Programs
At Amer-I-Can, our facilitators ensure graduates master the eight life skills components most critical to success. These components address how participants can understand their conditioning, empower themselves, gain control over their environments, and respond versus “react” in times of adversity.
· Motivation, Conditioning, Attitudes & Habits
· Goal-Setting
· Problem-Solving & Decision-Making
· Emotional Control
· Family Relationships
· Financial Stability
· Effective Communication
· Job Search & Retention
OUR WORK WITH HIGH-RISK YOUTH
Recognizing that undeveloped life skills are the root causes of low self-esteem and criminal behavior, Amer-I-Can’s solid life skills curriculum has positively impacted at-risk and high risk youth in for decades. Created by renowned educators, psychologists, sociologists and criminologists, we update our curriculum periodically to stay current with the times. However, its basic principles are timeless.
Our program reduces school absences, improves academic performance, and decreases disciplinary actions. This ultimately reduces youth-involved crime and recidivism, which restores families and communities. The many ways in which youth probation camps and Amer-I-Can compliment one another are reflected below:
Decreased School Absences
Amer-I-Can instills “The Responsibility of Self-Determination,” Resulting in graduates feeling more obligated to fulfill their commitments. In some cases, absences have decreased by nearly two-thirds.
Increased Grade Point Averages (GPAs)
Amer-I-Can Program participants raise their GPAs by an average of one full point on a four-point scale.
Decreased Disciplinary Actions
Reported disciplinary incidents decrease by as much as 73%.
“I was so proud to graduate from the Amer-I-Can Program! It gave me the confidence to believe that I can tackle my problems head-on. Our country is dealing with some big issues; I feel better prepared because of the Amer-I-Can Program.”
– Aimee
“I spent too much of my childhood in institutions. The Amer-I-Can program came to [a LA probation camp school] and taught me to take responsibility for my own actions and my own future. When no one else was there to testify for me in court, they were there. I also learned that if I can change myself; I can change others around me.”– Koby
“Before Amer-I-Can, I honestly believed I was cursed at birth. I was actually born in prison, and was locked up by the time I was 13. But the program taught me that it doesn’t matter where you start. Success is a journey, and it starts with being the best “you” you can be every day.”
– Anonymous, Current Student at Dorothy Kirby Camp School
“Amer-I-Can is effective because it’s facilitators see beyond the current adversities of students and individuals while providing a comprehensive and research-based approach to transformation.”
-Florence Avognon, Former California Teacher of the Year/ Current Juvenile Hall Educator and Parent Liaison
“I’m very familiar with the Amer-I-Can program. This is the kind of CBO [Community-Based Organization] our students really need. They are excellent presenters, and the students can relate to them because many of them [the facilitators] come from similar backgrounds.”
-Frank Janowicz, Teacher, Central Juvenile Hall
“Amer-I-Can facilitators are adept at connecting with the majority of our students. Recently, one of the facilitators was able to engage a student who we have not been able to reach. They also teach the girls to take responsibility for their own actions.”
– Nidia Palencia, Teacher, Dorothy Kirby Camp School
In Amer-I-Can’s 2020 Teacher Feedback Survey from Central Juvenile Hall and Dorothy Kirby Camp School, all survey respondents rated the Amer-I-Can Program as “Extremely Relevant” or “Very Relevant,” the facilitators as “Very Good” or “Excellent,” and all said they were “ Very Likely” or “Extremely Likely” to recommend Amer-I-Can. Additionally, they gave Amer-I-Can 9.5 stars out of 10 stars.
Decreased Recidivism
⇒Whereas 43% of released offenders are rearrested within the first year, the LA County Probation Department maintains that the majority of those who complete the Amer-I-Can Program do not reoffend.
Improved Financial Literacy
⇒In underserved communities, 20% or more of the population do not even have a bank account, let alone know how to manage their money. The Amer-I-Can Program emphasizes the power of financial literacy.
Increased Employment
⇒Two-Fifths of those who commit crimes cite unemployment as the main cause. The life skills taught through Amer-I-Can help graduates secure and maintain employment.
“When our team first started training with Amer-I-Can, I thought it was about learning how to help our clients. We quickly learned that it was about how to help us unpack all the things from our own upbringing that were holding us back. I learned that I need to ‘be the message that I bring. I see myself being better able to handle my own family situations, as well as work with my clients. I didn’t always say a lot in class… but that was only because I was taking it all in. It really transformed me and my way of thinking.”
– Arkeshia
“How you respond to adversity determines your success. I thought I was tough because I was tough in the street, but Amer-I-Can gave me the mental toughness to allow me to dissect different situations and respond to them in the best manner. It gave me the flexibility and resilience to learn how to pivot on the fly, and apply the principles I have learned in both business and in life.”
– Rock
“The Amer-I-Can Program liberated me from the situation I found myself in because of my own poor choices. I’ve learned so much about myself, people, motivation… mainly I’ve learned life-management skills to deal with the bottom line, the facts. Today, I’m proud to teach the Amer-I-Can Program to young people in whose shoes I once stood.”
– Phil
What law enforcement says
“The Amer-I-Can Program has enabled offenders to meet their academic potential, change their behavior and improve the quality of their lives by equipping them with the life management skills to successfully contribute to society. I strongly support the Amer-I-Can program and I emphasize the merit of, and indeed need for, this program.”
– Judge Larry A. Jones, Cleveland Municipal Court
“I learned more about myself through the Amer-I-Can Program than I learned in my entire career up until that point. I would encourage anyone to participate in the Amer-I-Can program, and believe it can be particularly effective in helping bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community.”
– FBI Field Agent, San Diego, CA
“Probation and the Amer-I-Can Foundation for Social Change are strongly connected within the target community, and are committed to providing responsive services that meet the diverse needs of the community.”
– Terri L. McDonald, Chief Probation Officer (Retired), County of Los Angeles