Blog

#SlaughterStigma in the New Year

Join Bender Leadership Academy and New York Times best selling author, Karin Slaughter, in the continued fight against stigma. Stigma refers to beliefs about people that are unfair or negative because they have a common characteristic, such as having a disability, religious beliefs, the color of a person’s skin, gender, how much money they make, […]

Read More

10 Resolutions for Young Leaders

As 2023 ends, it is time to consider the year ahead and make your resolutions. As young leaders, take a moment to make resolutions that support your future successes and build on your leadership skills. Explore the ideas below and then establish your own resolutions for 2024.  Write down your goals and look at them […]

Read More

5 Ways You Can Volunteer this December

One of the ways that teens can build up their resume, both for future job opportunities and for post-high school education applications, is to become a volunteer. In fact, volunteering has the potential to increase your odds of getting offered a job by 27% according to a study by the Corporation for National and Community […]

Read More

Happy Thanks-Giving!

During the holiday week of Thanksgiving, I hear greetings of “Happy Thanksgiving” or receive notes or e-mails wishing me those greetings every year. It is always so heartwarming to receive these greetings from friends, family, the cashier at the grocery store, or a Starbuck’s employee at the drive through window. But I wonder how many […]

Read More

Do You have Attitude?

Everyone has an attitude. How would you define yours? We tend to see attitude as only positive or negative, but a positive or negative outlook is made up of many micro-decisions about how we feel, what we believe, and how we act. Unlike emotions, an attitude is something we adopt – it is something we […]

Read More

Listening Skills for Leaders

Many people envision leaders as someone who is standing at a podium, commanding a room, or rallying their team. Leaders are viewed as great orators (speakers) or influencers. However, there is one very critical skill that the best leaders have that is often overlooked – the ability to listen. This skill is especially important for […]

Read More

One Year Later: Still #NotAshamed

Just over a year ago, we launched the #NotAshamed campaign, part of the Mary Brougher Mental Health Initiative at the Bender Leadership Academy. The campaign focuses on raising awareness of mental health disabilities and addresses stigma by encouraging young people to be #NotAshamed of living with mental health disabilities. Since 2022, the #NotAshamed campaign has […]

Read More