Projects/ Programs
- Pay It Forward/ Community Service
- Leadership Panel
- College 101 & 102
- Peer Counseling
- Public Speaking
- Life Skills
- Creative Writing
- Career Education
- Event Planning
- Entrepreneurship
- Distinguished Speakers Series
History
Verbal Remedies started as a program at Olive Harvey Middle College High School in Chicago, IL as an opportunity for students in an urban areas to be able to develop necessary skills to be competitive when they enter college. Many of the programs were developed as semester long or year long classes that were offered as elective classes or as a part of the after school program. PIF and DSS were projects that took place once a month. As the program moves to Atlanta, GA, the goal is to become established as a self-contained extra-curricular program.
Career Education
Verbal Remedies’ Career Education & Planning course taught by Red Summer equips collegebound students with the right tools to be successful.
Career Education has three main components:
- Public Speaking, which helps students build confidence and speak clearly
- Research, which helps students path as well as select a college and major that aligns with that path
- Planning, which teaches students to strategically plan their after-school, internship, volunteer, community service and summer activities to best achieve their career goals.
Career Education is a must have college-prep training course for young people aspiring to reach the next level. Red has received accolades from several organizations, teachers, parents and students who say that Career Education truly prepares you for life after high school. Results from the course being taught in Red Summer’s class at Olive Harvey Middle College in Chicago, IL., netted 100% college acceptance rates for six consecutive years.
The Career Education course includes:
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A countdown calendar for graduation
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A seven step model for selecting three top college choices
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A checklist of graduation/college must haves
- Assistance with recommendation letters
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Templates for resumes and cover letters (even if a student has no prior work history)
- Scholarship application tips
Additionally, there are several sections of this course that include budgeting, banking and lifestyle planning.
Public Speaking
Verbal Remedies Public Speaking component is a multifaceted workshop that helps students in general formats for academic and professional presentations.
- Level 1 is basic public speaking exercises in getting comfortable with the task.
- Level 2 is debate where learn basic debate and advanced competitive strategies.
- Level 3 is Spoken Word where students write and perform original work.
- Level 4 is Slam and Audition where students learn techniques to prepare for competitions or auditions.
It is recommended that Career Education workshops begin in the Fall semester since most of the activities are deadline sensitive. This clears up the Spring semester for follow-up visits as well as providing space for additional workshops that may be of benefit to the students. For more information on scheduling a workshop at your school or community center, click here to contact Red Summer for availability and pricing.
Verbal Remedies Film Project
Filmmaker Carlos Saqiid followed Ayanna for several months as she conducted followup visits with her students while they were away at school. He later compiled footage from the interviews in a documentary project named for the program. In the Verbal Remedies documentary, students share their experiences in college, explain the highs and lows of college life and discuss how Verbal Remedies and Career Education helped them prepare for college life and beyond.
Watch this video clip to get a glimpse of the Verbal Remedies experience…
Community Partnership
Verbal Remedies relies on connections with members of the community at large. Making the relationship symbiotic, volunteers work with the students by speaking on different topics or working on projects. In turn, students volunteer with different schools and community based organizations to help children in their area. Students are expected to tutor, give motivational speeches or do other acts of service to give back to their communities.