Dear Reader,

I'm so happy to see you! Thank you for inviting me into your inbox and for opening this month's newsletter. I know your time is precious and I'm very honoured to spend it with you.

Yay! Summer is here where I live. Rest, rejuvenation, and "chilling out" await. It can be the perfect time to try things that bring you joy and remember what it's like to be a kid! Let's leverage our chill-factor now to build student agency later. Learn more about this important connection below :).

The YOU newsletter is an invitation to put YOU first through the following three sections:​
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Y stands for Youth:

This section features a person, project, organisation, that inspires youth to thrive.

O stands for Offering:

Here’s where I share free resources, practical tips or prompts.

U stands for Uplifting:

We’ll wrap up with an uplifting quote or song to leave you feeling great-- after all, it’s good to feel good!

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Youth inspire Emre Caglar,

Meet Emre, Grade 11 student at Horizon Japan International School, Founder of Youth For Future​

If you want to build a classroom where students care and create to make the world a better place, you'll want to learn from Emre. Emre has completed numerous action projects with young people and is now on a mission to tackle the SDG goals through collaboration.

Emre and I had a fabulous conversation about the importance of student agency, sustainability, and education and the structures that enable them. As a true example of the power of all three, Emre offers concrete advice for teachers who want high student engagement and empowerment.

It all starts with being a chill teacher.

Watch the 1.5 min video below to learn 2 moves you can do to enhance engagement and set the conditions for agency.

👉 Please reply and share what resonates with you or with questions you have for Emre and I. We love Q and A!

🎥 Stay tuned for more Emre tips! We'll answer your questions and share more practical ideas to help build student agency.

Offering that ignites: Get Active Now to Be Chill Later

You know your students best. What are they into? If given a choice to do anything, what would they play?

Here's your formal invitation to try student-friendly activities for yourself. This way, you'll have the lived experience needed to join in or initiate chillin' time with your students. What better way to build those important connections, right?!

👉 I've researched the most popular sports, video games, board games, and making projects and compiled them into this checklist. Click the button to download the printable!

Download my Chillin' Checklist

📷 I want to hear from you Reader:

Which activity will you try? Please hit reply and let me know or share on social! Please tag me so I cheer you on!

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Uplifting quote + song that illuminates:

Read and listen to this quote and song to invite reflection ⭐️
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“It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives. ”

– Fred Rogers

Listen to the Song:

​Everybody Dance Now by CC Music Factory

Favourite lyrics:

The music takes control, your heart and soul
Unfold, your body is free and a whole
Dance till you can't, dance till you can't dance no more
Get on the floor and get raw
Then come back and upside down
Easy now, let me see ya
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Play the Song

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Here's to chillin' with you Reader!