A Leader's Guide to The Struggle to Be Strong

“The moving stories in The Struggle to Be Strong and the accompanying Leader’s Guide are very important resources for all working to improve the lives of young people. The teens’ own words stress the importance of resilience, building on inner strengths, asking tough questions, being one’s self, connecting with people who matter, taking charge, using imagination and humor, and doing the right thing. We adults should act on their valuable insights.”—Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund and author of The Measure of Our Success

“A unique and empowering guide for anyone concerned with youth development. A Leader’s Guide to The Struggle to Be Strong presents a creative and insightful connection of thirty stories written by teens about their own struggles to the seven resiliencies developed by Sybil and Steven Wolin. This is a masterpiece of strengths-based practice! It is refreshing and truly empowering to find a book that uses kids’ struggles and pride to help other kids identify their unique resiliencies. . . . The concrete session plans offer suggestions for group leader preparation and practical suggestions for using the thirty stories in The Struggle to Be Strong. An excellent and one-of-a-kind resource for changing hearts and minds! I will immediately give a personal copy to my teachers and group leaders.”—Erik K. Laursen, Ph.D., adjunct associate professor of education at the University of Richmond School of Professional & Continuing Studies