Frank Eckles

Background

About Frank Eckles

Over the years Frank has trained hundreds of child and youth care practitioners. He authored the nationally recognized Child and Youth Care: Basic Course and CYC: Foundations that support entry-level certification. He also co-authored the Youth Thrive Training for Trainers curriculum and Families Thrive curriculum. He is a frequent speaker at conferences, consults with programs and offers training through the Academy for Competent Youth Work. If you were to ask Frank what excites him most about his work, Frank would tell you that it continues to be his direct practice with children and youth. Frank continues to be involved with young people through his group facilitation of challenge courses and the PEAKS adventure camps. Frank still experiences the joy that comes from seeing youth he supported over his career transition into healthy adults. Frank is tremendously excited to see the child and youth care field emerge as a profession. Over the next 10 years, Frank will work with thousands of practitioners to better inform politicians and the public about the needs of children, youth and families and the vital role that child and youth care practitioners play in nurturing future generations of healthy young adults. Frank believes that competent youth work in early childhood, after school, residential, foster care, disabilities, community youth services, and juvenile justice programs is the key. When time allows, Frank is working on a new transitional living program based on his 44’ Trimaran sailboat. In 2011 he created “Ready About….Changing Courses” and will be working with youth to support them as they transition from high school to college and from foster care to independent living. As time allows, he is also pursuing an advanced degree in Education and Human Resource Development at Texas A&M University. Frank frequently sails and enjoys reef diving adventures.