ABOUT US

Shannon Meland

Co-Owner and Co-Founder of Empowered Kids

Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS)

Mom to two wild schoolagers

Budding gardener

Lover of audiobooks and pastries

Shannon (she/her/hers) is a proud Canadian who relocated from the Big Apple (where she completed her master's degree in child life in 2009) to the Mini Apple, where she has worked for two healthcare systems. Before moving to Minneapolis in 2019, she worked for 10 years in a large New York City children’s hospital, building her experience in a multitude of settings. She has a special interest in guiding families through life transitions.

Sam Schackman

Co-Owner and Co-Founder of Empowered Kids

Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS)

Non-fiction reader

Avid Netflix watcher

Lover of walks around the lakes and pasta

Sam (she/her/hers) is a certified child life specialist with over 13 years experience working with children and families in the healthcare setting. She has worked for two major healthcare systems in the Twin Cities, which she feels especially proud of because she was born and raised here. Sam has a master's degree in human development and a special interest in working with children and families experiencing chronic illness.

Shannon and Sam met working together in the hospital setting. They both have a passion for helping families navigate life’s challenges and saw a need for support in a variety of settings.

They decided to start Empowered Kids to work alongside kids and families OUTSIDE the hospital and in the community— where kids and families are living their daily lives.

It is in daily life when unexpected challenges happen.

And it’s in daily life where families can feel
empowered to manage these life events.

“Child life specialists focus on the optimal development and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults while promoting coping skills and minimizing the adverse effects of hospitalization, health care, and/or other potentially stressful experiences.”

“Child life intervention minimizes both the immediate and potential long-term effects of stress, anxiety and psychosocial trauma, ultimately empowering children, families and their support systems to reach their full potential. Child life professionals are uniquely educated and trained to provide children, families and their support systems opportunities to cope, gain a sense of mastery, engage in self-expression and promote resiliency.”