In striving to fulfill our joint vision of proactively advancing the social, emotional and ethical development of our youth, Rapport Empowered Education partnered with the Werklund Foundation of Calgary, Canada to create an education initiative. This initiative provides students and teachers with powerful leadership development programs designed to enhance the leadership culture of schools throughout North America.

THE WERKLUND FOUNDATION
Since 2006, the Werklund Foundation has been offering world-class leadership training to young people to discover the personal confidence, character, and passion that leads to success. The Werklund Foundation focuses on giving young people opportunities to discover their own strengths and to live their lives with a sense of purpose and passion.

The Werklund Foundation is dedicated to ensuring the success of today’s youth by providing them with the inspiration to make a difference in their own lives, and ultimately, in the world. It is their desire to ignite the potential of youth and support them in both realizing their dreams as well as pursuing them. Their vision is to build a strong sense of community and respect for one another, where individuals take ownership of their lives and responsibility for their own actions.

OUR WORK TOGETHER
Rapport and the Werklund Foundation began working together in 2006 and presently students and educators from six Calgary high schools have attended Rapport’s training. During the 2008-2009 school years 880 students will experience Rapport Empowered Education’s Teen Leadership Breakthrough and custom courses, and educators from seven schools will attend Rapport’s intensive adult courses.

UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY RESULTS
Sponsored by the Werklund Foundation, the University of Calgary’s Division of Applied Psychology conducted an independent evaluation on the effectiveness Rapport’s Teen Leadership Breakthrough™ course. Seventy-seven students participated in the study and were followed over the course of six months. Psychological measurements were taken at four stages and the results demonstrate improved and sustained results in emotionally intelligent behavior, a greater capacity to attain goals and grow in competence, self-confidence, adaptability, social awareness, interpersonal understanding, and an understanding of feelings and emotions.

In 2008, The University of Calgary’s Applied Psychology Division announced the results of their groundbreaking independent study.

Results showed that students who participated in the Teen Leadership Breakthrough program had improved performance in the following areas:

• Understanding of the inner-self
• Social awareness and interpersonal understanding
• Adapting to changes
• Emotionally intelligent behavior
• Attaining goals and growing in competence
• Understanding feelings and emotions

The study shows that Rapport Empowered Education promotes more positive social behavior in teens by improving both their self-concepts and their interpersonal relationships.

“Evaluation research rarely demonstrates results of this nature,” said Dr. Anne McKeough, a professor in the Division of Applied Psychology who conducted the study for the University of Calgary. “The significant long-term effects of this program make the results of this study rare,” McKeough added.

We invite you to take the time to read the final report by the University of Calgary
(see links to all results at right).

Please visit the Werklund Foundation at www.WerklundFoundation.org.