I'm proud to co-host and curate the Parents as Career Coaches Podcast.

 

In my opinion, the best hope for solutions to the big challenges facing humanity today is the generation now in school. Rather than just preparing them for exams, we need to get them engaged with the real-world challenges that need solving in our own communities and around the world. Their best preparation for the future is helping to build it.

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Kids want to be relevant, be heard, and be taken seriously. Whatever their age, there are things they care deeply about. Each child is different. What do your kids care about? When their curiosity, imagination, and creativity are engaged, and they are supported and encouraged, their young brains are capable of far more than even we, their parents and guardians can imagine.

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As parents, we are the number 1 influence on our children’s life and career ambitions. This whole podcast series is about how we can help launch our children on a trajectory to a satisfying and fulfilling life in a better world. There is no more important mission. 

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My co-host for the Parents as Career Coach Podcast is Kelly Hoey, Executive Director of the Halton Industry Education Council. Kelly and I have both dedicated our careers to helping young people imagine and prepare for their preferred future.

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Every week we have amazing guests who address themes like:

• The learning process and the power of imagination and creativity

• The importance of love, support, and encouragement

• How to start fruitful conversations with your kids

• What schools are doing to prepare your children for the future

• Post-secondary pathways with the highest ROI (return on investment)

• How the working world is changing and what today’s employers are looking for

• The power of purpose and the promise of "capitalism with a conscience"

• The impact of stress and uncertainty on mental health - your children’s and yours

• Financial literacy and management – Teaching our children how to get money working for them instead of just working for money.

• The trump cards, empathy, and social-emotional competencies

…. and much more

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The very first podcast in the series is with Canadian career development superheroes Sareena Hopkins, Tricia Berry, and Dave Redekopp. They address the critical role of parents and guardians and discuss how to break the ice, the importance of listening, encouraging, supporting, and modelling, how to find career development professionals in your community, and the positive impact of career development on mental health and stress reduction.

 

Our following guests are:

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• Andreas Scheicher, the Director of Education and Skills at the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation in Paris. Nobody knows more about how education systems around the world are reimagining learning to better prepare students to be prosperous citizens in the new global community.

• Australian Montessori Ambassador, Super Principal, and Author of The Potential in Every Child, Gavin McCormack. Gavin’s powerful yet simple and heartwarming ideas for communication with young people will inspire you to have new conversations with those you love.

• Psychologist, author, speaker, educator, and President of PBL Global Thom Markham. He teaches educators on five continents how to incorporate personal empowerment and agency, brain-heart integration, creativity, collaboration, empathy, communication, and purpose at every stage of the learning process. You will hear insights from Thom that you can put to immediate practice.

• Will Richardson is the co-founder of The Big Questions Institute, and co-author of a new book, 9 BIG Questions Schools Must Answer to Avoid Going "Back to Normal" (*Because "Normal" Wasn't That Great to Begin With). Will shares big ideas and questions you can use to ignite engaging conversation with your kids.

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Listen to these great guests and many more at Parents as Career Coaches Podcast.

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