Winning Futures – Inspiring and preparing youth to succeed through mentoring.

Posts Tagged ‘life skills program’

To help your kids or students realize the importance of continuing education, try providing them with the information below.

Studies indicate that the more education one has the larger the paycheck. So, the more you learn the more you earn. Listed below, are the average salaries American workers earn based on an education they have attained:

If you work for forty years, additional earnings can really add- up, just by staying in school and graduating high school.  Individual workers earn an average of $6,000 more per year – or $240,000 – more in their lifetimes. That is a quarter-million dollars just by finishing high school!

Add a two-year Associate Degree and the lifetime earnings jump to $480,000. Think about it: That’s a cool half-million dollars just for finishing high school and going to college for two years.  As you can see, it is more than a high school dropout can earn in a lifetime.

Play it smart!   Do what you need to do to finish high school.  Dropping out is not an option… and going to college definitely should be on the table.

Just saying the word “test” can cause a student’s stress level to rise. Fortunately, by using some of the techniques Winning Futures’ has developed and outlined in its curriculum and workbooks, students can alleviate this stress, improve their test-taking ability and increase their grades.

According to Winning Futures’ Program Facilitator Taquaryl Franklin, “70-percent of Winning Futures’ students improve their test scores and overall grades by at least half a grade over six weeks.” Some of the techniques used to achieve these extraordinary results are:

• Studying early and regularly as opposed to “cramming.”
• Carefully reading course materials and test directions.
• Using tricks such as acronyms to aid memory retention.

Tips such as these – and many more – can be found in Winning Futures’ “Road to Success” workbook. Click on the “Purchase Books” button at left to learn more.

Winning Futures and Detroit Public Schools kicked-off a new pilot program at Cass Technical High School on March 1. At the first session, mentors and mentees met each other at a “break the ice session.” Mentors took five minutes to introduce themselves to each group of students to demonstrate the inaugural session’s underlying theme: The importance of synergy – i.e. forming relationships – in a professional setting.

As many research studies and business experts can attest, synergy is a vital component in successful business dealings and professional advancement. In an article entitled The Benefits and Challenges of Team Collaboration, business management and human services expert Bruce Tyson stated that those who emphasize fostering synergy in day-to-day activities “create results that are greater than what can be achieved working independently. Among other things… synergies can be manifested in reduced costs, increased capabilities, and more flexibility to adapt to changing requirements.”

This introductory exercise introduced Cass Tech students to the Winning Futures’ curriculum outlined in our unique, professionally developed handbook for high-school students, Achieving Success: A Guide to Designing Your Future. In the weeks to come, students will explore further topics such as self exploration, career options and long-term goal-setting.

All these lessons, along with accompanying exercises and development tools, are available for you to utilize through our special collection of workbooks for middle and high-school students. These are available for purchase through our website by clicking here. Check them out today to see how Winning Futures can help you help your students achieve their goals and live up to their full potential!

When a student shares emotional or confidential information with you, keep the following in mind: 

Guidelines for maintaining a young person’s confidences

• Respect their privacy
• Don’t share with others what they have told you about him/herself

Guidelines for deciding whether to break confidentiality

• If what you heard or experience feels “wrong” to you, contact staff member ASAP
• If you are not sure, ask

You MUST break confidentiality when you have a “Red Flag” issue 

• The young person’s safety or someone else’s safety is in danger, or
• An illegal activity is involved

Positive role models are important.  They are the individuals who set examples for individuals to observe and pattern positive behaviors from.  As people increase positive behaviors, they increase their feelings of self-worth.  Patterning behaviors from positive role models can help mentees build on their morals and positive values.  These patterns teach the mentees to set attainable goals and provide direction in achieving those goals. 

What Constitutes a Role Model?
Characteristics of positive role models include:

• Feels a since of duty to better “society” working for the common good of the community
• Compassionate
• Has developed powerful and effective habits of the mind and soul
• Can work through challenges
• Committed to what he or she does
• Capacity to achieve goals and obtain self-fulfillment
• Possesses high standards and values
• Admired for courage and strength
• Models forgiveness
• Trustworthy
• Demonstrates humility
• Peaceful
• Wise
• Admits when they are wrong
• Projects genuine love
• Discernment – understands the whole situation

Having students create a coat of arms gives them the opportunity to describe qualities about themselves and to learn more about other group members.  Mentors should encourage the participants to use colors and writing styles that represent their personalities.

In space 1, have students draw something that characterizes a talent they posses. If working on a group coat of arms, each person will include their own  symbol in space 1.

In space 2, have students sketch out a something they are really good at.

In space 3, have students draw a symbol of how they like to spend their spare time (an interest).

In space 4, have students write something that reflects their personal motto.

Have pre-made Coat of Arms, color markers or pencils ready before class begins. You can download the handout at www.WinningFuturesBooks.org. Go to the Online Support
page and locate Coat of Arms. Remember to have your user ID and password.

Did you have a mentor in your life?

Why did you decide to become a mentor?

Share your mentoring story!

With the 2011-2012 school year off to a great start at Winning Futures, we welcome new mentors to our program!

Veteran mentors – do you have any mentoring advice that you have found works well for you?  If so, please share!

To help students realize the importance of continuing education, try providing them with the information below.

Studies indicate that the more education one has the larger the paycheck. So!  “the more you learn the more you earn”. Listed below, are the average salaries American workers earn based on an education they have attained:

If you work for forty years, additional earnings can really add- up, just by staying in school and graduating high school.   Individual workers earn an average of $6,000 more per year or $240,000 more in their lifetimes. That is a quarter-million dollars just by finishing high school.

Add a two-year Associate Degree and the lifetime earnings jump to $480,000. Think about it… that’s a cool half-million dollars…just for finishing high school and going to college for two years.  As you can see, it is more than a high school dropout can earn in a lifetime.

“PLAY IT SMART”!   Do what you need to do to finish high school … dropping out is NOTan option. Then think about going to college.

**Source:
www.educationplanner.org

Winning Futures didn’t just change my life, it saved it. I went from the brink of dropping out to being all year Honor Roll my senior year.  After high school I used the tools and techniques that I was given by the program to not just secure employment, but to thrive in my position. Now I work in New Business Development for an international industrial supplier with strong viable aspirations for the future. I would not have been to get this far in life had it not been for the support of Winning Futures!

 Joe Owens – Winning Futures Alumni