The Freedom Program at Tomorrow's Workplace - Rockland County NY

The Freedom Program is designed for out of school ages 17 – 21, to attain educational goals through direct academic support, to reduce at risk behaviors so that young adults will better promote their freedom, economic development, and leadership abilities. 

Jennifer DeLeon – Director, the Freedom Program
“Our summer institute, The Freedom Academy, recently began.  It is for 30 younger youth who are primarily from Spring Valley and all from Rockland County, NY.  At the beginning of August our Peer Support Workers were pre-tested for the TABE and all of our youth will soon start their GED preparation classes.  The PSWs are now officially involved in the work experience component of our program which is to be the positive peer agents within our agency.   Their job is to promote the Universal Survival Laws, teach the Survival Scale, the MAKiN' iT Curriculum, and develop relationships with the younger youth.  The curriculum had been used extensively in the two month PSW training that ended in July of 2008.”

“The entire MAKiN' iT Curriculum as well as Youth Cultural Competence is an integral part of The Freedom Program. Without YDRF’s support we would not have the structure or the foundation, yet since we are currently in the infancy stage of a new program design, we are learning as we go.”

“What we see is that our PSWs are living true survival outside of The Freedom Program, and that is what we really like to see.  Strong relationships have formed between us (the staff) and the PSWs through doing the work we are doing, empowering them to reach the younger youth.”

Roger Williams – Assistant Director
“Youth Cultural Competence and  the MAKiN' iT Model have taken youth services out of the realm of an employment program and put it squarely in a movement that confronts the multifaceted issues that relate to youth who are not just on the periphery of society but also services that are designed to help them.”

“The YDRF training and MAKiN' iT curriculum have given our staff a solid foundation from which to make a difference in the lives of these youth.  This is not a cookie cutter approach.  We now have the tools to provide more to them than just a job or a GED.”

Arthur Lorde – Lead Peer Support Worker Trainer/Mentor
“The experience of going through the YDRF training has made me more serious, helped me understand the roots of the issues that our youth are going through, and deepened my commitment to helping  them as I see the impact we have.  The curriculum is really intense, it gets at every angle and perspective of survival and raises the youth awareness so they will think before they do.  Now I understand better the adversity these youth deal with.”

Chris – Peer Support Worker
“I actually feel a lot different because I have been trying to get on the right track for a while and when Arthur brought me to the training, the Survival Scale helped me to decide where I was at.  Who were the friends who were gonna lead me to danger and which ones were leading me to life, freedom, and f.e.o.”

“The younger youth look forward to seeing me and I like that.  I want to be around to see them accomplish the goals they want to.  They know I am not mean, that I am strict, but fair. The whole experience makes me feel joyful.”

August – Peer Support Worker
“From what I learned from the YDRF training,  I liked it because once I was with my friends and I showed them the leader power formula with examples and they were feeling it and they agreed it was true.  I’ve had other opportunities to share what I learned with family and friends.”

“ A lot of the younger youth like me. I feel like I have an impact on them because they see me  as a role model and they look up to me.  It makes me feel good because when I see them looking up to me, it makes me want to continue on the right path.”

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For an overview of what we offer please review Specialized Youth Engagement Services and Staff/Youth Training.