STRIVE Making a Difference in Young Lives

With San Francisco neighborhoods experiencing a sudden increase in youth violence, street gang activity, high school dropouts and community violence, a local organization has taken to the streets seeking youth with street smart attitudes to make changes in their lives and get on board with STRIVE.

The Family School, a non-profit community based organization in the Mission District is activity working with hard-core out-of-school youth preparing young people for the world of work. “We go out in the streets to places where most people won’t go connecting with young people who need us most” says, Janetta Nartey, Executive Director of the Family School
Their break-the-mold program called STRIVE, offers a new approach, tending primarily to the manners and values, attitudinal adjustment and skills necessary to enter the work world through an intense 4-week job readiness training workshop.
Participants are constantly challenged to recognize their own resistance to authority, displayed in their bored facial expressions, smirks, slouching and unconscious clucks of disgust to change negative behaviors and attitudes.
Embarrassing as these encounters may be, they are essential to the STRIVE approach. It's a sharp contrast from traditional funded job training programs,
The results of this approach could hardly be more convincing, there are now 26 STRIVE sites across the country including, New York, Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh and San Diego.
The program addresses a change in street culture that young people live by and the employment culture they will need in order to find and keep a job.
Established in 1986, The Family School, also provides services and support to non-custodial fathers, youth ex-offenders, homeless individuals, recovering substance abusers, welfare recipient’s victims of domestic violence, and out of school youth helping them to gain personal independence
The Family School operates two licensed Child Development Centers for 42 children, Youth Development Programs, a Responsible Fatherhood Program and The STRIVE Employment Program.

STRIVE IS A FREE SERVICE TO BOTH PARTICIPANTS AND EMPLOYERS

STRIVE, where young people leave the program prepared for work with a winning attitude for success.
Contact: Darro Jefferson, STRIVE
415 550-4173 djefferson [at] thefamilyschool.org