Resources

Education for Self-Reliance

Choose roles and act out the following.

FACILITATOR: Welcome, everyone! Tell us your names and a little about yourselves.

KWAME: Well, I’m Kwame. I just got back from a mission, I’m looking for a wife, and I’m doing odd jobs.

CONSUELO: My name is Consuelo; I’m married and have two small boys; I help my husband with his fruit stand.

MEKALA: And I’m Mekala. I’m a single mother with a six-year-old daughter. I’m working full-time cleaning hotels.

ROBERT: I’m Robert, I’m married and have five children, and I’m serving as a bishop right now, but I’m struggling to find good work.

FACILITATOR: Okay, good. So why are you all here?

KWAME: I just want to get into school. All my mission companions were going home to college, and I want to do the same.

ROBERT: I was actually hoping to get a Perpetual Education Fund loan—isn’t that what this is about?

CONSUELO: The prophet said to get as much education as possible, so I told my husband that I needed to do this.

MEKALA: Well, I just need better work so I can be more self-reliant, and I don’t have many skills.

FACILITATOR: Okay, it sounds like we have many reasons for being here. We’re going to do well together. Mekala, what you said is very important. Tell us more.

MEKALA: So I’m working really long hours and can’t be with my daughter much. And I’ve found I can’t get a better job without some training. So I need some education to gain skills. My bishop said this was the place.

FACILITATOR: You’re right, Mekela! In fact, that’s what we’re all here for. This is not only about education. Is that surprising? This group will help us plan to get some training or education, but the purpose is to gain skills, get a better job, and increase our income. Maybe most important, for these 12 weeks, we’ll learn principles, skills, and habits that will help us be truly self-reliant. So this is about far more than just going to school.

ROBERT: And what about PEF loans?

FACILITATOR: If you find out you really need a loan, it’s certainly available, and we’ll learn all about how to do that. But what if you could get the training you need without a loan? Then you wouldn’t have that debt.

CONSUELO: Will it help us get into the university?

FACILITATOR: If that’s the right place to get the skills you need to get a great job, then yes. But sometimes a university degree doesn’t lead to jobs in our economy.

ROBERT: That’s true. I know doctors who are driving taxis.

KWAME: I just want to get started on something. I only did street sales before my mission. I don’t have any job skills.

CONSUELO: So, are we here to learn about jobs or education?

FACILITATOR: Both! We want to be self-reliant, right? So we’re going to learn the key principles of self-reliance. We will begin by deciding what kind of work will give us the income to lead to self-reliance.

And then we will decide what training or education will help us qualify for that work. Then we’ll figure out how to pay for that education and how to succeed in school. We’ll help each other reach our goals.

ROBERT: This is making sense. Until now, I’ve just thought about getting into school, but I didn’t really think about why I should go to school.

KWAME: Sounds like this could give me some direction. No wonder my quorum president sent me here!

MEKALA: But does it really work? I’m pretty desperate, and I’ve tried other ways to get an education before.

FACILITATOR: Well, we’ll have to work hard together, and help each other. But I believe it will work. I believe with all my heart that the Lord wants us to be self-reliant and successful. He wants us to learn and grow. And He has the power to help us. The Atonement is real, in both temporal and spiritual things. And self-reliance groups have helped a lot of people like us. What do you think? Can we do it? Should we try? Here’s one person’s story:

EMELDA: Being a top student is not something I owe to myself; I owe it to the Church! I knew joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was going to take me to greater spiritual realms, but I never imagined it would open the doors for me academically.

Learning the gospel was truly a wake-up call for me. It made me realize that I was in charge of my own destiny. Regardless of our current circumstances and what we may feel, I have no doubt that my Heavenly Father has good plans for us.

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“Go and Do” Learning

Take turns reading the following paragraphs.

In a traditional class, we often follow this pattern: (1) We walk in and sit down, usually without much preparation on our part. (2) The teacher talks. (3) We try to listen and learn. (4) Sometimes we answer a question. And then (5) we go home.

In our self-reliance group, we will be following a different pattern.

Foundation

Report

Learn

Ponder

Commit

ACT daily with accountability

During the week, we will be acting. We will be doing what we committed to do in the previous group meeting. We’ll be asking questions, testing ideas, and really learning.

Then, before the group meeting, we will all review the workbook and our commitments and come prepared and on time.

During the first part of every group meeting we will take time to focus on a Foundation principle or habit. We’ll also commit to teach it to our family and others.

Next, we will report on our commitments, learn from each other, and find ways to improve.

Then, we turn to learn. Here, we will explore the ideas and tools we will need to “go and do” during the week. We discuss together, watch videos, learn, and practice.

After the learn part, we will pause and ponder. This can be a time for inspiration and answers.

Finally, we commit to each other. We review what we will go and do during the week to improve our lives.

That brings us back to acting. The most important part of this learning pattern happens between meetings! To help us, we will choose an “action partner” for the week, and each day we should contact that person to quickly report what we did and what we learned. We can use text messages or other communication options. Plus, our family will be our greatest source of help!

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The PEF Preferred Lists

Choose roles and act out the following.

FACILITATOR: All right everyone. This PEF Preferred List shows some of the best local jobs, educational programs, and schools in our area. If you want a PEF loan, you’ll have to choose from this list.

CONSUELO: Why?

FACILITATOR: Good question. This list shows the best jobs in our area. These are the “preferred jobs” and they are in high demand. There are more of these jobs available and more people are being hired.

ROBERT: This looks really helpful. Who made this list?

FACILITATOR: Our local self-reliance services manager and some volunteers researched our job market, looked at job trends, and actually spoke with many local employers. They also found the local schools and programs that help people gain the skills needed for the preferred jobs.

MEKALA: Looks like they also listed the length of the programs and the costs.

KWAME: Wow. It’s interesting to see that some schools require over two years and others require just 10 months for the same programs.

CONSUELO: And the costs are very different. I wonder why?

FACILITATOR: We’ll learn more about costs and value in the weeks ahead. But what you’re seeing is important. Not all schools provide the same value!

MEKALA: That’s important. I want to go to a school that helps me get a good job. But a shorter course that costs less is important, too.

FACILITATOR: Exactly. Preferred schools and programs provide skills for preferred jobs with a reasonable length and cost. They should have high job placement rates, too. This is a very valuable tool for us.

ROBERT: Could this help even if I don’t need a PEF loan?

KWAME: Well, yeah. I’m going to start with this list anyway.

FACILITATOR: Good idea. And if you do not choose a job, program, or school on this list, you should still find your own answers to these questions: what jobs are in high demand, and what programs and schools are best for those jobs. What do you think?

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My Work Plan in Three Minutes

Choose roles and act out the following.

MEKALA: Okay, so here is my work plan in three minutes. The first part is to list my work choices. I’m still not totally sure about these but I’m learning a lot and feeling more hope. They are executive assistant, teacher, and hotel management. Then the next part …

ROBERT: The next part of the work plan is the people that I talked to. For the interpreter option, I spoke with people at a translation agency and my stake president, who does a lot of international work. For education administrator, I could only find two people at some private schools who would spend any time with me. And for the bakery business option, I spoke with four different bakery owners, including my auntie Ellen. With my business background, that has some real possibilities.

So, any questions or feedback for me?

MEKALA: Which of those options would allow you to serve better in your Church calling? I know that’s important to you.

CONSUELO: And how much equipment would it take to start the bakery?

ROBERT: Good questions. So, I think I would have more time, but the cost …

KWAME: Wow, this was a great activity, wasn’t it? Like being on a mission again. One welding shop manager told me how he got trained and where and how much it cost. And then he said an apprenticeship is the way to go for me. The other shop even offered me an apprenticeship on the spot, but without pay, so I don’t know about that. And the police academy was really great. I’d have to attend school for a year and then go around with some officers for another year. So it would cost more, but the salary would be four times more than I’ve ever made. I need to make a choice …

CONSUELO: And so finally, I needed to make a choice. I got it down to two for now, but we’re working on it as a family and that’s been great. I’m going to work toward the software specialist option or the medical technologist. They both pay about the same but the software specialist would probably be better for my family. I could still help my husband, and the school is three months shorter …

KWAME: Well, okay, time’s up. We’re making progress!

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Action and Commitment

Choose roles and act out the following.

GROUP MEMBER 1: We believe in making and keeping commitments. In our self-reliance groups, everything we do is built around making commitments and reporting.

GROUP MEMBER 2: At the end of a group meeting, we review our actions for the week and add our signature to show our commitment. We also choose an “action partner.” The action partner signs our workbook to pledge support. And each day between meetings, we contact our action partner to report on our actions and to get help when needed.

GROUP MEMBER 3: Between meetings, we mark our progress in the workbook and use the tools provided, such as worksheets or other forms. And if we need extra help, we can call on our families, our friends, or the facilitator.

GROUP MEMBER 4: At the beginning of our next meeting, we return and report on our commitments. This should be a comfortable, powerful experience for everyone. As each group member reports, think about how he or she was helped by making commitments and reporting progress.

GROUP MEMBER 1: The first time I reported on my commitments, I thought, “This is strange.” Why would my group members care about what I did? But then I found out that they did care. And that helped me.

GROUP MEMBER 2: I realized that I didn’t want to let my group down. So I really worked hard to keep my commitments. I’m not sure I would have made regular progress any other way. Reporting at each meeting really helped me with my priorities.

GROUP MEMBER 3: When I thought about my path to self-reliance, I was scared because it was such a big thing. But the group meetings helped me break it down into small steps. And I reported on each step to my group. Then I made real progress. I think this success resulted from building new habits.

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MY WORK PLAN: WHAT WORK COULD HELP ME BECOME SELF-RELIANT?
List three types of work you will consider.

WHO KNOWS ABOUT THIS TYPE OF WORK?
List 3–5 people to speak with about each job.

WHAT QUESTIONS WILL I ASK THESE PEOPLE?
How much income could I expect each month when I start? How much monthly income could I expect after working for a year?
How do I qualify for each type of work?
Are there local schools?
Is there a growing demand for this type of work?
What is the cost to get started?
Other questions?

WHICH WORK SEEMS BEST TO PROVIDE INCOME AND MATCH MY STRENGTHS AND SKILLS?
What have I learned about these options? Which seems best for me?