What We're About
There are a lot of programs out there for teenagers, especially at risk teens. There are treatment facilities focused on chemical dependency, delinquent rehabilitation, discipline training and the list goes on. But never has there been a program that focuses on overall personal growth. A program whose purpose is to teach a child the principles that, if practiced, will ensure they have a productive and successful life.
The P.A.T.H.S. Project is a program of progression. Not just for the participants involved but for their communities and for society as a whole. Since our children are our future then ensuring their future has the best opportunity to be successful is our responsibility. The P.A.T.H.S. Project has taken on that responsibility. This program will take a participant from the depths of trauma, addiction, delinquency and much more, all the way to a life of ambition, service, compassion, respect.
Why We're Needed
There is an epidemic stealing the potential from this country’s future. It’s not one single thing. It’s a combination of detrimental truths. And it is everyone’s problem. 90% of the teenagers in this demographic end up in prison or on some form of government aid.
It costs $129 a day to house an inmate in a state penitentiary and only $29 a day to
educate a child in the public school system. This country already spends $132 billion a year on welfare. This is an epidemic that is effecting everyone. If not directly, then definitely indirectly.
Why We're Different
The programs offered to at-risk youth today are only band-aids to symptoms. The 30 day stints of
incarceration and treatment become nothing more than a brief distraction from the activities that
that got them there. Some institutions don’t have any programs at all for their patients or inmates.
The issues plaguing these kids and their communities have been cultivated through generation after generation. Taking that into consideration, its obvious that the remedy for these issues can not be found in any short term program or expected to be the result of any length of incarceration.
The P.A.T.H.S. Project is different. First of all we realize the ineffectiveness of short term programs. Our program is designed to fulfill an entire school year with one schedule or a full summer camp with another schedule. We cover the usual elements of at-risk youth in depth, but more importantly, we understand that if you “cure the illness, the symptoms go away on their own”, so we address the causes and exact nature of those issues realizing that resolving those will result in a teen's success.