Social Good Project Program
SOCIAL GOOD PROJECT (SGP) PROGRAM
The Social Good Project (SGP) program empowers youth in grades 4-8 to become community service leaders by designing and leading community service projects they personally care about. Youth research the issue they address, design promotional materials, recruit donors, volunteers and beneficiaries, collaborate with professional mentors, and organize and host events. SGPs teach youth how to become community service leaders and discover college and career aspirations.
Watch our Founder explain why he created a passion-based community service program.
Major Components of the SGP Program
Intrinsic Motivation
"What do you care about?" This is what our staff asks each youth, grades 4-8, in order to create a community service project that leads them out into the community to help others in tangible ways they personally care about.
Watch this youth distribute hygiene products.
Mentors Give Knowledge
"Will you give me advice?" This is what every youth asks a professional whose job relates to their project. Our youth partner with professionals to acquire knowledge and get advice on best practices for how to help others.
Watch this youth get advice from a soccer coach.
Mentors Give Skills
"Will you help me?" Our youth ask professionals for help with their projects to teach them the best ways to make impact, such as how to approach people in need with dignity and respect.
Watch this youth get guidance from a painter.
Donors Support Projects
"Will you donate?" Our youth ask people, companies and nonprofits for monetary and in-kind donations to achieve their social impact goals.
Watch this youth receive Lego donations.
Youth Manage Projects
"I learned to schedule an appointment." Our youth learn the computer skills, organizational skills, and planning skills needed to manage their community service projects. They take notes, create budgets, email partners, schedule appointments, and much more as they progress through their projects.
Watch this youth reflect on her learning.
Youth Organize Events & Classes
"I want to thank my partners." Our youth organize events and classes to provide their benefit to people. They create programs, write speeches, create powerpoints, make presentations, teach skills, and thank stakeholders for helping them to help others.
Watch this youth reflect on teaching a class.
How the SGP Program is Unique
Strength-Based Curriculum
SGP curriculum is an intrinsic motivation-based curriculum that starts with what each youth personally cares about. From there SGPs follow a 12 step process that teaches youth to become community service leaders and learn the basic building blocks of how to be social sector leaders and innovators.
Choice-Based Community Service
Community service and volunteerism are excellent ways to give back. SGPs go further by teaching youth how to design and lead programs and services based on issues personal to their hearts. Usually, this means helping others based on lived experience seeing others in need. SGPs are the equivalent to starting a nonprofit to address an issue the founder is passionate about. This approach to civic engagement makes helping others as much a priority as good grades and college aspirations. Watch what this Thiebaut Method youth says doing community service has taught her about the unhoused.
Focus on Epxanding Youths' Circle Of Concern
The Circle Of Concern is a well researched concept in moral psychology and has become a popular topic of interest in parenting. The COC is how far each person's concern for other people stretches. One parenting and educational priority on the rise is teaching children to care more about others. In fact, a Gallop Poll recently found that the top value that liberals and conservatives have in common when it comes to parenting is teaching children to "help others". SGPs put youth into contact with people they don't know, environments they are unfamiliar with, and projects that are novel to them. Through the experience of helping others they don't know, youths' COC is constantly expanding. Watch what this Thiebaut Method youth says doing community service has taught her about racism.