Abilities!

News

Young Lives Turned Around!

June 2006

Albertson, NY — On June 1st Abilities! hosted a graduation ceremony for its PROSPER (People Reaching for Opportunities to Succeed Personally Educationally and Realistically) drop-out prevention program.

PROSPER works with at-risk juniors and seniors from Freeport and Uniondale high schools that have learning and/or emotional disabilities. In addition to one or several of these disabilities, most of these students are also dealing with a multitude of other social issues that often include gang involvement, foster care, absentee parents, teenage pregnancy, etc.

The primary objectives of the program are to improve school attendance, self-esteem and encourage students to gain an understanding of the relevancy of education as it relates to the world of work. The program incorporates career assessments, career guidance, counseling, tutoring and corporate internships related to students' short and long-range vocational interests. PROSPER instructors provide much needed one-on-one instruction and act as a positive role model for this student population and the results are admirable. This remarkable program has had a profound impact on hundreds of young lives. An astonishing 88% of the students enrolled in the program graduate from high school.

“The PROSPER Program offers a viable vocational alternative to students who have not been successful on the traditional high school track offered through the public school system. The PROSPER program offers these students opportunities to obtain the skills necessary to get and keep a job or go on to post-secondary education” states Francine Tishman, President and COO, Abilities, Inc.

The program is a unique partnership among high schools, colleges/universities and local business, which enables students to observe college courses and participate in peer mentoring / shadowing experiences. Classes are conducted during the school week-four days of instruction at either Nassau Community College, SUNY Old Westbury, Adelphi, Hofstra or Abilities, Inc. and one day participating in tours of local business and industries.

Freeport High School student Angel Lopez stated “PROSPER is a great program, it actually made me want to come to class. Before PROSPER I was the type who never went to school and never went to class, but after I got into the program I started liking it and day by day I ended up coming even more.” Terron Channer of Uniondale High School provided special recognition to the corporations “that let us come on the tours as they provided a good opportunity for us to see what it is like to get a job in the real world. The PROSPER program provided me with a second chance. It helped me to mature and become reliable, dependable and responsible.”

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