The Professional Development Administrators Actually Need to Support a Soft Skills Program

The Professional Development Administrators Actually Need to Support a Soft Skills Program

The Professional Development Administrators Actually Need to Support a Soft Skills ProgramRob Heller
Published on: 04/08/2026

Most PD around soft skills is built for teachers, not the administrator who has to approve, fund, and defend it to a board. Here's what admin-level PD should actually cover.

How to Teach Soft Skills
What 'Life Is Skill-Based' Actually Means — And Why It Changes Everything for Students

What 'Life Is Skill-Based' Actually Means — And Why It Changes Everything for Students

What 'Life Is Skill-Based' Actually Means — And Why It Changes Everything for StudentsRob Heller
Published on: 01/07/2026

The single most powerful idea in youth development isn't a technique — it's a belief: life is skill-based. Here's what that means, why it shifts everything for students, and what schools look like when this idea takes hold.

Inside Boost
The Case for Teaching Emotional Intelligence in High School Before It's Too Late

The Case for Teaching Emotional Intelligence in High School Before It's Too Late

The Case for Teaching Emotional Intelligence in High School Before It's Too LateRob Heller
Published on: 29/06/2026

Rob Heller, founder of The Boost Program, makes the case for teaching emotional intelligence in high school — and why most of what we call mental health problems are really untrained skills under pressure.

The Boost Skills
What Employers Actually Mean When They Say 'We Can't Find Good Workers'

What Employers Actually Mean When They Say 'We Can't Find Good Workers'

What Employers Actually Mean When They Say 'We Can't Find Good Workers'Rob Heller
Published on: 25/06/2026

The hiring crisis isn't about a shortage of applicants. It's about a shortage of applicants with the skills to thrive in professional environments. Here's what the data actually shows — and what schools can do about it.

Why Soft Skills Matter