Sophie Scott: Why We Laugh

Did you know that you're 13 times more likely to laugh if you're with somebody else than if you're alone? Cognitive neuroscientist Sophie Scott shares this and other surprising facts about laughter in this fast-paced, action-packed and, yes, hilarious dash through the science of the topic.

Creating Connections With Today's Youth

1. Be open - Being open is extremely important to building healthy student to mentor relationships, and giving the young person a safe place where they can really discuss their struggles is important. Make sure to make it clear to the student that you're providing them with a no judgment zone, and that you can be trusted as an adult to have their best interests in mind. Unless they express a desire to do harm to themselves or others, allow them to talk out the tough issues with you as you build a strong foundation of trust.


2. Provide relevant advice - As an adult, it's possible that you've experienced just what they're experiencing now, and that you have some useful information when it comes to what to do next. Providing advice to students who come to you for help is a great way to build a healthy relationship, but it's important to do so as an equal, and not as a person who may be speaking down to them and their concerns.


3. Treat them equally - If there is one thing that many young people despise, it's being treated childishly, and talking to or treating today's youth in a mature manner can do a great deal in building respect. When providing advice, or an ear to talk to, it's important that you respect the student just as you would wish to be respected, and to speak to them in a mature manner appropriate for their particular age group.


4. Go to them - In many cases, a student or young person may not feel comfortable initiating a relationship, which is why it's important for the adult to extend the line of communication. Engaging the young person or simply allowing them to know that you have a willing ear should they need someone to listen is a great way to offer the opportunity for a mentor type relationship.


5. Appropriate Self-Disclosure- This is one of the many keys to connecting with disengaged students and youth. With more than 15 years of working with at-risk youth, I've learned that it's important to let them know that we experience or have experienced many of the things that they are going through. Loss, confusion, and anger, etc. However, it is not enough to simple say, "I've also been angry." or "I've also lost a loved one." When sharing bits and pieces of your life that you believe can change the belief of the young person you are working with, you must be specific. "I may not understand exactly how you feel, but I remember losing my uncle when I was 16. I never forget him and what he meant to me." or "I can remember getting angry at my mother when I was 16 and saying something inappropriate. I didn't sit down for a week!" Not only will some of your stories get a laugh, they will be memorable and will also let the student know that we all at some point have been where they are.

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Gary Haugen: The Hidden Reason for Poverty the World Needs to Address Now

Collective compassion has meant an overall decrease in global poverty since the 1980s, says civil rights lawyer Gary Haugen. Yet for all the world's aid money, there's a pervasive hidden problem keeping poverty alive. Haugen reveals the dark underlying cause we must recognize and act on now.

Where do I go from here?: Conflicted heart

Where do I go from here?: Conflicted heart: For the last 7 1/2 years I have shared my grief, anger, rage, pain, and sorrow. I have also shared my joy, excitement, opportunities and hap...

Join Us For Our Monthly Community Clean Up on Saturday!

 
When: Saturday, April 30th 2016 at 9am 

Where: Starbucks Downtown Fairfield 700 Jefferson St Corner of Jefferson & Texas (map)

Description: We meet every last Saturday of each month (weather permitting). We clean up different locations and neighborhoods. Please join us. All are welcome

At the Matt Garcia Foundation we don’t want to complain about this, we want to create solutions to problems. It is with this spirit that we began our Monthly Community Clean Ups.

On the last Saturday of every month, volunteers get together and clean up a neighborhood in Fairfield. We pick up trash, work on landscaping paint windows, fix fences – all in an effort to improve our community. This is another example of community coming together to help make a difference.

The Matt Garcia Foundation Dream Team, is all about stepping up and stepping out of ourselves to serve others and our communities to be a part of the solution. Matt would say ” if you see a piece of garbage on the ground, please just pick it up” How simple is that! So, that is what we do.

Gary Slutkin: Let's Treat Violence Like a Contagious Disease

Physician Gary Slutkin spent a decade fighting tuberculosis, cholera and AIDS epidemics in Africa. When he returned to the United States, he thought he'd escape brutal epidemic deaths. But then he began to look more carefully at gun violence, noting that its spread followed the patterns of infectious diseases. A mind-flipping look at a problem that too many communities have accepted as a given. We've reversed the impact of so many diseases, says Slutkin, and we can do the same with violence. (Filmed at TEDMED.)