Help Your Teen Build Skills That Matter Most

Event Date: September 16, 2026

Understanding your teen's skills, interests, and strengths is more than a nice-to-have. It's what helps them set goals and uncover relevant college and career options. In the BigFuture® Live event "Help Your Teen Build Skills That Matter Most," Ellen Galinsky, President of the Families and Work Institute, shared how parents can help teens reflect on their strengths, build skills, and connect coursework, activities, and experiences to future opportunities—without pressuring them to have it all figured out. Dan Gonzalez, Executive Director & General Manager of Teamship at College Board; Kenton Gardinier, Co-founder of Givefinity; and Marcy Boyd, Teacher at York High School, NY, weighed in with inspiring answers in during the Q&A.

Watch now for practical ways to help your teen build confidence and see new possibilities, without pressure to have it all figured out.

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4 Takeaways from Our Experts on BigFuture® Live

1. Growth Mindset Turns Setbacks Into Fuel for Growth

"It's not just avoiding a challenge, it's leaning into it… it's seeing a difficulty as a challenge, seeing it as a challenge, not just a threat." – Ellen Galinsky, Families and Work Institute

How teens interpret setbacks matters as much as the setbacks themselves. Framing a difficulty as something they can work through, rather than a sign they're not good enough, is strongly linked to better mental health and resilience. Parents can model this by asking "what did you learn?" or "what would you try differently?" instead of focusing only on the outcome.

2. Human Skills Matter More Than Ever in an AI World

"All problems are human problems… we're going to need teams of human beings to solve human problems." – Dan Gonzalez, College Board

Even as AI reshapes the job market, employer surveys consistently rank teamwork, problem-solving, and communication above technical skills. Seeking out group projects, team sports, or collaborative volunteer opportunities gives teens real practice with the skills employers say matter most.

3. Every Class and Experience Teaches Something Useful

"Every class that you take is a lesson for your future and nothing is a waste of your time." – Marcy Boyd, York High School

Trying a wide range of classes and activities, even the ones that don't turn into a lasting interest, helps teens rule things out and narrow down what actually fits them. That process of elimination is just as valuable as finding the "right" passion early on.

4. Reflection Turns Experience Into Real Skill-Building

"It's important… you're not just looking at it as a transaction, but really trying to establish what you're learning." – Kenton Gardinier, Givefinity

Volunteering, internships, and part-time jobs naturally build skills like leadership, project management, and empathy. Encouraging teens to pause and reflect on what they're gaining, rather than treating the experience as just a line on a resume, helps them recognize and articulate that growth so they can carry it forward.

Additional Resources

• Download the Future Planning Guide for Parents, Mentors, and Families
• Register for upcoming BigFuture Live Events.
• Find actionable ways to help your teen strengthen skills to achieve their career and education goals.
• Learn more about how collaborative problem-solving and a deep understanding of your teen's core needs can build the essential life skills they need for positive growth in Ellen Galinsky's book "The Breakthrough Years."
• Join Open Doors. Help your teen take one step toward opportunity. Unlock free, ready-to-use resources across AP access, college and career exploration, college affordability, and student recognition.

Speakers

	Ellen Galinsky President of Families and Work Institute, Author of "The Breakthrough Years" Ellen Galinsky is President of Families and Work Institute and serves as senior research advisor to AASA, the School Superintendents Association. She was the co-lead of the October 2025 AASA Summit, Real Skills for Real Life, and is currently piloting modules she created on Real Skills for nationwide distribution to school districts. She's also partnering with John Hopkins International Arts + Mind Lab on the Youth Voice on Arts and Thriving project. Previous jobs include Chief Science Officer at the Bezos Family Foundation and faculty at Bank Street College. She was one of the key founders of the work-life field and was elected president of the Work and Family Researchers Network (2022–2026), which gave her a lifetime achievement award in 2022 and established an award in her name in 2018. She's also the author of the best-selling Mind in the Making on early learning. Her new book on adolescence, the award-winning The Breakthrough Years was called a "masterpiece" by Dr. Dan Siegel. She's the author of 90 books/research reports and 360 articles for books, journals, magazines, and the Web. Ellen Galinsky was the parent expert on Mister Rogers Talks With Parents TV series and was an elected president of NAEYC.
	Dan Gonzalez Executive Director & General Manager, Teamship Dan Gonzalez is General Manager of Teamship at College Board. He previously co-founded and served as CEO of District C, which created Teamship — a reimagined internship where teams of students solve real problems for real businesses. District C was acquired by College Board in early 2026. Since Teamship's launch, more than 12,000 students have worked with over 800 businesses across the country. Before District C, Dan studied engineering at Dartmouth College, taught high school physics, and later became president of Manhattan Prep, a national leader in test preparation, shortly after the company joined Kaplan.
	Kenton Gardinier Co-founder, Givefinity Kenton Gardinier is the co-founder of Givefinity, an AI-powered platform helping people turn volunteer service into a meaningful record of their experiences, skills, and impact. With more than 25 years of experience, Kenton focuses on growth and product strategy and is passionate about helping young people recognize how service builds real-world skills and creates stronger pathways to education, careers, and community impact.
	Marcy Boyd Teacher, York High School, NY Marcy Boyd is a career educator and educational consultant with degrees in Mathematics, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, and Animal Science. She currently teaches in western New York, where her courses include Math, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Cybersecurity, and AP Networking. Marcy is the mother of four adult children. "You don't know what you don't know," Marcy says. "Take that chance. Draw on your interests, strengths, and skills to further your learning." She believes every subject you try teaches you something — what you love, what you don't, and how that shapes your next decision.