Perspective & Vision
Perspective
Experiential learning
Our approach is intended to supplement existing classroom education with a school and community-based after-school forum, where content is replaced with process, and instructor-led verbal interaction is replaced with group interactivity and shared leadership. All of our programs supplement teacher-student lecturing with the purposive, whole-family activities that promote self-esteem, self respect, values, and family rules.
After school
We believe there are two fundamental ways that people receive education: Instruction and experience. Instruction is the transfer of knowledge through the use of didactic classroom instruction, reading, and homework. While tutorial interaction is indispensable to the development of children, it is limited to a particular kind of stimulation and knowledge dissemination. On the other hand, "experience" is exposure to--and participation in-- processes that frame our lives by shaping our personal and family values.
Our Mission... Help parents:
- Prevent substance abuse in their families
- Keep their kids in school and ready to learn
- Teach kids how to be safe, happy, and wise
Partnership
We feel that every community in the nation should provide an opportunity for families to embrace both aspects of nurturing so more class time can be devoted to educational interaction. At the same time, believe it is important that the schools take some role in the strengthening of families and values by providing non-class resources to programs that give children a way to experience positive behavioral improvements.
Holistic
Perhaps the most important part of our mediation process is that it allows the entire family to remodel their approach to the child and reestablish proper roles, responsibilities, and accountability within the family structure. It empowers families to understand the problems they face, within a mutually supportive environment along with other families. In our group sessions there are no social classes or demographic boundaries that would allow people to claim that nobody else understands them and their special hardships. We find that nearly every problem that families experience and every threat to children can be witnessed in other families, and can be resolved through mediated self-service in group processes.
Senator Herb Kohl poses with FST Inc
founder Dr. Lynn McDonald
Dr. Lynn McDonald
Vision
Parent empowerment
We believe that basically all parents love their children and want what's best for them. We also believe that parents today are faced with enormous challenges to their effectiveness at bringing up kids. With the proper guidance, all families can act on their natural desire to do what's best for their children. With our help, parents finally have the resources, the platform, and the support to act on their hopes and dreams rather than let social interference cause them to surrender. We also believe that deep down, most kids yearn for parents who care for them and who show it by giving them proper guidance, even if that means restricting their activities and at times showing disapproval.
Family function
Our goal is to heal kids by strengthening their families through their parent-child relationships. Often in family engagement processes, the parents must admit that they too may have habits that they would like to change. Kids frequently have the keen ability to detect parental consistency and values, and they react accordingly. If the parents show their children that as parents, they can act responsibly and can devote some of their time to change and improve the rules of the home and to focus on the needs of their kids, a powerful catalyst for family renewal is introduced. Our universal program encourages the formation of that catalyst.
Universal and voluntary
Our programs are preventive, early intervention, and universal. This means we do not screen families for specific problems. Everyone can benefit from our models, and everyone tells us they tremendously enjoyed participating. As people go through our programs, some parents and kids discover needs that they wish to take to another level outside our program. If families need additional healing or support services, we encourage them to seek guidance, and we can provide a venue for self referral. However, our programs do not replace professional therapeutic measures or crisis intervention for individuals with special needs
