Scholarships awarded to Ridgemont High School
to prepare students for workforce
OSU’s Alber Enterprise Center and Hardin County Chamber of Commerce make the innovative Strong for Life personal development system available to 50 students.
NEWPORT NEWS, VA, January 12, 2015 - Performance Support Systems (PSS) announces that Ridgemont High School in Ridgeway, Ohio, is the first high school in the nation to participate in its new Rising Stars Initiative. The Ohio State University Alber Enterprise Center and the Hardin County Chamber & Business Alliance’s Economic Development and Education Committee have collaborated to award scholarships to 50 students to use Strong for Life, an online coaching system that facilitates the development of the core skills and strengths teens will need to perform at their best during high school and beyond.
PSS launched the initiative to address a growing awareness that a shocking number of young people are not adequately prepared for the challenges they'll face after high school. The National Center for Education Statistics reported that over 40% of students entering a four-year college degree program in 2005 failed to graduate after six years.
Experts say the issues go beyond academics. A 2006 joint study, "Are They Really Ready to Work," focused on employers' complaints that young workers are "woefully ill-prepared" for the demands of the workplace, citing poor critical thinking and communication skills. According to the 2012 AARP-Society for Human Resource Management "Strategic Workforce Planning" study, over 50% of organizations report a lack of professionalism and work ethic in younger workers. Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed (2012), concludes that grit, curiosity and character strength count far more than a stellar GPA.
The purpose of the Strong for Life online personal development system is to help high school students build the core skills and strengths they'll need to succeed at the next level. A one-year individual subscription to the system typically retails for $325. But with the Rising Stars Initiative, an administrator dashboard is available at a nominal fee and includes 50 student scholarship accounts.
The program's developer, Dr. Dennis Coates, stated, "What's more important than preparing teens to be strong, successful adults? Education is critical. Sports, extracurricular activities and work experience can also help. With Strong for Life, we take chance out of the equation. It supports these activities by helping teens develop a dozen specific personal strengths and five communication skills that set them up for success. We are excited about working with the teachers and students at Rosemont High School to help them achieve positive results."
Frank Gibson, Program Manager at OSU’s Alber Enterprise Center, introduced the program to the participants at Rosemont and said, “This is a rare and unique opportunity for students to develop their leadership skills. Coaching focuses on you, your career, your growth, and your future. We challenge each student to not only receive coaching but to learn how they can use coaching skills to assist others."
About Performance Support Systems
Performance Support Systems, Inc. (PSS), is a software company based in Newport News, Virginia. Since 1987, PSS has delivered proprietary assessment and development resources to help people become stronger for the challenges they face at work and at home. Strong for Life is a revolutionary behavior-based online personal development coaching system to help teens ingrain the core skills and strengths they will need to perform at their best.
Schools and youth programs interested in participating in the Rising Stars Initiative may contact:
Meredith Bell, President
Performance Support Systems, Inc.
meredith@prostarcoach.com
http://www.strongforlifeteens.com/
800.488.6463 x201 or 757.873.3700 x201
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