This week, 13 youth graduated from the Dale Carnegie Leadership Program, Foundations for Success.
This leadership training course was offered exclusively to Texas youth with lived experience in foster care. The program was made possible through generous support from the Selfless Love Foundation, a growing organization focused on transition-age youth.
The Leadership Program was designed to boost confidence, help improve communication skills, and to launch young people into lives of advocacy for themselves and others. We hope that youth who complete the program are better prepared for their futures, gaining the tools and confidence needed to pursue and achieve their dreams.
“We’re thankful for the opportunity to work closely with Dale Carnegie to provide this amazing opportunity to youth with lived experience,” said TACFS Youth Impact Project Manager Leroy Berrones Soto Jr.
“This group is motivated to cultivate new skills, make some new friends, and to think about the future”
The course was made up of six, two-hour sessions for young people, ages 16 to 23.
At the last session, the graduates shared what their insights from the program:
The program taught me useful techniques that I utilized in order to improve my relationships by building strong foundations of trust, respect, and sincerity. I believe it helped me fully understand different people's perspective by applying active listening skills without judgment.
I think this program has made a good impact on me because it showed me how I can become a better friend and person to those that are in my life.
Through the leadership program, I gained valuable insights and skills that empowered me to take on new challenges and make a meaningful impact in my future and present life.
I have taken the skills and used them in my day-to-day life... This class has taught me about how to avoid conflict and I was able to use the lessons/ principles I learned to build a healthy and better relationship with my mom and others as well.
Confidence is vital for leadership, and the Dale Carnegie Program focuses on building self-confidence. Through various exercises and techniques, I learned to overcome self-doubt, embrace challenges, and believe in my abilities. Leadership is not just about managing tasks; it is also about understanding and connecting with people. The Dale Carnegie Program emphasizes interpersonal skills such as empathy, understanding human behavior, and building rapport. These skills have been invaluable in my leadership role, as I can now relate to and connect with team members on a deeper level. By understanding their strengths, weaknesses, and motivations, I can provide the necessary support, guidance, and recognition to help them thrive.
Personally, I think this program so far has been an amazing experience to bond with other people and getting to know ourselves as well as learning how to work on ourselves using the things Dakota has been teaching us.
I've learned a lot and know I will be able to use what I've learned for the rest of my life.
Today was very interactive! I loved today’s stress and worry class. I learned that most of the stress that we have is stress from things that won’t even happen. When doing the stress perspective self-assessment, I cultivated a personal approach towards my own stress and how I handle it... This is something that needs to be constantly improved.
Being part of the Dale Carnegie leadership program was an enlightening and resourceful experience. Over six weeks, I learned valuable life skills that I encounter daily but never knew how to manage effectively. Thanks to this program, I now feel confident in my ability to handle various challenges. Undoubtedly, it's been a life-changing journey, and I'm living proof of its impact.
Yesterday was great! I liked hearing everyone’s stories and getting to interact with others! The program is bringing me out of my comfort zone, but in a good way!
Being in this program has really helped me mentally because I loved talking to people around my age and getting to know them & letting them get to know me.
I'm so thankful to have been a part of this program... I have learned better communication skills, stress management, human relations, self-improvement and much more that I will use in my life.