Annette Evans Wilson taught English in high school for 20 years in a low-income, inner-city high school where she worked with many students who found themselves in varying degrees of homelessness.

Having been on her own at the age of 17, she realized that the difference between having a place to live, and homelessness, for her, was knowledge. As with other aspects of student's failure to succeed, Annette knew that her students needed to be taught more than simply English skills. They needed to be taught the skills that would lead to success in the future.

As she began to integrate identity, life skills, & leadership skills into her classroom, she saw students not only develop these skills for themselves but carry them into their families, school, and community.

After retiring, Annette developed the YOU Life Skills and Leadership Educational Foundation to continue helping adolescents develop the skills embodied by her YOU program: Know Yourself - Reach Outward - Seek to Understand.

The Know Yourself, Know Each Other: Building Bridges Between Generations provides the opportunity for teens and their parents or guardians to bridge the differences that keep teens from reaching and even surpassing the goals they have for their lives. By coining the term 'teenitude,' Annette explains that teens are developing their own personalities, which, only when stifled, turns into attitude.

This program helps participants to:

*Honor and embrace personality differences, leading to more compassionate connections.

*Identify strengths and challenges that cause us to “push each other's buttons” and turn them into opportunities for growth.

*Learn how to adjust their perspective to keep personality differences from causing misunderstanding.

*Support their teen’s growth by helping them learn the skills of self-leadership that lead to more independent and successful adulthood.

In this 6-week workshop, participants practice personality-based conflict management with real-life scenarios at home, school, and with peers.