Imagine a teenager as a balloon. One minute it’s soaring; the next it’s floating toward the ground, heading for a crash. But suppose there’s an adult standing nearby who is willing to reach out and give it a gentle bop to send it soaring again? Better yet, what if there are five adults standing in a circle holding a thick web made of yarn? The tighter the web, the less likely the balloon can slip through and hit the ground.

This web-of-yarn exercise was invented by Derek Peterson, an educational consultant and one-man crusader who travels the globe preaching the benefits of youth development to teachers, administrators, school board members, and community leaders. The web—he likens it to a Lakota “dreamcatcher”—is meant to demonstrate the impact of adult intervention in supporting resilience among teens.