April 2011 Newsletter

Dear Firewall Friends,

Although the focus at Firewall is on academics and servant leadership, the program would not be able to transform the lives of students without the strong relationships we build over time.

When students finish their homework, we don’t just send them home. Instead, we provide a positive environment for them to hang out, play video games, or even some basketball. We don’t have the fanciest place filled with the latest Playstation 3 games or flat screen TV’s, but this is not what is important to the students. What students really crave is a time to be able to unwind, have fun, and talk to their friends and to us as their mentors. Not only are we able to laugh with them, but we also have a chance to listen to their problems, goals, and dreams.

This special relationship building time comes about because the students know that we are there to walk with them throughout their school years. Trust is developed and this allows us to pour wisdom and experience into their lives every day. They know that Firewall will be a consistent presence helping to guide them through the many challenges and obstacles they will face on their path towards college and career. We love what we do, but even more importantly, we love the students and this is reflected in every conversation and in every area of our program.

Partnership with Indian Ridge

Firewall’s relationship building is not limited to students, as we realize that parents, schools, and teachers are also an integral part of transforming young people into servant leaders. This is why we connected with two reading specialists from Indian Ridge Middle School who came to our West Davie Center on Saturday March 26 to do a Reading/Math/Study Skills workshop for our Firewall students and their parents. This presentation equipped our parents with skills that will help them better assist their children in improving their academic performance.

We had a great turnout are very much looking forward to hosting many more workshops for our students and parents as we bring every available resource to inspire and train and direct our students toward life-long success.