Los Compadres 
& Successful Living Programs

DID YOU KNOW?

As little as $300 can provide counseling and assistance to one teen or young adult to help change his or her behavior, control anger and lead a more responsible, respectful and productive life.

The Los Compadres and Successful Living youth outreaches are character building classes, which teach young people the importance of living in a responsible and respectful manner towards themselves and their community. Inspirational speakers and active learning activities are presented in the areas of self-clarification, faithfulness, honor, correct ambition, healthy choices and community. The Los Compadres program is taught in the Ventura County Juvenile Probation Agency Facility. The Successful Living classes are taught in continuation high schools and a drug rehabilitation home. All students taught are considered “high risk”.

Important Keys of the Program:

One key of the Community Action youth outreach program is a mentoring approach with the help of volunteer speakers.  These volunteers provide experiential learning conversational teaching, testimonials, small group discussion and guidance with workbook entries. The director and co-teacher of Los Compadres & Successful Living classes are responsible for recruitment and orientation of the volunteer speakers. Workbook topics are discussed with speakers before presentations. 

Workbooks are completed by all students. Lessons are taught by the director and co- teacher. All lessons have action plans (determination statements and ideas for implementation of change), which are filled out by the students.   Currently, four workbooks are taught. All four workbooks are available at all sites and are used on a rotation basis. The titles are "Los Compadres”, “Successful Living”, “Truth, Hope and Determination” and “Practical Keys of Success”.

Timely Sessions: Usually, classes take five or six weeks with two one-hour classes set each week (beginning of the week and end of the week). The teaching sessions are long enough to establish mutual respect and trust. Yet, the sessions are also short enough to keep attention and have a sense of completion (Award certificates are presented to each student. Students also keep their workbooks so there might be a reminder of all lessons taught.)

Student pre and post evaluations and written feedback are a component of this program.

 A Foundation of Mutual RESPECT

Our working definition for respect is as follows:  respect – “a showing of value, to honor, to show approval”.

As we begin each session of teaching, it is noted that we all want respect. It is an important need. It is then established that respect will be shown to all students at all times by the leaders and guest speakers. Likewise, respect will be expected from each student. Each student will sign and date the commitment to show respect.

A note about RESPECT :

It is important to note that youth of today respond to respect positively. Every speaker and the program leaders will be discussing values for healthy living. Understanding the value that youth put upon the need for respect is a beginning point in speaking into their lives. Likewise, teaching youth to look at serving others, their families, their culture and their community may then acquire a kind of moral ownership as they begin to see the value of mutual respect. Casting a vision for a self-satisfying life includes teaching young men to look for the common good.

Values:

The aim of Community Action youth outreach is to prompt young people to live by their own highest values. Enhancing those values through role modeling and small group discussions is the simple approach of this program. Teaching youth to look at helping themselves by serving others, their culture, and their community is part of the goal of the program.  Casting a vision for a self satisfying life includes teaching youth to look at the common good for their families and community.

Mission Statement:

The mission of Los Compadres and Successful Living is to encourage young people to make positive responsible decisions, which enable them to experience personal satisfying success.

Giving Away Ideas of Success

Class sizes range from eight to the maximum of twenty students. The director and co-teacher present lessons and lead discussions with the youth in every class. Also, visiting speakers are encouraged to communicate the fact that they want to be there, and that they want the best for the students. The whole approach is one of conversational teaching as opposed to lecturing.

Teaching Strategy:

The strategy of the Successful Living program is designed to help create a pattern of positive development in young people. The pattern has four foundational pillars to build upon. Understanding these foundational pillars help move toward positive change.

Foundation # 1 – Pioneering Ideas:   The leaders of the class call for a “revision” of thoughts and introduce the benefits of responsible sharing and responsible caring. Pioneering  ideas for a successful lifestyle is about casting a vision for positive satisfying self-responsibity. Experiential learning through object lessons and discussions displays the fun and benefit of working and learning together.

Foundation # 2 – Establishing the Facts: Visiting Speakers will be giving real life testimonies about successes, failures and choices involved in both. They will share expertise of experience and facts, which point to the direction of positive nonviolent self-disciplined living. These mentoring talks and small group discussions help establish a sense of truth, which can lead to behavioral changes. Guided discussions and learning activities reinforce the value of being responsible young people.

Foundation # 3 – Empowering Individuals: Teaching students insights about job skills, healthy living choices, education, communication skills and reasoning skills help to empower them in hope. Believing change is both desirable and obtainable is the focus of Successful Living. As the weeks progress practical skills are modeled, taught and hopefully caught.

Foundation # 4 – Pronouncing Hope:  As the lessons move into the topics of Wisdom in Healthy Choices and Community the students are given even more opportunity to pronounce their desire for positive change. Moving toward a closing with evaluations there are always conversations with affirmation.  Foundational ideas, and the choice to change are verbalized, written out and celebrated.

To find out more about this program or how you can help, call 805-436-4000 today.