ETP instructed my high school freshman class in 2019. The class completely changed my image of being a parent. Before the course, I had decided that I wouldn’t get married or have kids because my only representation of a family at the time was my broken home. The workbook dived into topics like healthy relationships; the qualities you are looking for in someone you are dating, marrying, and co-parenting with. I had never even considered the difference between the three. Then the workbook had this prompt that asked how you would feel if you were to never become a parent. The question made me heartbroken because I have always loved kids, and I couldn’t imagine never being a mom. 4 years later I still have my workbook. I have felt the first-hand, lasting impact of ETP and how much it has positively impacted my peers and other teens.
ETP is filling an important need in preparing people for the important role of parenting. I especially like how ETP's curriculum is shaped to help teens proactively address real-world problems. As a result of ETP's work, there is great hope that teens today will be able to create strong future families.
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Having sat in on a couple of training sessions put on by Education for Successful Parenting (ESP) and then hearing the positive reactions from so many of the participants, I can tell you the program really resonates with teens. I think it’s because they get the opportunity to really explore their motives and expectations for parenting, and are taught about the realities of parenting and how to address common challenges. They also, among other things, learn about the very real needs of children and map out for themselves a Life Plan for Parenting. The program is excellent!
All kids deserve to be raised by loving caring parents who know how to provide for and keep their children safe. So I am happy ESP proactively prepares today's teens for their future roles as moms and dads. It's a much needed program and I look forward to my child going through it when she becomes a teen.
rrubenstein 08/20/2013
We are so glad you have been able to meet the teens participating in ESP's workshops! Thank you for taking time to describe he positive impact we are having among teens in schools and youth programs. We are proud to have earned your enthusiastic support as a dedicated volunteer and a revered board member.
This organization goes above and beyond when initially getting started with them. The services they provide are so desperately needed these days. In particular, the Pre-Parenting program covers information that is vital to the future success of its participants. Excellent materials!
I have been involved with several boards, but the mission of ETP is the most impressive and impactful. The leadership is solid, the mission remains simple and the means to achieve the goals are clear. I am proud to be part of an organization that has had an impact on thousands of children.
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Educate Tomorrow’s Parents provides teens invaluable information through interactive workshops on pre-parenting and healthy family foundations. As a board member who has observed the program, I’ve seen the great impact it can have on teens. Now ETP has made their lessons available to high school teachers everywhere to easily implement in their classrooms or online
My son took their course at Millbrook High School in Raleigh, NC a few years ago. I was so impressed with the curriculum, I’ve made it a point to follow ETP for several years now. While the organization’s mission is to prevent child abuse, I find their impact much broader. Most of our teens are not being taught how to plan for the future they want, for the family they want, and for the future they want to give their future children. ETP does this in a relatable and comprehensive way.
I had the wonderful honor of teaching ETP’s curriculum in high school classrooms for a few years. I saw the impact ETP had in the lives of students, but what’s more amazing is the profound way the curriculum has influenced my life as an adult.
Years after teaching the curriculum, I still see my life and the world through the lens of ETP. There are many moments I use ETP curriculum to asses my own readiness for parenting and as a conversation starter with my partner on important relationship topics. Additionally, I can’t count how many times I’ve heard other adults and even mental health professionals say “we should start teaching young people about relationships and parenting in middle school!”
Fortunately, I’m able to say, “funny you should say that…let me introduce you to this curriculum called Educate Tomorrow’s Parents”.
I think we all need ETP, imagine how different our lives as adults would be if we knew a little more about adulting BEFORE we actually had to adult.
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I would like every teen and young adult I know to experience this program!
As someone with years of experience teaching middle and high school students, it can be a challenge to get young people engaged in learning and talking about tough topics, but ETP got it right. From the very beginning of ETP's program students are thinking through real life situations and making important connections between today’s choices and their life ahead. By the end of the program students are making promises to finish school or to never harm their child, even students who have challenging life situations themselves. That’s the magic of ETP’s curriculum, giving young people the hope and tools to navigate life and plan for their future.
I love the impact this organization has on the community for years now. It started when I learned vital information about the responsibility it takes to raise a child, during my high school health education class. I then was a volunteer with the organization, helping the community learn about child safety around the house. My involvement grew even stronger as I was a Marketing Communications Intern for ETP, that launched my trajectory to college and a career in advertising.
The work ETP does with our youth is significant in the way that it serves as a barrier for many negative outcomes (for future families wellbeing and structure).
When we invest in programs that empower youths future decisions, we help them become good critical thinker, leaders in their own lives and their communities.
Building up our future communities matter not only to the common citizen but also to our societies ecology.
I support EPT because it strengths future families that build strong resilient homes and communities by challenging youth to think about critical question that impact their future family decisions.
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As a volunteer and former board member of ETP, I have seen the long-term benefits that impact the lives of youth. Not only does ETP empower youth to advocate and take control of their futures, but also prepares youth with the skills to help them make good decisions in becoming parents.
As a researcher who has evaluated many nonprofits that work with at-risk youth, ETP is one of the few organizations that is well-designed and organized. The curriculum is developmentally appropriate for youth, the language is modified for youth to have a better understanding of the material, and the workbook engages youth in critically thinking about how they can apply what they have learned from ETP.
ETP’s programs treat young adults as “active agents” who have a powerful role in changing their own environment and other people’s lives. Giving youth this power not only has long-term benefits for their wellbeing and development, but it also impacts the community they live in. My greatest reward from directly working with ETP is hearing participating youth say, “I have the power to change my family’s cycle of abuse” and “I want to be prepared before I bring a child into the world.”
ETP is the foundation for better preparing youth who have not been exposed to a healthy family model or have not thought about their future parent role. I personally feel when we invest time and money in our future generation we create healthier people who are capable of raising children well.
In fact, I recommended Educate Tomorrow’s Parents (ETP) curriculum to experts and professional leaders. Please see below for recommendation.
“Support student success by building capacity and resiliency: Schools should offer educational programs to youth where they can learn how to foster resiliency and form positive non-parental relationships (NPR) and future orientation (FO). For example, Educate Tomorrow’s Parents (ETP) is an educational program that gets youth to think about their future orientation. Most of the program’s curriculum focuses in the family and marriage domain but it also ties in the domains of education and work/career. Family is part of a youth’s future orientation. It creates a context to make better decisions now in all aspects of their life such as education and health choices (Fergus & Zimmerman, 2005). It also provides an increase of motivation to get an education to achieve a lifestyle they wish to have and give to their future family and partner. By providing adolescents with family health information, ETP seeks to improve knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Teens are then able to make informed and healthy choices prior to creating a family, and thereby have greater capacities as adults to care for [and provide for] their future children (Rubenstein, 2018, p. 205) In addition, the EPT curriculum helps youth to identify caring adults that help support their goals, navigate around obstacles, and encourage them to engage in meaningful activities. Also, ETP’s logical model helps reduce or prevent future adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in future generations. More funding should be allocated to educational programs or organizations that focus on building capacity and resiliency among all youth” (Valdivia, 2019, p. 141-142).
Valdivia, G. (2019). Protective Factors of Academic Resiliency (Published doctoral dissertation). California State University of San Bernardino.
doi: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1990&context=etd
So proud to serve on the board of Educate Tomorrow’s Parents. Our on-line curriculum is providing critical information to adolescents across the US. ETP is empowering them to plan their future families and to envision a life with hope and possibility. I know that we are making a positive impact in our time and beyond.
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During 2020 with the pandemic shutting down schools across the nation, Educate Tomorrow’s Parents still provided critical pre-parenting, child abuse prevention, and youth empowerment information through on-line lesson plans. I am so proud to continue to serve on the board of this non-profit as we grow our reach through sales of our digital and printed curriculum now available across the US and Canada. We provide teens with the necessary tools to visualize a future that is based in reality but with hope and a healthy understanding of what family can and should be.
rrubenstein 09/28/2021
We endure and thrive thanks to people like you who share our dream of every parent prepared to care, and every child safe and loved.
ETP provides tools and knowledge to teens that are essential to growing into successful adults. As assistant to the Executive Director, Randi Rubenstein, I have had the privilege to experience the impact ETP has on students, both in and outside of the classroom, as well as the connections it creates among teachers and professionals. I first started working with ETP because of my own connection to the cause. As a high school student, I too was introduced to the concepts of family and life planning. The importance of these topics led me to join a school club that helped promote these tools and life-saving knowledge to my fellow peers. When I found ETP during my college journey, I was instantly drawn to its mission like I had been in high school. Working alongside Randi in all stages of her work has furthermore inspired my commitment to ETP. She is extremely dedicated by heart and soul to her mission, which clearly shines through her lessons and materials for students and teachers.
ETP provides essential educational opportunities oftentimes not covered in the curriculum in schools (public, private, at-home, etc) concerning the responsibilities, commitments, and sacrifices it takes to be a parent in the world today.
The heartfelt passion of the Executive director is what inspires our commitment to the community and the cohesion of our board. Serving on the board for the past 7 years has been an honor. With the advancements of digital communication over the past 19 months, ETP is well-positioned to broaden its footprint exponentially and impact more of our nation's teens.
rrubenstein 10/18/2021
Thank you for explaining our mission and vision so well! The valuable guidance you provide as a member of our board of directors is deeply appreciated.
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During the past nine month, Education for Successful Parenting has taken a look inside the organization to see how to continually fund the organization to promote the ever-important messages the organization provides to our youth. The future generation will do much to shape the land we all share, and the importance of ESP's message grows stronger with each passing day.
To see how the teens react to the curriculum is the inspiration behind ESP's growth plan. What started as a successful capital campaign has moved into further refined operational strategies.
2017 stands to be a great chapter in the ESP textbook, and we are lucky to be involved with such a strong organization.
ETP is progressive organization bringing needed education and insight into the lives of Teens across the country. Through multiple modalities ETP is able to speak to teens where, when and how they want to be reached and provides the necessary toolkits for parents and educators to meet those needs. ETP focuses on preparing the next generation of parents BEFORE it is too late.
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ETP is progressive organization bringing needed education and insight into the lives of Teens across the country. ETP focuses on preparing the next generation of parents BEFORE it is too late. The group is a preeminent leader in improving the well-being of your through training and curriculum in school and elsewhere.
Educate Tomorrow’s Parents provides comprehensive curriculum to help kids at a key stage in their development better understand how the choices they make will impact their future. Kids that get exposed to this material will pause and think about what it takes to form a healthy family and what a big responsibility it is to have a child. If all kids were able to benefit from this material we would surely have better formed families. I 100% advocate for this material being rolled out everywhere!
rrubenstein 10/01/2021
We're so grateful for your support as a vital member of our board of directors. Thank you for making time to share your perspective so more people can know about our valuable work.
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Educate Tomorrow’s Parents does a great job of filling a gap in health education by treating teens as the future parents they are and helping them think about how the decisions they make today will affect their future. I am so impressed with how interested the kids are in the content of this course and how they realize how important it is for them to be ready before starting their families. Executive Director Randi is an expert on the issues that cause negative outcomes for families and this is an invaluable piece of what can help stop poor outcomes. This content truly empowers teens and I wish every teen everywhere could have the opportunity to attend this course!
As an educator who teaches a class about families, relationships, and parenting to high school students, I am always looking for engaging, honest, and REAL ways to talk about these topics with my students. I found it with the ETP curriculum! A LOT of other curriculum I have found over the years feels canned, out of date, and/or is not relevant to student’s lives today. The ETP curriculum presented family development from the long-term perspective. It demonstrated in a gentle way how student’s present day decisions can impact their life years down the road. It was a very well thought out lesson plan and also highly respected student’s different family situations, sexuality, genders, and cultures. It was very inclusive and just what I was looking for!
Additionally, the lessons were easy for me to implement and assess with little to no editing! During the time when we were online learning I had to quickly find ways to engage students in deep learning and accountability, while also allowing them to think critically about their lives. I found ETP’s curriculum on Teachers Pay Teachers and tested out one lesson. There was an interactive PowerPoint with stopping points for students to talk and respond to prompts. And there was a fillable PDF form for students to easily type in their answers.
As an educator I highly recommend the ETP curriculum. It’s inclusive, thoughtful, and thorough.
rrubenstein 08/26/2021
Thank you for sharing your experiences. It's been gratifying to know ETP 's instructional materials are easy for instructors to implement, and together we're helping more teens make good choices now for healthy future families.
I most recently interacted with Educate Tomorrow's Parents when I helped review their lesson on relationships. I was excited by the ideas they had to share and their mission to help teens make more informed and purposeful choices in their lives. When I was in high school I took their course, and now that I teach 2nd grade, I often call upon information I learned in their program with my students and navigating my life as a young adult. One of the most memorable things from my experience as one of ETP's students was how respected I felt. The instructors gave me the opportunity to explore my future in a safe way, and I recall how much I enjoyed their insight and thoughtfulness. After I told my mother all about the course, she said that ETP's program should be in all the schools, and I totally agree.
rrubenstein 08/12/2021
We're always happy to know our program inspires students. And we're over the moon when we hear how students apply the knowledge years later in their daily lives and career! Thank you for all you do on behalf of children.
When I was a first year teacher with little Family and Consumer Sciences experience and no resources to get me started, I was super excited to hear about Educate Tomorrow's Parents Life-Plan for Parenting Workbook. I was teaching Human Development at the time and was about to begin a Parenting unit, so it worked out perfect. I still use this workbook in my classes each year and find it very relevant and meaningful. My students have said that it challenges them to think about their future in ways that they haven't before.
rrubenstein 08/10/2021
We're so gratified to know our materials are easy for teachers to implement and to inspire teens to be thoughtful about the parenting stage of life!
I have been a volunteer for Educate Tomorrow's Parents for 6 years now and have experienced the impact this organization provides for students grades 8-12. I was introduced to ETP by being one of those teens who was taught the curriculum at my school. I enjoy volunteering because I know it provides an education to other students that prepares them to have a nurturing family of their own in the future. It has been amazing to see how the organization has expanded now to offering digital lesson plans accessible for teachers to share with their students.
rrubenstein 07/23/2021
We are so grateful for your ongoing participation in our work! It is such a joy to be part of your journey as you continue to support our mission. With your continued help, we're able to assist more teens, and now assist the teachers who instruct teens. Together we're creating brighter futures for teens and their future families.
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Education for Successful Parenting instructed me in my freshman health class, that impacted the decisions I make for the rest of my life. That summer I began volunteering for ESP and teaching what I learned to the community. Now as a senior in high school, I am interning at ESP.
rrubenstein 10/14/2016
How lucky were we to have you in one of our classes! And now to have you as an intern is helping ESP accomplish so much more. Your volunteerism over the past 4 years has helped to protect and enhance the lives of so many children. Thank you!
Educate Tomorrow's Parents has been an essential component of my Health Curriculum. The content and the presenters are top notch!
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Educate Tomorrow's Parents has been a part of my Health Class Curriculum for the past 5 years. Having this organization in my classroom is such an important component to teaching today's teens about the importance of what it takes to be a parent. The lessons are a real eye opener for many students and help the students make connections to how this topic is important to their lives now and in the future.
I have had the opportunity to volunteer with Educate Tomorrow's Parents. The work this organization does helps to educate teens before they make choices that they are not ready for. Helping teens understand what it means to be a parent before the decision is made for them is a game changer. Help keep up this amazing work. Leslie Claiborne
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As a person who has seen the difficult side of child welfare and had dealings with teens becoming parents before they were ready, ESP is helping teens be proactive about their life instead of reacting to circumstance. By giving the teens the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions about their life choices. While attending an ESP class, it was apparent the teens were not aware of what was involved in having a child. Watching them work through the exercises on goal setting for their future was truly eye opening. Many had not given their future much thought. After watching this class, I truly believe that this program makes a difference in the choices a teen may make. I am thrilled to be a volunteer.
I've been familiar with this fantastic non-profit from its beginning and continue to be so impressed with the positive impact it has on any young people lucky enough to participate. I wish it could be available in every high school & middle school.
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I met Randi Rubenstein, founder of Educational for Successful Parenting , shortly after she began this fantastic non-profit. After hearing about the group's goals & reading the curriculum she created all I could think was, "This should be in every middle and high school in our country." She combines an engaging life-skills approach with an education in child development. The result is teens who, for the first time, are realistically considering what life goals they may have and what actions on their part will and will not advance them toward those goals. ESP itself does not preach an agenda. It provides a place and a path for teens to ask themselves these questions, while education them to realities of adulthood and parenthood. ESP provides an invaluable service and I truly wish it was available to all teens in our country.
ETP has made a huge difference in the lives of so many teens by educating them About the real responsibility of parenthood . I admire Randi for developing this program
I first learned about ETP in 2012 when my son took their course in high school. Since then, I've had the opportunity to read all of their materials and get to know the Executive Director. ETP is the real deal. Through their course (taught in high schools over a period of 1-2 weeks) they help teens look to the future and decide what kind of future they want. They teach them about the responsibilities and sacrifices that come with parenthood. And they address how to parent babies and young children. Too many families in our country lack good parenting. ETP steps in to provide guidance to teens who don't have good parenting role models. I can think of few things more important.
ESP directly impacts those that are in their formative years of eventual family planning. The material is empirical and critical. The presentation is straight-forward and life-changing. Stemming from the passion of the Executive Director, ETP is poised to exponentially grow and reach more children than every before.
Every dollar invested in ESP is used to grow the mission and impact more teens in the local community. I am proud to be a small part of such a great organization.
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Educate Tomorrow's Parents addresses the realization that our next generation will be parents in the near future. The hands-on impact the curriculum facilitates provides tangible results to the teenagers that go through the course.
The passion shown by the Executive Director and Instructors is infectious. The growth the organization has made int he past year further reinforces the goal to educate more children about basic parenting demands before they are placed in that situation.
I couldn't be more proud to be associated with ETP for the past five years.
ESP is a one of a kind non-profit that has helped thousands of children. Observing a class, one can see the immediate impact it has on the children – students walk into a class with one set of expectations regarding parenting responsibility and leave with a new set of expectations that will allow them to make better life choices.
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ESP touches both teens and parents providing invaluable information through interactive workshops on pre-parenting and healthy family foundations. Watching ESP's classes, one can see the great impact it can have on teens.
rrubenstein 08/03/2018
Thank you for your continued support of healthy children and strong families in our communities!
Randi and her team have done an amazing job for years at our high school. If it were not for sponsors, she would not be able to spend 4 days with our students and reach hundreds of kids with important messages. Students continuously say positive things about what they walked away with during their time in our classrooms.
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Randi and Lisheema present to my entire Healthful Living Department every year. Not only are they faithful for showing up early & every day, but they are also remarkably engaging to the students. They meet the students on their level, they keep the students involved, they are great about having name tags & calling the students by their name as well as getting them involved in activities. Every year our students write amazing essays about how wonderful & appropriate this material is to their lives. They can practice good habits now & they realize how much this avoids conflicts & poor decision making in their future--a future which can drastically change from just one poor choice. GREAT JOB Educating Tomorrow's Parents!!
rrubenstein 08/03/2018
Thank you for taking time to write about your experiences with our organization. We enjoy implementing best teaching practices, and we're proud of the high quality of our professional staff. It's a pleasure to work with you, year after year.
This is the 5th year I have had the pleasure of having ETP speak with my classes. The content provided is realistic, educational, and most importantly crucial to the development of students, teens, and future parents. The materials are appropriate such as the guide books, videos, role play, and instruction to engage the minds that are sitting in front of them. I have had several students come to me after the fact and state how much they enjoyed the class and how beneficial it might be as they themselves become Toomorrow's parents. A big thumbs up!
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The program is a good introduction to help students acknowledge the fact that topics covered within the program affect them now. It allows student to think conceptually what their future hold for them and their future families. The program was engaging and age appropriate. The program aligns with the content of our course and gives the students a new lens on topics that are important for our demographic.
rrubenstein 08/03/2018
Thank you for taking time to write about your experiences with our organization! It's always a pleasure to have our curriculum and staff so warmly welcomed into your classroom. We appreciate the opportunity to work with you and help your students plan a bright future.
I had the rewarding opportunity to work with Educate Tomorrow's Parents during the spring semester of 2018. I learned about their role and the impact they have on teen's lives through fundraising and being a teachers assistant. They truly make a difference in teen's lives by teaching them the responsibility of being a parent and the role they have now in making a difference for both their children's lives and others.
rrubenstein 08/03/2018
Thank you for posting a note about your experiences. Your volunteerism and fundraising makes our work possible. We are all so grateful for your participation and support!
Educate Tomorrow's Parents is a valuable and necessary program that delivers practical information to young people. I will continue to utilize this instruction yearly.
rrubenstein 08/03/2018
Thank you for taking time to share your experience with others! It's a pleasure to work with you to help your students plan a bright future.
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Educate Tomorrow’s Parents offers a unique and engaging ways to talk to teens. Our curriculum is research-based, factual, drawn from multiple disciplines and:
- Supports the national Essential Standards for Secondary School Health Education.
- Correlates with emerging standards that emphasize critical-thinking skills.
- Respects cultural and religious differences.
- Accommodates learning differences.
99% of students who participated in this class agree they will be better able to provide for, protect, and nurture a child.
rrubenstein 08/03/2018
Thank you for your volunteer service on our board of directors. Educate Tomorrow's Parents is so fortunate to have your guidance and support.
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ESP improves the health and wellbeing of the next generation of families by empowering adolescents, who have yet to conceive children, with parenting information and skills.
More than 6 thousand teens are now making healthier choices, setting higher goals, and developing the ability to care for our next generation of children as a result of ESP’s program. We are looking forward to the day when every child can have a healthy beginning in life, free from abuse and trauma, and cared for by prepared parents.
ESP truly is preparing today’s teens as tomorrow’s parents.
Lisheema and her group were amazing as usual. They presented to my Health class for 2 days and were able to cover very important topics. They engaged my students into the presentation and my kids were very involved. Great Job! Thanks Randi for setting this up and for caring about our students.
rrubenstein 08/03/2018
Thank you for taking time to share your experiences with our organization. It is always a pleasure to work with you and to help your students plan for a bright future.
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Randi and guest presenters were very professional and caring presenters. They set the presentation up, so that they were talking to a large number of students each block, but we're able to keep it interesting for all! They were great at keeping the students engaged and had our students interacting! This was a great presentation and we would love to have them back!
I have had ESP in my classroom and a part of our Relationships Unit for Healthful Living for the past 5 years. It is always enlightening to my students as they gain knowledge and practical understanding of good decision making. They absorb how costly it is to raise a child and they see the frustrating portion that can be a part of rearing a child. In light of this, they set up strategies to make good decisions so that they can meet their goals and have a family when they are ready for that chapter of their life. I appreciate all who support this program so that they can continue reaching our teens with such good guidance
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Randi and Courtney were expert presentors at Millbrook HS. They reached hundreds of our students in a matter of just a few days. We continue to get positive feedback from students on the value of what they speak and interact about. One never knows what influence this will be to their lives as they move into adulthood.
rrubenstein 04/07/2014
Thank you for inviting us to return for a third year to educate the Millbrook students about family health! It is so rewarding to assist your teens in planning for strong families and to help them realize the far-reaching effects of their adolescent choices in health and relationships.
For 7 years I have supported Education for Successful Parenting (ESP) and have seen first hand the amazing impact this organization makes in our future generation of parents. The curriculum engages teens in an open and honest dialogue about their future dreams of a family and their life plans. Also as an instructor for ESP, I have seen firsthand how the curriculum opens healthy communication between teens and their parents. Randi Rubenstein's passion and hard work drives ESP to grow every year and to reach more and more communities. Thank you ESP for the positive impact you are making!!
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ESP is such an amazing program that provides teens and their parents and guardians about their healthy future family. I’ve had the privilege of participating in ESP for 5 years, first as a volunteer, then an instructor and now a Board Member. As a social worker, I also see how many of our teens and their families struggles when they lack the pre-parenting strategies to foster a healthy and safe future for the next generation. The curriculum is structured in a way that creates a safe and comfortable environment for participants to learn such powerful life skills. It’s amazing to see how both teen and adults are engaged in creating their future goals while completing their “Life Plan” workbooks. I continue to support ESP because I truly believe in its mission to improve the well-being of all children in our communities.
The Education for Successful Parenting course is a high quality program that provides necessary information for teenage students. The program held the attention of my students and allowed them the experience of working with the ESP staff. The kids enjoyed recording responses in the workbook provided.
Randi and the ESP Team were great! Students were interactive w/ their presentation and the information was relevant and engaging. Students were given a workbook to help them follow the presentation and do some activities. I feel that Randi and Lisheema were great presenters and very knowledgeable on the subject matter.
Education for Successful Parenting is an amazing nonprofit organization that works with young adults in local communities to help prepare them for making responsible life decisions that can positively impact them and their future families. I actually had the chance to learn from this program when I was a freshman in high school and I can say with great confidence that it has helped me make smart and mature decisions in various areas of my life. Currently, I am a sophomore at North Carolina State University and Education for Successful Parenting has given me the tremendous opportunity to gain vital experience working directly in the community while offering me insight to how crucial this curriculum is in the lives of high school teens. As a volunteer, I have witnessed how this program has had a great impact on diverse types of students in varying aspects. I have gotten the chance to see how that this program helps raise awareness to young adults about the multiplicity of factors that ideally influence them as they advance to the important stage in their lives in which they decide to start a family. This curriculum contains significant information on child development, healthy interpersonal relationships, and parenting skills; but also challenges the students to consider their life goals and to reflect on how these factors can impact these specific goals. As someone who had taken the course as a young student, I can now reflect on how this program has positively influenced me to make healthy life decisions that have helped me reach personal life goals as well as prepare me for the succeeding stages in my life. That being said, from the perspective of a student and a volunteer I can say without a doubt that Education for Successful Parenting is an excellent nonprofit organization that is working hard to serve the local community of young teens by strengthening their knowledge of how they can build better foundations for their themselves as well as their future families.
I was delighted to have the opportunity to volunteer for a day with Education for Successful Parenting. It was wonderful to see how well the students responded to the information and how engaged they were in the conversations. This information is so important for young people to have as they begin to think about their futures. I wish this program was available in all Wake County high schools!
Randi and her group do a great job reaching out to the young people of the community. What they do is a great eye opener for the youth and future parents of the coming generations.
rrubenstein 02/23/2017
We enjoyed our time with your students this week! Thank you for sharing your feedback.
ESP is a great organzation that has given me the opportunity to work within my community to spread awareness about child saftety throughout my high school career. It has also opened many doors and opportunities for myself and peers , who are now the founders of The Esp teen club.
rrubenstein 10/14/2016
Having you in our class several years ago was wonderful. And then you took it to a whole new level by joining us in our work and helping to form the ESP Teens Club! We are so proud of your great accomplishments, and know this is just the beginning of your beautifully bright future.
This program was very informative for my students and gave them many tools as future parents. I enjoyed their activities and workbook that they provided. This is a wonderful program that I hope to use in my classroom instruction again next school year.
Education for Successful Parenting (ESP) focuses on informing teens the responsibilities of being a parent, before they become a parent. Today's society is often back loaded in that information or action is presented after the fact. ESP's goal is to be proactive in informing teens the requirements of being a parent, to help protect our future generations.
I am sItting in a classroom filled with teens and watching them talk honestly about their parents, their experiences, and their lives. Amid the stories of want, neglect, and sometimes violence, I begin to see a nod of understanding, a hand raised to ask a question, and a general shift in the tone and tenor of the whole group. I start to hear talk about planning, responsibility, parenting skills, and finances. I hear voices that speak about hope and achievable dreams not only for themselves but for their future families. This is what EDUCATION FOR SUCCESSFUL PARENTING provides, the tools and skills to make that dream a possibility. Serving on the board of ESP has given me these moments that say "YES, I can make a difference!" ESP has taught over 200 of these classes on both the East and West coasts and impacted over 6,500 teens, parents, educators, and professionals. This is what ESP can do. Learn more about us on www.eduparents.org.
What a pleasure it was to have Randi and her team in our classrooms again this year. I love the information shared through her curriculum. We teach the students so many things in school academically (Math, Science, English, etc.) We do our best to prepare them for college. Randi's curriculum goes several steps deeper by preparing them for life! The variety of activities used to present her information on successful parenting kept the students engaged. Randi uses role-playing, video clips, discussion, goal setting, financial planning, positive choice making, group interaction, flip charts, etc. to give students the opportunity to practice and "embed" in their minds, if you will, the material being taught. She also provides the students with a workbook to use over the two-day teaching session that they can write in and keep for future use. There may not be a "book on parenting" but Randi's curriculum comes very close. She provides students with very powerful insight into the preparation needed to be an effective parent in the future and makes them clearly aware of the fact that they ARE NOT READY for the responsibility now. Randi equips and the students enjoy!
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Randi and Courtney are awesome. They were able together to cover a wealth of information over a few short days. Their ability to relate to the students, high schoolers, and engage them in the learning process was far more than we could have hoped for. Randi and Courtney provided a variety of activities to engage the students so that the students were not just passive participants, sitting and drifting away in boredom. Instead they were actively listening and actively participating in the process. Students shared ideas, answered questions and received a take-away booklet to refer to down the road. We (Health teachers and students alike) continue to be blessed by this program. Thanks a bunch ladies! You all are fabulous!!
rrubenstein 05/21/2014
It is such a pleasure to support your students' learning, and offer them another context for understanding the importance of healthy decisions during adolescence. We are grateful for your partnership and praise.
Working with ESP has been such a joy! Not only is the founder, Randi Rubenstein, extremely passionate about what she does, but the entire program is completely amazing. I grew up in a low-income community my from the time I was enrolled in elementary school. I've also grown up in a family where having a child before the age of 20 is the norm. These experiences truly allow me to appreciate what this program does. I remember being in a Parenting and Child Development class during high school copying definitions from a textbook. In fact, one of my fellow classmates, a freshman, was actually pregnant. I feel as if we would have had ESP curriculum incorporated into in the class, it would have made much more of an impact. I have been able to observe what the classroom is like and it has motivated me to continue to spread the word about ESP. The teens are so engaged, attentive, and they genuinely seem interested. I believe that ESP would be beneficial for any high school curriculum, home school student, or even just a program that parents can implement in their child's life. It has been so rewarding to be a part of something that has such an impact on our community!
rrubenstein 03/14/2015
Thank you for taking time to write about your impressions of our Healthy Foundations for Future Families high school program and our organization. We are so honored you chose ESP for your internship!
Being a new board member, I had the honor of attending a recent session at a local high school. Seeing the program taught reaffirmed my work-to-date with Education for Successful Parenting as being relevant, comprehensive, and influential to general children's well being by focusing on early education for teens. Being a parent myself, I am still amazed the 2-day program is not included in the standard high school curriculum. The interaction between Randi and the teens was genuine, and the ability for the other instructors to seamlessly integrate and present was really powerful to the children I got to observe. Having them immediately drop reservations about the program and open up and interact was also refreshing.
I am proud to commit my time to such a devoted organization, and believe the teens that will be the foundation of our future absorb as much knowledge and information in these two days than any other two-day program in their schooling.
I have had the opportunity to intern with ESP and observe high school students participating in the program. ESP teaches teens goal-setting and how to stay on a clear path by making positive choices. Students are provided a workbook that helps them create a personal life plan. The program includes a budgeting component and provides examples of positive discipline strategies for parenting. Students are taught about child development and the responsibilities of protecting children. Through role play students are able to practice making positive choices. I am very impressed by ESP’s unique program and its varied methods. I was able to see first-hand the positive affect it has on teens.
rrubenstein 11/25/2014
We are so grateful that you chose ESP for your internship! Your assistance and insights have helped strengthen our program and our organization. Thank you for sharing your observations.
Randi and her team did an amazing job presenting to our students. They helped reinforce what we taught in the classroom and connected it to their lives. I loved their variety of teaching techniques: role playing, videos, charts and hands on activities. Our students were very engaged during their lessons and they had some very good discussions. I loved that they helped the students focus on their future to help drive their decisions today.
Randi and the others on her team did a great job keeping the kids engaged with very difficult topics. The student’s eyes were really opened about the real life choices they have to make. They asked tons of questions and really enjoyed the two days they were with Randi.
Randi and her team are truly passionate about providing this valuable information to our students. Her curriculum and the delivery of it are engaging to adolescents. She helps them realize the importance of making choices that will help them succeed in the future. My students remained engaged throughout the workshop due to the variety of teaching practices.
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This ESP program covers so many real world issues that will help our students prepare for their future. Their program informs the youth about making healthy choices during a very critical time in their lives. I would recommend this program for all adolescents. The speakers do a real good job of mixing up their presentation information through: skits,lecture,short videos,4 corners,etc.
I think that this program was very helpful in teaching me essential skills that i'll need in order to be a good parent in the future. I liked how they shared real stories about things that happen. Also, they gave us booklets with all of the information that we learned to keep for future guidance, which was great!
I feel that this was a good program for high school students because it helps you prepare for the future. I really enjoyed it because it taught me a lot to look forward to if I want to be a parent.
The ESP program was helpful program when knowing what to do in the present as well as in the future . It helped me realize a lot. With what I learned from this program it will help me later on in the future with parenting. I especially liked the tips they gave us. Hopefully it have put an huge impact on our generation and future generations to come.
I really enjoyed this program because i felt that everything i learned was being personally taught to me, using the booklet the volunteers provided for me. My favorite part of the program was logging things that i want to have for my future such as the type of home i wanted, and my living expenses.
This organization has helped me think about my future as a parent. It has gave me many tips about what to expect and how i can make the experience the safest and well thought out. I enjoyed it very much!
Being a volunteer for ESP has helped out not only me but has had a tremendous impact in my community. The teachers are very caring to the children and treat them as their own. I am so grateful for even being associated with such an outstanding non-profit and I look forward to volunteering for ESP again.
I learned so many important things about how to parent a child and handle situations in a different way that maybe I wouldn't have handled well.
In my years of experience in teaching in Wake County I have heard a great deal of speakers on this topic.
Your presentation was the best.
Your presentation was exactly what the students needed to hear to make wise choices when it pertains to having children and taking responsibility for their choices. I think it made an impression on them and as one of my students wrote it made him aware of how important relationships will be in the future. Thank you for showing how much you care about the future of our society.
CBrayboy
The Millbrook Physical Education Department really benefited from the information Randi and guests had to share with the ninth grade students. The presentation was very engaging and the students seemed to take the information to heart. It was obvious that the presenters spent a great deal of their time to better student decision making in every day life. Overall, the presentation reflected positive results for both the PE staff at Millbrook and most importantly the students. I am very thankful for Randi and the other volunteer's hard work and desire to change student lives!
Education for Successful Parenting was absolutely phenomenal. They came to my school and talked with passion and with knowledge. They were able to keep our class calm and listening, which is especially impressive for a class of nearly 100 freshmen in high school! I was interested by the information they gave which was on a level much higher than any information given in a typical high school heath class. Not to mention their activities were engaging and the seminar overall was just super interesting and engaging.
rrubenstein 05/21/2014
We are delighted our presentation went so smoothly in the large group setting, even though we are more accustomed to teaching in smaller groups. When ESP can touch the lives of even one person, like you, we are richly rewarded. And how wonderful that we were in fact able to positively effect many, many more. Thank you for taking time to share your experience.
Great curriculum for young teens! Randi and her program really touch on real life problems that are facing our youth and her program's angle is very engaging.
As a volunteer I was able to see how to touch some very "adult" topics that are essential to any teenager heading towards adulthood.
Overall, I would recommend this type of seminar for any high school and I believe this type of education is vital to teens out there who may not have access to it.
rrubenstein 05/14/2014
Thank you for sharing your valuable insights, especially as one of our volunteers who has seen our program in action at a local high school!
It is refreshing to work with someone who is so passionate about her work. By volunteering with ESP I feel that I am playing a small part in the success of our children. Their message is relevant and needed.
rrubenstein 05/14/2014
We are so grateful for your assistance! With your help, we're able to review all the student feedback comments, and continually improve and grow our programs. You play a very vital role in our success. Thank you for also taking time to post your thoughts.
I really owe a lot to ESP for helping me attain so much knowledge and life experience.
rrubenstein 08/26/2013
We are so glad that you have continued to support ESP through the years! You have been a wonderful representative of ESP. We are proud of your academic and career achievements, and you are a wonderful role model for all ESP youth volunteers.
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When I first heard about the ESP youth volunteer group from a friend I didn't know what to think but after going to a meeting I became extremely interested in sharing my thoughts and ideas to help plan events and activites. I had no idea how involved I would become but I actually felt very comfortable doing anything I could to make ESP reach its' full potential. Education for Successful Parenting has helped me to appreciate the family I have. ESP showed me that in order to create a family, one must be prepared to raise a child which is difficult to do in early adulthood. ESP demonstrates the benefits of building a career and a safe environment before bringing a child into the world. ESP has helped me to plan out my life and set goals for myself. I recommend young teens to experience any Education for Successful Parenting event or course as they are all informative and inspiring.
This program is INVALUABLE in terms of content for my students. I have a very diverse group but all have enjoyed and benefitted from the visits from this organization to our classroom. Student feedback after the visits is always extremely positive. Everyone should invite this group to their classroom to enhance the learning of their students!
rrubenstein 08/26/2013
It is always gratifying to know our program is beneficial and valuable for diverse populations of students. Thank you for taking time to write about your experiences with ESP. Your high praise means a lot to all of us!
Our program has collaborated with ESP for several years now offering workshop series to foster parents, caregivers, CASAs and their foster youth. Each time the evaluations are overwhelmingly positive and we frequently receive calls to know when the next one will be scheduled. Randi and her team are wonderful people to work with. If you have not attended a workshop yet, please find some time to attend as you would greatly benefit.
rrubenstein 08/20/2013
Helping foster youth learn how to prepare for and enjoy a healthy family is one of the most rewarding activities of our organization. We're delighted to support the important work of foster parents, guardians, and your program in meeting the many needs of foster youth.
As a person who passionately works with single-mothers, absent fathers and fatherless children, the value of ESPs curriculum and services are clearly understood. With the continual growth of that population, assisting our youth and future parents in the intentional thought process and parenting plan is a NECESSITY not an option.
I have used the My Life Plan for Parenting workbook with others and have had the opportunity to also observe and participate in a workshop facilitated by Randi in Orange County, CA and found the participants engaged in the conversation and eager to share their thoughts and feelings, its streamline ensures the important topics are discussed and the participants engage in their own life plan.
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Faith groups, social services, community groups, schools nationwide - in order to make a serious dent in the epidemic of single-parenting should grab a hold of the flexibility of this curriculum to be worked into the unique needs of their mission. The value of Education for Successful Parenting's services is yet to be fully realized, but oh so necessary!
rrubenstein 08/20/2013
We value your opinion as both a client and as an expert, and we're grateful to know ESP's instructional tools have been helpful in your work. Thank you for taking time to write about your experiences with our program!
Randi did a great job with her presentation/workshop. The students really seemed to enjoy all the activities and open-conversation. The program(ESP) is a great resource for our future parents and gives them a lot of proper and useful understandings of what it takes to be a parent.
rrubenstein 05/29/2013
We're delighted you continue to bring ESP into your classes again and again. It's always rewarding to hear from teachers like you that ESP's programs are valuable.
I currently volunteer for ESP (and have been for several months). Initially when I looked up ESP online, I was just trying to find some positive way to spend my extra time; however, when I met the founder Randi, her other volunteers, and the ESP students I realized there was a personal connection for me - past and future . Because of my childhood I understood the importance of such a program and also I recently got married and my husband and I plan to bring at least one child in this world. Working with ESP has taught me different ways to be a better future parent especially when it comes to finances and discipline. My husband and I will implement these lessons. With that said, I came looking to help with ESP and ESP actually helped me:) Randi is an absolute joy to work for and I am glad to be on her team... Please come join us!
Alex S.
rrubenstein 05/22/2013
We're so glad you are part of our team! Volunteers like you make our work possible. Together we're making the world a better place for our next generation of children.
I took this course in Millbrook High School healthful living class and i leaned so much. i found this course very inoformative on children and being a parent. I found that the the ESP hand book was helpful. it was hands on. I am more informed about being a parent than i was before, this course will help in the long path of my life. my class mate liked it too and would like to be a volnteer. Thank you ESP for helping me with this life choice.
rrubenstein 05/22/2013
We were so happy to meet you while visiting your class! Keep those beautiful dreams in front of you, and they will be like a compass, guiding you straight and true. Wishing you a joyful future!
As a teen who filled out the ESP workbook, I am much more informed about being a parent than I was before. I feel much more educated about what a child's needs are and what a parent's responsibilities are. This workbook made me realize that my parents have prepared me for life exceptionally well and I hope that when I have children many years from now that I will be like them as a parent.
rrubenstein 05/22/2013
We're so glad you found the workbook informative and helpful. And we're always happy when students discover a new or deeper appreciation for their parents.
I took this course through my Healthful Living class at Millbrook High School. I found the course very informative, and it got me thinking about my future and how to achieve my goals. The instructors are fantastic and include the audience in the lesson. The course really gets you thinking about things that you've never thought about before. I feel much more infomed about being a parent and the responsibities that come with it than I was before, and much more prepared for whatever my future holds.
rrubenstein 05/22/2013
In conducting our ESP programs, what we enjoy most are the wonderful conversations we are having with teens as they create personalized goals and identify the stepping stones to achieve them! Thank you for your enthusiastic participation in our program.
I have participated in this program through Heritage High school which has given my life a whole new direction. This is a magnificent organization which not only helped me to understand the importance of planning your life goals but also ways to be successful in it. ESP has taught me to never let go of my dreams and to make step by step organized plans in order to reach them with flying colors. Apart from this, I have learned when would be the time in my life to o become a good parent. Furthermore, through this organization, I have understood what younger children who do not have parents are going through in their lives, and thus it gave me an opportunity to reach out for them. Moreover, I have learned skills and techniques to help other people too. All in all, this organization helps us work hand in hand to make this world a better place to live in.
rrubenstein 12/08/2012
It was a pleasure having you in class. We're so happy to hear our program was helpful to you. This is why we love what we do! Thank you for taking time to share your thoughts with others. We hope you'll continue to stay in touch with us and let us know how you are doing. May all your dreams come true!
I participed in the program through Millbrook Highschool. I learned a lot of things , like that taking care of a baby is expensive and that you need to be settled before having a baby. Also something very interesting and useful that I learned was how to calm a baby when he/she is crying , i also liked to learn about all the different ways you can deal with your children instead of hurting them. I think that the program is very useful and interesting.
rrubenstein 12/08/2012
It was wonderful to have you in class. We love hearing that you learned a lot from our program and will be able to put the information to good use. Thank you for taking time to write a review on Great Nonprofits so other people can know what the experience is like for high school students. Hope to see you when we return to campus in two weeks to teach another class!
I am so thankful that Randi brings ESP to my son's high school! I think it fills a void that few have even acknowledged. Somehow we expect to break cycles of poverty and child abuse with academic and character education alone. Randi has recognized that we have to teach kids about what strong families look like and to nurture their dreams of a better life. Then, by showing them they have control over their destinies by the decisions they make, she gives them a chance. I wish her program could be part of every high school curriculum in the country.
rrubenstein 12/08/2012
We are indebted to wonderful parents like you who embrace our program and welcome us as partners in helping guide our teens to achieve bright futures. You explained the unique value of our program so well! Thank you for taking time to share your thoughts.
I am honored and privileged to be a part of the mission of Education for Successful Parenting. At a time when young people are bombarded with images and themes that glamorize sex alongside other plot lines that make parenting look easy, fun, and exciting, the mission of ESP is to bring a dose of reality to those teens and give them straight information on what it takes to actually parent. The program covers a wide array of topics, from realizing and budgeting for the cost of a child to understanding the stress that comes with parenting. The program begins with helping the students visualize and set their goals for their future families, recognizing that no one sets goals to raise children in poverty. It then shows them step by step how the choices and decisions that they make now and in the near future will impact those goals that they have set. Equipping young people with information and education on what it actually takes to achieve their goals for establishing a family is what ESP is all about. It has helped to change so many lives, and will continue to have a positive effect in the mission to break the cycle of young parents raising the next generation in less than desirable circumstances.
rrubenstein 11/14/2012
We love how our ESP programs can help teens fulfill their potential by creating realistic plans for career and family. Our hope is that this will help us create a more productive workforce and economically stable society. If we can reach enough teens, we could see results in a year’s time as we start to decrease the number of children born into fragile families, and increase the number of young adults with life-skills for self-sufficiency. With the support of wonderful community leaders like you, we hope to rapidly expand and be able to reap an amazing return on our investment. Thank you for helping us build a stronger organization and reaching more people!
When I started volunteering to do the books for Education for Successful Parenting, I decided to take the workbooks home to have our children to complete them. I really enjoyed the result. We have a blended family of 6 children. My children have attended Johnston County Schools and my husband's children have attended both Harnet & Wake County schools. All of them have had some type of parenting class through the school system, but these workbooks generated a new conscious level that their schools didn't and open the door for extensive conservation with us. Considering normally teenagers do not entertained long term consequences of their decisions but this workbook has motivated our children start doing this.
rrubenstein 11/14/2012
One of our favorite outcomes of our ESP programs is that we've been able to bring teens and parents closer together and facilitate positive discussion. We love the fact that many teens report a new appreciation for their parents' care. We also cherish our wonderful volunteers, like you, who enable us to keep our operating costs low and channel our resources into reaching more teens. We thank you deeply for helping us build a strong infrastructure for our organization!
Randi Rubenstein's altruism and dedication to ESP are an inspiration to any organization. She is impeccably professional and professional. She has built an incredible organization that will make the world a better place.
ESP is a wonderful program that educates teens and gets them thinking about their future. The program engages the class and is filled with activities that the students enjoy. This program gets the participants to start thinking about how they can reach their goals and have happy, healthy families when they are ready and the time is right. The program covers a vital part of education that is often overlooked or not deeply explored.
rrubenstein 11/13/2012
We are so grateful that you dedicate your time to our work to learning our programs indepth. Thank you for going one step further to share your experience with others.
I once heard a talk from a representative of the ESP organization and was so impressed with the concept and goals that I decided to make a contribution. I don't know of any other organization that is so targeted with the goal of seeing that the next generation learn the necessary skills to increase their chances of being successful parents. They are a wonderful group of volunteers truly seeking to create a better world by focusing their resources on one of the most critical age groups in our society -- young adults entering adulthood. Congratulations on a job well done!
rrubenstein 11/13/2012
ESP is so grateful for your support! Every donation is an investment in the lives of teens and future families. Thank you for the high praise.
Education for Successful Parenting is a great organization. The students walk out of the classroom consciously thinking about parenthood and their future. This program helps them recognize what a precious responsibility a child is, and what they need to do to right now to take care of a child in the future.
I love supporting this organization, which helps teens think about what kind of family they would someday like to have and the best way to get there. ESP has a very effective way of getting teens to explore issues such as waiting until adulthood before parenting, staying in school, and preparing for a future career. They also effectively focus on how to prevent child neglect and abuse. As a donor, I particularly appreciate ESP's effort to leverage funds to serve as many teens as possible. Their useful updates keep me informed of the effect they are having on teens.
As a graduate student for East Carolina University studying Health Education and Promotion, I selected ESP to do my course long research project on. I knew what a wonderful person Randi was and what her nonprofit was up to before the experience, but after I learned the ins and outs of her goals, motivations, and work ethnic, I can without a doubt say this organization is life changing and will continue to make an impact! I encourage anyone interested to get involved to see how this organization is making beneficial impacts for this generation, as well as, the next.
This program has been transforming students from children into young responsible adults that are going to be the future of this country. By learning how to be a successful parent they can make educated choices about entering into that covenant. This is a very empowering for young people who are in those transitional years of evaluating whether and when to pursue a higher education, trade school or to start a family. It teaches them there are options and how to look at the consequences of their choices before it's too late. I think "life skills" classes like this should be required in every High School in this country. Education for Successful Parenting exhibits the kind of education that is essential to the children of the future. I look forward to hearing about repeated success.
rrubenstein 11/05/2012
We are so grateful for your early and consistent financial support of our mission! Truly, our work would not have been possible without your investment in our teens. Thank you for continuing to help us do this important work. We look forward to a day when all teens get a chance to fulfill their potential, and all children will have capable and caring parents.
I attended the ESP Teen Creative Expressions Showcase "The Dream of Family" event at Westminster Mall on January 15, 2011, and was impressed to see and hear the voices of the participating youths who were inspired by the ESP program, as well as their feelings of family and community through their artwork, and personal contact with guests of the event.
rrubenstein 11/05/2012
We are so glad you enjoyed the event. The teens and I thank you so much for your assistance in helping us display their work. We continue to hear from the participants about how much their day in the spotlight meant to them. They have so much pride! And you were so instrumental in helping us share their work with the community.
I am a Health Teacher in a high school that has benefited from ESP's Programing. Each student in my class is required to write a reflection paper at the end of the health course about what they found most useful or memorable in class. Many of them chose to write about the ESP workshop that came to our school. This program encourages students to make thoughtful, informed, goal oriented decsions in regards to family. The curriculm is designed in a way that is extremely postive, and very engaging. It is a wonderful program for our school and our kids. I hope that it can be supported for years to come.
rrubenstein 11/05/2012
Thank you for inviting us into your classroom time and again. It was a pleasure teaching your students. We're looking forward to returning this semester.
I came to Education for Successful Parenting first as a volunteer, but ended up interning for my Masters of Social Work program at NC State University. The Executive Director, Randi, opened her doors to me and her wealth of knowledge and served as my field supervisor with short notice. I am forever grateful for her direction and her expertise in public health, education and at-risk youth. After going through ESP's curriculum and workbook "My Life Plan for Parenting", I could only wish that I had this information when I was in ninth grade. The curriculum and workbook work together to help participants develop and plan their life goals through the use of time lines, budgets, surveys and questions. It also helps teenagers see how early parenting and/or pregnancy can get in the way of their goals. Lastly, the curriculum helps participants to see that it takes a lot of patience and diligence to discipline a child and that there are consequences to anger (e.g. shaken baby syndrome). I have seen first-hand the impact that this curriculum has had on local youth. Evaluations from local high school classes show that teenagers are more aware of their decisions and how it can affect their future. ESP's teen program, Generation Next, also has a great group of teen volunteers who are passionate about reaching their own goals and helping their peers reach theirs through the use of the ESP curriculum. I am honored to intern for such a great organization and have grown so much as an up and coming social worker.
I attended one of ESP's classes and I loved it. I learned a lot about making informed choices and how certian choices affect your life. In the class, we learned about teen pregnacy, child abuse, shaken baby syndrome, and much more. ESP has provided an oportunity for me to decide what I want from life and what I have to do to get there.
I have enjoyed being in esp it is a very good program that not only help you before u make a mistake but gives you advice after if you do. i like it alot and i really recommend anyone to read and learn about it evn join it!...if they can. :)
I havw been volunteering with ESP for a whilr now and i have learned alot about being a good parent. I love feeling like im able to help out this group.
I attended ESP at Millbrook High school. The expericence informed me with important information many people should know, not just high school students. It informed me about teen pregnacy, choosing the right partner, shaken baby syndorme, foster care,and much more. ESP has changed my view about decision making and the responsibilites of child care. It's a great organization to get involved in and learn about. I have really enjoyed my time that I have spent with the organization.
I encountered Education for Succesful Parenting at a local high school after I attended a Generation to Generation workshop. My mother encouraged me to attend with her after I showed an interest in public health. I did not expect this workshop to be as effective as it turned out to be. ESP provided parents with the skills and knowledge to communicate with their teenagers about pregnancy and parenthood utilizing a very different, yet unoffensive, approach. ESP did not criticize, rather acknowledged and encourage parents to try different modes of communication with their children.
I have been working for ESP as an Public Health Intern. I enjoy everyday that I get to spend learning from Randi and her abundant knowledge on parenting and understanding teens. Although my time is spent working as a member of ESP, I feel as though I learn enough to be considered a student. Each day spent with ESP my education on parenting and educating our youth increases enormously! I am proud to know that I am apart of a team that is successfully doing its part to help stop the number of teen parents in our country.
My experience with Education for Successful Parenting (ESP) has been incredibly inspiring. Until recently, the organization has been entirely volunteer run. Led by Randi Rubenstein, its volunteers and board members were committed to having a real impact on the young adults in the community. Now, Ms. Rubenstein and her staff are visiting even more classes and schools -- reaching students before they become parents and educating them on how to be successful parents when the time is right. Every outreach opportunity generated more opportunities and each meeting came alive as we realized we were making incredible headway with only a handful of key volunteers. ESP is a credible organization with a strong vision and ambition that is certain to grow and expand in the near future. It fills a critical need as it helps adolescents consider the consequences of their decisions and in the long run increase their likelihood of becoming parents who can nurture, provide for and protect their children.
I was disturbed to learn that teen pregnancy rates in the U.S. are 2 to 5 times higher than any other developed country. Far too many programs only teach teens ways to avoid teen pregnancy. So last year when I learned of Education For Successful Parenting's (ESP) unique approach and success, I was thankful. I've seen first hand how they provide teens a strategic understanding of why it’s important to wait to become parents until adulthood. They entrust teenagers to make good decisons once educated about the realities of parenting. Students love the ESP work book which includes a life plan worksheet. A common reaction by the students was..."Now that I understand the ethical responsibilities and costs of having a baby, and what it takes to be a good parent, I'm definitely going to wait to become a parent until I'm older!" ESP truly creates better beginnings for all children! The ESP program should be offered in every high school health class!
This organization is a great organization that really helps teenagers understand what a great responsibility parenting is going to be. It helps them to put their life into perspective and think of the different things that they want to achieve before having children. Even as a college graduate I feel like my own eyes have been opened even more into what parenting will be like and I am continually still learning new things.
rrubenstein 06/30/2010
Yes we accept volunteers, peer mentors and interns. We have over 50 local teen volunteers - and we're planning a social event for them this summer. Please feel free to forward our contact info to other interested people. Thank you!
Review from Guidestar
I am an educator who has twenty-five years of teaching experience. I came to know Randi, the executive director of ESP, fifteen years ago while we were tutoring children in an impoverished neighborhood. I became a board member of ESP because I share Randi's beliefs that this program is vital so children will be able to get their needs properly met at the onset of their lives. We all know the prevention of future problems begins with educating potential parents now.