New Approach: Making our Dreams a Reality

The HALO Center’s motto is, “I am the difference between dreams and reality.” Encouraging all youth to truly believe that they have the power to shape their own futures and giving them the skills and resources to do so is our primary goal. Upon the writing of our 2012 Strategic Plan for The HALO Center, we found a way to restructure our programming to ensure that we are being as impactful as possible in the time spent with each youth; whether that time frame is one workshop or an entire years’ worth. 

This chart shows the break down of the different programming offered to youth through The HALO Learning Center.

We are excited to announce that we will be restructuring our workshops into two different focuses: Short Term and Long Term Programming. Our Short Term Programming is designed for the agencies we partner with whose programs are shorter in length: 21 days to 3 months. Since programs that are shorter in length are typically homeless shelters or transitional programs, it is quite common for youth to be able to attend a workshop one week and have moved onto another facility by the next. We have created our Short Term Program to be sensitive to this reality while offering as much stability to the youth as possible.

The Short Term Programs are run by teams of volunteers who get together once a month to plan and execute that month’s worth of activities – what we call a unit. These units are designed so that if one child is able to attend all four weeks’ activities, he/she is able to benefit from the umbrella theme or focus. But, for the child that is only there once or only there on the 1^st and the 3^rd week, they too are able to benefit equally since each week’s activity begins and ends before the workshop is over. Also, there is added benefit to seeing the same volunteers each week. Now, all youth in attendance are given an opportunity to be creative, heard, listened to, encouraged and empowered by a caring HALO Center volunteer.

The Short Term Programming was inspired by this group of volunteers who work with reStart’s Family Shelter youth every Monday night.

Our Long Term Programs are offered to the agencies whose programs are longer in timeframe: 3 months to years. This program has been developed with a vocational style focus; youth will be able to sign up for semester long, trade style workshops like woodworking, mechanics, cosmetology, graphic design, photography, sewing, etc. Youth will be given an opportunity to sign up for the classes of their interest and, upon completion of the semester, will receive a HALO Center Certificate in their area of focus. This certificate will communicate the different skills learned throughout the duration of the course. Youth will be able to take these certificates in to area mechanic or woodworking shops as proof of their proficiency in the area. We are equally excited to launch the Long Term Program (this summer) as the youth involved will gain professional skills they can immediately take away to use within our community.

Youth will have an opportunity to learn skills like what Austin is doing in this picture through our Long Term Programs.

There are many ways to get involved in the Short Term and Long Term Programs, as well as the Apprenticeship Program. Email chelseaherzberg@haloworldwide.org if you are interested in finding out more.