Programs & Services 
Since the Fall of 2010, H.Y.P.E. has supported Geer Park Elementary students with a free after school tutoring and mentoring program. Our programs are designed to cater to all students in grades K - 5. The faculty at Geer Park strive for excellence and along with H.Y.P.E., promote a sense of dedication in education to the students and families alike.
The following programs are held at Geer Park Elementary:
1. After-School Homework Assistance Program - Targeting at risk or lower performing students with homework assignments.
2. In School Life Skills Program - 6 to 10 week life skills curriculum covers wide range of topics including:
Self Esteem
Students learn what self-esteem is and how it is developed. Students are made aware that we all can do some things well and not to take ourselves for granted.
Decision-Making
Young people are notorious for making poor choices. Many are impulsive and rarely think about the consequences of their actions. Students are taught a simple step-by-step process for making decisions. Then they practice making decisions using the model taught in class.
Smoking Information
Students learn the many health risks associated with tobacco use. As a class, they weigh the pros and cons of smoking.
Advertising
Class focuses on how tobacco advertisers manipulate advertisements to try and entice people to smoke. Students develop a “counter-advertisement” to reveal the truth about tobacco.
Stress
Students learn to recognize stress and practice techniques to deal with stress.
Communication
Students learn how feelings are communicated. We focus on verbal and non-verbal communication.
Empathy
Students will learn why empathy is important in social relationships, and how to think outside the box and put themselves in someone else’s shoes.
Social Skills
Students learn ways of building and maintaining friendships.
Assertiveness
Students learn how to stand up for themselves calmly and firmly. We use an interactive approach and practice using refusal skills.
Bullying
Class focuses on how to speak and act to a bully, what to do and where to go if bullying continues, and the importance of standing up for others.
Anger
Students focus on where anger comes from, the power of anger, when anger is good, how to defuse anger and manage stress, and turning anger into forgiveness.
Statistics:
-Reduces tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use by up to 75%.
-Effects last up to 6 years.
-Effective with White, African-American and Hispanic youth.
-Cuts polydrug use by up to 66%.
