Jade Schleif 

To put it bluntly, I feel like a lot of people think that youth workers are just babysitters and they're, you know, just there to hang out with kids during the day. And they're not actually doing a lot of the social emotional development work and teaching them skills and a lot of these really important life things that they are doing. Because I think a lot of people don't even recognize the term youth worker and what that really means, you know. When I talk about it with friends, or you know, extended family, they say, Well, what is a youth worker? And then when I say teacher, they go, Ah, yes, now I get it.

Paul Meunier 

Hello, I'm Paul Meunier, the executive director of the Youth Intervention Programs Association. And I'm a youth worker at heart. How lucky am I, I have the privilege to meet youth workers from around the globe and learn their stories and share them with the entire world. I'm glad you're listening because together we'll learn how their life experiences shape their youth work. As you listen, I encourage you to consider how your experiences shape what you have to offer young people. Welcome to this edition of The Passionate Youth Worker. Hi, everybody, Paul here. If you're a regular listener to the podcast, you know that we've been sprinkling in YIPA team members as podcast guests. Like you, your friends at YIPA, are super passionate about youth work. So, it made sense to us to tell our own stories too. Plus, to be honest with you, it's just kind of fun to do. For this episode, I'm thrilled to introduce you to our exceptional training coordinator Jade Schleif. So many of our listeners have taken our trainings, and you likely know about Jade and have seen her work in action. She is committed to getting every little detail right and takes pride in her role of helping you help young people. She's one of the most empathetic people I know. Jade, thanks for stepping away from your typical role on the team to be a guest on The Passionate Youth Worker podcast.

Jade Schleif 

Of course, thanks for having me, Paul. It's gonna be a lot of fun.

Paul Meunier 

You bet. I am super eager to dive in and learn about your story and figure out where your passion comes from. But before we do that, I was just thinking as we were getting ready for the episode that before we even started the podcast and knew what we really wanted to do with it you and I did a trial run of what a podcast could be like. I'm just wondering, do you remember when we did that back during the pandemic and didn't really know what we were doing but we put together a podcast episode?

Jade Schleif 

I do. It feels like a million years ago already. And we were just trying to get the technology to work. What do we need plugged in where and how is this gonna work? So, we've come a long way. I do remember that.

Paul Meunier 

We have and it's amazing now. Jade, I was just looking at the stats before we started and we've just had our two best months in a row in terms of downloads. And one of the things that I don't think we were prepared for is the reach that this podcast would have. We've now been downloaded in 90 different countries. And to think about people all over the globe listening to The Passionate Youth Worker is pretty amazing, right? To think about we went from you and I just kind of chatting on an episode to see what, see if we could even do it. And now we're being listened to all over the world. That's pretty cool, isn't it?

Jade Schleif 

It is amazing. I had no idea we'd ever have that wide of a reach. But it is very cool. So, I'm happy to see that. Every time we check in Oh, it's heard in a couple more countries now. So, slowly, but surely, the whole world is going to hear about it soon.

Paul Meunier 

It is. That's just bizarre that there's the issues around the world are exactly the same, right? We tend to think about the needs of young people are so particular to one certain area. But we've learned by talking with these fascinating people all over the place about their needs for young people in their area. And there's so many similarities. I don't know, that kind of caught me off guard. What about you? Did you think that it would be like that?

Jade Schleif 

No. And now that I think about it, I don't know why I thought it wouldn't be. I thought you know, in different corners of the world there's all sorts of different things that are going on. So, they're not going to be having the same struggles. But I think there are a lot of similarities. And I think that's a really cool feature of the podcast is we can figure that out. You know what I mean? We're all working in separate silos and we can really figure out, you know, the similar issues that we have. So, then hopefully we can work together to resolve those problems together. So, I wasn't expecting it.

Paul Meunier 

Yeah, great way to think about it silos, right? And that's the thing about this field is that we tend to think about it's just our work and what we're doing is what matters. But the reality is what people are doing all over the globe matters to our young people here because the world has become so small with the Internet. We've got global issues that people all over the world are facing. And it's wonderful to just help people realize that their passion for young people is needed just not for that one person that they're working with, but for young people all across the globe. And it's just cool that we can provide that and I know, in your trainings, you're starting to bring in some youth workers from different states and different countries as well. Is that right?

Jade Schleif 

Yes. And that is so much fun getting that different perspective from youth workers. And again, figuring out there are so many things that we have in common. So, it's just fun to get everybody's different perspective. Absolutely.

Paul Meunier 

Yeah. I guess well we could probably talk about the podcast and how cool it is that we're reaching out to all these people. But I think we should stick to our format and get back to the purpose of today's episode, and that is to learn about where your passion comes from, Jade. So, I'm just wondering if we could start here. What was your early childhood like? Did you have good recollections of you know, your early years? Or were they stressful? Or what was that like? Can you just kind of briefly talk about that?

Jade Schleif 

Yeah, I'm trying to think where to start. I remember, you know, bits and pieces of my childhood, certainly not every piece, you know, I had a very loving, caring family growing up, and we didn't have a ton of money so that was a stressful piece. But my mom tried really hard to not let that impact me too much. So, I had a really good childhood growing up. I did have some anxiety and depression as I got a little bit older. So, we could certainly talk about that and just how I navigated that. But, yeah, I mean, I was riding my bike all the time, listening to music, I did a lot of things by myself. Yeah.

Paul Meunier 

Was your family intact? Do you have siblings? What was your family life like?

Jade Schleif 

Good question. So, I was an only child growing up, and my mom and dad never got married. So, I lived in a house, just my mom and I. But I was lucky in that my grandparents and my uncle lived a couple of miles away. So, I was able to, it was kind of fun, I would be with my mom in the morning, and then go to school, and then be with my mom in the afternoon again, and then go to be with my grandparents and uncle, you know, for dinner time. And then I go back home at the end of the night. So, I got to see everybody every day. Although I didn't have a father figure in my family, my grandpa and my well, I didn't have my dad. But I had two father figures step in, my grandfather and my uncle. So, I never really felt like anything was missing. I just knew that my situation was different from a lot of my friends, but I didn't feel like anything was missing.

Paul Meunier 

Well, that's great that you had that extended family to help with your developmental years. And sounds like your mother did a wonderful job of keeping you grounded and had the support systems around her to help with your development. As an only child, what was that like? Were you ever envious of friends who had siblings? Or were you thinking ah this is pretty nice. I don't have to share bedrooms and things like that. What was what was that life like for you?

Jade Schleif 

Yeah, sometimes I wanted a sibling. I thought, you know, I'd love to have someone here similar to my age and that's not a friend, you know, that they're always here. But I, now that you asked this, I remember when I was young, I asked my mom one time, I said, Can I have a sister, I really want a sister, I think it'd be a lot of fun. And she said, okay, but you're gonna have to share all your toys. And I said, Well, can't you get two of every toy? And she said, No, that's not how that works. And so, then she said, After that day, you never brought it up again. So, maybe in reality, I was okay being an only child.

Paul Meunier 

Yeah, that's funny. There's pros and cons to that too, right? Sometimes it's good to have people similar ages. But other times it's, you get more attention with your primary caregiver and things like that. So, are you and your mom really close as a result of that do you think?

Jade Schleif 

I think so. And we, if anything, we're closer now that I don't live at home. There was this little little bit of tension when I was a teenager. I mean, just that's how teenagers are, they get intense about a lot of things. So, there would be some days of conflict in the house. But I would say we are extremely close, we talk every day, I talk to my uncle still as well. But my mom really was that main anchor ever since I was little. She's just always been extremely supportive because she didn't have that from her own parents. So, she said, I'm really gonna stop that cycle and do something different. So, I'm grateful for that every day.

Paul Meunier 

Wow, that sounds great. And I know she's a David Bowie fan. So, she's won my heart already. So, you spent a lot of time with your mom, you probably got very close to her and it sounds like you are really close to her still to this day. Asking a question about your mom, in what ways are you like her and what ways are you different from her?

Jade Schleif 

Hmmmmm. The biggest way I'm similar to her is how much I care about Mother Nature and the Earth and animals and just all of those things. I've been extremely compassionate about that since day one. And that's something that she has really role modeled. You know, she didn't say you're gonna have to care about the Earth, but she just said, you know, here's the things I care about. And here's why it's important. And that I just remember feeling that from day one. So, that is one way in which we’re similar. We just love going out on walks, enjoying nature, really just slowing down, listen to that silence outside. But one of the big ways we're different. I would say just thinking about, you know, we talked recently about leadership styles, and I've been thinking about that with her and she and I are different in that way. Whereas I need a little bit of control. You know, I just want to make sure things are getting done, you know, as a leader. And she is someone who was just very, very hands off, a little more laissez faire about things which is fine. Everybody's got their own style. But it's interesting to me that she and I don't handle things quite the same way when we're working with teams or groups of people and things like that.

Paul Meunier 

That's interesting that you have a little bit more desire to put control and structure around your world than your mom. Why do you think that is? Where did that come from?

Jade Schleif 

The first thing that comes to mind is maybe there for me when I was growing up, I had structure, you know, within separate areas of my life and with my family, but it didn't always come together, if that makes sense. So, I felt like there wasn't always like a simple structure of okay, what is my role in the family? What is everybody's role? So, in my own way, maybe I was trying to make structure, you know, in the way that I can do it when I'm working with other people, because I didn't always feel that at home.

Paul Meunier 

I know when we were first starting to talk about your earlier years, you were talking about you developed some anxiety and depression. Do you think it's connected with that at all? Or is there some sort of correlation between those two things?

Jade Schleif 

It's hard, I'm trying to think which one really bubbled up first, for me. It's hard to say. I would say they're they are connected. Maybe the anxiety and depression was already there, and was exacerbated by those things. Because I've always also been a very empathetic person. And just very, I always feel things and feel emotions. And so, I almost want to say the anxiety and depression was there first. And then, you know, just lack of structure always in the family, I think maybe made that a little bit worse, and then brought the anxiety and depression even more to the front.

Paul Meunier 

Yeah, I could see that. And your willingness to always talk about anxiety and depression that you deal with and dealt with when you were younger is a wonderful example of breaking the myth and this idea that we have that somehow that's a taboo subject to talk about, and you've always been open in talking about that. So, can you talk a little bit more about your anxiety and depression? When did you first start to notice it? And how hard was it for you to live with before you started getting help?

Jade Schleif 

Yes, and I wish everybody felt open enough to talk about this. So, I every chance I get I'm willing to talk about it and be vulnerable. I felt it again, from a very young age, even from elementary school. I think that's when it really started, I look back at the old poems that I used to write even when I was 10, 11 you could start to see a little bit of a shift. So, it happened when I was pretty young. And I remember one day in particular in elementary school getting off the school bus and before I went back to my mom's house, I just sat behind a pine tree. And I just looked up and I could just, I don't know, I just felt all the emotions of like everybody on the bus, everybody from school that day. And it was just so overwhelming that I was always tuned into that stuff. And so, it felt like a burden at that time. I see it as a gift now because I can manage it better, but at the time, it was pretty overwhelming. So, I think that's really when it got worse. And then I got a little bit suicidal at one point and I told my mom and as soon as I said that, then she said we're gonna get you some help. So, that really turned the tide. I'm glad that she was able to just jump in and recognize that and give me some support that I needed.

Paul Meunier 

Wow, it sounds like it was hard to deal with. And I think many in our field like to say we're empaths. We have a lot of empathy for other people. And then I think there's other people who bring that to a whole different level and feel it in such a way that it can be a burden. And it sounds like that's exactly what you're describing. So, can you talk a little bit about that? What is it like to just feel like everybody's emotions all at once to where it just gets overwhelming? I mean, is it like a panic feeling? Is it a sorrow feeling? Or is it just truly a sense of being overwhelmed with like the flood of emotions that you're getting?

Jade Schleif 

It, yeah, it's hard to describe and it doesn't always feel the same way. I would say some, mostly it's more of not, not sorrow, like you said. I'd say more, more of a panic, just like there's so many things like it just it is overwhelming. I don't know how to describe it very well. But sometimes they all just blend together and it feels almost like just one big, like chunk in my head. And it's hard to turn away from that. It's hard to describe.

Paul Meunier 

Yeah. When you started getting help, was it immediate when you spoke with a therapist? And I think it's okay to say you started taking medicine, did you notice an effect right away? Or was it still they were just tools and you still had to do a lot of work to be able to cope with that better? What was that like?

Jade Schleif 

Yeah, they're not going to fix everything. You still have to be willing to want to work on it yourself. So, it's a combination of all those things. They definitely helped but it wasn't like you know I woke up the next day is like, oh, everything's better I'm fine now. So, I started I met with a psychiatrist first. Got some general medication. And then I started seeing a therapist too and I think really doing both of those together, medication and talk therapy, having those both together was super powerful. I think I could have maybe been alright with just talk therapy but the medication I think just really helped stabilize my own mind. So, it was that and then the therapy talking through things. I'd say within a few months, I was starting to feel better, but it wasn't immediate.

Paul Meunier 

Yeah. Well, Jade, thank you so much for being transparent and talking about that because you set a perfect example for others to realize there is no shame in mental health. And it's important that we all do our best to make sure that everybody has the opportunity to speak up if they're feeling issues like that. So, thanks for doing that.

Jade Schleif 

Absolutely.

Paul Meunier 

Believe it or not, we have to take a short break, but we'll be right back after this.

Jade Schleif 

No matter how you support our young people, The Professional Youth Worker, powered by YIPA, has your training and learning needs covered. Visit training.yipa.org, that's training.yipa.org to see for yourself. And then join the 1000s of youth workers around the globe who learn from our easy to access exceptional trainings. From our blogs to our podcast, The Professional Youth Worker is your go-to resource for tools to help you keep going, keep learning, and keep growing. Members enjoy free unlimited access to Live Online and On-Demand trainings, and a preferred discount pricing for our one-of-a-kind certificate course. Annual memberships are ridiculously affordable for individuals and organizations. Visit training.yipa.org today to learn more. That's training.yipa.org.

Paul Meunier 

Jade, we're back for the second half of your episode. And boy for our listeners, they just heard you, you do the PSA in the middle of our podcast and you do such a nice job with that. Now here they are learning about that voice.

Jade Schleif 

So much of me today. I love it.

Paul Meunier 

All Jade all the time today. Jade, before the break, you were talking about empathy and some mental health issues and I think that those things probably are wonderful attributes that you bring to the field of youth work. And I know that sometimes people who work in this field, their own life experiences are what makes them good at what they do. Do you think those things that you experienced when you were younger, and I'm not saying they're bad, I'm just saying, you know, living without your father having some health issues, some struggles, things like that. Do you think that provided you more empathy and more willingness to want to help people? Do you think there's a connection with that?

Jade Schleif 

Oh, 100%, because it helps me relate better with the other struggles that people are experiencing, even if they're not going through the exact same thing I did. Just going through those experiences and coming out of it the other side, you learn a lot along the way. And it helps just ground me and knowing that when I'm working with a young person or meeting with an adult or anyone, I don't know their story, they could have gone through five traumatic things that morning, that I have no knowledge of. So, that also helps me just be more again, empathetic and just slow down. So, I think it definitely helps in everything that I do, especially youth work. So important to be able to connect and relate with people.

Paul Meunier 

For sure. And I see that in your work with our trainers too. I know that you put on these wonderful trainings every year, you do so many of them. And our trainers are so different sometimes, right? And they have different expectations about what they want to do or what the process should be like. And somehow you're able to build a strong connection with each of them. So, those skills not only help you in youth work, it seems like they're helping you in your work with YIPA, would you say that that is accurate?

Jade Schleif 

I would definitely say that's accurate, because each and every trainer just like each and every young person, they're so different. It's just a wide spectrum of, of humans that we get to work with. So, it definitely helps because, you know, I'll work with one trainer, and I totally understand what they're about what they want, and then another trainer, total 180. So, it definitely helps being able to just pivot and be flexible and meet everybody where they're at and try to provide the best YIPA training possible while still honoring who they are as a trainer and as a person.

Paul Meunier 

Can you talk a little bit about this lifelong learning thing? Do you think that was something that your mom gave you? Is that something you got from your childhood? Or is that something just your just plain curiosity and willingness to help others? Is that what drives your sense of learning so strongly?

Jade Schleif 

All of the above! I'd say it's both. I've just always had that sense of innate curiosity. I always want to know more. I always want to know the details. In my jobs, I've always been a floater and connector trying to put things together. And my mother also, you know, instilled that in me always. She'd say, Well, what did you learn at school? And here's this book, let's check this out together, or did you know about this, or here's three words you should remember, look them up today. She was always just, you know, drilling that in me how important learning is and I'm really glad that she did. So, it's both I felt it already in my soul. And my mom reinforced it.

Paul Meunier 

That's great. You have that wonderful innate ability about you. And when you work with a wide variety of people like you do, you tend to learn a lot about yourself through that process, because you can't work with a wide variety of people unless you're willing to examine yourself and understand why you do what you do. So, what are some things you've learned about yourself along the way, since you've been in this field of youth work?

Jade Schleif 

I've learned that I need to take a lot of deep breaths before we ever do an online training, because technology, you never know how that's gonna work. I've always, you know, I've learned to also build in, yes, and also just extra time, you know, to meet with people, you can't rush anything. That's something that I've also learned, just working with young people and working with youth workers on trainings. You just you can't rush the process. If you want a really high-quality product or relationship, if you're building a relationship, it's going to take time, and you've got to really stoke that fire and take little steps along the way, and just keep showing how much you care. So, a lot of other things I've learned, but those are some big things.

Paul Meunier 

Yeah, for sure. And you brought up the idea of relationships. So, when you work with trainers, because this is your role in the youth work field, right? You no longer directly work with young people. But you work with trainers who help youth workers get good at their craft. You do build relationships with everybody, Jade. And I know that's a big part of what you do. So, here's my question to you. What's more important, the technical aspects of getting trainers ready, or the relationships that you build with trainers to make sure that both of those things, make sure that we have good trainings. Which one is more important do you think?

Jade Schleif 

Definitely relationships. I mean, if we don't, if I don't have a good relationship with the trainer, and they don't feel confident about working with the YIPA team, it's not going to go well, even if we set up all the technical pieces. So, 100%, I would say the relationship is most important. And I think we all agree that that's true in youth work as well. That even if you've got your checklists in place, you've got everything all set up. If you don't have that relationship, and you're not maintaining that and strengthening it, it's probably not going to go very well. So, relationships 100%.

Paul Meunier 

Yeah, it's not just youth work. You're right. And why do you think that's so important? Why are relationships, why do they matter so much?

Jade Schleif 

That's the million-dollar question. I think it helps us just remember that we're all human, and that we're all on the same page, and that we're working together. And it's easier to work through conflict. Inevitably if things come up when I'm working with trainers, if we have a disagreement, it's much easier to work through that if we come from a place of common understanding. And if I have that relationship first, and I understand who they are and what they care about. Otherwise, if you're having conflict with someone, you have no idea what they're about or what they care about, then how are you going to work through that dialogue and find a resolution?

Paul Meunier 

Yeah. And you don't have many conflicts with our trainers. So obviously, you're doing a good job of helping everybody feel validated and feel welcomed and warm and prepared to do the best possible training for YIPA and we are so grateful, Jade, for the work you do on the team, and the ability that you have to get trainers to be in their best possible place to help the people that work with young people. That is a cool trait that you have. So, you work with all these youth workers, because we do trainings by youth workers, for youth workers. What do you think a common myth is today about youth workers in the youth work field?

Jade Schleif 

To put it bluntly, I feel like a lot of people think that youth workers are just babysitters and they're, you know, just there to hang out with kids during the day. And they're not actually doing a lot of the social emotional development work and teaching them skills and a lot of these really important life things that they are doing. Because I think a lot of people don't even recognize the term youth worker and what that really means. You know, when I talk about it with friends, or you know, extended family, they say, Well, what is a youth worker? And then when I say teacher, they go, Ah, yes, now I get it. I think that that is a challenge. I think that, you know, it's just easy to again, to think that they're babysitters and not doing really important work when the work that they're doing is so important. And youth work can take so many different shapes and work in so many different ways like we've at YIPA we've got like 13 different categories that our youth work members can fall into. And they don't all fall into those categories even. So, just such a wide spectrum, that it's way more than babysitting, not that babysitting isn't important. I'll also say that.

Paul Meunier 

Yeah, good point. And you're right. And I wish that there was some way we could change that perception of it being a profession, and not something that's just hanging out with young people because there's nobody else to supervise them. Because that falls way short. And to be good at this it takes a lifelong practice to hone your skills and to develop what is needed to impact young people. What do you think, Jade, are some of the most crucial traits a youth worker needs to possess to be good at their support of young people?

Jade Schleif 

I think they need to be consistent. That is a huge thing. And I learned that, you know, through trial and error in my own youth work, you got to be consistent when you're laying out your expectations and the ground rules because young people really need that consistency and that structure. And we've already talked about structure. I think, also a sense of humility, you know, knowing when knowing that you're not always going to do everything right all the time, and that you're really figuring everything out together. I've known some youth workers who they're like, Yes, I know everything. I know all the answers. And then when a young person asked them something they didn't know, they got totally tripped up by that when you could just say, Alright, let's figure it out together. So, a sense of humility also. And just having that drive and being compassionate because youth work is not easy and you 've got to, you know, care enough to keep doing it day in and day out. So, those are some important things, I would say. Because it's easy to burn out in this field.

Paul Meunier 

It is, and the burnout rate is high. We know the turnover rate is about 1/3 of youth workers every year turnover. So, that's hard on young people, and it is not easy work to do. I'll follow up with a question about that. Why do you think it's hard? Why is this field not easy? What makes it difficult?

Jade Schleif 

Well, like I said, youth work can look like so many different things. And depending on the area you're in, I was thinking, you know, in Australia, youth work, again, looks different than it does in the United States. And so depending on where you are, there's so many different programs, so many different resources available, I think it can be overwhelming to just know what are your options, even as a youth worker, if a young person reaches out and asks for help on something? So, I think that's part of it. Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of different reasons that it's tough. It's a good question.

Paul Meunier 

Yeah. And it seems like you have to be on your own a lot, right? Because there's nobody can tell you what to say, or how to react in every possible situation. So, you do have to think on your feet and be quick and feel confident in your skills. Those things are really hard, right? I just don't know if people understand just how difficult that really is, and what a craft this ability to support young people is and how long it takes to get good at it. And I think you're right, that and that's different everywhere, even though the trouble with young people is the same. If you're in a different part of the world, the circumstances around that are different. And that's what I think you're trying to get at.

Jade Schleif 

And even if you're working in the same role, no two days are gonna look the same. So, I could see that also being inherently stressful. I think some people thrive on that, you know, if you ask a youth worker, what does your typical day look like? And they can't answer that. I think some people really like that and some people don't.

Paul Meunier 

Well, Jade, as your supervisor, I should know this. I think I kind of have an instinct about this but what is the best compliment somebody could give you?

Jade Schleif 

To me personally, or related to the work that I do with YIPA, or anything?

Paul Meunier 

I'll let you answer that the way you want. As your supervisor, you decide.

Jade Schleif 

Mm hmm. Well, my mind first went to you know, I love seeing positive comments from surveys, after trainings with someone says, you know, that training went off without a hitch was seamless. And I learned so many things I'm going to bring back to my staff and the young people that I work with. That is a huge win for me. And that is like my best day ever, when I see those comments, because we work so hard on our trainings. So, when someone says it's so helpful, I'm gonna keep taking this training, I'm gonna share it with other people. That's a big win. I love that. So, that's a big compliment for me. And I know, it's not just me putting it together, but as the coordinator, it does it, I take it a little personally, you know, when people like or don't like our trainings, it's inevitable.

Paul Meunier 

Okay, so I kind of lied a little bit. What is the best compliment somebody could give you as a person not related to your work, Jade, about your personality, about your character, about your morals, what, what is the best compliment somebody could give you?

Jade Schleif 

Got it. That I seem grounded, and that I'm passionate about what I'm doing. I think that that is the biggest thing for me. I want people to be able to tell who I am, you know, I want to be authentically me. I'm not trying to be somebody that I'm not. So if somebody looks at me, and they can tell what I care about and who I am that's a, that's a big compliment. And I appreciate that.

Paul Meunier 

Jade, you are truly an authentic person. You are so kind and you're warm, and gentle with people and you are a wonderful asset to planet Earth. And a great addition to the field of youth work. And we're so grateful for the work that you do day in and day out to make the lives of youth workers better. Please know your work is making a big difference. And we're also just grateful to have you on the team. You're a wonderful teammate and you care deeply about your work. And so YIPA itself is really lucky to have you and thanks for doing all that. And Jade, thanks for stepping away from putting together trainings and being a guest on The Passionate Youth Worker. It was wonderful to talk with you today.

Jade Schleif 

Of course, thanks again for having me. It's fun to do something new right now.

Paul Meunier  

Yeah, fun to shake it up a little bit. And you probably know this because you listen to the podcast. Before we go, we always give our guest the last word. What words of wisdom or inspiration would you like to leave with the listeners?

Jade Schleif 

Yes, I knew this question was coming. My words of wisdom would be to be calm, be curious, and lean in. Those three pieces are so important. I live by those words in my youth work, and even working with youth workers now. So, really being calm, being curious, and leaning in. Because we've talked about relationships, when you're building relationships with young people, you've got to be curious about what they're passionate about, and show that you care by leaning in and want to learn more. And also remember, you can be a resource hub for a young person. So, even if you don't have all the answers, that's okay. And there's no way you're going to know everything, but you just need a willingness to support them and figure it out together. So, if they ask something you don't know, say, Okay, let's sit down together and figure it out together.

Paul Meunier 

If you would like to share your passion for youth work, we'd love to spotlight you as a guest. If you have feedback about the show, please let us know. Just visit training.yipa.org, that's training.yipa.org and click on the podcast tab. This podcast is made possible in part due to a generous contribution from M Health Fairview. I'm your host, Paul Meunier. Thanks for listening to The Passionate Youth Worker.