YOU GOTTA LEARN SOME THINGS BY HEART

"I tried takin' that anger management class,
but it didn't work."

LEARNING BY HEART

Why didn't it work? For the same reason too many attempts at character education fail. They don't recognize that people learn by heart. From childhood we learn what is most important to us. No one has to teach a baby to learn to walk. He wants to move, so he works at it. She responds to a felt need, and learning is the result. That's why in CiViL Groups we believe that to teach students about character, we must help them learn by heart.

CIVIL GROUPS

CiViL Groups is a character education program that combines mentoring and small group counseling to help students work through the personal and relational issues that too often disable the growth of healthy character, values and leadership.

MENTORING

Relationship is the most important tool for helping a students. When an adult takes the time to listen to a student in a caring way, the adult builds trust and gains credibility. By focusing on the feelings, beliefs and concerns of students, adults communicate that the students' point of view matters and that someone cares about them. Students respond by talking openly about the struggles that often surround character and value decisions.

"You can't talk about it to everybody.
You gotta have somebody you can trust."

SMALL GROUPS

With a few friends and a capable, caring adult facilitator, it is possible for a student to talk about the choices, feelings and beliefs that influence decision-making. The concern of the adult mentor is amplified when other members of the group understand and offer support. Knotty problems loosen. Tough decisions become easier. Isolation turns to teamwork. And instead of being a negative influence, peers become a positive force for encouragement, support and accountability.

COUNSELING

Poor life choices are rooted in a student's feelings and beliefs about how he should respond to the challenging, often painful circumstances of their lives and relationships. In a CiViL Group, students and mentors explore those feelings and beliefs together. As they do, students re-evaluate choices. Improved character and behavior are the result. So are improved grades, career motivations, judgement, and relationship skills. When changed, the inner issues of the heart lead to big changes in behavior. As character grows and values improve, so does leadership.

"I knew that, if I had something that I was going through, they would know how to help me..."

CIVIL GROUPS

CiViL Groups is a character education program developed by Jim and Melony Weber of Touchstone Youth Resource Services, Inc. It combines mentoring and small group counseling to help students work through the personal and relational issues that too often disable the growth of healthy character, values and leadership.

CIVIL SERVICE

CiViL Services is a new part of the CiViL Groups program. In CiViL Service, students participate in public service on the local and national level. They learn to give of themselves and find that, as they make a difference in the lives of others, they too are changed.

"We got in the group, and we solved our problems."

OPEN YOUR HEART

We know we can make a difference in the lives of students when we help them learn by heart. We want to train other adults to do the same, but we must start with open hearts.

PARTICIPATE

If you are interested in CiViL Groups, there are four ways you can participate:

• Join a CiViL Group as a student.
• Volunteer to become a trained CiViL Group mentor.
• Volunteer for one of the many other CiViL projects and services..
• Support the work of CiViL Groups with a financial contribution or material donation.

CONTACT US

If you would like to participate in CiViL Groups please contact Jim or Melony Weber:

Touchstone Youth Resource Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 159231
Nashville, TN 37215
615-386-0108
office@touchstoneministries.org

TOUCHSTONE

Touchstone Youth Resource Services, Inc. is a 501c3 not-for-profit corporation, established to serve teens and adults through speaking, counseling, music and youth work. Financial and material donations to Touchstone are tax-deductible. Touchstone is a faith-based ministry that expresses the love of Jesus Christ by serving at-risk students in inner-city schools through the CiViL Groups and CiViL Services programs.