Youth Development & Training Curriculum
ORIENTATION TO THE PROGRAM Initial Session: Program Overview and Rules
COURTESY AND RESPECTFUL SELF-CONDUCT Basic Manners and Social Etiquette
MAINTAINING A POSITIVE REPUTATION Building and Maintaining Character and Reputation
ORIENTATION TO THE curriculum
T his session is designed to facilitate the initial meeting with the youth and parent(s) or guardians. During the initial meeting and description of program services is provided along with a thorough explanation of the rules that each youth admitted to the program is required to follow. The youth are provided the behavioral code that specifies the following guidelines:
· The program leaders must be respected at all times. · Profanity will not be tolerated.
· All participants must be treated with dignity and respect. · The beliefs, ideas and opinions of others must be respected. · The use of gang signs, language or dress appearance will not be tolerated. · Put down or beefing statments will not be tolerated. · Arguments, threatening behavior and fighting will not be tolerated. · Sleeping, fidgeting or demonstrating a lack of interest will not be tolerated. · All participants must respect the property of others at all times. · No cell phone use allowed when sessions are taking place. ·Any extreme displays of disruptive behavior, we reserve the right to contact the parent and send the student home.
The initial session also involves filling out all of the forms required for program services and the administration of a brief pre-test to acquire baseline information from the youth. At the conclusion of this session the youth and his/her family members will be introduced to the staff and provided with a tour of the facilities.
COURTESY & RESPECTFUL SELF-CONDUCT
T his session examines common rudimentary standards of courteous and respectful behavior, greetings, manners, and phrases of respectful social exchange that should be used at home, school, in public gatherings, and during routine discourse with other people. This session will employ role practice activities to demonstrate various aspects of appropriate and acceptable ways to express courteous behavior and demonstrate ways to acknowledge the exchange of expressions of courtesy. This session is designed to introduce the following common words or phrases that are used to extend courtesy to individuals: · Please · Excuse Me or Pardon Me · Thank You · No Thank You
· You’re Welcome · May I Help You · That’s Okay · I’m Sorry
This purpose of this session will seek to instill an understanding of why individuals should internalize such conduct as part of their character.
PROFANITY, VERBAL ABUSE AND VULGARITY T his session addresses unacceptable language that is demeaning to individuals that use profane language as well as to the individuals with which it is shared or those that overhear it during conversation. This session will engage participants in role practice activities designed to demonstrate acceptable language usage in comparison to street slang or vulgar language. This session explores and dissects profane words and terms that are commonly overheard and considered to be vulgar, offensive and often times abusive. The session defines verbal abuse and gives alternative language choices; discusses reasons for and against the use of vulgarity and how to avoid the use of vulgar language. This session is designed to show that language helps to shape an individuals character and reputation and that verbal skills which include the use of acceptable and non-offensive language can be empowering and help open doors leading to positive opportunities. Students will be made aware the use of vulgar language directed towards an individual can be viewed or determined as a form of harassment.
USING PROFANITY
CONFLICT RESOLUTION FOR ANGER AND RAGE T his session addresses anger, conflict and criticism, the reasons it occurs and ways to handle anger provoking situations. The session will provide the opportunity for participants to discover ways to disagree without arguing or resorting to hostility and how to deal with conflict constructively. The participants will also learn techniques on how to defuse or deescelate anger in others before it erupts into violent behavior. This session is designed to help participants manage anger and conflict in ways that will produce non-violent and productive outcomes.
MAINTAINING A POSITIVE REPUTATION T his session addresses the development of integrity; character and other qualities that individuals must strive to maintain in order to be considered a person possessing a quality reputation. The session will guide the participants through a series of discussion activities that will enable a probing examination of self-identify, self-esteem issues, street values versus society’s value system, media portrayals and how these may relate to the individual's reputation and how becoming involved in high risk situations may
easily destroy an individual’s reputation and character. The session will provide activities to demonstrate how negative peer relationships affect positive character development and the damage that negative peer influences can inflict upon one’s reputation. This session is designed to show that a quality reputation is to be valued and maintained. It will also attempt to have students understand once the reputation has been damaged it is difficult to reestabilsh. MAINTAINING SELF- PRIDE AND PRIDE FOR THE COMMUNITY T his session provides activities that encourage the participants to take a probing look at themselves to help the participants understand the importance of having and maintaining a sense of self-pride and dignity. This session is geared to help reveal that one’s relationship with their family, friends and community should also be maintained with pride and dignity and through behavioral conduct that doesn’t conflict with society’s values and the law. This session is designed to show that individuals must have a positive regard for themselves, their community and the laws of society that help maintain safe and orderly living.
HOW TO USE POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS T he purpose of this session is to teach participants how to utilize positive thinking affirmations in order to reinforce their self- confidence and self- esteem on a daily basis while they are alone as well as when they’re with their friends and associates. The session will introduce “I CAN” and “ I WILL” statements and provide activities that will enable participants to begin the practice of using positive statements and affirmations whenever one is needed to bolster confidence or self-esteem .The session will also demonstrate other methods of self communication that participants can use to increase verbal and non-verbal skills that produce positive motivation and outcomes. This session is designed to enable individuals to be able to guard against the spiraling effects of negative thoughts, low self-esteem and a lack of positive motivation.
FAMILY ISSUES – PART I T his session will engage the participants in activities that will help them to examine their personal behavioral traits and their interpersonal relationships with their parents, guardians, siblings and other family members. This session will demonstrate how cultural and historical values and belief systems have helped to shape the way families function by responding or failing to respond to the individual needs of each family member. The participants will have an opportunity to generically discuss numerous family issues that include some of the following:
· Identification of family difficulties. · The lack of concrete needs that may exist within families. · The family’s value regarding education for their children. · Health, medical and dental needs. · The family history and internal family dynamics. · Methods that families use to alleviate problems. · Substance abuse and other types of abuse within families. · Lack of communication within families. · Identification of family strengths, traditions, resources and problem solving skills.
This session is designed to help participants to be able to understand that all families incur problems and difficulties, but that families can survive and remain strong through the family’s collective resolve to manage and overcome their problems. This session is designed to encourage the participants to help maintain a positive and healthy role within their family structure.
FAMILY ISSUES – PART II
T his session continues the discussions and activities regarding family issues. This session focuses more closely on the participant’s interpersonal relationships with their siblings other relatives and extended family members. This session is also designed to enable participants to proactively help in the creation of positive family dynamics that recognizes and celebrates family diversity, draws upon family strengths and helps to positively resolve family conflicts. This session will help participants to expand their concepts of family through an understanding of how all families are connected to communities and that all communities are connected to our country through a mosaic of cultural diversity that constitutes the American society. This session is designed to help participants understand that their lives have a connection to their family and it’s history, their cultural heritage and the values and laws that govern society.
COPING WITH STRESS AND REDUCING ANXIETY
T his session addresses the issue of stress and anxiety. An in-depth look at the causes of stress and anxiety is examined along with methods and techniques of how to avoid and relieve stress and anxiety is provided. The facilitation group leader provides an explanation of adolescent and peer group stressors, provides information regarding methods to reduce stress through techniques such as running, bicycling, walking, social activities, going to a movie, playing video games, breathing exercises, participating in sport activities and other stress reduction and anxiety relief and avoidance techniques. This session is designed to help participants avoid and reduce stress by learning how to recognize anxiety triggers such as chaos, extreme peer pressure, family problems, bullying or violence, poor communication skills, the challenge of maintaining good grades and succeeding in school, the need for money to purchased needed or desired items and the ability to acquire and maintain close friends.
ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND OTHER DRUG FREE LIFESTYLES T his session introduces basic drug education through interactive group discussions along with the showing of videos followed by group activities and participants being given an opportunity to discuss their understanding of how alcohol, tobacco and other drugs have affected themselves or other family members. The activities will explain how alcohol, tobacco and other drugs can create adverse health factors that may lead to impaired physical or mental capacity or early death. The session will help participants to understand that addiction to alcohol, tobacco or other drugs is an illness that can be prevented or treated. The session will help the participants to increase their understanding of the impact that alcohol, tobacco and other drugs have on minorities and women. The participants will also be provided with information aimed to impart an understanding of why it is so important that pregnant women should not use alcohol, tobacco and other drugs while they are pregnant as a means of preventing fetal damage to their unborn child. This session is designed to enable participants to acquire an increased understanding of the harmful potential related to the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. It is also designed to enable participants to understand that the underage use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs is illicit and that it is perfectly acceptable for individuals to make a lifelong choice to abstain from the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
SEXUALLY TRAMSMITTED DISEASES AND HIV/AIDS: “This session is intended for High School Aged Students and Older.” T his session addresses the sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS that adolescents are at risk of contracting by engaging in high-risk sexual prac- tices. This session will utilize age appropriate vid- eos that promote abstinence as the primary means for adolescents to avoid contracting sexually trans- mitted diseases. The videos that will be used along with interactive follow-up discussions will show a relationship between drug use and the risk of con- tracting a sexually transmitted disease. The session will help participants to have an increased under- standing of how sexually transmitted diseases are frequently contracted when an individual engages in risky and uninhibited behaviors. This session is designed to educate participants about the risk factors related to acquiring a sexually transmitted disease and how to maintain healthful practices to avoid contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
THE VITAL IMPORTANCE OF GOOD NUTRITION T his session addresses the vital importance of good nutrition in order to maintain good physical and mental health. The session explores the prop- er food groups and discusses the adverse aspects of fast food diets. This session will provide activ- ities and interactive discussions regarding restau- rant dining and how to understand table and place settings that are used in more formal restaurants. Age appropriate videos will be used to explain how one’s nutritional diet interacts in the human body and how chemicals are converted to energy or fat and how they can change one’s body composition and feeling of well being in terms of their phys- ical, emotional or mental health. This session is designed to show the relationship between good nutrition, good health and healthy attitudes. The session is also designed to instruct untrained par- ticipants on the proper use of formal table settings, eating utensils and how to use them with different types of food served in full service restaurants.
T his purpose of this session is to emphasize the need for participants to understand the importance of academic achievement, educational excellence and why one should value an education in today’s society. This session will help the participants to explore and develop an understanding of the importance of developing good reading, writing, mathematics and computer skills. The group facilitation leader will help the participants to develop and enhance self-motivation techniques, the ability to set goals and develop individual mini-goals to help achieve academic milestones. The session will help participants to examine non-traditional and traditional techniques for learning while continually stressing the importance of reading and developing the habit of visiting the library on a weekly basis. The session will also help the participants to acquire an understanding of why it is absolutely essential that they maintain positive behavioral conduct in order to experience academic success. The session will provide role practice situations to help participants acquire a clear understanding of how their academic achievement will have a direct correlation upon their future aspiration and life plans. This session is designed to have the participants re- examine the priority they have given to educational pursuits and to reinvest in their educational pursuits by engaging in hard work, developing good study habits, maintaining respect for teachers and by engaging in proper behavioral conduct at all times. Education “Education is Everything and Attitude is the Key.”
“If you dream it, and prepare for it, you will probably get it.”
RESISTING THE INFLUENCE OF NEGATIVE STREET CULTURE
T his session examines the influence of negative street culture activities and negative street culture values. This session will help the participants to determine how their lives may be influenced by the street culture activities including crime, becoming incarcerated in a penitentiary or experiencing the early onset of poor health factors or early death as a result of a failure to resist the temptation to become involved in negative street culture activities. It explores the street culture’s risk factors, society’s view of the street culture, probable outcomes of street influenced
lifestyles and explains how maintaining positive self-esteem and avoiding stress are important factors needed to counteract invitations or opportunities presented by peers involved in street culture activities. The session will employ role practice activities to demonstrate individual versus group identify. The session will help participants to develop their ability to lead instead of follow and learn methods of fulfilling realistic needs through hard work, academic achievement and by maintaining a good reputation instead of developing superhuman ideals, dreams and lifestyles that might lure one to become involved in the sub-culture of the streets. This session is designed to unmask the mystical, magnetic and alluring qualities of negative street culture activities.
HONESTY Vs STEALING T his session explores honesty and integrity versus stealing and dishonesty. The session examines the ways individuals steal; e.g. stealing money, shoplifting, being dishonest at work by stealing time or possessions belonging to others and examines how stealing destroys ones reputation. This session is designed to help participants gain an increased understanding of why honesty and integrity are necessary and desirable virtues in a lawful society.
AVOIDING NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES BY DRESSING FOR SUCCESS
T his session examines negative dress habits and the various ways that an individual can alter their appearance in such a way that it might reduce the opportunities that might be required to experience success. This session will explore the habit of wearing inappropriate clothing, hairstyles, jewelry, makeup etc. for the wrong occasion and examines how certain extreme clothing styles or fad dressing might affect employment or other positive opportunities. This session will provide role practice situations to demonstrate appropriate attire while stressing that the occasion should determine how one should dress. The session will also emphasize the importance of maintaining a positive sense of self- identity instead of succumbing to a less positive group identity. This session is designed to instruct participants on techniques of how to dress for success and maintain a personal affect that will maximize personal opportunities.
DEVELOPING A CAREER, VOCATION OR GETTING A JOB T his session addresses the difference between developing a career, vocation or finding and trying to maintain a job that requires minimal education or training. This session explores the educational preparation that is required for an individual that is seeking to develop a career that requires a college education or skilled vocational training in comparison to an individual that doesn’t want to pursue educational preparation and is only interested in finding and trying to retain a job. This session will provide the participants with an exploration of numerous types of professions that require college or vocational training in addition to jobs that require little education or training. The session will provide activities
that will demonstrate the level of pay individuals earn at various professions after having completed college or vocational training. The participants will acquire an increased understanding regarding various types of work, and why it is important to begin their initial preparation for work by performing duties at home for parents, neighbors or teachers. This session will also stress the importance of cleanliness and maintaining good hygiene practices. This session is designed to help instill an understanding of preparing for one’s life work and to help develop positive attitudes about productive work. THE FUTURE T his session provides a review of the importance of an individual developing a healthy and positive self-identity, having positive reinforcement skills and self-management habits. This session will review the role practice activities and educational discussions that have been covered in the previous sessions. This session will also help the participants to review their individual future goals and aspirations. The group leader will
facilitate and have interactive discussions regarding the participants plans for future involvement with school, faith institutions and their community. A multi-media presentation with photos from previous sessions will conclude this session.
CELL PHONE / SOCIAL MEDIA & VIDEO GAMES T his session provides an examination of common cell phone and social media use patterns, focus- ing on developing healthy habits and responsible digital practices essential for the protection of youth and their families in the digital space. Through interactive discussions and activities, participants will
explore the impact of excessive screen time, privacy concerns, cyber- bullying, and online safety risks. The session will help participants understand how responsible digital citizenship contributes to their safety and well-being. The group leader will facilitate and have in- teractive discussions regarding establishing personal boundaries for phone use, identifying problematic online behavior, and strategies for maintaining a healthy balance between online interactions and real-world activities. A multi-media presentation highlighting key digital safety tips and resources will conclude this session.
POST-EVALUTION SESSION
C ompletes knowledge, attitudes and beliefs post-evaluation for program outcome evaluation information.
Let’s Spread The LOVE
Growing Skills, Shaping Futures: Empowering Youth for Life's Journey.
The principle is simple: Treat others well, and life will treat you well.
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