Dallas Elevators Powered by Coca-Cola aims to benefit more local teens with proven character-building and experiential learning program
After the overwhelming success of its efforts in assisting Dallas teens to elevate their lives, Dallas Elevators Powered by Coca-Cola has hit a new high. In the 2009-2010 school year, the program’s second, it has expanded to include students in two select DISD high schools, as well as adding sophomores to the program within the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas. A kick-off pep rally featuring radio personality Rock T of 97.9 The Beat, was recently held at Pinkston High School in West Dallas to celebrate the expansion into DISD schools.
“The first-year success of the program was overwhelming,” said Ben Lawson, Director of Independent Bottlers for Coca-Cola North America. “The only way to improve upon that is to assist more teens in reaching their goals. We are proud to be including many more students in this school year, which means more lives elevated and, hopefully, inspiration for a lifetime.”
This school year, the Dallas Elevators Powered by Coca-Cola program includes students at Pinkston and Bryan Adams high schools, as well as sophomores, juniors and seniors at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas. The core mission of the program is to encourage students to elevate their skills in the classroom, at home, in extra-curricular activities and wherever their interests lie.
Dallas Elevators Powered by Coca-Cola was pioneered in Dallas in the 2008-2009 school year through partnerships with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas and Heart of a Champion, a non-profit character development organization based in Colleyville. Producing measurable results and outcomes allows program administrators to evaluate effectiveness, separating Dallas Elevators from other programs that anecdotally discuss change but can’t prove their effectiveness.
Year-end results from the program’s inaugural year showed:
· 92% of students considered their performance at school to be above average to very good
· 22% increase in the student’s ability to communicate with their parents
· 16% increase in students who consider themselves to be good examples
· 18% increase in the student’s motivation to succeed
· 12% increase in belief that they can now reach their goals
· 15% decrease in cheating
· 100% graduation rate from high school, with most going on to college or professional schools
Dallas Elevators Powered by Coca-Cola utilizes Heart of a Champion curriculum, a character-building program that has been proven to change lives in whatever setting it is used, and with students from a variety of cultural, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds. This comprehensive program teaches and reinforces positive character traits while incorporating critical thinking exercises and demonstrating examples of individuals with high character. Dallas Elevators Powered by Coca-Cola is the first teen-focused program of its kind to utilize Heart of a Champion’s comprehensive program to effect behavioral and attitudinal change in program participants.
Last summer, the U.S. Congress called upon the expertise of Heart of a Champion Founder Steve Riach, who testified about the efforts of measurable programs like Dallas Elevators to positively impact the lives of teens. For more than a decade, the program has produced measurable success in schools and after-school outlets around the nation.
A critical component of the Dallas Elevators Powered by Coca-Cola program is the participation of local leaders who serve as Role Models and offer select students impactful, experiential learning based on a shared area of interest. Role Models this year include: Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, DISD Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa, radio personality Victoria Snee, TV personality and philanthropist Pat Smith; designer and sculptor Brad Oldham; Dallas Stars Center Mike Modano; Dallas Mavericks President Terdema Ussery; and Basketball Hall of Famer and commentator Nancy Lieberman.
These once-in-a-lifetime experiential learning opportunities have taken students from behind-the-scenes at a Dallas Stars game with Mike Modano to appearing on a popular Dallas radio station with Victoria Snee, and from cooking in a five-star kitchen with Chef Felipe Gaytan to learning more about the business world from Roger Staubach.
“Because we are expanding the program, we need more business and community leaders to step up and offer experiences for these bright young people,” explained Lawson. “It takes so little time -- just two or three hours for a one-time experience -- but it can significantly impact a teen’s future. We often hear that the experience was just as rewarding for the career model as it was for the student.”
Companies or individuals interested in offering one-time career model experiences for Dallas Elevators participants should email carolyn@aardvarktx.com with “Dallas Elevators” in the subject line.
Interested high school students should check with the nearest Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, which includes clubs in Dallas, Mesquite, Richardson, Coppell and Grand Prairie.
