Former work colleagues and Geist residents Sharla Rhodes and Nikki Greisl have taken their passion for encouraging families and created a new support service. They have formulated a mission to give back to our community in a way that will make a positive difference. This plan includes offering much needed (but hard to locate) parenting classes.

“To be able to give back, especially with our youth, is so very important to us,” explains Sharla Rhodes. “Obviously, with successful, happy, connected families come successful, happy, connected communities. As people move and grow into other communities, they can carry with them that sense of connection which spreads and evolves into positive outcomes. Fostering different ways of thinking, with people supporting each other, can then be passed on through the generations. Think how different our world can truly be!”

Rhodes and Greisl believe there are many people, especially parents, who would like to make changes in their lives, but they are just not sure how to do it. Their new company, The Visionary Group, has formulated various tools and effective resources for individuals and families to reference in order to make changes and generate ideas about different ways to approach things.

The Visionary Group offers programs with opportunities to examine all aspects of your family, including leadership strategies, behavior dynamics, work-home balance issues, and ultimate possible outcomes. The upcoming parenting 10-hour class addresses:

* Identify – what’s working, what’s not
* Your Parental Job Description – redefining your role
* Collaboration - partnering with what matters to your child
* Communication – effective for all
* Trust – earn it or bring it?
* Responsibility – taking ownership of what is created
* Experiential Learning – SPICE Challenge Course

The Challenge and Environmental Education Program (CEE Program) in Lawrence Township began in 1997. State grant money was used to construct the challenge courses, provide personnel, develop school, community and business programs, and to involve teachers and students in 2002.

The SPICE (Schools Partnering In Challenge Education) program has exceptional challenge course facilities and experienced challenge course professionals to implement a variety of programs. The Challenge Courses (located behind Craig Middle School) includes 3 low ropes/teams courses, a climbing tower, and two prototype courses the Double-Decker High Ropes Course and the Sky Tour. The focus of these activities is to build an inclusive, caring community among the group participants. Participants become better aware of themselves and how their behaviors affect the team. They also become more aware of what role they may play in the group. Field initiatives are noncompetitive activities that focus on group interactions, leadership, cooperation, conflict resolution, trust, self-confidence and problem solving. These initiatives are essential for the participants to succeed on the challenge courses

Whether you are in a single, blended or traditional family environment, this parenting course will give you a new set of tools to help you succeed. The next course will be held December 4th, 11th, 15th and 18th from 6-8 p.m. at Craig Middle School. December 15th will be the SPICE course segment, held from 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. Childcare is available for a small fee. Additionally, Lawrence Township School Foundation has endorsed the course and receives a donation from each class.

For more information, visit www.thevisionarygroup.biz or contact Nikki Greisl at 317.501.4918 or email Nikki@thevisionarygroup.biz or Sharla Rhodes at 317.439.0948 or email Sharla@thevisionarygroup.biz.

We encourage you to nominate a business or individual that incorporates giving back to the community or to charity as a standard part of their business practice. Each month we will select a business to recognize as the “Geist Gives Corporate Citizen of the Month.” The selected business will receive a case of gourmet coffee courtesy of Mission Coffee & Tea Company. To make a nomination for GeistGives visit www.atgeist.com.

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