CHOICES Champion

CHOICES NEWS:

By ERICA ALINI and JUSTIN LAHART

JUNE 6, 2009 – The recession has led to steep job losses across the U.S. work force, but less-educated people have been hit particularly hard. The unemployment rate for workers over 25 years old who haven't gone beyond high school rose to 10% in May, nearly doubling from 5.2% a year earlier, the government said Friday. Among workers who haven't completed high school, the unemployment rate rose to 15.5%, compared with 8.4% last year. By contrast, the jobless rate among those with four-year college degrees was 4.8%, up considerably from 2.3% a year ago, but well below the rate for people with less education.

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CHOICES MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE MONTH

Getting a Jump Start on Next School Year

• Now that the 08-09 school year is over, it is certainly a little tempting to take a “summer vacation” from CHOICES. However, to get a jump start for fall, consider the following summer activities that will position you for greater success in the new school year:

• July – Recruit new CHOICES presenters from your employee and/or membership base.

• August – Hold new and refresher training classes for your presenters.

• Late August – As school administrators and teachers return to school to prepare for the year, meet with any new schools or staff, and nail down any delivery dates you still need to book or confirm.

Waiting until after school has started to recruit presenters, train them and schedule classes in schools can easily get your timing pushed off to October, and before you know it, Thanksgiving and Winter break are looming. If you would like additional ideas on summer preparation for CHOICES, please contact us at info@choices.org.

CHOICES FIELD REPORT

Boaz Chamber President Gets Personal on Why She Delivers CHOICES

I am a firm believer in the CHOICES program and its ability to change lives. I first heard of the CHOICES program was through a county leadership program as an employee of the Better Business Bureau of North Alabama. As a presenter, I dealt primarily with kids that were out in rural areas. When I began my career with the Chamber of Commerce, I presented CHOICES to our city school system where I know most of the kids. However, it was the rural kids with limited opportunities that affected me the most.

I could relate to them, and in my presentation I would tell them that when I was their age, I went to work at 5:00 am during the summers to a field to pick squash just to buy my own school clothes because it was important to me to look nice. I stressed to them how important a healthy work ethic is and how it will make them feel accomplished when they work hard and are paid for it. I explained how it made me appreciate my success because I put in sweat equity to reach my goals.

As a teenager, I was one of those kids that needed this program. It's a miracle that I made it through school, as I was the first person in my family to graduate from high school, much less go to college.

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