HOPEWORKS 'N CAMDEN: Expanding the Futures of Youth

Personal Development Plan

A youth's Personal Development Plan begins with their first day at Hopeworks and continues throughout their time at Hopeworks. It is ever-changing yet consistent. That is to say that the particular items in the plan change, but the purpose does not. Its purpose is to serve as a pathway to success. The steps along that path may change or be different from someone else's steps, but the end is the same: a future filled with realized D.R.E.A.M.S.

A Personal Development Plan is created in two simultaneous processes. The first is a weekly meeting with the formation director. Every trainee meets with the formation director at least once a week for thirty minutes. During that time, the trainee shares with the formation director her or his accomplishments and successes for that week. From those stories of accomplishment, we harvest the individual strengths and assets of the youth that can help her or him overcome obstacles or barriers to success. Beginning with the positive, we One Page Plan positively influence the opportunities the trainee missed to claim responsibility or to be accountable for her or his plan. Lastly, the two review the actionable items on a trainee's personal development plan, assess them for progress and target certain dates or goals that the trainee will meet by the next meeting. Given additional need for support, the trainee and formation director may have several such meetings a week.

Secondly, each member of the Hopeworks community has a One Page Plan. A One Page Plan is the container for all the different attributes of a Personal Development Plan. Each trainee updates her or his One Page Plan weekly and then reviews those updates with the formation director. Specifically, the One Page Plan is a web-based tool that organizes the Personal Development Plan into five distinct areas:

Vision - A defined outlook on the future with many adjectives to make the future present now, making it tangible and giving it a feeling, answering the questions:
- What will your life look like in 3 years?
- What future are you building?

Mission - A clear purpose that recognizes what you do best and places upon you reasoning for being who you are, answering the questions:
- What makes you feel like you are you?
- Why are you building that future?

Objectives - A list of measurable, quantifiable, continuously ongoing things that will support you in what you do, answering the questions:
- What indicators do you use to graphically demonstrate your success?
- How do you measure your building progress?

Strategies - A comprehensive list of strengths and assets that you rely upon to support your daily endeavors toward the future, addressing the positive attributes of our personality, character and values, answering the questions:
- What is within you to drive you forward and help you attain success?
- What tools do you use in building your future?

Action Plans - A group of projects that you are currently working on that have clear purposes and outcomes with realistic deadlines and targets to maintain along the way, answering the questions:
- What are you working on daily to move toward your future?
- What are the steps in your building process?

Hopeworks 'N Camden 543 State St. Camden, NJ 08102 Phone: 856-365-HOPE Fax: 856-365-8734
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