Prize: Rylee Moorhead, Second Prize: Devin Norris, and First Prize: Jag Grooms! — at Calhoun Academy of the Arts.

 

 

“My Family”
by Jag Grooms, First Prize Award Winner

“I love my family because they tell pretty funny jokes. They spoil me rotten! I give big polar bear hugs to them. We give each other presents all the time. I have the best famil...y in the universe.
My mom has a job at AnMed Health in the marketing department. She doesn’t have a job out of town, but my dad does. My dad works for Colonial Pipeline. It can go out of South Carolina to Georgia. A lot of times he gets home late; sometimes he spends the night at hotels.
My mom is also an artist. I get my art from her. I really love drawing airplanes. My mom loves drawing birds. They look gorgeous, very pretty! Mom and I say drawing expresses your feelings.
My dad is a genius at math. He is a math wizard! He always checks my math with me. Sometimes my mom checks it, but if she has a hard time dad will do it. I’m glad I have it as a dad.
My mom is super when it comes to cooking. I love her cooking! Her cooking is phenomenal! I love it when she cooks sweet potato soufflé. That stuff is sweet with a capital ‘S’! I also love macaroni casserole. That stuff is crunchy with a capital ‘C’.
I have a dog named Holly. She is a chocolate lab. I love her, but when the neighbor’s dog gets together with Holly, she gets out of the fence. Then we have to go get her. Daisy is a yellow lab. She is a girl too!
I love my mom and my dad. I’m so happy they met each other. They’re the perfect couple! I love them to infinity and beyond!
We like to be healthy in my family, so we eat fruit. I like pineapple, and so does my mom and dad. We eat other fruit, but we just can’t get enough pineapple!
I’m so glad I live on this planet with my family! I love them so much. Do you have a huggable, loveable family? I hope you have a huggable, loveable family!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are performers, teams, and venues who provide amazing opportunities for families to come together and grow stronger. 

 

There are also many families who unfortunately lack the resources to be a part of these incredibly rich opportunities.

 

One of the ways that Family Excellence seeks to strengthen families is by connecting them with opportunities to share experiences such as concerts, sporting events, workshops, and other events designed build relationships.  Whether it is husbands and wives, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, or any other combination, Family Excellence is committed to helping build stronger, healthier families.

 

You can be a part of this amazing work through donations of tickets, seats, vouchers, passes, and gift certificates to provide opportunities to the families that we serve.  Whatever the size of the gift, you can rest assured that it will go towards helping individuals reach their dreams, families to grow stronger, and legacies to be built through connecting  families with rich environments in which to grow!  We sincerely appreciate you considering partnering with us in this worthy endeavor!