“Powerlessness is the seedbed of violence”, declares Anne Isbell, Director of the Community Mediation Foundation, a program for public schools sponsored by the North Alabama Better Business Bureau. And today’s teenagers are feeling overwhelmed by a society running out of control in which they feel no one is listening to them or that no one cares about what they think. Thus, many teens feel powerless to act or to speak for themselves; and some of them are resorting to socially unacceptable behavior and some are even resorting to violence in an attempt to be recognized and to be heard.

Teens cry out for empowerment.  They want the skills necessary to change their lives for the better and to influence their communities for good.  They've told us time and time again in Teen Think Tanks, Give us,...Teach us..., Show us.  They want to be part of the solution!  We have to give them the knowledge and tools they need!

One out of four teens is "at risk."  In a recent speech, Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor stated that he had spent time in a state juvenile facility interviewing a number of teen offenders.  "Not one young person I interviewed had a significant, positive adult role model in his or her life."  Statements attributed to the Attorney General of Virginia made the same assertion.  Teen Think Tanks wants to empower the teens of America by giving them the tools to regain some control over their lives.
 

The concept of a Teen Empowerment and Leadership Symposium is to bring a comprehensive program for teenage empowerment to teenagers across the nation.  Qualified professional presenters offer challenging lectures and discussion and the teens, selected student leaders from schools across their state or region, take away a comprehensive resource book and CD that they use in sharing the empowerment ideas in their schools and communities.  The students are accompanied to the symposium by a qualified teacher, counselor, or community official who will give them the assistance and encouragement they need in impacting their community with these powerful tools.

It's back in the community where the real Teen Empowerment takes place.  With the in-hand encouragement of the Governor or Attorney General and a bulging resource book of lesson plans and tools, the teens can transfer the ideas they've learned to other teens.  The expansion is awesome.  If each of the 150 participants effectively shares one or more ideas with 20 kids back home, that's 3000 teens who now have more power over their lives than they before.

The take-away material can be used not only in classrooms but around the community in church youth groups, scouts, 4-H, youth centers, boys and girls clubs, social clubs, teen civic clubs such as Junior Civitans and Key clubs, individual families, and many other groups.  The material doesn't even require a teacher.  The CD can be played for a group with a leader promoting discussion from the suggested discussion questions.

One would hope that the attraction to the hosts and titled sponsors would be the ease of having a well prepared, professionally presented program that has statewide notice and tangible results.  Students should respond readily to an invitation from the Attorney General or Governor and would eagerly embrace many of the ideas.  Most elected officials should have little trouble seeing the benefits of these symposia to their states.

Each symposium includes a Teen Think Tank which provides an attraction for the technically minded students.  Teen Think Tanks also provide a take-away for the hosts in the form of teenagers' reasoned recommendations for dealing with issues like school violence.  The continued imflux of teenage ideas developed through the Teen Think Tanks would keep the symposia fresh and relevant.

Each symposium consists of a Teen Think Tank and six lecture/discussion sessions on topics such as those described below.  This list is not inclusive.  Most of the ideas below were suggested by teenagers in earlier Teen Think Tanks.  The topics are developed with sound Judeo-Christian principles even though the tone of the presentation is not be evangelistic or religious.  The point to a secular world is that morality, ethics, responsibility and character can be taught without religious emphasis.

Topics already suggested by teens include the following:

• Conflict Resolution and Mediation
• Forgiveness
• Making Sound Decisions
• Healthy Expression of Feelings
• Anger Management and Self-Control
• Understanding My Place in a Community
• Good Communications

How do you get started?

• Review the material through this web site including the Teen Think Tanks.  Get excited about learning what your teenagers are thinking.
• Find a group of people who share the same vision.
• Contact Teen Think Tanks of America.  Brice Marsh, is a co-founder and President of Teen Think Tanks of America, Inc.  Rod Peeks is a co-founder and Secretary.  We will begin discussions with you discussions about how to proceed.