Elancer

April 2007

Helping Children Become Better Adults

An Interview with Pam Golden, President of Pam Golden & Associates

Pam Golden started out simply wanting to make a difference. Five years, 15,000 children, and over 700 administrators and teachers later, she has made a huge difference. As a bullying prevention consultant for elementary schools, she teaches children the skills they need to make and keep friends and solve problems. As a result, they're much less likely to be the victim of bullies or become a bully themselves.

"Research shows that six out of ten children who bully will have a criminal conviction by their mid-twenties, and forty percent of those will have multiple convictions," says Pam. "Even if you put the long-term repercussions of bullying aside, when children know they can solve problems on their own they have more confidence, they get along better with other children… in short they're much happier."

Stories and pictures are an integral part of her program. To reach a broader audience, Pam decided to develop a children's book based on her tattling prevention program. "We teach children to handle small problems on their own, and report larger problems to an adult," says Pam. "We give them a way to decide what to do – and how to do it."

She selected Tina Musial (Elance username: tinamarie11) to edit her story and Irina (Elance username: accent_design) to create illustrations.

"I posted the projects and got wonderful responses," says Pam, "I was amazed by all the talent and I loved looking at each provider's work. Viewing portfolios and samples was exciting, incredibly reassuring and really made me feel good about the choices I made."

Then she faced a challenge. CBS News asked to do a story on Pam and her program, and she needed illustrations – fast. She had one week to have materials on hand for the crew to film.

"Irina was amazing," Pam says. "She met my schedule, created beautiful illustrations and was awesome to work with. She really helped make 'Lulu Learns About Reporting' come to life, and in an incredibly short time."

"I help teach children how to solve problems and as a result live happier lives," says Pam. "In turn, Elance makes my life better. The providers are professional and talented, I can view their portfolios and their work to help me make the right choice, and I know I have the support of Elance if I ever need it."