The Student Success Project

Potential.

 Giving kids free and straightforward resources to improve their self-esteem allows them to see

their past achievements, highlight their current accomplishments while realizing their potential, 

and know success is close by. (2)  This, in turn, improves mental health and overall well-being.

 Process.

 The Student Success Project allows students to create their success plan and own it rather than 

being judged by others  (and test scores)  while building self-confidence, outstanding character, and life skills.

Payoff.

To put The Student Success Project into as many hearts and minds (and hands) 

of students, as fast as possible – and become a fixture in their social media routine.

 Pursuit.

 The Student Success Project should do for youth mental health awareness what Susan G. Komen did for breast cancer awareness. 

The challenges that today’s generation of young people face are unprecedented and uniquely hard to navigate. And the effect these challenges have had on their mental health is devastating.

• Kids are being harmed by society's obsession with a succeed-or-fail mindset and a need for 24/7 perfection (without understanding that successful performance rests on a foundation of positive mental health.) 

• Even before Covid, the youth mental health crisis was spiraling out of control, especially among minority and marginalized kids.  Now, it’s a national emergency, with record-setting numbers of depressed and medicated students, self-harm incidents, suicide attempts—and death by suicide.   Recent CDC data shows an unprecedented rise in suicidal behavior, especially among U.S. teen girls. 

• Online, a student’s success is determined by influencers.  TikTokers, SnapChatters, Instagramers, cyber bullies, and “friends” erode their sense of self-worth, telling them they are not good enough, popular enough, smart enough, or rich enough.  Sadly, this disrespectful, discourteous, and impolite behavior has seeped into their “real world” as well. 

• Offline, success is determined by popular culture as well as the culture of constant testing, SAT/ACT results, AP classes vs. regular classes, GPAs, zip codes, extracurricular activities, travel teams vs. rec ball teams, and awards (earned or not)

The SuccessMap

The SuccessMap is the foundation for all Digital and In-Person TSSP activity and SuccesSession Presentations.

• Categories and Topics are always current and reflect issues affecting students daily.
• The SuccessMap can be changed for targeted age, demographics, curriculum, “student selections,” themes, and current events.  Each category and topic is integrated into all online and offline interactions.
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It's up to the kids, not others, to choose the one that's right for them

• Notions of success and achievement follow children through life, helping to define their identities. TSSP helps students discover what makes them unique and how to articulate defining moments that have shaped their lives.         
• As a result, they live up to their expectations (good or bad) and self-regulate their feelings of pride, self-respect, and happiness.  Either way, it's theirs to own.
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• TSSP will also aggregate content and thinking from organizations, thought leaders, advocates, activists, and experts as we join forces to seize this moment and play an essential role in supporting youth's mental health, the most important measure of success

• An educator recently commented, “In all my years of teaching, this is the boldest idea yet to put kids in charge of their success finally. Especially post-Covid, they need to be accountable to themselves first, rather than always performing for parents, test proctors, and teachers.  - including me.”

SelfSuccess comprises SEL (Social Emotional Learning), Whole Child, and 21st-Century Skills learning skills.

A SelfSuccess Student:

1)  Creates what success means to them on their own terms

 2)  Learns they are already capable of achieving success based on past and current life achievements 


3)  Derives pride, validation, and confidence from themselves 


4)  Knows that the effort is as important, if not more than the outcome 


5)  Enjoys the freedom of accepting responsibility for their own decisions and behavior