READY FOR LIFE
HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS • GRADES 9–12
PREPARING TODAY’S YOUTH FOR TOMORROW’S WORLD
High school should prepare young people for more than graduation.
At Rockford Youth, Sports and Mentoring, our Ready for Life program is designed to help teenagers develop the knowledge, confidence, practical skills and experiences they can use as they transition into adulthood.
Our goal isn’t to tell young people what their future should look like.
OUR GOAL IS TO SHOW THEM THEIR OPTIONS AND GIVE THEM TOOLS TO BUILD THE FUTURE THEY CHOOSE.
100% FREE TO PARTICIPATE
We believe financial circumstances should never prevent a young person from learning how to prepare for college, find a job, understand money, explore a career or experience something new.
Our goal is to provide Ready for Life opportunities 100% FREE OF CHARGE to participating youth.
💰 MONEY & FINANCIAL LITERACY
LEARN ABOUT MONEY BEFORE MONEY STARTS MAKING YOUR DECISIONS.
Students can learn real-world financial concepts including:
• Checking and savings accounts
• Debit cards vs. credit cards
• Building and protecting credit
• Understanding credit scores
• Interest and APR
• Loans and financing
• Car loans
• The financial consequences of repossession
• Rent and security deposits
• Utilities
• Insurance
• Reading a paycheck
• Taxes and paycheck deductions
• W-2 vs. 1099 income
• Creating a monthly budget
• Emergency savings
• Investing basics
• Compound interest
• Identity theft
• Financial scams
• Predatory lending
Students may work through realistic financial situations such as:
“If you earn $16 an hour and work 30 hours per week, what can you realistically afford?”
The purpose is not simply to teach definitions.
WE WANT STUDENTS TO PRACTICE MAKING REAL FINANCIAL DECISIONS BEFORE THOSE DECISIONS HAVE REAL CONSEQUENCES.
📄 RÉSUMÉ LAB
EVERY STUDENT HAS SKILLS WORTH PUTTING ON PAPER.
A teenager doesn’t need years of employment history to begin building a professional résumé.
Students can learn how to turn experiences such as:
• School activities
• Sports
• Volunteer work
• Babysitting
• Lawn care
• Community service
• Computer skills
• Clubs
• Academic accomplishments
• Leadership
• Mentorship
• Helping with a family business
into skills employers can understand.
Our goal is for participating students to begin building their own Career Portfolio, which may include:
• Professional résumé
• Reference sheet
• Sample cover letter
• Professional email address
• Skills inventory
• Career interests
• Education or training plan
• Certificates earned through the program
🤝 INTERVIEW LAB
DON’T LET YOUR FIRST REAL INTERVIEW BE YOUR FIRST TIME PRACTICING.
Students can learn and practice:
• Professional introductions
• Appropriate interview clothing
• Eye contact
• Body language
• Punctuality
• Researching an employer
• “Tell me about yourself”
• Discussing strengths
• Discussing weaknesses
• Answering difficult questions
• Asking an employer questions
• What not to say during an interview
• Professional follow-up
Whenever possible, local professionals and employers may be invited to conduct mock job interviews and provide constructive feedback.
🎓 COLLEGE & FUTURE PATHWAYS
THERE IS MORE THAN ONE PATH TO SUCCESS.
We want students to understand all of their options after graduation.
Students may explore:
• Four-year universities
• Community colleges
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
• Technical colleges
• Trade schools
• Union apprenticeships
• Professional certifications
• Healthcare training
• Automotive careers
• Manufacturing careers
• Technology careers
• Military opportunities
• Direct-to-work opportunities
• Entrepreneurship
THERE ISN’T ONE “CORRECT” PATH.
Our job is to help students discover which path makes sense for their interests, talents and goals.
💻 VIRTUAL COLLEGE TOUR SERIES
Students shouldn’t have to travel hundreds of miles just to begin imagining themselves on a college campus.
Through our planned Virtual College Tour Series, students can explore colleges and universities throughout Illinois and across the country.
Students may examine:
• Campus life
• Majors and academic programs
• Admission requirements
• GPA expectations
• Housing
• Tuition and fees
• Scholarships
• Financial aid
• Athletics
• Student organizations
• Campus resources
• Career opportunities
• What they can begin doing now to prepare
We want students to experience different types of institutions—from community colleges and public universities to private universities, HBCUs, technical schools and other postsecondary opportunities.
As partnerships, transportation and resources allow, virtual exploration may also lead to actual campus visits.
💵 FAFSA, SCHOLARSHIPS & PAYING FOR SCHOOL
The price shown on a college website doesn’t always tell the entire story.
Students and families may receive educational information about:
• FAFSA
• Grants
• Scholarships
• Work-study programs
• Student loans
• Comparing financial-aid offers
• Searching for scholarships
• Understanding college costs
• Avoiding unnecessary student debt
Whenever possible, we want parents and guardians involved in this process too.
🔨 SKILLED TRADES & APPRENTICESHIPS
COLLEGE IS AN OPTION. IT ISN’T THE ONLY OPTION.
Students can be introduced to career pathways including:
• Automotive technology
• Electrical work
• Plumbing
• HVAC
• Carpentry
• Welding
• Construction
• Manufacturing
• CNC machining
• Transportation
• Other skilled trades
We also want students to learn about apprenticeships, certifications and training programs that can lead directly to careers.
💼 CAREER DISCOVERY
How can a teenager choose a career they’ve never heard of?
We want students to meet people working in different industries and learn:
What do you actually do?
What education or training did you need?
How did you get started?
What does someone entering the field earn?
What do you enjoy about your career?
What would you do differently if you were 16 again?
Career exploration may include professionals from:
Healthcare • Technology • Automotive • Manufacturing • Skilled Trades • Business • Government • Public Safety • Education • Nonprofit Work • Parks & Recreation • Environmental Careers • Entrepreneurship and more.
🚀 ENTREPRENEURSHIP
MAYBE YOUR FIRST JOB WILL COME FROM SOMEONE ELSE. MAYBE YOU’LL CREATE YOUR OWN.
Students interested in entrepreneurship can learn:
• Developing a business idea
• Naming and branding a business
• Understanding customers
• Pricing products and services
• Cost of goods
• Revenue vs. profit
• Marketing
• Customer service
• Business budgeting
• Basic taxes and record keeping
• Professional communication
• Creating a simple business plan
Students may eventually participate in a Youth Business Challenge or Pitch Night, where they develop an idea and present it to community business leaders.
🏠 ADULTING 101
THINGS EVERY YOUNG ADULT SHOULD KNOW.
Students may learn practical skills including:
• How to search for an apartment
• Understanding a lease
• Security deposits
• Utilities
• Renters insurance
• Scheduling appointments
• Understanding basic insurance
• Basic vehicle maintenance
• Reading contracts before signing
• Professional emails
• Completing forms
• Time management
• Organization
• Grocery budgeting
• Basic cooking
• Handling disagreements professionally
• Knowing when and how to ask for help
🏕️ OUTDOOR LIFE & ADVENTURE
Learning doesn’t always need four walls.
As resources, partnerships, transportation and appropriate supervision allow, students may participate in:
• Camping
• Hiking
• Fishing
• Tent setup
• Outdoor cooking
• Basic navigation
• Fire safety
• Weather awareness
• Gardening
• Conservation
• Wildlife education
• Environmental projects
• Community cleanups
• Outdoor first aid education
Outdoor experiences can build independence, confidence, teamwork and an appreciation for the environment.
🚌 BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
EXPLORE • EXPERIENCE • DISCOVER
We want teenagers to experience places they may never have had an opportunity to visit.
Potential educational and recreational experiences may include:
• 🐠 Shedd Aquarium and other aquariums
• 🦁 Zoos and wildlife centers
• 🏛️ Museums
• 🔬 Science and technology centers
• 🎨 Art and cultural institutions
• 🏕️ Camping and outdoor trips
• 🎓 College campuses
• 🔧 Trade and technical schools
• 🏭 Manufacturing facilities
• 💼 Businesses and career sites
• 🏀 Professional and collegiate sporting events
• 🌳 Parks and conservation areas
• 🤝 Community service projects
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO SEE A POSSIBILITY BEFORE YOU CAN IMAGINE YOURSELF ACHIEVING IT.
❤️ LEADERSHIP & COMMUNITY
We don’t only want teenagers preparing for jobs.
We want them preparing to become leaders in their families and communities.
Students may develop skills in:
• Public speaking
• Conflict resolution
• Decision-making
• Team leadership
• Communication
• Peer mentoring
• Community service
• Event planning
• Problem solving
• Respectful advocacy
• Understanding local government
• Giving back to the community
💼 TEEN EMPLOYMENT & LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
As funding and appropriate opportunities become available, older teenagers may have opportunities to serve in roles such as:
• Junior Coaches
• Program Assistants
• Youth Mentors
• Event Assistants
• Scorekeepers
• Equipment Assistants
• Youth Leaders
Our long-term goal is to create opportunities where teenagers aren’t simply told about responsibility—they’re trusted with appropriate responsibility and given opportunities to develop it.
🛡️ YOUTH SAFETY
The safety and well-being of every participating teenager matters.
Volunteers who work directly with youth are required to successfully complete applicable background screening and program safety requirements before being approved for youth-facing responsibilities.
Program staff, mentors, instructors and volunteers are expected to follow youth-safety procedures, appropriate adult-youth boundaries, codes of conduct and supervision requirements.
Additional safety requirements may apply to transportation, field trips, camping, automotive activities, outdoor activities and other specialized experiences.
🎯 THE READY FOR LIFE GOAL
By the time a participating student completes the program, our goal is for them to have developed a personal Ready for Life Portfolio that may include:
✓ A professional résumé
✓ A reference sheet
✓ Mock interview experience
✓ A basic personal budget
✓ Understanding of credit
✓ Career interests
✓ College, trade or employment options
✓ Scholarship and financial-aid knowledge
✓ Practical adult-life skills
✓ Leadership experience
✓ Community-service experience
✓ Exposure to careers and opportunities they may not have previously considered
FROM CHILDHOOD TO ADULTHOOD
Our vision is bigger than one class or one season.
A child can enter our program playing sports.
They can grow into hands-on middle-school programs.
They can enter high school learning about money, careers, college, trades, entrepreneurship and adulthood.
Eventually, they can return as a mentor, coach, volunteer or community leader for the next generation.
WE’RE NOT SIMPLY TRYING TO KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE BUSY.
WE’RE HELPING THEM BUILD A PATH FROM CHILDHOOD TO ADULTHOOD.
100% FREE
NO PROGRAM FEES FOR PARTICIPATING YOUTH.
DISCOVER YOUR OPTIONS.
DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS.
EXPERIENCE SOMETHING NEW.
BUILD YOUR FUTURE.
ROCKFORD YOUTH, SPORTS & MENTORING
Mr. Marko
Program Director
📞 779-513-2404
✉️ 815YOUTH@RYSMROCKFORD.ORG
📍 5970 E. State St., Unit 6
Rockford, IL 61108
YOUR FUTURE STARTS BEFORE GRADUATION.