The Fall and ARISE of Violent Teens

Teen Violence

One out of every ten arrested teens has committed a violent act (National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center).  Homicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24. Teens are bombarded with images of violence, not just in video games and movies, but in their own neighborhoods. Many teens experience fear and violence at home before they even step out onto the street. Each day is a battle to survive in a frightening and dangerous world. Many teens walk through metal detectors to get to class. They are a reminder that violence can shatter their lives at any moment.   

When a teen is involved in a violent crime and sent to a juvenile justice facility, he is often delivered from one hostile environment to another. The gang loyalties and disputes that plagued his neighborhood in the outside world still exist behind razor-wire fences and thick steel doors.

Teen Violence Prevention Through ARISE Life Skills Group Lessons

That’s where ARISE life-management skills and group sessions come into play. ARISE approaches the situation from many different angles. First, ARISE provides training to the staff of the juvenile justice facility. Some of the staff members are certified as ARISE Life Skills Group Facilitators. During their training, they learn how to interact with the troubled teens and get them interested and involved in ARISE groups.  As the teens participate in the group, they begin to trust each other and the facilitator. They slowly open up. As they get more comfortable, they listen. Once the ARISE Group Facilitator has their attention, the teens learn and appreciate the life skills lessons packed into the ARISE curriculum. The ARISE curriculum is a critical part of “softening” these often-violent offenders. A major component of the ARISE curriculum is anger management. Teaching these angry teens how to control their emotions and defuse conflict is the most effective way to keep them from ending up back in the system—or worse—six feet under.  Anger management is just the beginning of the ARISE curriculum. As the lessons progress, the youth learn about self- esteem, drug and alcohol abuse prevention, job search skills, money management, and nutrition and health. ARISE has an extensive library of over 260 easily understood life lessons. 

Why the ARISE Formula Works

Knowledge is the key to preventing teen violence. If you teach young people how to manage their anger, communicate effectively and avoid peer pressure, you give them the tools they need to succeed in life and stay out of the adult prison system. Even more than knowledge, these vulnerable teens need the opportunity to express themselves in an environment where they feel listened to and respected. Respect, or lack thereof, is a major part of an urban teen’s life. When ARISE Life Skills Group Facilitators use their training to create an atmosphere of respect and openness, these lessons will last a lifetime.

Great Things in Store for You at ARISE

Greetings from ARISE! We are blasting off into 2010 with several exciting changes and new products. Here are some of the cool things on the way from ARISE:

• The remarkable, life-changing ARISE Drop It at the Door training has been expanded to five days. Each day covers a different topic related to building healthy personal and professional relationships and controlling your emotions at home and at work. ARISE has taken each concept and built entire days of training around each one. Day one focuses exclusively on anger management. Day two is all about improving your life through paying attention to the way you conduct yourself, from your thoughts, emotions and body language to the way you deal with difficult people. Day three is about managing stress. Day three provides participants with an array of useful tips, tools and strategies for getting a grip on stress, including time management and meditation techniques. Day four is all about communication. Using the skills learned in the previous three days, participants will learn how to negotiate and communicate effectively with those around them. Day five closes the week by tying all the concepts together in order to be happier at home and at work. Spending more time on these important topics allows participants to truly learn and absorb them. Your staff comes away from training with a new mindset that will hopefully radiate out to everyone they come in contact with.
• Monthly Drop It at the Door Refresher Webinars: ARISE now offers webinars for people that have participated in the ARISE Drop It at the Door training. These webinars  supplement the training. They reinforce the lessons, allow participants to interact with the ARISE Senior Trainers and ask questions, and enhance the original training by making sure each person does not forget what they learned.
• You can now subscribe to 365 Good Vibe emails and receive insightful quotes delivered to your inbox each day. Think of it has a burst of positive thoughts to focus on throughout your day.
• The new ARISE website has a host of new features, including a brand-new e-book section, featuring digital versions of the ARISE life skills curricula at half the prices of the hardcover books, and a sleeker interface.
• ARISE has two new anthologies rolling off the printing presses. Gangs: 50+ Stories of Fractured Lives is a powerful gang prevention tool filled with original fiction written by people from all over the country, as well as firsthand accounts from incarcerated gang members sharing the wreckage their lives have become as a result of gangs. This book is a perfect addition to any gang prevention program, because a memorable story resonates with everyone. The stories teach valuable lessons about the perils of life in a gang.
• The second new book will be called, 50+ Anger Stories with Real Life Consequences. Anger management is one of the cornerstones of the ARISE curriculum. Like the previous book, this new volume will feature original stories about anger and how it affects our lives.

Once again, ARISE would like to thank its champions in congress. Through the support of the ARISE champions, the ARISE Intervention and Reentry program for incarcerated juvenile offenders provides public safety for communities across the state of Florida.

ARISE Announces the Expansion of Its Groundbreaking Drop It at the Door Workshop.

MEDIA RELEASE

ARISE Foundation
824 US HWY 1 Suite #240
North Palm Beach, FL 33408
Phone: (561) 630-2021
Fax: (561) 630-2790

 

Contact: Edmund Benson

Office 561-630-2021

For IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ARISE Announces the Expansion of Its Groundbreaking Drop It at the Door Workshop.

Adding three additional days to the Drop It at the Door training allows participants to fully explore and grasp each life-changing concept, from anger and stress management to handling the office gossip machine.

ARISE Foundation is kicking off the new year with the exciting news that it has expanded and improved one of its most popular training workshops, ARISE Drop It at the Door. Participants now have five full days to learn how to manage their stress, curb their anger, communicate effectively and build stronger relationships at work and at home.

Each of the five days covers a set of vital skills people need to be successful at work and live peacefully at home. Day one is devoted to anger management, one of the cornerstones of the ARISE curricula. Day two focuses on positive thinking and shows participants how to handle difficult situations without losing their cool. Day three delves deeper into stress management techniques, introducing several meditation and relaxation methods as well as time management strategies. After several days of learning how to control their emotions, participants will learn the value of positive, clear communication, including how to negotiate effectively, on Day four. The last day of the ARISE Drop It at the Door workshop will tie all the concepts together and demonstrate how putting these new life skills into practice can create happiness and fulfillment, both at work and at home.

Once the training workshop has ended and participants return to their lives armed with their new knowledge, ARISE keeps in touch through monthly 90-minute refresher webinars, weekly ARISE Alert emails and daily Good Vibes 365 inspirational quotes delivered to their inboxes. All are offered as part of the ARISE Drop It at the Door training experience. Studies have shown that without these vital reminders, the new skills learned during training can become distant memories in as little as two weeks. ARISE workshops are not meant to be quick fixes for life’s problems. They are a foundation for a positive way of thinking. In order for the training to be truly successful, participants will want to frequently revisit and hone the skills they learned. ARISE has provided that support system to ensure maximum retention.

For almost 25 years, ARISE, a nonprofit foundation, has functioned as a developer and publisher of unique life-management skills curricula and staff training programs for those staff responsible for managing at-risk, incarcerated youth in detention centers and secure facilities, as well as other troubled youth. ARISE is also used as a powerful prevention tool for at-risk teenagers and young adults and the people who care for them.  ARISE programs consist of interactive group discussions and activities designed to break the ice quickly and capture the attention of even the most introverted participants. ARISE gives structure to well-meaning but disorganized programs, moving away from lectures and into dynamic group conversations conducted by ARISE trained Group Facilitators where the youth are involved and talking about their own experiences. The ARISE curriculum is continually updated with new photographs, current statistics, inspirational biographies and original short stories, meant to keep learners engaged and give facilitators the latest information.

Since ARISE was established over two decades ago, it has trained and certified  5,760 ARISE Life Skills Group Facilitators who have taught over 4,055,708 documented hours of ARISE life-skills lessons in almost all 50 states. ARISE has been used successfully in Canada, Jamaica, England, Australia, Bahamas, Bermuda, New Zealand, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Bosnia, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Botswana and the Kingdom of Bahrain. Requests for translation have also come in from as far away as Pakistan, South Africa, Cambodia, Singapore and China.

For more information, please call Edmund Benson at ARISE toll free: 1 (888) 680-6100 or visit http://www.ariselife-skills.org.

Finding Your Strength This Holiday Season, Brought to you by ARISE Foundation

Oh, the holidays can be a stressful time. Airline delays, gridlock, spending money you don’t have, coping with difficult relatives, standing in endless checkout lines… it’s enough to make even the calmest person a little frazzled.  When the holidays roll around, people get so wrapped up in the season that they forget that they are equipped with certain strengths they can use to make the holidays what they are intended to be: a time of giving, happiness and festivity.

ARISE founder Susan Benson recently stumbled upon an article by Amanda Horne on Positive Psychology News Daily. It was about using your strengths during the holidays. In keeping with the ARISE mission to provide life skills and strategies to people who need them, here are several ways to use the strengths you already have to make this holiday season a pleasant one.

1. Focus less on materialistic goals and more on goals that involve personal growth, connections with others and giving back to friends, family and your community.
2. Live in the now. Savor the moment instead of dwelling on what you need to do tomorrow.
3. Appreciate what you have, even if it’s not much. It could always be worse.
4. Set a meaningful life goal and take small steps toward meeting that goal.
5. Distract yourself from negative self-talk. Don’t let your own mind be your worst enemy. When your thoughts turn negative, step outside yourself, push the thoughts aside and think of something you love. This is not an easy thing to do. Sometimes we don’t even realize we’re thinking negative thoughts.
6. If curiosity is a strength you possess, use it to get closer to your relatives. Ask them to share their fondest holiday memory with you.
7. If you’re a humorous person, find things to laugh about. Joke around with people in line at the department store. Laugh as much as you can. Find something amusing in even the most stressful, difficult situations.

Make up your mind that this holiday season, you will focus on everything you have, from your family and friends to the strength inside you. Tell yourself that you are stronger than your emotions. You are stronger than your stress. Enjoy the blessings of your life and look forward to a fresh start this new year.

ARISE Programs Help Struggling Juvenile Justice Facility Achieve “Deemed Status.”

MEDIA RELEASE
ARISE Foundation
824 US HWY 1 Suite #240
North Palm Beach, FL 33408
Phone: (561) 630-2021

Fax: (561) 630-2790
 
Contact: Edmund Benson
Office 561-630-2021

For IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ARISE programs help struggling juvenile justice facility achieve “deemed status.”

Eleven months ago, ARISE began training the staff of Thompson Academy in Pembroke Pines, Florida. The staff’s hard work and dedication have resulted in the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice awarding Thompson with an 86% “commendable” rating, qualifying them for “deemed status,” a title that only four other facilities in Florida earned this year.

Nearly a year ago, ARISE Foundation began an intensive series of training programs at Thompson Academy, a 154-bed residential facility for moderate-risk juvenile offenders. Before ARISE came to Thompson, the facility struggled with low staff morale and below-average quality assurance ratings.

ARISE launched a comprehensive approach at Thompson, not only training the staff to conduct lively ARISE group discussions and activities with the incarcerated youth, but to work with the staff themselves to help them better cope with their stress. ARISE trained 111 staff members in its one-of-a-kind ARISE Drop it at the Door workshop. They certified 49 staff members as ARISE Life Skills Group Facilitators, giving those individuals the knowledge and confidence to engage the youth and lead them through the ARISE life skills curricula. ARISE also put one staff member through its comprehensive Master Life Skills Training. Having a Master Trainer on staff at Thompson allows that person to continue to train additional staff members as ARISE Life Skills Group Facilitators, keeping the program going indefinitely and helping thousands of young men learn vital life skills.

The extensive ARISE training programs at Thompson Academy, along with the enthusiasm and determination of the staff itself, led to widespread change throughout the facility. The staff is better able to handle their emotions, leading to less stress and higher job satisfaction. Morale improved and the facility achieved “deemed status” after years of below-average ratings.

For almost 25 years, ARISE, a nonprofit foundation, has functioned as a developer and publisher of unique life-management skills curricula and staff training programs. Created to reach at-risk, incarcerated youth in detention centers and secure facilities as well as other troubled youth. ARISE is also utilized as a powerful prevention tool for at-risk teenagers and young adults and the people who care for them.  ARISE programs consist of interactive group discussions and activities designed to break the ice quickly and capture the attention of even the most introverted participants. ARISE gives structure to well-meaning but disorganized programs, moving away from lectures and into dynamic group conversations where the youth are involved and talking about their own experiences.

For more information, please call Edmund Benson at ARISE toll free: 1 (888) 680-6100 or visit http://www.ariselife-skills.org.

ARISE Master Trainers Bring One-of-a-Kind Life Skills Lessons to Detention Facilities across Florida.

MEDIA RELEASE

ARISE Foundation
824 US HWY 1 Suite #240
North Palm Beach, FL 33408
Phone: (561) 630-2021
Fax: (561) 630-2790

 
Contact: Edmund Benson
Office 561-630-2021

For IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ARISE Master Trainers Bring One-of-a-Kind Life Skills Lessons to Detention Facilities across Florida.

ARISE Master Trainers contribute knowledge and leadership to detention centers in Florida.

There are 25 detention facilities in the state of Florida. As of November 2009, ARISE life skills training programs are being utilized in 22 of those facilities. The Master Trainer program plays a big part in the continuation of the ARISE interactive group lessons. The newly-certified ARISE Master Trainers return to their sites and teach other staff members how to engage the youth and effectively use the innovative ARISE curricula as ARISE Life Skills Facilitators.

The five-day ARISE Master Trainer workshop is an intense experience for juvenile justice staff. In just a week, these dedicated individuals are transformed into powerhouses of knowledge and expertise. They take their new skill set and use it to educate and motivate the rest of the staff. ARISE Master Trainers certify and mentor their new Life Skills Facilitators and show them how doing the life skills lessons gives incarcerated youth the tools they need to stay out of the adult prison system and lead productive, successful lives.

The Master Training workshop takes commitment and dedication, but the results are often dramatic.

“The Master Training helped me expand my thinking,” said Joe Bellamy of the Osceola Detention Center in Kissimmee, Florida said. “I was able to share my personal experiences. It was very informative and helpful.”

For almost 25 years, ARISE, a nonprofit foundation, has functioned as a developer and publisher of life-management skills curricula and staff training programs. Created to reach at-risk, incarcerated youth in detention centers and secure facilities as well as other troubled youth. ARISE is also utilized as a powerful prevention tool for teenagers and young adults.  ARISE programs consist of interactive group discussions and activities designed to break the ice quickly and capture the attention of even the most introverted participants.

ARISE attributes its success to its three innovative staff training programs. The Life Skills Facilitator training teaches staff how to conduct ARISE interactive group discussions and activities with the troubled youth in their care. The Master Training workshop, mentioned above, certifies participants to train others as ARISE Life Skills Group Facilitators at their respective facilities. The ARISE Drop It at the Door training shows juvenile justice staff how to drop work-related stress and anger at the door when they get home and vice versa.

ARISE programs were utilized for decades in the Miami-Dade School system. ARISE has forged a strong partnership with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). ARISE programs have been changing the lives of juvenile offenders in the Florida juvenile justice system since 1996. Its dynamic programs are being taught in over 70 DJJ facilities across the state, as well as alternative schools and organizations such as the Salvation Army and the Boys and Girls Clubs.

ARISE programs are also used in over 100 organizations in the District of Columbia, including Washington, D.C. public and charter schools, the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, the Metropolitan Police, the District of Columbia jail and the D.C. Superior Court Probation Department.

Because ARISE is not for profit, it is able to provide a wide array of training opportunities and an ever-evolving life skills curricula for at-risk youth at rock-bottom prices. Profit is not a motivating factor. Its nonprofit status gives ARISE Foundation the ability to get out into the community, speak to incarcerated youth and adults, and turn their cautionary tales into lessons meant to assist at-risk youth in becoming law abiding citizens by learning from others’ mistakes.

A recent study by Vanderbilt University and the University of Maryland showed that the cost of one offender with at least six police contacts from childhood to age 32 is $3,172,998. In other words, rescuing one child from a life of crime saves taxpayers more than three million dollars.

Since ARISE was established over two decades ago, it has trained and certified  5,760 Group Facilitators who have taught over 4,055,708 documented hours of ARISE life-skills lessons in almost all 50 states. ARISE has been used successfully in Canada, Jamaica, England, Australia, Bahamas, Bermuda, New Zealand, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Bosnia, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Botswana and the Kingdom of Bahrain. Requests for translation have also come in from as far away as Pakistan, South Africa, Cambodia, Singapore and China.

For more information, please call Edmund Benson at ARISE toll free: 1 (888) 680-6100 or visit http://www.ariselife-skills.org.

10 More Quotes to Help You Stay Positive

Here are 10 more quotes to make you think and put your mind in a positive place. We are what we think. For more positive quotes and valuable tips and advice for living a happier life, check out the ARISE Get Smart series.

1. “To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.”
—Gilbert K. Chesterton

2. “If the wind will not serve, take to the oars.”
—Latin proverb

3. “Behold the turtle. He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out.”
—James Bryant Conant

4. “When you come to the edge of all the light you know, and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.”
—Barbara J. Winter

5. “Never regret. If it’s good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s experience.”
—Victoria Holt

6. “There is a thought in your mind right now. The longer you hold on to it, the more you dwell upon it, the more life you give to that thought. Give it enough life, and it will become real. So make sure the thought is indeed a great one.”
—Ralph Martson

7. “If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.”
—Nora Roberts

8. “Never part without loving words to think of during your absence. It may be that you will not meet again in this life.”
—Jean Paul Richter

9. “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
—James Baldwin

10. “Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind.”
—Leonardo da Vinci

Want to Prevent Yourself from Catching the Flu? Wash Your Hands Properly! Here’s How.

These handwashing do’s and dont’s can keep you from getting sick. President Obama recently declared the H1N1 flu pandemic a national emergency. There are things you can do to dramatically lessen your chances of getting the flu. In addition to the handwashing tips below, gargle with saltwater and gently swab the inside of your nose with a cotton swab soaked in saltwater. Cold and Flu germs hide in the back of the throat and the nostrils. Even if you’re not sick, blow your nose a few times a day to dispel germs. Just be sure to wash your hands afterwards. Cleansing the nose and throat frequently and washing your hands can help keep you from getting sick. Of course, if you come down with flu-like symptoms, see your doctor immediately.

If you need a visual reminder to wash your hands, ARISE has two posters available for download or purchase—one for adults and one for children. 

Here are the Mayo Clinic’s Do’s and Don’ts for handwashing:

Hand Washing: Do’s and Don’ts

By Mayo Clinic staff

Frequent hand washing is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick and spreading illness. Hand washing requires only soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer — a cleanser that doesn’t require water. Find out when and how to wash your hands properly.

When to wash your hands:

As you touch people, surfaces and objects throughout the day, you accumulate germs on your hands. In turn, you can infect yourself with these germs by touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Although it’s impossible to keep your hands germ-free, washing your hands frequently can help limit the transfer of bacteria, viruses and other microbes.

Always wash your hands before:

• Preparing food
• Eating
• Treating wounds or giving medicine
• Touching a sick or injured person
• Inserting or removing contact lenses

Always wash your hands after:

• Preparing food, especially raw meat or poultry
• Using the toilet
• Changing a diaper
• Touching an animal or animal toys, leashes or waste
• Blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing into your hands
• Treating wounds
• Touching a sick or injured person
• Handling garbage or something that could be contaminated, such as a cleaning cloth or soiled shoes

Of course, it’s also important to wash your hands whenever they look dirty.

How to wash your hands:

It’s generally best to wash your hands with soap and water. Follow these simple steps:

• Wet your hands with running water.
• Apply liquid, bar or powder soap.
• Lather well.
• Rub your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Remember to scrub all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails.
• Rinse well.
• Dry your hands with a clean or disposable towel or air dryer.
• If possible, use your towel to turn off the faucet.

Keep in mind that antibacterial soap is no more effective at killing germs than is regular soap. Using antibacterial soap may even lead to the development of bacteria that are resistant to the product’s antimicrobial agents — making it harder to kill these germs in the future.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers — which don’t require water — are an excellent alternative to soap and water. If you choose to use a commercially prepared hand sanitizer, make sure the product contains at least 60 percent alcohol. Then follow these simple steps:

• Apply enough of the product to the palm of your hand to wet your hands completely.
• Rub your hands together, covering all surfaces, for up to 25 seconds or until they’re dry.

If your hands are visibly dirty, however, wash with soap and water. Antimicrobial wipes or towelettes are another option, although they’re not as effective as alcohol-based sanitizers.

Kids need clean hands, too:

Help your children stay healthy by encouraging them to wash their hands properly and frequently. Wash your hands with your children to show them how it’s done. To prevent rushing, suggest washing their hands for as long as it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice. You might place hand-washing reminders at children’s eye level, such as a chart by the bathroom sink for children to mark every time they wash their hands. If your children can’t reach the sink on their own, keep a stepstool handy.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are OK for children and adolescents, too, especially when soap and water isn’t available. Make sure the sanitizer completely dries before your child touches anything. Store the container safely away after use.

Hand washing is especially important for children in child care settings. Young children cared for in groups outside the home are at greater risk of respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases, which can easily spread to family members and other contacts. Be sure your child care provider promotes frequent hand washing or use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Ask whether the children are required to wash their hands several times a day — not just before meals. Note, too, whether diapering areas are cleaned after each use and whether eating and diapering areas are well separated.

A simple way to stay healthy.

Hand washing doesn’t take much time or effort, but it offers great rewards in terms of preventing illness. Adopting this simple habit can play a major role in protecting your health.

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Five More Quotes to Help You Stay Positive, brought to you by ARISE Life Skills & Training

 

“Fear less, hope more; Eat less, chew more; Whine less, breathe more; Talk less, say more; Love more, and all good things will be yours” -Swedish Proverb

“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.” -Oprah Winfrey

“There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.”  -W. Clement Stone

“I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.”  -William Allen White

“It takes but one positive thought when given a chance to survive and thrive to overpower an entire army of negative thoughts.”  -Robert H. Schuller

ARISE to conduct its Renowned Master Training Workshop in Marianna with a Select Group of Florida Juvenile Justice Staff.

MEDIA RELEASE

ARISE Foundation
824 US HWY 1 Suite #240
North Palm Beach, FL 33408
Phone: (561) 630-2021
Fax: (561) 630-2790
 
Contact: Edmund Benson
Office 561-630-2021

 
For IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ARISE to conduct its Renowned Master Training Workshop in Marianna with a Select Group of Florida Juvenile Justice Staff.

ARISE Master Life Skills Certification gives juvenile justice staff the understanding and assurance they need to assume leadership roles and teach others how to facilitate ARISE life skills groups.

ARISE Foundation will conduct its Master Life Skills Training workshop October 5^th through 9^th at Chipola College, 3094 Indian Circle. This groundbreaking five-day course will run from 9:00 to 4:30 each day.

Participants in this remarkable workshop will be able to take what they have learned and effectively train others at their organization to lead lively group discussions and activities with the troubled youth and young adults in their charge. The “Big 10” interactive group activities are designed to draw troubled youth out of their shells, get them talking and make them feel listened to and respected. ARISE life-skills lessons are tailor-made for learners with reading and learning deficiencies and severe behavioral issues. The Master Life Skills trainers will teach others how to steer youth in the right direction by providing new facilitators with the know-how to use the breakthrough ARISE curricula to help disadvantaged youth grasp life’s unwritten rules. Among the 260 life lessons ARISE has created are anger and conflict management, self-esteem, drug and alcohol abuse prevention and job search skills.

For almost 25 years, ARISE, a nonprofit foundation, has functioned as a developer and publisher of life-management skills curricula and staff training programs. Created to reach at-risk, incarcerated youth in detention centers and secure facilities as well as other troubled youth, ARISE is also utilized as a powerful prevention tool for teenagers and young adults.  ARISE programs consist of interactive group discussions and activities designed to break the ice quickly and capture the attention of even the most introverted participants.

ARISE attributes its success to its three innovative staff training programs. The Life Skills Facilitator training teaches staff how to conduct ARISE interactive group discussions and activities with the troubled youth in their care. The Master Training workshop, such as this one in Marianna, certifies participants to train others as ARISE Life Skills Group Facilitators at their respective facilities. ARISE CHOICES: Drop It at the Door shows juvenile justice staff how to drop work-related stress and anger at the door when they get home and vice versa.

ARISE programs were utilized for decades in the Miami-Dade School system. ARISE has forged a strong partnership with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). ARISE programs have been changing the lives of juvenile offenders in the Florida juvenile justice system since 1996. Its dynamic programs are being taught in over 70 DJJ facilities across the state, as well as alternative schools and organizations such as the Salvation Army and the Boys and Girls Clubs.

ARISE programs are also used in over 100 organizations in the District of Columbia, including Washington, D.C. public and charter schools, the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, the Metropolitan Police, the District of Columbia jail and the D.C. Superior Court Probation Department.

Because ARISE is not for profit, it is able to provide a wide array of training opportunities and an ever-evolving life skills curricula for at-risk youth at rock-bottom prices. Profit is not a motivating factor. Its nonprofit status gives ARISE Foundation the ability to get out into the community, speak to incarcerated youth and adults, and turn their cautionary tales into lessons meant to assist at-risk youth in becoming law abiding citizens by learning from others’ mistakes.

A recent study by Vanderbilt University and the University of Maryland showed that the cost of one offender with at least six police contacts from childhood to age 32 is $3,172,998. In other words, rescuing one child from a life of crime saves taxpayers more than three million dollars.

Since ARISE was established over two decades ago, it has trained and certified  5,760 Group Facilitators who have taught over 4,055,708 documented hours of ARISE life-skills lessons in almost all 50 states. ARISE has been used successfully in Canada, Jamaica, England, Australia, Bahamas, Bermuda, New Zealand, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Bosnia, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Botswana and the Kingdom of Bahrain. Requests for translation have also come in from as far away as Pakistan, South Africa, Cambodia, Singapore and China.

For more information, please call Yasmin at ARISE toll free: 1 (888) 680-6100 or visit http://www.ariselife-skills.org.