Reaching for Greatness End of Year Highlights!
- Build 2 Lead Empower! Engage! Educate
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Our Reaching for Greatness Program at Jennie Reed Elementary (JR) and Evergreen Middle School (EMS), created a powerful, community-centered learning environment for youth inside the schools throughout the 2024–2025 academic year. Reaching for Greatness focused on building identity, fostering leadership, exploring entrepreneurship, and expanding civic voice through dynamic, relationship-based learning.
The year began with strong foundations in social-emotional learning, self-awareness, and identity. Students engaged in lessons like “Who Am I” puzzles and “Picture Your Future” vision boards that helped them explore personal values and healthy friendships. These exercises were followed by deeper conversations around boundaries, advocacy, and decision-making.
As the year progressed, students transitioned into career readiness, passion discovery, and economic empowerment. They explored the difference between purpose and passion, mapped out business ideas through mind map exercises, and learned about financial literacy, assets, and liabilities. Site-specific challenges emerged throughout the year, including inconsistent attendance at EMS and JR due to exclusionary discipline and sports. However, these were addressed with flexibility, meeting students during lunch, adjusting pacing, and reinforcing group agreements. Notably, student relationships with staff deepened, with youth asking for more involvement during field trips and school events.
Quantitative & Qualitative Outcomes
Post-surveys from EMS students reveal clear markers of growth and insight:
70% of students reported they “learned skills that will be helpful for any career” and have “new ideas about possible careers for themselves.”
60% of students indicated they learned “valuable lessons from this program.”
50% reported the ability to “explain the difference between an asset and a liability.”
Students were able to recall and reflect on core teachings of the program, with many accurately recounting content related to financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and leadership during open-ended check-ins.
Post-surveys from EMS students reveal clear markers of growth and insight:
82% of students reported they “learned skills that will be helpful for any career” and have “new ideas about possible careers for themselves.”
67% of students indicated they learned “valuable lessons from this program.”
48% reported the ability to “explain the difference between an asset and a liability.”
Students were able to recall and reflect on core teachings of the program, with many accurately recounting content related to financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and leadership during open-ended check-ins.
These outcomes reflect the program's impact in increasing youth confidence, knowledge, and purpose. Although some students struggled with attendance and behavioral challenges, their post-survey responses and class reflections indicate a meaningful connection to the content and their facilitators.
Learn More about Reaching for Greatness here:
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