Our Outreach Program
The Outreach Program, which is held at local middle schools, is one of the core components of John XXIII Educational Center's service to the community of Racine. John XXIII staff members facilitate the Outreach sessions during school hours. Topics are based on the needs of the school. School counselors identify social barriers faced by their students to make sure the Outreach topic fits their needs. John XXIII staff members then facilitate five-to-six-week sessions, in which these barriers to success are addressed. The goal of the Outreach program is to support students in becoming stronger leaders in planning for their future success.
By empowering students to overcome social barriers, we enable them to perform better in school and gain confidence in who they are.
Outreach Sessions
Superhero Skills for Her/ Superhero Skills for Him: This group of 5-6 students focuses on the social-emotional barriers faced by boys and girls. Topics include self-esteem, healthy relationships, gossip, social media integrity, and handling emotions.
Justice: This group of 3-4 students focuses on how to identify and handle emotions with positive empowerment and forgiveness. Topics include: processing the current events of social unrest, identifying emotions and triggers, calming emotions and techniques for resolving conflict.
Crossing the Bridge-Transitioning to High School: This group of 5-6 students focuses on preparing for the transition from middle school to high school. Topics include: the importance of punctuality, freshman goal setting, self-esteem and respect, establishing a healthy support system of peers and mentors, and balancing emotions.
Heartfulness: This group of 4-5 students will center on resiliency tools, ability to focus, and gratitude. Students will raise their social-emotional learning skills. Tools include mindfulness techniques and meditation exercises to calm the mind.
Healing Gently : This group is for 4-5 students who would benefit from support in processing their experience with the safer at home order, loss, illness due to COVID-19. Topics include societal shift as loss, identifying the stages of grief, physical effects of grief, grief as alteration and not completion, and tribute to loss.