Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin By World Getting Ahead in a Just Getting by World Curriculum In partnership with local agencies, nonprofits and churches, we have graduated 145 participants in our Getting Ahead Classes. Our participants have achieved measurable results including: 42% have had an increase in income, 39% have had a decrease in debt, 39% obtained additional education and 19% noted a reduction in the need for state or federal benefits. Each year we seek agencies, employers and churches to partner with to host Getting Ahead classes to help under-resourced individuals build their resources, increase stability and create plans toward self-sufficiency. Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin-By World is a 10-session group workshop that helps participants stabilize their situations and build resources to improve their lives. The program guides participants through the process of assessing their own lives and circumstances and teaches them how to build those resources and how to develop tools and skills as part of their move to self-sufficiency. Getting Ahead participants create their own plan for a sustainable life, build healthy relationships with others, set short- and long-term goals, and develop a step-by-step plan to achieve those goals. It is a proven curriculum currently being used in 46 states and 5 countries with over 80,000 graduates. In Getting Ahead sessions, participants: establish their own achievable short- and long-term goals develop a step-by-step plan to achieve those goals explore resources needed for sustainability build healthy relationships with others improve financial skills and begin the process of writing their own future story. The Getting Ahead curriculum facilitates knowledge gains about poverty and how to begin to “get ahead” when living in poverty. Participants leave the program with more knowledge about how to avoid financial predators, what kind of rent they can afford, and what kind of interest they can legally be charged. They are leaving with increased knowledge of themselves and the resources they need to move forward economically and with an individualized plan for beginning to increase their resources. One Body Collaboratives provides the backbone structure and support for these classes. Each year we seek partner organizations to host these classes at their respective locations for their clients. One Body Collaboratives supports these programs financially through the funding we receive from individual donors, corporate sponsors, churches and grants. Community partners that have hosted classes include: Comprehensive Community Solutions, Life Church, Northern Illinois Regional Affordable Community Housing (NIReACH), Northwest Community Center, Rockford Housing Authority, Rockford MELD and St. John's United Church of Christ. Our Graduates reported the following:42% Had an Increase in Income39% Increased their Education39% Reported a Decrease in Debt 19% Report a Decrease on the need for State or Federal Benefits 94% indicated progress on the goal areas they set for themselves 100% identified tools or resources to support them in reaching their goals 98% of the participants would recommend the class to others A full report of results can be found here: Results Report Watch a Testimonial from a Rockford Housing Authority graduate here: Facebook Watch the National Getting Ahead Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1Ppvo2YqW0&list=PLihWkYFy34kwb86mpHjHlNZRrbVPHwtyl&index=5&t=0s Prev Next