Overview

Youth Empowerment Services is a division of Surgance that consists of a family of programs to improve the success of our children.  We are gathering and facilitating best-of-breed programs to improve educational performance, reduce drop out rates, and provide career guidance.  Youth Empowerment Services also address bullying, obesity, self-esteem issues, youth depression, gang activity, teen pregnancy, and drug use.  Our leading program teaches young people the critical success skills of goal setting, time management, and self-motivation.

The programming was created because young people are expected to succeed, but traditionally not taught how to succeed.  The lack of goal setting and time management curriculum and tools for youth results in young people not achieving their ultimate potential.  Many young people fail at goals and encounter problems in life not because of a lack of desire, but instead a lack of skills. This program empowers and motivates young people to take control of their lives by providing the critical knowledge and tools required to succeed.

Youth Empowerment Services are provided onsite and online.

Onsite Services

Staff training: Surgance coaches the adults who serve children in schools and nonprofit organizations.  We teach them the success process and tools and provide instruction on how to implement the same with the youth they serve.

Student motivation and coaching: Surgance motivates and teaches young people the success curriculum and tools with or without staff involvement.

Parent workshops: Surgance conducts workshops with parents and guardians to teach them the success curriculum and tools to pass onto their children.  The adults who participate also learn the valuable productivity skills themselves to improve their own lives.

Online Services

Surgance uses a powerful online goal and life management website to teach and track goal achievement with the youth served.  The technology allows members to store goals online, provides an online calendar for effective time management, and gives other people access to goal progression and achievement.  Now, adults (parents, teachers, case workers, supervisors, etc.) can monitor a young person’s progress from any Internet connection.

Other Outreach in Education

Surgance Education programs help individuals and corporations enhance the education experience of students in their communities by giving homework assistance, reading aloud, providing back-to-school supplies, and sponsoring international teacher training conferences.

In Zambia for instance, Surgance volunteers and partners have conducted multi-day, intensive teacher training workshops covering key topics of classroom management, reading and phonics, teaching math, and creative story-telling. These conferences represent some of the only formal training that many of these teachers may ever receive. By partnering with American teachers and African community and government schools, Surgance is transforming the lives of hundreds of African children on a daily basis.

Additionally, Surgance volunteers have provided renovation assistance for educational environments and even helped refugees and immigrants with their homework!

And don’t forget to check out our Building Confident Communicators Program or our Student Athlete Showcase. All designed to improve access to postsecondary education and success in life.

Results

Over 180 schools and nonprofit organizations, totaling over 18,000 young people have benefited from Surgance Youth Empowerment Services.  Students all across the country are increasing their success and happiness.  As a result they are reaching more of their true potential as they progress towards their ultimate dreams.

100% of the organizations that experienced Youth Empowerment Services are completely satisfied with the results.  The purpose of the curriculum is to excite students about life and their goals.

Thousands of students nationwide have participated. Every student was expected to attempt 3 goals (one per week for three consecutive weeks).  95% of all students pursued at least two of the three goals and 86% set and pursued all three goals.

CASE STUDY:  Students at risk of dropping out of school at Shepherd Hill Regional High School

Contact/Program Administrator/CASE STUDY APPROVED BY:
Robert O’Brien, Assistant Principal
508-943-6700
robrien@dc-regional.k12.ma.us
68 Dudley Oxford Street, Dudley, MA 01571

Program Description:

Shepherd Hill Regional High School conducted a goal management program from school year 2003-04 through 2006-07.  They chose 48 at-risk students to participate in the program.

• 22 students (45.8%) were extremely high risk to dropping out (> 80% likelihood).
• 21 students (43.8%) showed a 50% – 80% chance of dropping out.
•  5 students (10.4%) showed less than a 50% chance of dropping out.

The program had four elements:

1.  Student Presentation: A one-time motivational assembly to all High School Students

2.  Student Coaching: Surgance Youth Empowerment Services Division Manager James P. Desrosiers met with the selected students above once per week for one hour for six consecutive weeks to work on motivation, goal setting, and time management.  Students learned how to identify goals, set goals, and manage time by using a Student Planner.

Students also developed their belief systems and improved their attitudes toward themselves, school, and life.  Every week the students would set one education goal and one personal goal using the program’s goal management system and tools.  The next session would consist of reviewing the results of last week’s goal, discussing successes and challenges, and setting new goals for the following seven days.  Each session would also include a discussion about success, attitudes, and making positive choices in and out of school.

Students became empowered by learning how to succeed and create positive future results. The program also made school, tonight’s homework, and tonight’s choices relevant to not what we expect from them, but instead relevant to the person they ultimate wish to become.  Student Coaching over a six-week period made new attitudes, new actions and behavior, and the tools of the goal management program itself permanent habits with the students.

3.  Follow up meeting:  Mr. Desrosiers met with this group two more times, one month apart to check on how students were doing on their own without the weekly coaching.

We are proud to report the following results of this program:

• All groups: Only 4 out of 48 at-risk students dropped out (not including medical) = 91.7% success rate
• Extreme high-risk category:  86.4%success rate
• 75.6% obtained a High School diploma or GED (not including those still enrolled or with a medical issue)
• 65.9% obtained a High School diploma on time in four years
• 39% went onto college
• Only 2 out of 48 were arrested for a crime (2.1%)
• This case study focuses on the academic sustainability of students.

Students also set personal goals to reverse negative trends in society, including:

• Obesity
• Youth violence
• Teen pregnancy
• Drugs & Alcohol Abuse
• Relationships at home
• Diversity & Tolerance

4. Assessment and reporting:  When young people are taught how to succeed through goal identification, goal setting, time management, and self-motivation they become focused on the future they are creating.  Today’s choices and activities become meaningful to their goals and dreams.  They stop going to school for their parents, teachers, or “the system” and start going and participate better for themselves – who they wish to become, what they want to do, have, give, and experience during their one life.  Young people who are focused and committed to a future they believe in are less tempted by negative temptations for short-term pleasure that will only lead them away from everything they wish to become and have in their lives.  Every choice of every day now has meaning for them. Armed with a new belief system, attitude, confidence, and proven goal management system that is now a habit = students decide and commit to goals that are important to them. They also have mastered the process of breaking those goals down into steps and managing time to ensure they do the actions necessary to make their unlimited goals and dreams a reality.

To find out more about how you can make an impact, CONTACT US or call us at 617.217.2184.