Chad's Story

Chad Foster

Chad Foster entered the business world in Louisiana at age 19, parlaying a failed attempt at professional tennis into a business surfacing tennis courts. Eventually, Chad expanded his recreational surfacing vision by converting millions of pounds of recycled tire rubber into a soft, safe playground surface. That product, SAF DEK, can be seen on thousands of McDonald's Playlands around the world. The SAF DEK surface also provides a safe play environment for millions of visitors to Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

At age 33, Chad took an indefinite sabbatical and joined the team at Special Olympics International. As Tour Director, he traveled across America with a mobile museum that served as an educational and awareness tool highlighting the valuable contributions made by the Special Olympics organization.

The following year Chad set out on a two-year, cross-country fact finding trip. His travels and research convinced him that young people in America were receiving an incomplete education in that they were not being fully prepared with 21st Century skills for their inevitable entry into the world of work.

Chad's concern for young people prompted him to write three best-selling books, Teenagers Preparing for the Real World, Financial Literacy for Teens, and Career Readiness for Teens. Chad's books have been read by more than one million students and his dynamic 21st Century skills curricula are used in 4,500 middle school and high school classrooms nationwide. Chad's wit and engaging style of writing make him the perfect messenger to share real-world wisdom with students from all walks of life.

Chad is also the co-author of High School 101, an innovative strategy that focuses on preparing students for the transition from middle school to high school. This comprehensive 10-unit resource addresses a multitude of essential 21st Century skills that young people will need for classroom success as well as workplace readiness.

Chad also serves on the advisory board of the Heart of America Foundation, a national organization created to encourage America's youth to participate in community service. This entrepreneur, best-selling author, and nationally-acclaimed speaker also hosted, for eight years, his own television show, Fly Fishing America, seen on ESPN.

For more information on Chad Foster and his nationally acclaimed resources for students and educators, go to www.chadfoster.com.

For more information please send email to chadwfoster@att.net or call (404) 386-7579.