Off to a great start – Life Skills for ABC Wilton Scholars

The Life Skills Program for our scholars has kicked off for 2014-15!  Begun in 2013 under the dynamic and energetic leadership of ABC Board member, Peter Kirchof, the program was featured in The Wilton Bulletin and Good Morning Wilton. We are always looking for new ideas and volunteers from the Wilton community willing to speak about their expertise with our scholars. Please let us know of your interest to lead a brief workshop.

WHAT is it?
Mission is to reinforce the basic life skills for the scholars following the current framework in place: the 10 steps of Academic success and scholarship, and the SCHOLAR framework: Studious, Considerate, Healthy, Organized, Leadership, Adaptability, Respectful

HOW it works?
A Series of one plus-hour sessions with the girls and boys combined with various subject matter experts leading each session. Each session will include a dinner, then a workshop. Small prizes will be provided for answering questions at the end of sessions. The Boys or the Girls will host dinner after each session. Workshops include Personal Finance, Cooking, Organization, Stress Management, Leadership, College Preparation, Swimming Skills, Self Defense and local history.

WHAT will success look like?
Teach tangible skills that will serve the scholars now and in the future years in a way that is engaging and fun. Measurement: Each workshop will be scored by the scholars (NPS Format) with their verbatim quotes.

WHO will lead the sessions?
Various Wilton community leaders, special guests and subject matter experts

WHEN and WHERE will the sessions take place?

Generally, all sessions will take place afternoon. Each Workshop session will take place at various sites depending on the topic followed by alternating meals at the Boys house and the Girls house. The format for the dinners will be up to the Scholars but the girls will try to “out perform the boys, and the Boys will try to out-perform the girls” cooking and serving dinner – again, a great life skill.

Life Skills Session Schedule 2014/2015

Leadership Retreat Michael Gordon

Nutrition and Culinary with Tim and Julie LeBant (Owners) @ The School House Grill

Organization/Personal Responsibility with Dawn Reshen Doty @ The Wilton Library

Self Defense with Robert Olmedo

The GE Program with GE LEADERS Shadow @GE Fairfield

Swimming – Wilton Y with Sarah Hegan @ The Wilton YMCA/YWCA

SAT/ACT Kurt Nesteruk with Wilton College Tutors

The History of Wilton with Robert Russell (Author of Wilton Three Centuries of People, Places, and Progress) @Wilton Historical Society

Finding Faith with Shannon White @WEPCO

Leadership with Sue Johnson, Florene Kissy

March Madness with The Kirchof’s

Stress Management and Coping with Ellen Byrne

Yoga Meditation with Janice Wilcox 

Personal Finance Management TBD

Taking the Hill – (Similar format to Chris Stroup and Sam Srivastiva, Lt. Commander Greg Enzinger US Navy), the scholars ask the questions

College and Beyond with Shelly Dempsey and former Wilton Students