Welcome to the first edition of Challenge Success Quarterly, the newsletter of Challenge Success. We are excited that Challenge Success has been growing steadily and that so many people have been inspired to join our movement to champion a broader vision of success for youth.

In this issue:

• Why Challenge Success?
• New five-week Challenge Success parent education seminar debuts this spring
• Fall Conference highlights available on DVD
• Make a donation to help expand the Challenge Success movement
• Volunteer update

Why Challenge Success?
Our children live in a high-stakes, high-pressure world. Success is often measured very narrowly: by trophies, grades, test scores, and college admissions. Ironically, this single-minded focus on a narrow view of success leaves many children lacking the very skills needed to thrive in the 21st century: creativity, adaptability, and resilience. It also contributes to unacceptably high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and other health disorders.

Challenge Success seeks to reduce this unhealthy pressure by informing, inspiring, and equipping youth, parents, and schools to adopt practices to expand options for youth success.

We believe that real success results from attention to the basic developmental needs of children and a valuing of different types of skills, interests, and abilities. We support parents and schools who are willing to set the bar high for children, who understand that academic, creative, and practical skills, as well as character development, need to be valued and encouraged, and who believe that real success encompasses:

• Character
• Health
• Independence
• Connection
• Creativity
• Enthusiasm and
• Achievement

We are building a movement—family by family, school by school—to champion a broader vision of success, one that allows more young people to thrive. We want to thank you for joining us in this effort, and we encourage you to help us spread the word. Please tell your friends and school communities to check the Challenge Success website at http://www.challengesuccess.org to learn more about us.

New Five-Week Challenge Success Parent Education Seminar Debuts in April
As part of our plan to expand the Challenge Success parent education component, co-founders Jim Lobdell and Denise Pope will teach a five-week spring seminar through the Stanford Continuing Studies Program entitled, “Raising Well-Balanced Children in a Fast-Paced World.” Parents of children ages 5-12 will examine current research on childhood stressors and learn specific strategies to promote physical and mental health, engagement in school, and overall well-being for their children. The seminar explores the daily challenges of finding time for play, handling homework, choosing appropriate extracurricular activities, and promoting healthier lifestyles and deeper connections for the entire family.

The seminar will take place at Stanford University on April 29, May 6, May 13, May 20, and May 27 from 7-9:30 p.m. Space is limited to 30 participants. Registration opens February 23^rd online at Stanford Continuing Studies.

Interested in attending a Challenge Success event sooner? Check out our Events Calendar for a presentation near you. Or, learn about how to bring a Challenge Success Parent Education Presentation to your community.

Fall Conference Highlights Available on DVD
A DVD featuring the dynamic and inspirational speakers at the Challenge Success Fall 2008 Conference plenary session is now available for just $4.

Keynote speakers Dr. David Elkind and Dr. Ken Ginsburg, three astonishingly reflective students, and Challenge Success co-founders Denise Pope and Madeline Levine all share insights on the pressures young people face today and discuss what schools and families can do to promote youth well-being. We had a standing-room-only crowd of over 700 people attend this session on September 26^th, and we have sold hundreds of DVD’s so far. Thank you to Carrie Manley and Andrew and Carol Mellows for donating their time to make this possible!

Order the DVD to share with friends, or contact us at info@challengesuccess.org to learn how school communities are using the DVD at parent education events.

Please Donate Now to Support Challenge Success
We hope that you will consider making a charitable donation to help Challenge Success champion a broader vision of success for youth. We have been building incredible momentum, but we need your help to put Challenge Success on a secure financial footing. You can make a tax-deductible donation on-line at our Donate page. Every donation counts and we appreciate your support!

Volunteer Update
Thank you to all who have inquired about volunteering to help Challenge Success. We are gearing up to work with our team of volunteers, and plan to publish volunteer opportunities this spring in our newsletter and on our website.

Thank you again for your support!

Madeline Levine, Jim Lobdell, and Denise Pope
Co-Founders, Challenge Success

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	Challenge Success is located at     Stanford University School of Education     485 Lasuen Mall, MC 3096     Stanford, California 94305-3096