Field Forum: Failure… It’s Part of the Adventure! Hailey Paschold September 11, 2026

Let’s be honest: when we work with young people, we can sometimes feel like we have to get everything right. The perfect activity, the perfect response, the perfect plan. But the truth is, we don’t have to be perfect, we just have to show up. Not every idea will work, not every activity will be a hit, and sometimes we will completely miss the mark. And that’s okay! Our students need to see us take chances, make mistakes, laugh about them, learn from them, and try again. Those moments model grit, perseverance, flexibility, and resilience far better than perfection ever could. In this Field Forum, we’ll embrace our “Well...that didn’t work!” moments, share some laughs, reflect on what we learned, and discover how our failures can actually make us, and our programs, stronger. Failure isn’t the end of the adventure. Failure is part of the adventure!

Objectives
Objective 1: Embrace the Learning
Participants will reflect on a personal or professional “failure” within their program and identify the growth, learning, and unexpected strengths that came from the experience.

Objective 2: Model the Comeback
Participants will explore how their own mistakes and failures can become powerful modeling opportunities for young people, demonstrating resilience, grit, perseverance, flexibility, and the importance of trying again.