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Success for Life 101 Program

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We are all going through some very challenging times right now with the recent election, Covid, unemployment and so much more.  It’s difficult for most of us. So many are struggling. 

Imagine what it’s like being a teen right now? 

It’s never been the easiest decade of life but today teens have to deal with:

·        School uncertainty – real, virtual or hybrid

·        Learning from home with siblings and parents around if they’re lucky enough to have the technology to even try

·        Not being able to see their friends and significant others the way they used to

·        Not being able to participate in activities that were part of their lives before March 2020

·        Social media with its constant pokes at self esteem either directly through cyber-bullying or by comparison to everyone else’s ‘perfect’ lives

·        Family members who are also coping with stressful issues

It’s a time of trying to find their place in a world that is more complex and chaotic than ever before.  They seek guidance and information, need to develop coping skills and resilience.  Parents are most often the best source but these are the years that teens are most resistant to parental help.



That’s why I’m here.

I’m a former high school teacher.  After the suicide of one of my students who had been bullied, my school let me create a semester course called Strategies for Success filled with lessons my students wished someone had taught them, lessons that would hopefully prevent a situation like this from happening again.  Lessons like stress management, coping skills, financial literacy, the science of kindness,  goal setting, the power of contribution, entrepreneurship and so much more. 

I never taught my old subject again because pretty much every student (and their parents) wanted to be in this class.  The course changed the school in all the best ways.  My students said things to me like, “This should be in every school in the country” and “This is the class we’ll still be talking about 10 years from now” (and they are!!)

I received multiple awards because my students loved and took the lessons to heart - from Teacher of the Year for my district to being recognized as a “hero” by the Oprah Winfrey Show.

I believe now is the time to take these same lessons that my students had embraced, to update them for our times and to share them with teens around the world.

My team and I have set up a website http://www.successforlife101.com  and created the first 10 videos which we launched as the school year began in RI.  Our timeline is to have a membership site ready to go by the end of 2020, one that is teen friendly and as interactive and fun as possible.

I need your help to make this happen. 

I am self-funding the initial steps as I’m no longer part of a school system.  With your help I can keep the monthly fee low to allow more teens to take the program.  That said, we know that some students who would like to sign up might not have the funds so we are committed to donating a free membership for every membership purchased.

Here’s my estimate of basic expenses:

Staff: $3500

Membership site fee: $1000/year

Website and domain:  $250/year

Insurance and legal: $500

Marketing company: $1500

Advertising (Facebook and Google ads): $3000 to start

Wireless Microphone: $50

Video editing software: $250

Total: $10,050.00

Check out the website and the first 10 lessons at http://www.successforlife101.com (the name for the video version of Strategies for Success) or on our YouTube channel .  While created with teens in mind, the lessons are family friendly and great tools for anyone’s life in 2020.

We would love it if you would share this link with anyone who might be able to help or anyone who has a teen in their life who might benefit from the program.

The world, especially our teens, needs our light right now more than ever.

Thank you in advance and keep shining!

Marianne Douglas

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Marianne Douglas is a twenty-eight year veteran of the teaching profession and is the creator of the multiple award-winning Strategies for Success program. She was named “Teacher of the Year” for Mt. Hope High School for creating the course and later that year was named “Teacher of the Year” for the entire school district as well as Outstanding Educator for Rhode Island.

She has received the Jefferson Award for Public Service for creating the program and her work with bullying,  the Alumni Service Award from Rhode Island College, was a National Finalist in Cable in the Classroom Leaders in Learning and was recognized as a “Hero” by the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Douglas is the former CEO and President of Horizon Aviation, Inc.  Her experiences as a business owner led her to seminars by some of the top business leaders in the world where she learned the training techniques essential to their success.  She created a teaching strategy based on these techniques and her years in both the math and business classrooms have won her acclaim from students and teachers alike.

She is the co-founder of the Bristol Theatre Company and has worked as an actor and Administrative Director for Kaleidoscope Theatre, an award-winning children’s theater.  She co-wrote the play “B.U.L.L.Y.” with Executive Director David Payton which has been touring southern New England schools for many years.

She formed Horizon Enterprises to share the Strategies program and the teaching methods she discovered while creating and teaching the program and to share positive strategies with schools and businesses.  She continues to be involved with students with programs to inspire, empower and educate.

Organizer

Marianne Douglas
Organizer
Barrington, RI

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