I take for granted that the people who visit this site have been with us from day one, when really we’re adding new amazing volunteers all of the time. I thought this would be a great opportunity to reflect over the past 10+ years, and give everyone here a quick history lesson on what we do here at Coaching Kids.

Coaching Kids, Inc. was created as a charitable non-profit organization in 2001(I still can’t believe it’s been that long!). We use the powers of life coaching skills to empower youth, their parents and those that work with youth to discover young people’s unique potential. The program helps create resilient kids, nurturing families, stronger communities and a more humane world. Since our initial charter and our 501- C-3 application we have worked in prisons, schools, churches, and other non-profit, government, and for profit organizations.

The aim of our Life On Purpose training in Oklahoma is to help people live empowered fulfilling purposeful lives. We have found that this is best accomplished with the help of interactive experiential learning and teaching modules that build self-esteem, hope, trust, vision, consciousness and self-awareness. Through this process, we’ve witnessed additional positive outcomes, including but not limited to empowering participants to live life with more choice and to make a contribution to others – thereby living a more fulfilled purposeful life – and becoming more responsible, accountable, and caring.

Through extensive personal growth, participants:

• Become aware of their impact on others, develop deeper emotional connection and learn healthy boundary setting,
• Recognize their intrinsic value and gain the tools and language to make choices in alignment with their values and supportive beliefs,
• Develop an increased sense of self-awareness and can identify what actions more fully empower them, and;
• Learn to live intentionally and consciously.

Part of our volunteer intake program is to take individuals through a series of modules that teach:

1.    Listening at three different levels
2.    Values awareness
3.    Perspectives
4.    The awareness and management of inner critics
5.    The powerful use of intuition and acknowledgement
6.    The tools to initiate and complete action
7.    Train-The-Trainer module on Co-Active Workshop Leading

One of our goals is to not just train our volunteers to deliver programs at the foundation of Coaching Kids and Life on Purpose, but to also take their learnings into the rest of their lives, from interactions at the workplace to family relationships. Really, our volunteers leave the training sessions with a starter lesson in Life Coaching which is all about learning how to live a more empowered, more aware, more self-responsible life at choice, and in alignment with our personal core values. This program is based on the foundation of the Co-Active Coaching curriculum, taught around the world by the Coaches Training Institute (CTI).

Through experiential training, coaches guide participants as they learn improved emotional intelligence skills. The coach training process helps participants to really look at where they are, and where they want to be, and to decide what they need to do to get from here to there. It has them explore who they are and what needs to change in order for them to progress in a way that is meaningful to them while on their life path.

If you’re at all curious about Life Coaching or working within any of our programs, I encourage you to contact me directly any time.

So many of my friends and colleagues ask me why I don’t blog more. I wish I had a great reason why, sometimes I blame it on being too busy, but really it comes down to finding a way to take what is a huge story, a HUGE part of my life, and writing just a short piece on it.

However, I know that it is extremely important to do so, for several reasons:

1. Blogging regularly gives me the opportunity to thank our amazing volunteers (you do know how amazing you all are!). Without our incredible team, none of what I do would be possible.
2. I get to highlight colleagues who are doing equally amazing work in this field.  And believe me, I’m not the only one working with incarcerated men and women – I can’t wait to share others with you.
3. I may inspire someone by sharing the stories of the women our team gets to work with.
4. I’m in a constant state of self-improvement, and so I look to my friends and colleagues to inspire me to be better at what I do, and more effectively communicate with others.
5. Oh, and most importantly, I get to thank our amazing volunteers (yes I said that twice, but that is just how important our volunteers are. THANK YOU!).

I think it’s fitting to start with our volunteers.

We have a fabulous team here. Without them very little would get accomplished. The impact you have on the lives of the ladies we serve will impact their lives and their families more than you can know. Just the gesture of volunteering your time is impactful. Add to this your energy and dedication, and your impact expands exponentially.

Not all of our volunteers work directly in the prison system. Our volunteers range from fundraisers and grant writers, to admin help, venue and volunteer coordinators.  We’re thankful to them all.

If you’re curious about how to become involved, let me know. I’d love to introduce you to the opportunities available. Our hope is that as we expand our volunteer base, we’ll be able to start working with juvenile/youth facilities. Many hands do make light work, and I’d love for you to be a part of our programs.

So stay tuned to our blog!