Our Wellbeing Platform
CHOICES is a student wellbeing platform that brings live classroom workshops to eighth-grade students to empower them to thrive in school and in life. Our trained volunteer presenters serve as positive adult role models from the real world. This gives them credibility in the eyes of the teens they serve. CHOICES Education Group has served more than 6 million teens across the country since 1985!
Our Workshops
Smart CHOICES© is a live, in-person workshop that helps student discover their personal power and the impact their choices will have on themselves and others both now and in the future.
The workshop helps students consider the value of education for their future, and introduces them to skills in time management, decision making, goal setting and self-discipline. The content has recently been refreshed with a positive focus on high school graduation, personal empowerment and decision-making skills.
Features:
- Two-session workshop (45 minutes each) delivered on two consecutive school days in a core subject matter so that all grade level students can participate
- Delivered live and in-person by two trained volunteers from the community in each classroom; many are from local area businesses that are committed to the future of our youth
- Animated PowerPoint slides for visual support (lots of fun photos and graphics) that engage students to participate as volunteers in nearly every workshop
- Positive focus on graduation, personal empowerment and decision-making skills
Money CHOICES© is a live, in-person workshop that helps students learn how money is earned, budgeted, saved and spent, and helps them understand how they can make positive financial decisions both now and in the future.
Students pretend they get a summer job to save enough money to buy their own smartphone with a service plan and insurance, learning the concepts above, and much more, in the process. Students gain practical, actionable skills that they can use immediately to manage their money when they get their first part-time jobs in the real world.
Features:
- Two-session workshop (45 minutes each) delivered on two consecutive school days in a core subject matter so that all grade level students can participate
- Delivered live and in-person by two trained volunteers from the community in each classroom; many are from local area businesses that are committed to the future of our youth
- Animated PowerPoint slides for visual support (lots of fun photos and graphics), as well as “Financial Planner” workbooks that the students use to track their earnings and experiences during their pretend summer jobs
- Students work in small groups facilitated by the volunteers and classroom teacher
Our Impact
“I will try way harder on my grades and do homework more often!” -Participating Student
In addition to the more than six million teens that have participated in Smart CHOICES since 1985, we have partnered with hundreds of organizations and engaged thousands of volunteer presenters all across the US.
Students give Smart CHOICES an approval rating of 85%, and teachers give it 97%. In a recent study investigating changes in student engagement in school, students indicated a 9% increase in appropriate engagement, a 9% decrease in inappropriate engagement and a 9% decrease in non-engagement coincident with Smart CHOICES. Engagement in school has been shown to be a reliable indicator of the probability of on-time high school completion.
In another study of at-risk students, those who participated in Smart CHOICES increased their school engagement 47% more than those who did not, as reported by their teachers. This indicates a strong correlation between participation in Smart CHOICES and positive school engagement.
In our opinion, however, our greatest impact is demonstrated through the testimonials we get from students, teachers and presenters:
- “I learned that there’s different levels of what diploma you can get in college, I just thought you could do 4 or more years. I never knew all the things you couldn’t do if you didn’t graduate high school. I really just thought if you didn’t finish high school that wouldn’t make as big as an impact as they showed us. But having a diploma for high school is more serious than how kids our age take it.” – Participating Student
- “I am now inspired to set better goals for myself – and I now have a better understanding of what makes a ‘good goal’ It is specific and challenging but achievable, with a set time for starting and finishing.” – Participating Student
- “I think this is a great workshop for students and really shows them that the habits they set early on and the choices they make now can have an impact on their future.” -Host Teacher
- “The real-life experiences are valuable and helping them to understand that self-discipline will have a positive influence on their future is huge.” – Host Teacher
- “Kids get into the information about balancing checkbooks, and they pay attention to how $15 an hour doesn’t go very far when paying bills. It’s cool to see them connect the dots about why it’s important to stay in school to get a better job.” – Volunteer Presenter
- “This program provides great value in promoting responsibility and understanding the consequences of their choices.” – Volunteer Presenter
Your Opportunity
If you would like to get involved with us to help these workshops reach more teens, including in your own community, you can learn more here.