Shaping Our World
Chris Tompkins
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You’re a parent or maybe you work with young people in your job - but either way, you have a desire to inspire the young people in your life. Hi, my name is Chris Tompkins, a 20 plus years veteran of youth development. Both on the front lines and leading the youth development organization, Muskoka Woods. I’m also a dad.
Shaping Our World is a podcast that invites you into a conversation that will leave you more confident in inspiring and understanding the young people in your life.
Available episodes
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4 days ago
Fostering Resilient and Creative Minds in Youth with Jas Hundal
In this episode, we welcome Jas Hundal, a Registered Social Worker and Clinical Director of Counselling at Future Ready Minds. With a passion for fostering mental well-being, Jas focuses on holistic and strength-based approaches to empower her community. Join us as we delve into pressing concerns like anxiety, loneliness, and perfectionism among youth, and discover how Jas advocates equipping kids with essential life skills like innovation, collaboration, and resilience. Our conversation also underscores the importance of nurturing creativity and honing creative problem-solving abilities in children, ensuring they're equipped to thrive in an ever-evolving world. Not to be missed!
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Aug 31, 2023
Generation Next Speaks: Insights on Fun, Family, and Finding Balance with Sloan Tompkins & Rohan Kissoon
We present an exciting twist in this episode as we shift the spotlight from experts in the field to the true voices of tomorrow. Join us as we invite two remarkable teenagers, 17-year-old Sloan Tompkins and 18-year-old Rohan Kissoon, to discuss the very issues that shape their generation's experiences. From the nuances of anxiety and the whirlwind of social media, to having fun and navigating relationships with parents, these young minds offer insights that are as eye-opening as they are relatable. Tune in to gain a firsthand perspective on the challenges and triumphs of today's youth. This episode is a reminder that the future is bright and that their voices are key to shaping the world ahead.
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Aug 10, 2023
Unleashing Potential: Inspiring Purpose with Jeff A.D. Martin
Join us as we dive into an inspirational conversation with Jeff A.D. Martin, a soul-stirring and thought-provoking transformational speaker. With over 15 years of experience in law enforcement, including roles as a police officer and investigator, Jeff's love for people stems from his community advocacy and mentorship. As a youth communication specialist, he has conducted over 1,000 forensic interviews with children, further deepening his understanding of human potential. Tune in to hear Jeff share his incredible journey and how he leverages his benevolence and passion to help others find their true purpose. This episode is a must-listen for parents seeking guidance on unlocking their own potential and supporting their children's dreams.
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Jul 27, 2023
Empowering Youth to Conquer Anxiety with Dr. David H. Rosmarin
In this episode, we delve into the pressing issue of anxiety among today's youth and its impact on their well-being. Our guest, Dr. David H. Rosmarin, a Harvard Medical School associate professor and the visionary behind the Center for Anxiety, shares his expertise in helping over 1,000 patients annually. Join us as we explore practical strategies for recognizing anxiety as a source of strength and providing valuable tools to empower young individuals in their journey.
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Jul 13, 2023
Raising Caring and Capable Kids: Insights from Parenting Expert Alyson Schafer
Join us in this captivating episode as we dive into the world of parenting with acclaimed family counsellor, speaker, and bestselling author, Alyson Schafer. With years of research and clinical experience, Alyson shares her expertise on stages around the world, providing actionable tactics and empowering parents to face the challenges of modern life. Alyson's ultimate goal is to raise resilient, caring, and capable kids, all while embracing the joy and adventure that comes with it. So, whether you're a seasoned parent or just starting your journey, this episode is packed with valuable insights to help you along the way.
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Jun 29, 2023
Owl, Chickadee & Chirp: A conversation with editor Jackie Farquhar
For the better part of the last 40-plus years, award-winning Owl, Chickadee and Chirp magazines have adorned the book shelves of Canadian families and we’re thrilled to have their editor, Jackie Farquhar, on the show this week. Jackie stopped by to discuss the legacy of the magazines, how the publications have been adopting new ways to connect with kids, and the importance of physical media in the lives of our children.
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Jun 15, 2023
Navigating the Parent-Child Dynamic with Meg Stafford
Meg Stafford is a Massachusetts-based writer and social worker who has been helping others negotiate the terrain of relationships and connections for over three decades. She’s published a pair of memoirs and has been a columnist for newspapers for more than 30 years. She stopped by the podcast with advice on putting things aside and living in the moment with our families, and fostering a closer, healthier relationship with our kids.
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Jun 1, 2023
Exercise for Children and Young People with Dr. Leigh Vanderloo
Regular physical activity benefits children and youth in countless ways — but actually getting them to exchange their screens for exercise can sometimes feel like a tall order. Dr. Leigh Vanderloo, a research scientist specializing in pediatric exercise science, stopped by the podcast to chat about ways that we can help kids, from birth all the way up to 18, live their most active lives.
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May 18, 2023
Put Me in Coach: Parenting Resilient Kids with Jack Armstrong
Hellooo! Jack “The Coach” Armstrong — former NCAA basketball coach and beloved Toronto Raptors analyst on TSN — visits the Shaping Our World podcast to chat about the intersection of parenting and coaching and the value of sport in the lives of young people.
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May 3, 2023
Parenting IRL: Setting Digital Boundaries with Bob Hutchins & Jenny Black
Raising children in the age of digital media can be a daunting task for any parent. With the ever-increasing use of technology and screen time, it is essential for parents to be vigilant about online safety and the potential risks associated with the internet. Mental healthcare professionals, authors and digital technology trend experts Jenny Black and Bob Hutchins stop by the podcast to chat about how technology and digital media affects us, impacts young people, and the ways parents can help children navigate the new digital reality.
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Apr 20, 2023
Going Above and Beyond for Youth with Skye Bowen
Skye Bowen is an educator with over 20 years of teaching experience. She's a passionate leader and an advocate for equity and social justice. Skye and her husband Orlando — who's also been a guest of Shaping Our World — dealt with the trauma of Orlando being assaulted by two police officers in a racial profiling incident. Despite this challenge, she continued to mentor students and empowered them to persevere despite the racism and discrimination many of her own students faced. She joins us on the podcast to talk about how she’s shaping the world of young people through both an educational and social justice lens.
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Apr 5, 2023
How to Talk to Your Teen with Elizabeth Bennett
Elizabeth Bennett is an award-winning principal with over 35 years of experience as an educator and administrator. She’s also an author, and coaches parents on how to have meaningful discussions with their kids to build healthy and helpful relationships. She stopped by the podcast to talk about ways parents can lead their lives with joy and love, and really helps us unpack how to have “courageous conversations” with our teenagers.
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Mar 23, 2023
Youth Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy with Nora Vincent-Braun
Nora Vincent-Braun is the Be There Network representative for Jack.org, a Canadian charity revolutionizing youth mental health. Nora is passionate about creating a more accessible and equitable mental health landscape in Canada. She recently stopped by the podcast to discuss her role at Jack.org along with ways we can help to promote mental health advocacy and improve mental health outcomes among youth in our communities.
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Mar 9, 2023
A Roundtable Discussion with Leaders in Education
Our first-ever roundtable discussion features veteran educators from the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board (Brian Marenchin, Greg Peck and Paul Picard) and Muskoka Woods' Director of Schools & Groups, Lucas Durocher, chatting about youth development, the importance of camp and extracurriculars, parenting tips and more!
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Feb 23, 2023
Protecting Our Kids with Ray Johnston
Ray Johnston is the founder of Bayside Church, Thrive Communications and Thriving Churches International (TCI), which hosts the largest pastors and church staff conferences in the western United States. A master communicator, Ray is well known for his books, The Hope Quotient, and Jesus Called. He has spoken face to face to more than two million people over the past 45 years. Ray stopped by the podcast to talk about challenges and successes in modern parenting while sharing many insights, helpful tips and personal stories. Not to be missed!
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Feb 9, 2023
Season Three Premiere with Leadership Expert Tim Elmore
We're starting off Season 3 of the Shaping Our World podcast by bringing back one of our earliest and most insightful guests — Tim Elmore. Tim is founder and CEO of Growing Leaders, an Atlanta-based non-profit organization created to develop emerging leaders. He has written over 35 books and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, USA Today, Psychology Today along with appearing on CNN and Fox & Friends. Tim is back with us again to unpack some new insights on generational differences, leadership development and how to best nurture the young leaders in your life.
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Dec 13, 2022
Optimism, Resilience, Compassion and Our Kids with Carrie Patterson
Carrie Patterson, Managing Director of MindUP™ | The Goldie Hawn Foundation, has a long, extensive and proven career specializing in non-profit and youth development organizations. She recently stopped by the podcast to discuss how we can help our children develop the knowledge and tools they need to manage stress, regulate emotions, and face the challenges of the 21st century.
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Nov 22, 2022
A Passion for Service with Chloe Maxwell
Chloe Maxwell first travelled to Africa with her family when she was eight years old and spent the following six summers helping lead Heart for Africa service trips with her family to Eswatini, Malawi and Kenya. Today, Chloe is the Marketing & Communication Specialist at Heart for Africa (Canada), where she shares her love for Heart for Africa with fellow Canadians. Chloe stopped by the podcast to talk about her personal service journey along with tips for parents on how they can help their children find purpose and passion while engaging more with the world around them.
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Nov 1, 2022
Parenting, Love and Connection with Jennifer Kolari
One of the country's leading parenting experts, Jennifer Kolari is a highly sought after international speaker and childhood family therapist. Kolari is also the founder of Connected Parenting, an author, and host of her own weekly podcast. She recently brought her wisdom, quick wit and down-to-earth style to the Shaping Our World podcast, offering real life examples as well as practical and effective tools and strategies to enhance the parent-child bond.
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Oct 12, 2022
Talking Faith with Mike Gordon
As an ordained pastor with eight years of post-secondary education, Mike Gordon has found a unique way to combine theology and comedy, which has made him one of the most in-demand communicators around! To date, he has spoken to thousands of young people at nearly 3,000 events across the globe, including churches, conferences, camps, music festivals, bible colleges and corporate training sessions. Mike recently stopped by the Shaping Our World podcast to talk about all-things faith and how it can benefit youth, children and families.
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Sep 29, 2022
Youth Development in a Digital Age with Dr. Erin Watson
Dr. Erin Watson is an educator, speaker, author and co-founder of The Expert Talk, a Guelph, Ont.-based provider of mental health first-aid training. Dr. Erin specializes in young women's and girls empowerment with an emphasis on sexuality, identity development, body image, relationships and digital culture. She stopped by the podcast to discuss digital culture and its impacts — both good and bad — on youth development and the greater family unit.
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Sep 21, 2022
Normalizing Mental Health with Dr. Lawrence Jackson
Dr. Lawrence Jackson is a licensed psychotherapist and sports performance coach in the NBA and NFL. He's also a speaker, author, and licensed marriage and family therapist in the states of Nevada and Florida. He stopped by the Shaping Our World podcast to share a piece of the P.I.E.: Promoting mental health awareness, Inspiring youth and Empowering others.
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Sep 9, 2022
Knowledge from the Nanny with Allie Kearns
After graduating with a degree in broadcast journalism in 2005, a series of random events led Allie Kearns into a career she had never considered: professional nanny. For the past 16 years, Allie has worked for high-profile families in the sports and entertainment world. She has travelled the globe with her nanny families, supporting them in helping raise their young kids on the road. Allie stopped by the podcast to chat about healthy ways families can adapt to change, the benefits of breaking routines, and other parenting tips she’s garnered from her years as a nanny.
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Aug 26, 2022
Nurturing a Lifelong Connection to Our Kids with Charmaine Hammond
Charmaine Hammond is a highly sought-after keynote and workshop speaker, best-selling author and educator. She was a family mediator for many years, a former registered social worker, and has developed multiple programs for schools, families and organizations that work with families. Charmaine stopped by the podcast to discuss the importance of developing trust and healthy relationships with our children, and how both can assist with conflict resolution at home.
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Jul 30, 2022
Celebrating the Little Moments with Dan Noble
Dan Noble grew up around sports. His journey through minor sports landed him a spot on the University of Guelph football team and even took him across the pond to play semi-professional American football in Europe. Today, Dan uses his experience, education and passion to train young athletes. His work as a performance consultant and coordinator has taken him beyond his own company, Noble Sport and Performance, into current roles as the Director of Hockey for Upper Canada College and the Director of Performance for the Oshawa General and Halifax Thunderbirds. Dan recently stopped by the Shaping Our World podcast to talk about coaching, encouragement and the ways we can help our young athletes grow — not just physically, but in all aspects of their live
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Jul 3, 2022
Conversation starters for the drive home from Muskoka Woods
You've just picked up your kids from Summer Camp at Muskoka Woods. All your questions about how the week was just illicits one-word answers. "Fine," "good," "okay." This episode features staff who run activities and programs and gives you the inside scoop so you can ask the questions that will give you full, rich answers and lead to great discussion.
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Jun 3, 2022
Redefining Success with Olympian Sarah Wells
Obstacles don't scare Sarah Wells. As a hurdler who specializes in the 400 metres hurdles, Sarah earned a reputation for overcoming challenges and achieving the impossible, becoming an Olympic semi-finalist and Pan Am Games silver medallist in the process. You may have also recently seen her pushing her limits on The Amazing Race Canada, where she was able to apply her tactics in a whole new kind of competition. Outside of sports, she is coaching people to pursue their goals through the Believe Initiative, an organization founded on a message of resilience. Sarah recently stopped by the Shaping Our World podcast to talk about how we can all help children and youth redefine success, tap into healthy self-confidence and pursue their dreams without hesitation.
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May 20, 2022
Leading by Example with Charles Roberts
Charles Roberts is the CEO of LiveDifferent, a Canadian charity that is passionate about making a difference in people’s lives. In their work, LiveDifferent has spoken to 1.6 million youth, built over 500 homes and schools around the world and mentored more than 4,500 students, interns and volunteers.
Charles stopped by the Shaping Our World podcast to chat about LiveDifferent and its humanitarian and community efforts, as well as ways that we can influence children and youth to care for others, be generous at all times, lead by example, and to always maintain a learning mindset.
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May 6, 2022
Balancing Act: Parenting Our Kids in a Digital World with Richard Culatta
Richard Culatta is an internationally recognized leader in technology and learning. He is the CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), which is a non-profit that supports education leaders in 127 countries. Before his time at ISTE, he was appointed by President Barack Obama to lead the US Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology.
Richard stopped by the Shaping Our World podcast to chat about his book Digital for Good: Raising Kids to Thrive in an Online World, along with advice on how parents can prepare young people to become contributing digital citizens in a fair and safe way.
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Apr 22, 2022
Parenting Beyond the Classroom with Amanda Yuill
An educator for over 20 years, Amanda Yuill made a decision to become a full-time supply teacher. The career move gave her the opportunity to research gaps she saw in the education system and publish three books in the process. She currently works in the Toronto District School Board.
Amanda stopped by the Shaping Our World podcast to chat about the state of education, its impact on our kids and tips for parents who are wanting to help their kids engage more in both the classroom and the world around them.
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Mar 25, 2022
Nurturing leadership competence and confidence with Ellen Duffield
Ellen Duffield was the Director of the Leadership Studio at Muskoka Woods and is currently the Coordinator of the Paul E Magnus Centre for Leadership Studies and an Associate with the Leader’s Village.
As part of her work empowering young women and helping organizations create environments in which both men and women can thrive, she has travelled to many parts of the world, participated in research projects and consults, and spoken in a variety of settings including in NGO workshops at the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
She stopped by the Shaping Our World podcast to discuss ways that parents can raise up the young women in their lives, bolster their self-confidence and help to develop the leadership qualities they may — or may not — know they possess.
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Feb 25, 2022
Developing the Character of Youth with Johnny Henderson
Johnny Henderson is the Director of Youth Programs for LiveDifferent, a Canadian charity that helps young people embrace a caring lifestyle. Johnny has spoken to hundreds of thousands of high school students across Canada, and is a dynamic communicator with a deep passion to see lives transformed and empowered. He stopped by the Shaping Our World podcast to talk about the importance of creating a "culture of kindness" with young people through empathy, encouragement, community and more.
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Feb 11, 2022
Parenting the Many Faces of AD(H)D with Robin Storfer
Robin Storfer (MSW, JST Certified Coach) of Take Flight Coaching, helps families who have been impacted by AD(H)D. This direction for her coaching business came after her own son was diagnosed with AD(H)D. Drawing from personal experience, Robin stopped by the Shaping Our World podcast to discuss the challenges of parenting a child with AD(H)D along with ways that parents can conquer those challenges and provide a more fulfilling life for their family.
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Jan 29, 2022
Inspiring the Lives of Young Adults with Colin and Judith McCartney
Colin and Judith McCartney are urban ministry veterans who have also co-authored several books on social justice and faith. Both are sought after for their knowledge and insight into innovative and tested ways of raising leaders in their own communities. The pair stopped by the Shaping Our World podcast recently to discuss the importance of community, personal growth and ways that parents can foster a connection and inspire action with the young adults in their lives.
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Jan 14, 2022
How to Build a Healthy Relationship with Your Teen with Aly Pain
Aly Pain is a parenting expert who is passionate about empowering parents to build healthy, respectful relationships with their teens. Aly stopped by the Shaping Our World podcast to discuss ways that parents can end painful disconnection and emotional blow ups with their teens to create honest, fulfilling relationships.
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Dec 31, 2021
Helping Families Become Healthier with Jackie Robertson
Jackie Robertson is a Registered Psychotherapist, clinical case consultant, college professor, and a certified child and youth counsellor with extensive experience working with parents, children and youth dealing with various life experiences, personal and familial issues. Jackie is passionate about helping families become healthier. She stopped by the Shaping Our World podcast to chat about down-to-earth coaching strategies for parents, child and adolescent mental health challenges, how to navigate online issues with your kids, and more.
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Dec 17, 2021
Helping Kids Cope with Dr. Rob Meeder
Dr. Rob Meeder is a pediatrician with a practice focused on behaviour and mental health issues in children and youth. He visits the Shaping Our World podcast to chat with host Chris Tompkins about some of the common stressors facing children today, along with coping and communication strategies for parents and kids alike.
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Dec 3, 2021
Protecting the Most Vulnerable with Melodie Bissell
For 25 years, Plan to Protect has provided the highest standard of abuse prevention and protection for organizations serving children, youth and persons with disabilities. Melodie Bissell, president and CEO of Plan to Protect, stopped by the podcast to chat with host Chris Tompkins about the program's history, its methods, and the ways we can all do our part to safeguard the most vulnerable among us. Muskoka Woods is proud to be partnered with Plan to Protect — one of the many ways we make our summer camp a safe and fun experience for everyone.
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Nov 19, 2021
Creating Youth Experiences with Dr. William Quinn
Dr. William Quinn, Professor and Coordinator of Youth Development Programs at the College of Health, Education, and Human Development at Clemson University & Executive Director of Families4Change, Inc., stopped by the Shaping Our World podcast to talk about the importance of not just communicating with youth, but facilitating experiences and programs that allow them to thrive.
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Nov 5, 2021
The Six Words You Should Tell Every Kid with Mano Watsa
Building confidence in young people in an authentic way requires a degree of intentionality that may not have been as common in previous generations. It's the result of a combination of the shallowness in connection social media provides and the desire for young people to want to be heard and recognized without having the ability to articulate those desires. Mano is the visionary leader of PGC Basketball, which has become the largest education basketball camp in the world with over 150 camps in 30+ US states and Canada. You can learn more about Mano and PGC Basketball at https://pgcbasketball.com/.
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Jul 9, 2021
Helping our kids with loneliness with Brett Ullman
Loneliness is something we typically find adults suffering with, but as we adopt more and more online ways of relating and socializing, it's introducing areas where our kids experience loneliness. Youth expert, Brett Ullman dives into this issue on today's episode and how we, as parents and youth workers can help battle this.
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Jun 25, 2021
Talking Tweens and Teens with Rachel Naud
It's a time when kids are seeking more independence and starting to define who they are choosing to influence them through their formative teen years. There aren't many experts who look at this unique time in young people's lives, but today's guest, Rachel Naud, has made a career of sourcing great resources and thought leadership for parents and youth workers for this age group.
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Jun 11, 2021
Finding moments of influence with Shauna Barnes
Shauna Barnes has had decades of experience working with young people in educational settings and in particular where she has served as a high school guidance counsellor.
She speaks about the numbness young people today feel as they experience life through social media apps and how you can find moments of influence for the young people in your life.
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May 28, 2021
Kids, Connections and Communication with Orlando Bowen with Orlando Bowen
Orlando Bowen is a former professional athlete, community advocate and inspirational speaker. His heart specifically lies in working with young people. He speaks holistically about helping young people truly engage with their community - including their peers and those who are both older and younger than them.
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May 14, 2021
Creating Acceptance and Inclusion for all kids with Erin Butler
It's no secret youth development doesn't have a one-size-fits-all solution. But what about kids that have autism? On today's episode, Chris speaks with Erin Butler, a behaviour therapist and specialist in working with students with autism with the Toronto District School Board.
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Mar 28, 2021
Welcome to Shaping Our World
You’re a parent or maybe you work with young people in your job - but either way, you have a desire to inspire the young people in your life. Hi, my name is Chris Tompkins, a 20 plus years veteran of youth development. Both on the front lines and leading the youth development organization, Muskoka Woods. I’m also a dad.
Shaping Our World is a podcast that invites you into a conversation that will leave you more confident in inspiring and understanding the young people in your life.
playlist_add
Mar 28, 2021
The Challenge of Culture Change with Dr. Karyn Gordon
A 25 year veteran of working with young people both with teens and business leaders, on today's episode Dr. Karyn Gordon discuses how families are struggling to keep up with culture change.
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Mar 28, 2021
Will Generation Z Be Ready for Adulthood? With Tim Elmore
As the CEO of Growing Leaders, an organization specializing in youth leadership programs and skills training. His most recent book, The Pandemic Population: 8 Strategies to Help Generation Z Recognize Hope, seeks to help our youngest generation come out well from the COVID-19 pandemic.
On this episode, Tim and Chris Tompkins discuss learning and leading young people.
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Mar 28, 2021
The Future of Education with Damon Ealey
Damon Ealey is a principal in the Greater Toronto Area and what he's seen in the ways different students have taken to online learning leads him to believe that remote learning and new ways of teaching will be here to stay.
Chris Tompkins and Damon discuss how the pandemic of 2020 and 2021 has impacted education and what it means for the future of learning.
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