Community Group Education Mentoring (GEM)
Leadership Development Program
Vision Statement
A community of empowered returning citizens working together with their communities toward creation of safe, healthy and attractive neighborhoods.
Mission Statement:
Empower participants to build up their inherent leadership skills in preparing for successful reentry and in all aspects of life.
Transitional Job Training:
Give participants the opportunity to engage in transitional job training in various fields that provide critical services to the community and support the programming of PowerNet. Participants build resumes, practice hard and soft skills, continue on and off job site training, gain references and are eventually able to move to permanent employment or self employment. Equally important, they are actively working to revitalize their community.
Core Program Components
Community Version of the
Group, Education and Mentoring (GEM)- Leadership Development Program
The GEM Leadership Development Program is a dynamic, interactive training in which individuals lean critical, marketable skills. Individuals complete a portfolio of activities that can be shown to employers. The portfolio includes elements such as a Mission Statement, Vision Statement, written biography, resume as well as many other features.
Community Building
Individuals learn skills associated with active citizenship and improving their neighborhoods. Individuals practice advocacy skills, assist with neighborhood planning, learn how to work with governmental systems to create change, participate in or lead effective teams, and other crucial talents.
Thinking 4 Change
Persons participate in the Thinking 4 Change cognitive-behavioral program. This program teaches effective problem-solving skills that will affect all aspects of life.
Transitional Job Training
Individuals also participate in transitional job training programs designed to help persons build skills, gain professional references, become used to different work environments and obtain a small living stipend until permanent employment is found.
Social Enterprise
Each one of the transitional job components is a social enterprise that helps fund PowerNet’s services to citizens with felony records. The programs also help others and includes rehabilitation of houses, affordable lawn care, office administration that keeps PowerNet running, and other programs. A social enterprise is a business or operation completed by a nonprofit organization that helps fund programs to the community.
Additional Training
Through the computer lab, persons will complete additional training and acquire further credentials needed by individuals and required for success. Based upon individual needs and goals, persons can work on their GED, learn Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), gain computer skills associated with job hunting, apply for financial aid or even take online college classes. Some of this training will be required for the various transitional job positions.