The Soul of Adolescence Aligns with the Heart of Democracy Orphans, Rebels and Civic Lovers Unite

"The Soul of Adolescence Aligns with the Heart of Democracy" follows the author's compelling journey of discovering his life's purpose. The author evolves in his understanding of adolescent potential and wisdom through direct involvement with youth and communities. Developing a portfolio of meaningful engagement with young leaders and communal movements requires gradually shedding unconscious bias. The author's journey reminds readers that acknowledged and affirmed teen participation results in young people finding their full potential, and communities becoming sustainable.

Throughout the chapters of this book, the Alfred Kurland shares many of his life's most influential moments, such as having a roommate murdered during the peak of street violence in Washington Heights. With sharing such life-altering moments, he elaborates on how these experiences led to growth, wisdom, and understanding of life's complexities. For example, the pain and suffering of his roommate's death helped Kurland develop experientially based empathy for the people he serves who have had a considerable family loss in their lives. The four chapters in this book each elaborate on his life's defining moments that have allowed him to become an institutional pathfinder working for teen empowerment. Every single moment and experience has mattered in its own respective way, as it has all culminated into Kurland's ability to develop personal insights and gradually broadened perspectives concerning the intersectional nature of human services work.

Alfred Kurland has been an organizer and institutional pathfinder working for teen empowerment for the last twenty-eight years. Beginning with his first grassroots program in Washington Heights, and finishing as a lead coordinator for the NYC Teens on Community Boards, his work has been inspired and sustained by teen social justice activists, youth advisory councils, and civic mentors from collaborating agencies. He has a B.A. in Political Science from York College/CUNY and an M.A. in Education from New York University. Al has been recognized for his work on behalf of marginalized youth and under-resourced communities by the Petra Foundation, The Brooke Russell Astor Foundation, and the Silver Beaver Award from the Greater NY Boy Scout Council. He was the lead coordinator for the Teens on Community Board campaign which successfully changed NY State Public Officer Law, allowing vetted sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds to serve on NYC Community Boards.