Our “Knowledge of Self” (Life-Skillz) Program:
Our "Knowledge of Self" Program is a comprehensive educational initiative aimed at young men from underprivileged backgrounds and low-income households. The program is designed to empower and equip these young men with the necessary life skills to succeed and become responsible adults and important members of their communities.
The program consists of a 2-day workshop and four additional 2-hour classes that are held once a week over 4 weeks, ensuring that the information provided is understood and applied properly. The workshop includes 14 hours of life-skills instruction, with seven presentations and six practical exercises given over the two days. The four, 2-hour blocks of instruction that follow the workshop are tailored to reinforce the information and skills taught in the workshop. The curriculum covers a wide range of important topics, including physical fitness, proper nutrition, mental control and empowerment, emotional awareness & intelligence, time-management, personal & professional goal setting, stress-management techniques, and 7 different forms of mind-body exercises such as Breathing Meditations/Exercises, Guided Imagery/Visualization Exercises, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Mindful walking/jogging, and Meditational Fitness. The program's goal is to not only educate these young men, but to provide them with the mentorship and guidance necessary to ensure they can apply these life skills throughout their lives and reap the personal benefits from them.
Our 2-day Workshop Curriculum & Agenda:
Below is a sample workshop of our curriculum and agenda.
Day 1:
Registration and Welcome / Youth will check in and receive a welcome package.
Introduction to Workshop & Class Instructor - Presentation #1
The workshop will be introduced, and the class instructor will be introduced. This presentation will include information on “How to succeed despite obstacles & circumstance”, “Learning from life’s experiences”, and “The importance of Self-control & Self-responsibility”.
Amazing Facts About Your Body & Brain - Presentation #2
This presentation provides some amazing information and facts about your body and brain that help to strengthen your decision-making in all aspects of your life.
How to Activate Your Body’s Relaxation Response utilizing Breathing Meditations/Exercises - Practical Exercise #1
This exercise will provide information and instruction on how to perform three different formal breathing meditations (mind-body exercises) to activate your body’s relaxation response.
Your Body’s Natural Composition - Presentation #3
This presentation will provide information on the importance of what you eat and the effect it has on how you move, feel, age, fight disease, and sleep.
Tracking Your Nutritional Excesses & Deficiencies Before They Turn into Disease - Practical Exercise #2
This exercise will utilize a short program called the “Me-Diet” to help you find your nutritional excesses and efficiencies before they lead to disease.
Natural Nutrition (eating to live & not living to eat) - Presentation #4
This presentation will provide information and instruction on how to properly clean/detoxify your body, how to find your healthy food personality, and how to stop harmful eating habits.
Meditational Fitness Session
This session will include instruction on Meditational-fitness, Meditational-walking/jogging, and Meditational-stretching.
Day 2:
Welcome and Recap of Day 1
Presentation #5 – Utilizing the Power of your Mind – Shaping your Destiny through Self-utilization!
This presentation includes information and instruction on the “Formula for Success”. This is a step-by-step process used to actually fulfill your goals, aims, and objectives. It provides instruction on how to set your intention, activate your will power, and utilize the power of your mind, word and action to accomplish your original goal, aim and purpose. It also provides instruction on “Proper Goal & Priority Setting” and how to utilize a powerful self-control technique entitled “Mental Transmutation” to turn or shift negative thoughts and emotions into positive ones.
Practical Exercise #3 – How to Activate Your Body’s Relaxation Response Utilizing Your Thought. (MInd-body Exercise)
This exercise shows you how to utilize methods of mind-body exercises that include Guided Imagery and Visualization to strengthen the power of your mind, activate your body’s natural relaxation response, combat mental or emotional stress, and maintain self-control.
Practical Exercise #4 – Developing Personal Techniques for Success
This exercise includes information and instruction on proper “Time-management” techniques, how to “Find your talents & gifts”, how to "Strengthen your willpower”, & how to "Utilize repetition to master your talents/gifts".
Presentation #6 – Emotional Awareness & Intelligence
This presentation provides information and instruction on emotional impulses/triggers and their effect on the body, how to use awareness to find your emotional trigger points, and how to use emotional intelligence to stop triggering an unnecessary negative response.
Practical Exercise #5 – Tips for Maintaining Emotional Self-control
This exercise provides information and instruction on how to track your emotions and grow your gratitude by creating a gratitude list, and a short lecture entitled “A problem is a solution waiting to happen”.
Presentation #7 – How to obtain & Maintain an Optimal Well-being
This presentation provides information and instruction on “How to stay physically fit without a gym”, “Instructions on Mindful walking/jogging”, “Proper Form & Breathing during exercise”, “Finding a non-electronic hobby”, “Volunteering”, “Reading more”, & "How to create a Comfort List”.
Practical Exercise #6 – Workshop Summary & Creating Your Post-workshop “Affirmation & Reminder Lists for Success”
This exercise provides a summary of all information and instructions discussed over the 2-day workshop. To include the last task of putting together each individual's Post-Workshop package that includes their Affirmation and Reminder Lists for Success.