CHOICES
Encouraging Youth to Achieve Greatness
by Robin Cox
Imprint: Resource Publications
Positive face-to-face relationships are key to the health and well-being of our youth in a post-pandemic world. CHOICES: Encouraging Youth to Achieve Greatness inspires and guides parents, teachers, coaches, mentors, and youth workers--significant adults--to use the proven CHOICES framework to motivate youth to achieve greatness or reach their potential no matter what their circumstances might be. Hundreds of tips and strategies to connect with and inspire youth are shared in this user-friendly book, together with true stories of Robin Cox's interactions with some of the teenagers he has mentored in different countries to give credibility to the CHOICES framework.
Proven education and youth mentoring strategies are linked with recent adolescent brain research. CHOICES invites readers to reflect on their own adolescent journey to appreciate some of the challenges today's youth face, and reminds them of the importance of positive relationships in the lives of increasingly anxious, confused, or underachieving young people. CHOICES offers messages of hope to all who wish to be an optimistic voice in the life of our youth. Tips and strategies linked to goal-setting, effective communication, and resiliency can enhance the quality of teaching, mentoring, and coaching in a global community in which most youth are desperate to be heard and supported. Anyone who genuinely believes that youth are the future will value this encouraging book.
Robin Cox was a school principal in southern Africa, sports coach to national under-nineteen level, and developer of youth mentoring programs in New Zealand and Australia. Robin has written books about teacher-mentors, youth mentoring, peer mentoring, and encouraging youth to fulfil their potential. He has trained over a thousand volunteer adult mentors; run education and spirit-of-mentoring workshops in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, and Jamaica; and personally mentored over a thousand adolescents and many adults. A cancer survivor, Robin is married with two adult children, two delightful grandchildren, and lives in New Zealand.
“Cox has managed to distill decades of expert teaching and mentoring into this easily read work. CHOICES presents sound wisdom, insights, and strategies for guiding young people through the turmoil of life and the world around them. This exciting book should be compulsory reading for every teacher or pastoral-care worker and every parent who aims to grow happy, significant adults.”
—Paul Fleischack, Senior Deputy Rector, Michaelhouse
“Ken Blanchard, in his book Lead Like Jesus, suggests that ‘anytime we seek to influence another person we are acting as a leader.’ Robin Cox has been that leader for decades. He has influenced countless people, but his passion, because of his story of growing up, is the leadership of youth. This book brings together four decades of experience in influencing young people’s lives that has helped thousands to ‘achieve greatness.’”
—Paul Browning, author of Principled: 10 Leadership Practices for Building Trust
“CHOICES is a wonderful collection of stories of personal interactions that Robin has
had over a long career. His practical advice, useful questions, and easy-to-read style
of writing make this an excellent book for any teacher looking to mentor and guide
developing young teenagers.”
—Tony Reeler, Principal, Bishops Diocesan College, Cape Town, South Africa
“Robin Cox has a wealth of experience gained over many years of successful practice in youth mentoring. His books are always full of hints and practical advice for mentors to follow. CHOICES is a sensible, credible, and relevant handbook that provides a wealth of practical approaches for successful youth mentoring.”
—Bill Gavin, former Secondary School Principal, the New Zealand Youth Mentoring Network
“Making good decisions when faced with possibilities is one of the premier challenges we all face in life. When young people feel appreciated and cared for, they meet challenges and do even better than expected. CHOICES is a tool that provides youth with the ability to probe, question, debate, and feel supported. Through the exercises, trusting relationships are formed that lead to making the best choices.”
—Susan G. Weinberger, President, Mentor Consulting Group
“In Robin’s succinct and easily approachable CHOICES, he provides a means for those of us who would like to be more effective as mentors to our youth, with a practical way of doing so, based upon latest brain research and a long life of mentoring experience. . . . He unpacks the theory behind the approach but bolsters this with eminently practical advice that any of us can follow. This book is a distillation, like a precious and rare perfume, of the hard-won lessons in love from a very good man. Read it!”
—Andrew Cook, former Executive Head, Mitchell House