Success Story

Changing Tomorrows for Youth, One Day at a Time

When Joe walked through the doors of Goodwill Industries of Central Wisconsin in Menasha two years ago, the staff didn't know what to do with him.

He was a 17-year-old kid who had been expelled from school. He was looking for a job. He wanted to get his Graduate Equivalency Diploma. But, lacking confidence, he couldn't even look staff members in the eye.

None of the Goodwill's existing programs could effectively help Joe. So Program Developer Bruce Lathrop and his staff fashioned a new one out of the programs they already had - and the concept for the Changing Tomorrows youth program was born.

“Our whole system is based on taking responsibility for one's actions,” Lathrop said. “We're hoping to give youth structure.”

Changing Tomorrows incorporates elements of some of the Goodwill's existing programs for persons leaving welfare, youth offenders and others - including life skills, academics and job readiness - and adds social, recreational and counseling components.

So far, the program has produced impressive results. Of the 30 students who have nearly completed the program, a third have received their high school diplomas or GED certificates. Nearly two dozen aim to go to technical school, a four-year college or become certified in a field, Lathrop says.

Jackie Forth, Case Manager for the Goodwill's Workforce Investment Act programs, credits the program's success to its comprehensiveness. Students are required to commit at least one year to the program, and during that time, they learn how to live, get work experience and help finding a job, and prepare for their GED.

“It's just awesome to see the changes they have in self-confidence, what they're able to achieve and their ability to motivate others,” Forth says. “That's the reward, I think.”

Students must first attend a Life Skills Readiness class, where groups of 10 or fewer students learn how to set goals, write resumes, fill out applications and behave appropriately at work.

In teacher Lori Hill's class, while the students are focused on the lessons, Hill is observing how they behave, how they interact and how they handle their lives outside the classroom. “Typically, I'm assessing how ready they are for work - have their housing needs been met, are their clothing needs met,” she says. She adds it's important for her to gauge the overall likelihood of their success.

Each student has an individualized service plan that includes education and work-related goals. Lisa Hurst, the high school equivalency diploma instructor, prepares most to get a GED certificate or High School Equivalency Diploma. The instruction varies with each student, and Hurst said she tries to work one-on-one with everyone.

Students prepare for the world of work by volunteering at organizations such as the National Guard Armory or the American Red Cross. Some may “job shadow” workers at their places of employment in order to learn about different careers.

Any opportunity to teach life experience isn't passed up. Recreational activities - taking students to concerts, to restaurants, or just out to grab coffee - are all seen as valuable activities that help expose students to the world around them.

Heather has been a student in the Changing Tomorrows program for just a few months, but says it has already changed her life. A single mom with a 2-year-old son, she is studying to get her High School Equivalency Diploma and working as a receptionist. Heather says of the staff, “If I ever have any other problems, emotionally, they're there.”

The staff is focused on staying open-minded, offering help and giving second chances - as long as those getting them are determined to use them, Lathrop says. They'll accept students back in the program if they get jailed, but only if they want to continue pursuing their goals. The program also will help students get transportation, buy car insurance and get transitional housing.

In the future, Lathrop says he hopes the program will expand to include a Youth Build component, where students will spend half their time constructing low-income housing. Another program will provide a comprehensive learning environment for parents and their children.

He only needs to look back at Joe to appreciate how far the program has already come. After two years, he is getting ready to complete his GED and become a certified nursing assistant. The 19-year-old is now working at a restaurant, but has applied to job coach people with developmental disabilities at Goodwill. He feels like he has a lot to prove to his own family and the staff. And he feels like life is good since he first stepped through those front doors at Goodwill.

“It's remarkable,” he says.