Legacy Heart Club

What predicts a child’s success?

As kids enter the later years of elementary school they experience a critical time of transition.  They begin to develop their own identity through peer groups and experiences outside of the family.  The pressures of school, fitting in, and friendships become increasingly stressful and often times kids sacrifice what they believe in … leading to poor decisions.  We need to give kids the opportunity to develop the skills to understand, manage, and express their emotions; providing them the tools to manage conflict, get along with others, and develop self awareness … impacting their lives beyond the classroom and into the workplace and other life settings.

What is the Sioux Empire United Way doing to address this issue?

How the United Way is addressing the Four Areas of Development.

We have developed the new initiative Wings For Life, which includes:

• Girls On the Run – An interactive life-skills program that educates and prepares girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living.  To volunteer, contact Stacy.

• Studio 2B – A space where girls have the freedom to discuss important topics as well as explore their interests through various activities.  To volunteer, contact the Girl Scouts office.

• Mentoring – Positive one-on-one interactions between adults and children.  To learn more about community based mentoring and Big Brother Big Sister, click here.  To learn more about Lutheran Social Services School Based Mentoring, click here.

• Parent Guides – Age appropriate development information for parents of children in kindergarten through 8^th grade.

The programs work by providing a structured, emotionally safe environment where kids can learn the skills needed to promote positive emotional development. 

What does this mean for the community?

Kids who are able to balance their positive and negative emotions are:

• rated higher by teachers on friendliness and assertiveness, and lower on aggressiveness and sadness

• respond more empathetically to peers’ emotions

• are seen as more likable by their peers

Within the workplace:

• Social and emotional abilities were 4x more important than IQ in determining workplace success.

• Harvard Business Review “academic talent was not a good predictor of on-the-job productivity nor was IQ, rather success was a result of relationships with people, handling crisis, seeing the perspective of others, self-management, etc.”

Wings gives kids the tools to become productive and emotionally healthy students and adults.