One of the most successful programs implemented by the Stay Strong Foundation occurred in 2004 and was made possible by a generous grant from The Verizon Foundation. An 8-week school curriculum devoted to enhancing the communicative, leadership and social skills of youth was implemented at Ditmas IS 62 in Brooklyn.

It was a resounding success and received high praise from teachers and students. The program, launched in January 2004, was based on Stay Strong: Simple Life Lessons for Teens.

The curriculum was developed by Helena Washington, a program consultant to the Stay Strong Foundation, and facilitated by New York social worker Tanya S. Odums. Additional support for the program was provided by Loreen Arbus Productions, Macy’s Foundation, CareerPeeks Foundation, Time Warner, Anheuser-Busch, and the Charles Henry Leach II Foundation.

One hundred twenty sixth grade students from the Law and Community Service academy participated in the curriculum, which was designed to allow the youth to utilize critical thinking skills and communicate their interpretations to the various “real life” situations that are presented throughout the Stay Strong book. Incorporated into the academic day, the curriculum sessions ran 45 minutes long and included open discussions, guest speakers, interactive activities, and weekly assignments.

Says Williams, "Hearing the stories of others helped the students open up and share their pain, fears, hopes, and challenges. Some shared personal stories relating to family problems, grief and loss, abandonment, peer pressure, abuse, feelings of hopelessness/inadequacy for their future. Overall, this curriculum provided a forum for them to explore their identities, evaluate self-destructive behaviors, and practice new social skills relating to communication and problems solving.

"Our program challenged them to think differently (positively) about life and find positive ways to deal with their issues. Most importantly, it provided an opportunity for them to evaluate their personal values and adopt healthy values that could assist them with building successful lives. It helped them to understand that problems are a part of life and how we choose to deal with problems can make the issue better or worse. The curriculum helped them to build and improve their self-esteem by incorporating behavior modification techniques that immediately rewarded them for practicing the skills that were being taught in each session."

Dr. Nancy Brogan, principal of Ditmas IS 62, said, “Our thanks go out to Terrie, Tanya, Helena and the Stay Strong Foundation for developing such an enlightening and interactive curriculum for our students. This was an informative and fun program, and one that will certainly help our children develop the communication and social skills needed for their development and growth.”