STUDENT PRESENTATIONS:
Dreams & Detours – (Positive Decision Making) Middle/High School
“In life, there are dreams and then there are detours,” Shaun explains. “Some decisions we make can lead to viable opportunities while others can lead to dead-ends.” Using the metaphor, life is a song, Shaun teaches listeners to pay attention to the music (thoughts) playing in their heads, to stay on beat with one’s goals, and to be mindful of negative influences and how we treat others. Just like the components of a successful production, this presentation challenges you to learn, practice, and perform positive habits.
Shaun combines the importance of planning, vision and expression, and an awareness of the world around to deliver an unbeatable plan of success for high school students. He tells the story of his own struggles in grade school while exercising his acting muscles, displaying years of dance training, and ending every conflict-filled story with a powerful message to never give up.
Use Your Inside Voices (Strength Finder) Middle/High School
Get ready to laugh, get ready move and get ready to learn. In his presentation, Shaun recounts his burdensome years in school and how finding his voice gave him relevance, confidence, and the endurance to say “nah” to unhealthy influences and “yes” to things that were most helpful to his future. Shaun’s talk will educate students on what he calls your “inside voices” and how they help as guideposts in life. Shaun’s presentation also will focus on the development of healthy peer relationships by encouraging students to think about the ways in which their friends’ choices can influence them and the way in which their own choices can affect others.
Back To Your Future (Focus) Middle/High School
In middle school, the term “back to school” can take on a whole new meaning: a new perspective, diverse surroundings, and a crash course in adulthood adolescence. Some students will adapt easily, some will feel directionless having no idea what they’re striving for, but all are sure to experience 3 things in a way they have never experienced before: freedom, loneliness and extreme pressure to connect and perform. Back to Your Future will build camaraderie amongst your students as it outlines the importance of collective purpose. Shaun Derik gives insight to some of today’s biggest distractions and a cool new strategy to combat them giving them a solid perspective for a successful return. It’ll give each individual student real life tools needed for them to be on par with a their goals. Finally able to understand their resources and potential, students who attend this presentation have a clearer understanding of their privileges and responsibilities giving them the momentum they need to have a focus-driven year.
ON YOUR M.A.R.K. Youth (Goat-Setting) Middle/High School/Youth Advocates
Dive into the minds of some of most celebrated figures of our time and explore the 4 key components that made them successful: The ability to acknowledge one’s strengths, wins, weaknesses and loses; Explore out-of-the-box ideas (risk); Quickly adjust to new information and new environments, and model behaviors and practices of those individuals (students) who/that are already winning. This “On Your Mark Intensive” uses rhythm, interactive partnering exercises and large group challenges to equip students with the tools needed to begin a successful run for the school year.
ADULT PRESENTATIONS:
SAYING SOMETHING: “How to Live a Life Worth Talking About” Educators/Youth Advocates
“Speaking is easy…saying something is the hard part,” explains, Shaun Derik as he explores what it means to be a model advocate for today’s youth. Emphasizing the importance of adult involvement and influence, Saying Something speaks to the challenges of being relevant and understood, gives insight into what’s “popular,” and invites participants to take a look at how their own words and actions marry.
BEING T.H.E.R.E. (5 Steps to Actively Engaging Young People) Educators/Youth Advocates
“Oh to look back over your life only to realize you weren’t there.” Wanting to connect with your young people? You’re not alone! In 2013, according to a Microsoft study on “The Effects of Today’s Digital World,” the attention span of the average American was less than that of a goldfish… 8 seconds. With the onslaught of smart phones, social media and reality TV, connecting with young people is becoming more and more competitive. In BEING T.H.E.R.E., Shaun Derik explores 5 Ways to Actively Engage the Young People you serve. Through rhythm, humor and heavy audience participation, Shaun helps adults learn to be sincere, direct and present when working with, loving and caring for today’s youth.
