Many inner city teenagers struggle in school due to their home situations and communities filled with drugs and violence. Youth Striving for Excellence meets students "where they are at," helping them to be resilient in the face of adversity and supporting the methods they choose to improve their lives.
Supporting youth at several San Francisco high schools for more than 25 years, our youth development program empowers young people to reach their full potential.
Substance abuse prevention education, small group discussions and engaging activities work in combination to develop each individual's strengths, build resiliency and encourage healthy decision-making skills.
Using an environmental prevention approach, youth learn how alcohol and tobacco billboards and other influencers in their environment promote unhealthy living. They then turn this knowledge into positive action through activities that create a healthier environment where they live.
Future success often depends on making positive choices in high school. Youth Striving for Excellence creates a nurturing group where students learn positive decision-making skills that can lead to better grades, college and a fulfilling career.
Staff also impart life skills such as interpersonal communication and personal responsibility that expand a young person's growth opportunities and options.
The program is funded by a contract with San Francisco Department of Public Health - Community Health Behavior Services.