Get Involved with Strive for Strength

In the long-standing tradition of SASF, Strive for Strength relies on paid staff and volunteers to operate. We welcome people of all ages and backgrounds to serve in the following roles.

Boot Camp Leaders

Each boot camp will be led by one or two adult leaders with a wealth of life experiences and a passion for helping young people. The leaders will run the meetings, schedule presenters, facilitate discussions, and provide mentoring. Leaders will include individuals who have raised kids, coached sports, or taught in the school system, among others. Boot Camp Leaders are paid consultants and volunteers.

Download Boot Camp Leader Overview

Curriculum Team

Each subject area (i.e., financial literacy and mental health) will have a Curriculum Team. Their job is to develop the session plans, content, and activities for the boot camps. They will also develop a network of subject experts and guest speakers to participate in the sessions. Boot Camp Leaders will collaborate with the Curriculum Team to tailor a curriculum for a boot camp that covers multiple topics. For example, a boot camp might cover mental health as the main topic and career development as a minor topic. Another boot camp might be geared toward 19 to 24-year-olds and explore strategies for finding a job, planning for home ownership, and developing relationships. Curriculum Team members are volunteers.

Download Curriculum Team Overview

Subject Experts

Subject experts are people who get invited by the Boot Camp Leader to speak, teach, mentor, lead an activity, or share their personal life stories. These could be professionals like psychologists, financial advisors, educators, and job coaches; or everyday people like parents talking about what goes into raising a family or a young person talking about a challenge she overcame. The design of the new Strive for Strength calls for participants to meet a wide range of people from whom they can learn valuable life lessons. Subject Experts are volunteers and paid consultants.

Special Project Advisors

Boot camp participants have the option of undertaking a Special Project under the supervision of a Special Projects Advisor provided by SASF. They could write a blog article, produce a podcast or video, publish a paper, or deliver a "Ted Talk" to a live audience. The topic would be related to an issue that affects young people today. Special Projects help participants develop their research, project management, and communication skills. The Advisor's role is to guide the producer through the development of his/her project, which can take one to three months to complete. The advisor should have experience relevant to the participant's project. This might include research, writing, interviewing people, video production, publishing, and public speaking. Special Project Advisors are volunteers and paid consultants.

For more information on ways to get involved with Strive for Strength, contact Ted Fong, Program Director, sasfprograms@gmail.com.