PAALS Physical Activities And Life Skills

I am the Founder + President of PAALS: Physical Activities And Life Skills and GAALS: Girls Athletics And Life Skills, organizations that aim to enhance physical, social, emotional and mental well-being. These organizations were born as a result of my own insecurities that had followed me from childhood, as well as the lack of programs for my young daughters that focused on developing social, emotional and life skills.

I spoke with a diverse set of parents, educators and mental health specialists, who corroborated the critical need to dedicate time to teaching children these valuable skills. Yet, they explained that the majority of schools do not focus on social and emotional learning because educators don’t have the time and/or training. Or if they do, there is little time dedicated to it.

After countless hours of research and engaging in conversations with a wide range of professionals, I developed a whole-child curriculum that blends fun, active games with collaborative conversations so children develop THE CORE LIFE SKILL SET - THE 5 C’S.

By creating rare opportunities for children to form deeper CONNECTIONS, they gain valuable insights, including the powerful realization that others share similar thoughts and emotions. Knowing that they are not alone sparks the COURAGE to challenge themselves and try new things. This ultimately strengthens CHARACTER, as children learn resilience and the importance of failure, among other valuable life skills. Along the way, children become more COMPETENT at managing their emotions, communicating and resolving conflict. These lifelong skills enable them to create positive relationships and effectively navigate their everyday experiences. And perhaps most importantly, through this approach, children build CONFIDENCE in their abilities and themselves.

In just six short years, I have personally created facilitated PAALS + GAALS programs that have empowered more than 8,000 children and young adults, as well as nearly 1,000 educators and parents. Not only has working directly with others allowed me to witness powerful transformations, it has also enabled me to hear stories of incredible growth and triumphs that have resulted from participation in our programs. (some of which are listed under the honors and awards section.

I am passionate about empowering children to grow strong inside and out, and continue to customize curriculum to meet the differing needs of each group I am hired to teach. Since my goal and focus right now is to reach as many children as I can, I am packaging and sharing all of my proven materials with you, so you can experience firsthand how the PAALS unique whole-child approach is a success.

We believe strongly that cultivating an environment of growth and learning for ourselves is just as important as doing so for the children and school systems we serve. That’s why we continually engage professionals and participate in educational seminars, as well as professional development workshops.

I have been told countless stories of incredible growth and triumphs that have resulted from participation in our programs.

From the 4 year old boy who developed the courage to separate from his parents at parties to the 7 year old girl who learned how to be adaptable and flexible, enabling her to sleep at places other than her own home.

From the 10 year old boy who gained the confidence to try out for the soccer team despite not having played from an early age like the others in his community, to the 12 year old girl who found her voice and began standing up and advocating for herself with her friends and teachers.

We have also received glowing testimonials from parents, children, educators and therapists (physical, occupational and social workers).

Ithaca College, Roy H. Park School of Communications

Degree: Bachelor of Arts, May 1994, Magna Cum Laude

Major: Journalism

Concentration: Broadcast

Minor: Sociology

We invite you to check out GAALS + PAALS for helpful resources, articles and blogs to keep you informed and strengthen your instruction.

www.GAALSusa.com and www.PAALSusa.com

Facebook - where we post articles we find helpful for parenting/working with children https://www.facebook.com/GAALSpaals/

Pinterest - where we categorize all of the above articles we find, as well as post other educational tools we find and create. https://www.pinterest.com/GAALSandPAALS/

Instagram - where we share photos, quotes, cool athletic equipment and much more. https://www.instagram.com/GAALS_PAALS

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2cgxo_duDncXoKgWJ11mCg/