Our Philosophy

• Potential Activities
  • Seminars, Workshops during junior/senior year for high school athletes, families and/or coaches.
  • Summer Orientation of athletes on college campuses or high school training days.
  • Development and Publication/Distribution of print or other media materials for use by students, families, coaches.
  • Research and Scholarly Publication of data/examples demonstrating how to address the issues, identifies "best practices" [who is doing a good job of managing transitional dynamics]. This could be done in conjunction with graduate students in social work, education, athletic management, or other disciplines, as part of their thesis or other graduate studies.
  • Collecting/Presenting Personal Testimony of sports personalities who have had experience navigating the rigors of college sports.
    
• Potential Audiences
  • Faith-Based Secondary Schools, Colleges, Sports Camps
  • Service Organizations: Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Christian Sports Zone, Positive Coaching Alliance, Sports Camp Federation, National High Schools Coaches Association, etc.

• Potential Activities
  • The GBU Society. Focusing on one or a few target groups develop a "fraternity/sorority" of academic achievers. The GBU Society could be the social/support/reward "club" for at risk, re-entry, and first-generation college students.  Activities could includes a variety of events, materials, individual mentoring, study clubs, student-to-student coaching, part-time employment or work-study programs, GBU Alumni Club, etc.
  •  GBU's "You Can Do It" or "Use Your Brain" Retreats. Half day or full day retreats featuring "celebrities" who have embraced or returned to education to achieve their dreams. GBU believes that real life stories and people often provide the best role models and motivation for at-risk students.
  • GBU Continuous Coaching.  Setting up an organized approach to support these students via on-line chat rooms, phone mentors, small group or individual mentoring. These students need to be supported, reminded, encouraged and rewarded when they achieve and when the going gets tough. The GBU Continuous Coaches are part of a network of individuals who are either assigned to one or several participants or who staff an online/on-call "hot line". Message: "We are not giving up on you, so don't give up on yourself."
  •  Seminars/Workshops
    • For the targeted groups, but also for their family members or peers, who are often the predictors of a successful completion of an academic career.
      
• Potential Audiences
  • At-risk secondary school students, first-generation college bound students.
  • Second Starters or Re-entry Individuals.
  • Individuals or groups who would serve as mentors or staffers of hot-lines, that may include students who participate as a volunteer or work-study activity, groups  who make this part of a mission activity, "celebrities" who may agree to coach/mentor one of a few students (big brother/big sister model).

• Potential Activities
  • Train the Coaches. Develop the training program for the GBU Life Coaches. We think these Life coaches, once trained, will travel to the locations of the individuals needing life coaching assistance. With a defined program, formatted discussion outline, participant planning workbook and support materials, they will work with individuals/small groups in completing a Personal Plan A - Plan B.
  • Monitor Progress. On a bi-monthly, quarterly or yet to be defined timeline, the same Life Coach will meet with their groups to review progress, update the Plan, offer support and encouragement, provide assistance in how to achieve the steps in the plan.
  • Incentives. To encourage on-going participation of the individual group members, gift incentives will be offered at the completion of each step of the plan. For example, when he/she has finished an outline for Plan A, he/she receives a gift certificate to a movie. Later on, as the individual achieves more significant components of the plan, he/she receives more significant rewards (Savings Bond, Career Clothing, an Internship at a Business, Invitation to a Special Event). We may also need to provide incentives for the Coaches.
  • Monitor Results. We will need to determine if the program is successful by monitoring key success criteria at various stages. These stages may include: the initial number of enrollees and their retention and completion of the program; post-program results; enrollee satisfaction and accomplishments.
    
    
• Potential Audiences
  
  • High School or College Students ready to graduate or enter the work force.
  • Re-entry or Second-Starters.
  • Businesses who would like to contribute incentive gifts or offer them at a low cost. Businesses that may provide a paid internship or entry-level job for those who have completed the program.

• Short-Term Housing. GBU works with existing organizations/agencies to develop GBU housing. These may be group homes, rehabbed apartments, dormitories, affordable living accommodations, etc. Second Starters are carefully screened and sign a contract which outlines terms of the living arrangements (chores, behavior, educational pursuits, employment outside the home, participation in Christian Living Classes).
• Suitable Clothing. Many Second Starters have the desire but not the appropriate clothing to "fit in" to the educational or employment environment. If they are going to be students or employees, they need to look like a student or employee.
• Orientation to/Support of their Second Start Lifestyle. Second Starters may need more information, training, peer support as they begin this important new beginning.  We need to identify what those deficiencies may be and how we can help these individuals adjust.

• The Get Back Up Tour(s). Several times a year, I will block out three days up to one week to allow for multiple talks, youth group sessions, book signings, church events, fundraisers, etc. In this manner, I can organize several speaking engagements in a day in a specific geographical area.
• The "GBU Jamboree". A daylong or weekend event that GBU organizes and hosts which includes a GBU inspirational presentation, but also identifies others with inspiration/motivational stories and messages. The jamborees are independently organized or focused and customized to the needs of a particular group, organization or theme.