Blog Masonry Full Width - Youth Frontiers

The Y Corps: Genevieve, Kevin, Maggie, Dahlia and Traiveon

April 26, 2018

YCorps Spotlight: Maggie MacLennan

We are so grateful for our wonderful staff at Youth Frontiers (YF), from our full-time and part-time employees to our YCorps. The Youth Frontiers YCorps (Youth Corps) is a seven-month internship program that gives emerging leaders the opportunity to facilitate, along with our full-time staff, life-changing retreats for schools all over the upper Midwest. The YCorps do a lot to further our mission, so we want to celebrate their skills and stories on our blog in a five-part spotlight Q&A series. Our fourth YCorps member in the spotlight is Maggie MacLennan. READ MORE

April 19, 2018

2018 Nebraska Character Award Winner: Grace Ellis

Congratulations to the 2018 Character Award Winner, Grace Ellis of Waverly High School! An unprecedented four educators nominated Grace for the Character Award. They commended her for leading by example and using her voice to foster an environment where all can be heard. Learn more about Grace by watching her video and reading the story below.READ MORE

Allison taking a hike and practicing mindfulness.

April 12, 2018

The benefits of moving from autopilot to mindfulness

What is your autopilot?

It may look like getting your kids up and fed and ready for school while eating the leftovers from their plates, calling it “breakfast,” then rushing out the door and speeding to work while worrying about whether or not you are going to be late for your 8 a.m. meeting.

It may look like showing up to an appointment having no recollection of driving there because you were preoccupied with thinking, “I have so much to do.”

My autopilot was committing to things, doing them in the least amount of time possible and then committing to new things the moment I had a second to spare. I made coffee my fuel and convinced myself that sleep was overrated. I spent my time doing; this was my autopilot.READ MORE

April 5, 2018

YCorps Spotlight: Dahlia Jones

We are so grateful for our wonderful staff at Youth Frontiers (YF), from our full-time and part-time employees to our YCorps. The Youth Frontiers YCorps (Youth Corps) is a seven-month internship program that gives emerging leaders the opportunity to facilitate, along with our full-time staff, life-changing retreats for schools all over the upper Midwest. The YCorps do a lot to further our mission, so we want to celebrate their skills and stories on our blog in a five-part spotlight Q&A series. Our third YCorps member in the spotlight is Dahlia Jones. READ MORE

Students having productive small-group conversation on a Kindness Retreat

March 29, 2018

Seven Civil Conversation Skills to Use When You Disagree

Everyone wants to be heard, from kids, to grown-ups, to long-lost relatives across the holiday table. But too often, we steer clear of the issues we really care about, hovering instead on weather patterns and sports news.

These days, even those issues can feel risky.

Every topic worth discussing carries the risk of conflict, and we, as a society, seem to be losing our knack for disagreement.

Students dancing on retreat acting silly and laughing

March 22, 2018

Laughter is the greatest equalizer

When is the last time you took time to play? To make space for spontaneity, to let goofiness be your guide and to laugh — freely, openly and in your own signature way. Remember how that laughter felt? The boisterous bubbling sensation as your lungs filled with oxygen. The lightness of it. The clean, bright clarity it left in its wake. And the openness, the newfound space in your heart and in your mind. When was the last time?