Pine Hills Elementary

4th Family’s youth mentoring program has been refined over a year of delivery at Pine Hills Elementary School in Albany. The 4th and 5th grade students identified by teachers as needing additional social and emotional support meet with adult mentors during lunch time, over an 8 week cycle. The curriculum for each cycle is based on time-tested texts developed by Steven Covey: "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and "The Leader in Me."

Girl Talk was created to empower young girls and to help them find their voice. Girl Talk Director's Ceiyel Ford and Tiffany Johnson create a nurturing environment in their workshops that encourage young women to come out of their comfort zone to strive for greatness. Both Ms. Ford and Ms. Johnson work tirelessly to help these young women to define their lives on their own terms, and to realize that no dream is too big.

Throughout the 12-week Girl Talk program, these young ladies will make new friends, build confidence, and celebrate each other's victories, and all that makes them unique. The curriculum for each workshop focuses a different topic that reinforces a social/emotional skill. All lessons encourage positive mental and physical development and allow these young ladies to share their life experiences both good and bad in a comfortable and safe environment.

We work with these young people systematically, with each session focused on one of the critical social/emotional skills:

Taking responsibility for their actions

Completing tasks and showing focus in class at at home

Prioritizing tasks and understanding time management

Expressing oneself in a positive manner

Portraying effective communication skills with peers and adults

Working with classmates and participating in groups

Applying knowledge of one's own social/emotional skills,at school

Advocating for oneself

Students who meet criteria to exit the class are eligible to participate in 4th Family Sports Science and STEM Programs