Reclaiming Youth at Risk

Empower your alienated students to cultivate a deep sense of belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity. This fully updated edition of Reclaiming Youth at Risk by Larry K. Brendtro, Martin Brokenleg, and Steve Van Bockern merges Native American knowledge and Western science to create a unique alternative for reaching disconnected or troubled youth. Rely on the book's new neuroscience research, insights, and examples to help you establish positive relationships, foster social learning and emotional development, and inspire every young person to thrive and overcome.

Drive positive youth development with the updated Reclaiming Youth at Risk:

• Study the four hazards that dominate the lives of youth at risk: relational trauma, failure as futility, powerlessness, and loss of purpose.
• Learn how cultivating the Circle of Courage values of belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity can combat the four hazards.
• Explore a unique strength-based approach for reclaiming discouraged or alienated youth.
• Understand how to create a safe, brain-friendly learning environment and break the conflict cycle.
• Read personal accounts of individuals who have transformed student trauma into student resilience in schools through trauma-informed practice.

Contents:
Introduction
Chapter 1: Enduring Truths
Chapter 2: The Circle of Courage
Chapter 3: Seeds of Discouragement
Chapter 4: Bonds of Trust
Chapter 5: Brain-Friendly Learning
Chapter 6: Pathways to Responsibility
Chapter 7: Lives With Purpose
Chapter 8: From Surviving to Thriving
References and Resources

Larry Brendtro, PhD, is professor emeritus of special education at Augustana University and directs the Resilience Academy, providing research, publications, and training. He is a licensed psychologist with broad experience in youth development. As president of Starr Commonwealth in Michigan, he developed alternative schools and treatment programs. He holds a doctorate from the University of Michigan and has taught at the University of Illinois and The Ohio State University. He served 13 years on the US Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. His publications are available in several languages, and he trains professionals worldwide.

Martin Brokenleg, EdD, is professor emeritus of Native American studies at Augustana University and was director of Native Ministries and professor at the Vancouver School of Theology at the University of British Columbia. He holds a doctorate in psychology and is a graduate of the Episcopal Divinity School. He has extensive counseling experience in the areas of cultural trauma and substance abuse. Dr. Brokenleg has provided training and consultation throughout North America and abroad, including work with Indigenous peoples from many nations. He is an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and currently resides in Victoria, BC, Canada.

Steve Van Bockern, EdD, is professor of education at Augustana University and hosts the annual Reclaiming Youth Seminars. With experience as a teacher and principal at the elementary and secondary levels, he consults with schools and alternative and special education programs in many nations. His publications include the book Schools That Matter, which applies the reclaiming concepts to meet growth needs of all students. He and his wife, Sarah, a school psychologist, have conducted strength-based assessments with challenging students and have been expert witnesses in juvenile court proceedings.