With record numbers of children dropping out of school, running away from, home, be placed outside of the home, and “aging out” of State custody iLead seeks to fill the gap in revealing the leader in each of these children by developing their personal vision, uncovering their strengths, revealing resources for their achievement, implement communication skills, and giving them the tools and techniques for lifelong success. iLead is not another “positive thinking" program for “troubled youth” it is a life toolbox for young people.

2. Mission Statement
• iLead has been created to provide:
– a comprehensive road map for success
– a conduit to improve avenues of communication
– fundamental exercises for leadership
2013 © Sygnature Solutions

3. • Adolescents go into adulthood with
appropriate tools for:
– sound decision making
– goals setting
– open communication with parents, other adults
and peers
– a plan for continued success
Vision
2013 © Sygnature Solutions

4. Issues
• In 2007, nearly 6.2 million students in the United States between the
ages of 16 and 24 dropped out of high school. This total represents 16
percent of all people in the United States in that age range in 2007.[1]
• Home is an important aspect of adolescent psychology: home
environment and family have a substantial impact on the developing
minds of teenagers, and these developments may reach a climax during
adolescence.
• Adolescents find themselves bored, indecisive and/or unmotivated.[24]
• Peer pressure is a common experience.
2013 © Sygnature Solutions

5. Issues
• Views of family relationships during adolescence are changing.
The old view of family relationships during adolescence put an
emphasis on conflict and disengagement. The thought was that
storm and stress was normal and even inevitable. However, the
new view puts emphasis on transformation or relationships and
maintenance of connectedness.
• In adolescence conflicts with parents arises from two different
ways of looking at the same issue, often resulting in a decrease of
communication.
• Young people are often unprepared and ill-equipped with
appropriate life skills to succeed consistently.
2013 © Sygnature Solutions

6. Who is an iLead Candidate?
• Youth ages 13-19 who:
– have untapped leadership potential
– are unfocused, unsure of future
– desire to build for their future
– have difficulty communicating with adults
– are recommended by parent, teacher, or social
service agency
– are aging out of social service care
2013 © Sygnature Solutions

7. What Participants Can Expect
• Explore challenges to your goals.
• To design an effective support structure.
• Discover your personal strengths and weakness.
• To be exposed to the ideas of entrepreneurship.
• Learn and actively develop a budget.
2013 © Sygnature Solutions

8. What Participants Can Expect
•To develop effective communication with others
•Assess their overall health in life (financial,
personal, interpersonal, etc.)
•To be enlivened, empowered, and comfortable
as a person
2013 © Sygnature Solutions

9. What Topics are Covered?
• Defining Goals
• SMART Goals Method for
successful planning
• Getting Support
• Excellence as a Standard
• Personal Magnetism
• Taking Action
• Self-Discipline
• Enthusiasm and Imagination
• Life Lessons and Money
• Health Mind, Healthy Body:
Fuel for the Future
• Putting it Together for
Success
2013 © Sygnature Solutions

10. iLead
through...
Purposeful Living and You Are Not Alone:
•Define your goals.
•Set milestones develop a core support team for
achievement.
SMART Goal Strategies: specific goal, measuring progress,
attainable goals, realistic, and grounded in time and tangible
through one of the 5 senses.
•Create a Personal Action Plan.
2013 © Sygnature Solutions

11. iLead
through…
Faith is Your Fortune, Personal Magnetism, and Taking
Action:
•Explore your given personal strengths
•Uncover your “Productivity Recipe” those ingredients which
make you successful
•Define your personal standard
•Create Actions to produce successful goal achievement
2013 © Sygnature Solutions

12. iLead
through…
Coordination and Discipline, Enthusiasm and Imagination:
•Learn 10 Steps to Self-Discipline.
•How to use enthusiasm and imagination to achieve your
goals
•Using the Language of Productivity to stay in action
•Implementing environmental factors for success
•Creating a vision of your destiny
2013 © Sygnature Solutions

13. iLead
through…
Life Lessons and Money:
•Remove past barriers to future success
•How to create the past as a stepping stone to future
success
•Manage commitments for success in money and life
•Explore the idea of entrepreneurship engage in budgeting
•Create Weekly Productivity Plan
2013 © Sygnature Solutions

14. Health Mind, Healthy Body, Fuel for the Future:
•Defining health
•Health as an access to success
•Complete personal assessment
•Create Personal Health actions
•7 Habits for Highly Successful People
iLead
through…
2013 © Sygnature Solutions

15. Sidney Gaskins
Leadership & Life Success for Youth
iLead was developed by Sidney Gaskins, a former social worker turned
adoptive parent with a passion for children and families. With 15 plus years
of work with children, families, and communities Sidney has taken the
principles of success and achievement, usually reserved for adults, and
crafted them into an effective, highly interactive, and motivational program
for youth. With record numbers of children dropping out of school, running
away from, home, be placed outside of the home, and “aging out” of State
custody iLead seeks to fill the gap in revealing the leader in each of these
children by developing their personal vision, uncovering their strengths,
revealing resources for their achievement, implement communication skills,
and giving them the tools and techniques for lifelong success. iLead is not
another “positive thinking program” for “troubled youth” it is a life toolbox
for young people.
meet

16. For further information, booking,
or professional training in the program materials:
Phone: 210-701-1344
eMail: sidneygaskins@gmail.com

17. OTHER PROGRAMS
iLaunch (8-12+)
Family Success University

18. References
[1]
Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern
University in Boston, Massachusetts, and the Alternative
Schools Network in Chicago, Illinois.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/05/dropout.rate.study/i
ndex.html
[24]
Thomas Kelly, Positive psychology and adolescent
mental health: false promise or true breakthrough?, 2004