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June 11, 2020

A Note to Our Community On George Floyd

Youth Frontiers is deeply saddened by the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police Officers. We send our deepest sympathies to the Floyd family. Youth Frontiers joins with our nation in grieving his death.

We stand with everyone around the nation in denouncing the ongoing killings of Black Americans whose lives have been unjustly taken. Because, we believe that Black lives matter.

george floyd memorial mural

For too long our society has not focused enough on the violence and oppression against people of color. We must do something to end this injustice.

For over 30 years, Youth Frontiers has inspired character values in over 2 million young people. We do this in order to create better schools and communities. Our Manifesto speaks to the importance of character in the midst of the inequality and injustices we must overcome as a nation.

Character matters. It’s what motivates a person to be a force for good. Character is what moves a person to make responsible decisions despite their fears. It’s what leads a person to realize that they matter, that others matter and that everyone’s actions matter.

Youth Frontiers recognizes we need to do more.

Going forward, Youth Frontiers will do better to serve all communities by expanding our work around diversity, equity, and inclusion. As an organization, we are stepping up to serve our community. That is why our staff is committing to weekly community service this summer focused on organizations that support communities of color.

And so, Youth Frontiers will continue to challenge ourselves. We will help our next generation create a community where the opportunities and principles of our nation truly are for all.

May 20, 2020

What the Dalai Lama can teach us about character.

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” – The Dalai Lama

I was recently speaking to a friend who was sharing with me in a moment of vulnerability that he just can’t do it all. He feels he is “failing at everything right now” — being a dad, husband, employee, etc. He is not doing anything well — or at least at the level he expects of himself.

May 12, 2020

What Steven Covey can teach us about character.

“Begin with the end in mind.”– Steven Covey

My 19-year old niece, Victoria, adopted from Russia at age 7, loves to watch the show CSI. She wants to work in criminal justice someday. She is currently in the law enforcement track at Normandale College and hopes that one day she will wear the uniform of a law enforcement agent.

Steven Covey, author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, describes people like Victoria who set a goal and do the necessary things to get there. His Habit Two – begin with the end in mind – describes the ability to envision in your mind what you cannot at present see. If you don’t make a conscious effort to visualize who you want to be and what you want, then you let other people and circumstances shape your life by default.
This idea – begin with the end in mind – can be applied to our current situation as we shelter in place during the pandemic. It forces us to take a different perspective.

May 6, 2020

What Bob Marley can teach us about character.

“Don’t worry about a thing … cause every little thing is gonna be alright.” — Bob Marley

I remember the day, nine years ago, we took my father, who had struggled for three years with Alzheimers, for a short-term stay at the hospital. His care had grown beyond the scope of my 78-year-old mother. This change put my family in high-stress mode and there was much to worry about.

During admittance, the nurse asked my father the standard question, “Is there anything dangerous in your house?” Without missing a beat, my father answered, “Yes. My wife’s cooking.” My dad, sensing the gravity of the situation, never lost his sense of humor. He looked at me and said, “Don’t worry, Joe. Everything will be alright.”

April 29, 2020

What Pablo Picasso can teach us about character.

“When I don’t have red, I use blue.” — Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso was a painter, sculptor, designer and the founder of Cubism. His lasting influence on modern art is indisputable. His famous Blue Period lasted from 1901-1904 and is characterized by a monochromatic color scheme saturated with blue tones. Here is his most famous work during his Blue Period: The Old Guitarist.

At first, these somber, depressing paintings of cabaret performers, beggars, and frail, old people were not well-received by critics or the public. But Picasso didn’t give up. He had the last laugh. The Old Guitarist is now worth $100 million.

B.Q. (Before Quarantine), one of my favorite ways I “painted with red” as the YF culture leader was to walk around our office and pop into people’s workspaces and chat. This in-person connection gave me energy, fuel and meaning. It also helped humanize our company culture. That red paint is no longer available. Working from home now, I need to “paint with blue” to connect with staff in virtual ways via zoom meetings, phone calls and brief, affirmational texts.

April 22, 2020

What Margaret Wheatley can teach us about character.

“We need a worldview to navigate this chaotic time. We cannot hope to make sense using our old maps.” — Margaret Wheatley, American writer

Hanging in my living room is a beautiful tapestry of a medieval world map. I like its muted colors, Latin script, and fine details, but its depiction of world geography is all wrong. Some continents are the wrong shape and some oceans are too small. If we used this map today to circumnavigate the world, we’d shipwreck many times over and never get to where we need to go.