Peter Benson - Spark: How Youth Thrive

For years I (Claire) have seen James get amped up about “spark” as the secret to youth thriving. Spark is a word akin to “breath” or “spirit”, and what excites us is to see the breath of a young person put into the world with vigour and courage.

This idea comes from Peter Benson, who worked as a researcher in the science of human thriving, with an eye towards children and adolescents. In this video, he lays out the concept, and in doing so identifies some problematic ways our culture deals with children. He says that in our society we have forgotten that children develop from the inside out. Children are not vessels to be crammed with information, but “fires to be lit”. Our job is to help them identify that fire, champion that fire, and provide opportunities for that fire to burn brightly.

If our goal is to keep kids safe and out of trouble, we will be in the management and control business. But if our goal is for them to be connected, contributing, and in love with all of life, then we have a strategic, doable, good and beautiful role in contributing to human thriving. Every adult can benefit from Benson’s insights. We commend this talk most highly!