POWER/EXCEL SUCCESS STORY

Ahmed Childs

Christopher Place Employment Academy in Baltimore is a transitional facility where adult men, who have been homeless, incarcerated, and/or in recovery from substance abuse, gain valuable skills to rebuild their lives. In the winter of 2005, Power/Excel began delivering our interactive courses: Powerful Communication and Conflict Management and How to Make Money and Make Money Work for You to the residents there. Ahmed, age 33, is one of our success stories from Christopher Place. Upon his graduation from Christopher Place on March 11, 2006, Ahmed was hired as a substitute teacher in three high schools in the Baltimore City Public School System. During that time he was later assigned as a long term substitute teacher at Maritime Industries Academy High School.

In the fall, 2006, Ahmed was hired as a paraprofessional at Maritime. Now in his second year as a paraprofessional, Ahmed is one of four adults leading mentoring groups for boys. He is also the Sophomore Class Advisor and the host of the Open Mike Club, an organization featuring the creative works of the students in poetry, rap, and other musical endeavors. Of the four adult mentors, Ahmed received the most votes in a poll of the student body as the mentor that students held in highest regard as a father figure.

Ahmed stated that Power/Excel helped him most in the areas of communication and conflict resolution. “The skills I gained have become valuable tools in mediating conflicts between students, and between students and teachers. They have helped me stop fights before they start and to mediate disputes. I feel that being able to maintain a positive outlook is beneficial to the students.”

Power/Excel is under contract during 2007-2008 to deliver our interactive programs to a new class every seven weeks. We look forward to sharing more success stories with you.