Once a youth attending the City of Greenacres, Adam Mohammed (pictured right) now an afterschool professional says being an afterschool professional affords him more life lessons than he could imagine. Now, five years working in afterschool, Adam enjoys being able to watch the youth at the City of Greenacres grow and help guide them along the way.
“It doesn’t matter what age they are, I find myself learning from them every single day.” – Adam Mohammed
Adam wanted to learn new strategies and skills that would help him serve youth in a better way so he began utilizing many of Prime Time’s resources and incentives by pursuing and completing the youth development pathway, credit pathway and Youth Development College Credit Certificate. He attributes the classes to providing him with different insight and perspectives on youth behavior, development and conflict resolution techniques and allowing him to better teach new staff what to do in certain situations.
“Adam brings an authentic and enthusiastic energy to all of the professional development trainings he attends offered through Prime Time. I believe his active participation and good questioning not only help him learn and grow during the trainings but others who participate with him. It is a joy to work with and be around Adam. His program is fortunate to have him.” – Patrick Freeland, Quality Improvement Manager
Not stopping there, Adam went on to earn an Associate Degree in Human Services-Youth Development and began working on his Bachelor’s Degree in Supervision and Management at Palm Beach State College completely paid for by scholarships awarded through Prime Time. He continued to work towards his School Age Professional Certificate and Staff Credential and Director Credential the same time. One of the benefits of obtaining his education included climbing the organizational ladder. He would like to use his education to enhance what his program offers and unlock doors to higher positions so that he can have a bigger impact on the youth that they serve.
As Adam completed tiers of education in youth development, he began to become qualified for financial incentives through ACHIEVE Out-of-School Time, an award program that provides stability for the practitioner and in turn lends itself to program quality.
“It (ACHIEVE OST) allows for peace of mind while going to school. Paying for classes is only part of the battle so ACHIEVE has helped with other expenses associated with this and has motivated me to attend class and remain in the field.” – Adam Mohommed
Prime Time Palm Beach County hopes that Adam’s story will inspire others working in afterschool to utilize Prime Time’s incentives, resources and supports to better themselves and their program.