The Art of Storytelling

Let me tell you a story. You have heard that, seen that, said that, now let me really tell you the story behind that! I am a storyteller, really! Storytelling can be an art, an avocation or a full time job. I’m not talking about the story of last weekend’s party or your bad date […]

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SEL Series: 55 Positive Things to Say to your Children

“Opportunities don’t happen; you create them.” –Chris Grosser Here are positive things to say to your children to create opportunities to help them feel confident and loved! As parents, most of us speak to our children, in the ways, our parents talked to us during childhood. Our parents did the best, but we can so […]

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SEL Series: SEL at Home, Tips for Parents

5 Awesome tips that will improve trips to the grocery store with your children Many of us have dropped our jaws while witnessing distressed parents address their tearful kid(s) screaming their brains out in the grocery store. I never wanted to be that parent with “that kid.”  To my surprise, my daughter taught me no […]

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Summer Learning Experience RFP

Despite the weather outside, summer is just around the corner! The Coaltion for New Britain’s Youth is happy to assist in the distribution of the 2019 New Britain Summer Learning Experiences request for proposals.   This year’s program will be from July 22nd through August 9th. FAQ’s about the three Summer Learning Experiences: Summer Enrichment […]

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SEL Series: Words are Powerful

Your words are powerful use them wisely- Over the Christmas holiday, I received a lesson in how much words can hurt. My dear old granny had some not-so-nice-comments about my weight. Yep, her words felt like a surprise punch to the gut. It may be silly, but her words cut me like me a knife. […]

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SEL Series: Sorry

Apologies When you ask a young person to apologize, they often scowl at you with an attitude. They may glare at you and roughly say,” Why should I apologize, I didn’t do anything wrong”. We all know that owning our mistakes is not only a challenge for children but for adults as well. Apprehension to […]

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Video Games Aren’t All Bad

We all understand that video games can cause problems, we hear that every day.  I won’t even go into the many ways that some of these games can create antisocial and apathetic behaviors.  I want to talk about the video games that teach empathy, better human connection and understanding. Like a good storyteller, a video […]

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SEL Series: Growth Mindset

Fostering a Growth Mindset I remember extending my right hand up in the air and waving it feverishly. I thought, today “I had enough” after being ignored by my fourth-grade teacher too many times, today was the day I was going to speak up.   Daily, I eagerly raised my hand to answer a question only […]

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Women as Mentors?

Here at the Network, 5 out of 6 staff are female.  Well, there are only 6 of us really.  Ken Anthony is awash in females.  I don’t think he sees it that way though.  Michelle has mentored Ken since he arrived.  Here we work as a team trying new ideas or revising old ones.  So […]

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SEL Series: Mini SEL Lesson

Healthy Relationships take time and effort to mature.  It is important to teach youth the key elements of creating positive relationships with friends, family members and people they may encounter throughout their life. Respect, Trust, Honesty and Communication are required when developing good relationships. What makes a healthy relationship? httpv://youtu.be/?loop=1&playlist=Gn7ZQ2x0cOE Group discussion: As a group […]

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