The Vision
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Picking Up The Pieces was created by Author, Speaker and Certified Adult & Youth Development Coach, Phil "Coach Black" Black. In 2011, Coach Black founded The Manhood Project (TMP)- a youth development program that aims to maximize the positive qualities of underserved males, while minimizing temptations to engage in risk behaviors. Additionally, in 2016, Coach Black began working with Partnering in Education And Resilience (PEAR) Institute- a collaborative between McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School that focuses on creating trauma-informed strategies for youth and adults. Through his work, Coach Black has identified various methods that support human development, builds critical skills and promotes self-care.
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Why puzzles?
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Research shows that our brain development is highly influenced at a young age when we are able to manipulate the world around us. Puzzles are a primary tool that gives us this effect. USA Today identified 7 benefits, stating that puzzels:
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Why Picking Up The Pieces?
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The long and short of it is that there are not enough positive and authentically black images available for this timeless tool. Puzzles have long been used to relax the mind of individuals and promote a deeper connection to those we love when done in groups. Without having materials that speak to our culture and its collective greatness, we are less likely to indulge. That is why Coach Black created Picking Up The Pieces- to offer mental health tools and strategies that speak to black culture in America and throughout the Diaspora. It is more than a puzzle. Picking Up The Pieces is a movement. And it is our time.
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