YouthLight's History

For nearly 10 years YouthLight Inc. has been developing and providing useful educational materials to help counselors, other educators, mental health professionals, and parents maximize their effectiveness with youth. Its cofounders are Robert P. Bowman and Susan C. Bowman.

Dr. Robert P. Bowman is widely recognized for his distinctive contributions to the fields of mental health and education with an emphasis on school counseling. He is especially known as a prolific creator of unusual, effective approaches and programs for helping young people. Today, Dr. Bowman continues his work as an avid collector of research-based practices that work with youth when “all else fails.” He is also known as a relentless cheerleader for professionals working with chronically troubled youth.

Dr. Bowman has conducted professional seminars, conference keynotes and/or motivational presentations in 42 of the United States and in Canada, Belgium, England, Italy, West Germany, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, St. Marten, St. Thomas, Kenya, Tanzania, Ecuador, Malaysia and China.

He started his career as a school teacher and school counselor. Since that time, he taught in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of South Carolina for more than 20 years and is currently an Emeritus Professor. He has authored numerous articles in professional journals and has written more than 24 books and programs that help troubled youth bring about positive changes in themselves and their peers.

Susan C. Bowman, Ed.S., LPC has worked as a social worker, and school counselor at the elementary, middle and high school levels. She has also worked as a counselor for incarcerated youth and started a non-profit, faith-based organization (Youth Hope Foundation) to help these young people. In 2005, the GED Testing Service awarded Susan with its highest honor, the Cornelius P. Turner Award, presented annually to a GED graduate who has made outstanding contributions to society in education or public, or social service. The award is named for Cornelius P. Turner, the founder of the GED Testing Program.

Susan has written 5 books and has led professional seminars throughout the US on topics such as mentoring, challenging adolescents and self-mutilation. Susan's remarkable life-story has been an encouragement to young people and professionals. She ran away from home at age 14. By age 19, she was divorced, on welfare and the mother of three children. Yet, with only a seventh grade education, she managed to change her life and eventually earn a GED, then a BA degree, and finally an Ed.S. degree in counseling. She continues to help some of the "toughest" resistant and defiant young people to find purpose and hope.