Frank Eckles, BA, CYC-P, splits his time between his role as past president of the national Child and Youth Care Certification Board and facilitating growth for the hundreds of professionals who engage in learning programs offered by the Academy for Competent Youth Work.  Frank is the Academy’s executive director and author of the Child and Youth Care: Foundations Course and co-author of Youth Thrive: Protective and Promotive Factors for Healthy Development. 

Frank has spent over 50 years serving children, youth, and families in a variety of roles.  These include:  direct child and youth care practitioner, supervisor, administrator, trainer/educator, challenge course facilitator, and researcher in residential, after school, university, and treatment settings.  

Frank is a frequent speaker at conferences, facilitates challenge course adventure activities, and thoroughly enjoys being in the world as a professional Child and Youth Care Practitioner. 

Frank became a Fellow of the Center for Innovation and Excellence in 2014. Frank is the recipient of the National Staff Development and Training Association’s 2013 Career Achievement Award. In 2009 he received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Academy of Child and Youth Care Professionals. In 2006 he received the President’s Award for “special achievement in the field of child and youth care” from the Association for Child and Youth Care Practice.  In 2023 Frank was awarded the "2023 Together We Can!" award by the National Safe Place Network.