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WHO TENDS TO DO THE BEST IN THE PROGRAM? The best prospects for Great Expectations are mature, serious-minded teenagers with a genuine interest in speeding their development in the 10 focus areas of the program. Most are average or above average students with varied interests. Most also participate in extracurricular activities, and about one-half have taken advanced placement courses and/or are members of the honor roll or honor society. Over 70% plan to attend college immediately following high school. In addition, nearly all class members come from families that strongly support their participation in the process and view the 10 focus areas as extremely relevant and important to their future goals. A significant percentage also know someone who has participated in a leadership process or curriculum designed by Dr. Ashby and Dr. Pell, or someone familiar with their books. WHO IS PERHAPS BEST SERVED BY A PROCESS OTHER THAN GREAT EXPECTATIONS? Great Expectations is a developmental process, not a remedial or corrective process. It builds on strengths and attracts motivated young people anxious to experience an age-appropriate version of a corporate leadership process. Classes are properly focused and challenging, and there is very little tolerance for bad or disruptive behavior. Those wishing additional advice on this subject are advised to speak with their school or organization counselor or advisor. WHAT MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED TO STUDENTS? All Great Expectations class members receive a comprehensive Student Guide covering the twenty-four (24) core program sessions, up to 3 leadership textbooks, supplemental materials prepared by the program instructor, and a handful of neat surprises. Click HERE for a peek at the Student Guide Table of Contents. WHAT IS THE COST OF THE STUDENT MATERIALS? The "tuition" for the Great Expectations process is set locally by school officials, and may be higher or lower than the fee charged by The Leadership Capital Group LLC for the courseware and other services it provides. At the moment, LCG charges $695 per participant (suggested retail price) for its portion of the materials covering the full multi-year process. Information about local tuition prices and any discounts available to those in need may be obtained by contacting your local school or youth organization representative. Great Expectations courseware fees are typically financed in one of several ways: 1) By the family of each student, 2) Via corporate or community contributions (sponsors), 3) Via a student fundraising effort, 4) By the host school or youth organization (rarely), or 5) By some combination of the above (i.e. a shared expense). Great Expectations materials are available only to registered class members via an approved school, school district or youth organization. Program materials are not sold to individual students or consumers, or distributed by any organization other than The Leadership Capital Group LLC. IS SATISFACTION GUARANTEED? The Great Expectations Program for High-Potential Teenagers is sold and delivered to class members by authorized representatives of accredited secondary schools and youth organizations, not members of The Leadership Capital Group LLC or its affiliates. Because of this, all registration, customer satisfaction and tuition policies are decided-upon and administered locally by school or organization officials. Happily, experience has shown that many service-related policies adopted by schools and youth organizations are less restrictive and more student-friendly than similar policies adopted by large for-profit organizations. Parents and students interested in more information about policies and guarantees related to Great Expectations in their area are asked to kindly contact their local school or youth organization representative(s). HOW LARGE ARE THE CLASSES? Up to 40 class members may be enrolled in each Great Expectations class, although the ideal number is between 30 and 35. The minimum number is 20. WHAT ARE THE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS? In order to earn a certificate of completion, Great Expectations class members must: 1) Attend 20 of the 24 core sessions, 2) Satisfy all tuition obligations, 3) Earn a passing grade on the final examination, and 4) Be deemed by the instructor to have made progress worthy of a Great Expectations graduate. WITH WHOM ARE PARENTS & STUDENTS CONTRACTING WHEN ENROLLING IN A GREAT EXPECTATIONS CLASS? It's important to keep in mind that The Leadership Capital Group LLC and its members serve only as a provider of courseware to Great Expectations classes. Host schools and organizations accept full responsibility for all aspects of the organizing and presenting of Great Expectations programs, including, but not limited to, the safety of participants, the assuring of quality and the resolving of any difficulties or conflicts. HOW CAN WE FIND OUT IF OUR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT IS AN AUTHORIZED GREAT EXPECTATIONS PROVIDER? For information about the availability and cost of Great Expectations programs in your area please contact your local school or school district. The Leadership Capital Group LLC does not maintain a list of individual providers, or attempt to influence local decisions or school policies on behalf of prospective students. Individuals wishing to arrange for the local offering of Great Expectations classes are asked to contact their local school district or PTA. HOW QUICKLY DO MOST CLASS MEMBERS BEGIN TO SHOW IMPROVEMENT? It happens incredibly fast for some and a bit more slowly for others but class member growth and improvement always happens and it's always remarkable! In fact, even our most capable graduates will tell you that they never dreamed they'd make so much progress in so many development areas in a scant 12 weeks. In most class members the positive changes start getting obvious by the second week of sessions, but parents and instructors are urged not to show concern if it takes others a little longer. The growth trajectory in LCG training processes is rarely straight-up and linear; and there's even some reverse movement along the way in most cases. Our advice to all class members at Session #1 is to be patient and give things a little time to develop. After more than twenty-five years of industry experience, we know they'll start seeing soon enough why so many tough-minded executives are such strong believers in LCG's comprehensive leadership training processes. WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY TEACHING TECHNIQUES? One very important distinction between Great Expectations and a typical high school or middle school course is the amount of student activity and participation involved each session. Good training programs keep students actively involved throughout the majority of most meetings. There is much less emphasis on note-taking and far less lecturing and explaining of things by facilitators. LCG programs are known for sweeping people into action early at every session and keeping them positive, involved and enthusiastic (P-I-E) pretty much continuously. It's very important that all Great Expectations students truly embrace this approach. Those participating in Great Expectations classes are asked to keep clearly in mind that the core program is first and foremost a training process designed to build and practice new skills, not an educational process designed to provide new knowledge. Some compare our teaching techniques to those of a baseball or basketball coach at a team practice. The emphasis is on "doing" and practicing in a laboratory-like setting. There's a lot of activity, and very little passive listening, note-taking and test-taking. Both approaches have their place, of course. And one is no better than the other. But in a training program like Great Expectations instructors view themselves more as coaches and less as teachers. On average, Great Expectations instructors do far less talking and explaining than most outstanding high school and middle school teachers, and far more interactive facilitating, encouraging and coaching. Class members will find a good deal of detail about the very special learning environment created in Great Expectations classrooms in their student materials. Among other things, they'll find that everything we do in every session of the process is positive, not negative or even constructively critical. We build exclusively on strengths, not weaknesses, and use heavy doses of appreciation and applause to motivate and inspire. The uplifting, confidence-producing building-block techniques LCG members have been using for nearly thirty years have stimulated transformations and break-throughs in hundreds of thousands of adult class members. And they'll do precisely the same thing for serious-minded teenagers. All it takes is an appreciation for the very special training techniques employed in this program, and a willingness to let the process unfold over time. HOW DOES ONE BECOME A CLASS ASSISTANT? Selection and service as a Class Assistant is a distinct honor afforded a very small percentage of Great Expectations graduates. "CA's" are typically outstanding teen role models with strong speaking and interpersonal skills, high levels of self-confidence and self-esteem, and a sincere desire to help future Great Expectations class members realize more of their latent leadership potential. Those selected as class assistants go through the Great Expectations process a second time in an elevated "leadership capacity." Each also earns impressive community service experience that will likely be viewed very favorably by college and university admissions officers. ARE THERE ANY WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS? The final examination given at Session #23 is the only mandatory test in the program. However, instructors are free to use their discretion should additional tests or quizzes seem necessary or of benefit. DO STUDENTS RECEIVE A GRADE? Yes. All students receive a letter grade (A,B,C,D,F) at the end of the core program. An "incomplete" (INC) is typically given only to those needing to make-up additional sessions in order to satisfy the minimum attendance requirement (20 of 24 sessions) and those who failed to take the final examination due to illness or other acceptable reason. Once the graduation requirements are satisfied, students receiving an INC are given a letter grade, with the change noted on the student's Progress Report. Most instructors use a combination of factors to determine the grade for each class member, and details about this are provided at the first session of the process. Given the highly participatory nature of Great Expectations and its tendency to attract outstanding students, grades have historically been higher on average than that of a typical middle school or high school class. Having said that, all grading decisions are the sole province of the program instructor. WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF RECEIVING COLLEGE TRANSFER CREDIT? The odds are quite good actually in most cases as Great Expectations contains all of the required components of a quality college-level experience. A lot depends on the institution involved, however, and there are no guarantees of any kind. An explanation of how program graduates might best pursue transfer credit is provided in the section entitled COLLEGE CREDITS & CEU's, and during several sessions of the core program. |
A PARENTS PERSPECTIVE We're parents, too. Great Expectations is the program we always envisioned building for our own kids. The Leadership Capital Group LLC ******* |
IT LOOKS GREAT ON A COLLEGE APPLICATION! Having successfully completed a college-level leadership process comparable to anything offered by any Fortune 500 company speaks volumes about the maturity level, ability and commitment level of a college- bound teen. Beyond that, class assistants have the added distinction of helping teach a college-level program. With AP classes and evidence of community service increasingly important to college admission decisions, what better way to add an impressive set of credentials to a college or university application! ******* |
FOR PARENTS & STUDENTS Dear College-Bound Teens (and Parents & Guardians)... CONGRATULATIONS on your decision to explore one of the most thrilling and rewarding journeys in self-discovery you'll ever take! The world is filled with young people with a desire to accomplish great things, but far fewer with the drive and determination needed to make their dreams a reality. Your curiosity about Great Expectations and the fact you've arrived at this page on our website suggests to us you're among the relative few with both a dream and the required drive; and that you truly believe in your capacity to grow and improve in the areas dealt with in this program. If you think we've described you well, we hope you'll continue reading. |
Go GET 'em! greatexpectationsforteens.com |
A RICH SMORGASBORD OF SUGGESTIONS & ADVICE The Great Expectations Student Guide is a rich smorgasbord of time-tested suggestions and advice. With over 200 developmental tactics and principles, and over 300 developmental recommendations, it's clearly one of the most comprehensive leadership guidebooks in the industry today. Among the content segments: The 12 Best Ways to Boost Self-Confidence & Self-Esteem The 3 Super Secrets of Every Super-Achiever The 8 Best Ways to Build Positive Relationships 38 Time-Tested Ways to Manage Stress 7 Simple Secrets for Making a Terrific Talk The 10 Best Ways to Earn Trust & Respect The 2 Seldom-Recognized Secrets of Success 12 Terrific Ways to Get Organized The 3 Great Strengths of Every Truly Great Leader The 9 Key Goal-Setting Areas The 13 Secrets of Poise & Social Grace 5 Quick & Easy Steps to a More Positive Attitude How to Avoid the 10 Most Dangerous Teen Derailers The 5 Keys to Dealing with Adversity & Disappointment The 6 Things Great Speakers NEVER Do! The 10 Critical Skills of World-Class Leaders The 4 Secrets to Getting Things Done Quickly, Well and On-Time Your Personal 10-Step Planning Process 14 Time-Tested Ways to Impress an Audience 12 Terrific Tips for Leading a Group Meeting ******* |
TRULY THE PERFECT TIME IN LIFE The perfect time in life for a person to engage in a comprehensive process like Great Expectations is during his or her teen years when related habits are still developing, important mistakes have yet to be made, and enough time is available to build and reinforce critical life skills properly. The Leadership Capital Group LLC ******* |
IS IT REALLY 10-TIMES MORE FOR 10-TIMES LESS? You bet, and even more so. LCG presently charges $695 per person for the Great Expectations courseware including the multi-year design, a 300-page Student Guide, everything for instructors, 5.4 CEU's, the possibility of earning 3 or more college credits, a detailed Prior Learning Supplement, and several other nice surprises. Schools provide the instruction, up to 3 locally-chosen paperback texts and a variety of inexpensive class awards. By contrast, the average price of the 6 largest-selling competing adult programs today, all of which provide materials and instruction but far fewer contact hours of training (e.g. 500 vs. 40), less content, a lesser guarantee and no reinforcement provision is $5,500 per person. ******* |
4 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR PARENTS & GUARDIANS 1. Would a Comprehensive Effort to Build & Reinforce the 10 Skills in Great Expectations Help My Teenager? 2. Is This Something I Believe My Local School(s) Should Be Providing? 3. What Related Programs Are Available Now At My Local Middle School & High School? 4. How Do the Existing Program(s) Compare to Great Expectations? ******* |
LEADERSHIP SKILLS A BETTER PREDICTOR OF COLLEGE SUCCESS THAN THE SAT? A New "Eye-Popping" Report Says It's TRUE! According to award-winning education reporter, Peter Sacks, the recent "eye-popping" report by Harvard University Dean William Fitzsimmons and the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC), spells trouble for the venerated SAT test. The report shows compelling evidence that "non-cognitive traits" like leadership skills, drive and student motivation are actually as good or better a predictor of success in college than the SAT! Click HERE for details! |
EXPERTS AGREE, EVERYTHING TAUGHT IN AMERICAN MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS IS IMPORTANT... ... But many also believe about half of it just isn't important enough anymore! Studies show that the majority of what most people learn in Grades 6-12 is completely forgotten by age 30, and that only about half of what remains has any real day-to-day value to most adults. Surprised? By contrast, the value of the 10 skills and attitudes developed in Great Expectations actually keeps increasing as people age to a point where by age 30 they're of dramatically greater day-to-day value to most adults than anything retained from middle school or high school. That's why American companies invest $12B-$14B every year in leadership training, communications training and interpersonal skills training. And next-to-nothing helping high-potential workers recapture the things they forgot from middle school and high school. There is no substitute for a solid secondary education. But it's also true that the acquiring of a solid set of life and leadership skills at the same time in life is equally important. In my opinion, one without the other just isn't enough. Franklin C. Ashby, Ph.D. CEO, The Leadership Capital Group LLC |