Teens Thrive Drive

Teens Thrive is a series a of workshops, designed to help Jewish educators understand their role in helping teens grow into thriving young adults.

The following resources and follow-up materials are from presenters at our Symposium for Jewish Professionals and signal the beginning of our Teen Thrive Drive, a resource directory that will be built from each of the programs in our Teens Thrive series.

10 Do’s and Don’ts of Talking to Teens in Trouble
by Fran Mendelowitz, LCSW, Founder and President of InterACT Long Island
Learn to talk through the tough stuff with this list of tips and tricks of helpful strategies!
 

Instead of Trying to Keep Teens Jewish, Let’s Work to Keep Them Healthy
by Deborah Meyer, CEO of Moving Traditions
This article explains Moving Traditions’ unique and innovative approach to engaging teens through, mentorship, empowerment, and self-discovery. It is also accompanied by Moving Traditions’ most recent Annual Report.

Keynote Speaker, Dr. Brad Sachs

Keynote Presentation (Powerpoint/PDF)

Workshop Presentation (Powerpoint/PDF)

Books by Dr. Sachs (the titles below are in this link)

• The Good Enough Child: How To Have An Imperfect Family And Be Perfectly Satisfied

• The Good Enough Teen: Raising Adolescents With Love And Acceptance (Despite How Impossible They Can Be)

• When No One Understands: Letters To A Young Adult On Life, Loss And The Hard Road To Adulthood

• Emptying The Nest: Launching Your Young Adult Towards Success And Self-Reliance
   

Resources by Mara Yacobi, MSW, LSW, Youth Development Specialist

• Checklist for Understanding Adolescent Sexuality in the School and Camp Setting
  You don’t have to be an expert to address adolescent sexuality, but here’s a resource with ways to make you and your teens feel comfortable with their questions.

• Suggestions for Positive Interactions with Teens Regarding Sexuality
  This resource identifies and defines the characteristics of each of the adolescent developmental stages and provides age and developmentally appropriate strategies for talking to teens about sexuality and healthy relationships.

• Values and Texts - Talking About Relationships
  Every Jewish educator needs good source sheets with teachings rooted in our tradition. Here’s a great sampling of texts to use in programs and conversations with your teens.

JACS Program Overview and Contact Information
Do you know someone struggling with addiction? JACS is a New York based organization serving the Jewish community through programs, services, counseling, and more.