Take Back Halloween: Debunking the Mythology of Market Demand

Update Oct. 22, 2016 Check out the new 2016 Take Back Halloween Costume Contest! (deadline to enter  11-6-16) And...in case any hipster parents are mumbling "what's the harm it's 2016, lighten up, people" I'm adding this "What about the boys" reminder which is wince-worthy realizing I've been covering this topic for so long, and this  study on sexualized body image and … [Read more...]

SureFire Girls: Life Literacy For Teens in a Power-Packed Conference

Oct. 8, 2013 As the parent of a teen graduating high school, spring was like a surreal montage of college tours, anticipation, excitement and questions swirling in my brain.Did I give her enough savvy to navigate credit/debit financial literacy, branding and budgeting? Does she have body awareness and boundaries to carve out her own comfort zone in complicated core … [Read more...]

How to Drive STEM Careers By Making Math Relevant and Fun!

March 29, 2012 Good luck to our friends "The Shop Girls" the only all-girls teen team at the Shell Eco-Marathon in Houston this weekend, and congratulations on today's public radio interview, "Cars Built By Kids Show Future to Better Gas Mileage"  (you GO, girls!) Shaping Youth is proud to be a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) sponsor again this year, and … [Read more...]

Positive Picks In Media & Marketing: Pigtail Pals, Redefining Girly

May 5, 2011 To prevent founder flameout and “battle fatigue” in the fight to win the hearts and mindshare of our children, I’ve decided to devote May to “spring forward” with media and marketing examples of companies, orgs, and projects who are POSITIVE influences and  “doing it right.” Shaping Youth is shining the spotlight on indie entities we WISH would get more play … [Read more...]

Project Raceway? “ShopGirls” Create Their Own Eco-Marathon Reality

Update Apr. 7, 2015 Now this is what I'm talking about! Our hometown entrepreneurial hub for startups, Draper University is 'going Hollywood' next week as ABC begins filming a new 'reality TV' series called "Startup U" to capture the challenging environs of Silicon Valley dreamers and doers out to achieve their concept to completion ideation. Now..."What If" this series were to … [Read more...]