Certificates

Skills Win! offers three certificates to its participants: a participation certificate, Most Improved WPM, and Highest WPM.

Our current sites (Fall 2023):

• Fowler
• ITC
• PAL
• Police Cadets

Fowler Participation Certificate:

In order for participants to receive a certificate, satisfactory participation in each of the following exercises must be demonstrated:

• Daily Check In Exercise
  • Students are instructed to scan a QR Code and complete the questionnaire either on their phones, computer, or on paper at the beginning of the session. This exercise allows coaches to see how students are doing and allows students to take a moment and figure out how they are feeling. Skill Set: Stay Well skill which is within Skill Set 2: Developing Physical Skills. 

• Student Survey Exercise
  • Students scan a QR Code or have a paper copy to fill out a student survey at the end of the session. This survey gathers information on how much the student learned, if the Coaches were helpful, and how the Coaches could improve for future sessions. Skill Sets: Use Surveys skill and Keep and Use Records skill which are within Skill Set 7: Gathering Information. 

• Recurring Typing Test
  • Typing.com is used for students to practice their typing skills. This platform helps track individuals’ words per minute (WPM) each week. Coaches record scores based on the one minute typing test that the student took. At the end of all of the sessions, the student with the highest word per minute and the student who improved their word per minute the most will receive a certificate to acknowledge their accomplishment. This exercise practices the Type Well skill which is within Skill Set 2: Developing Physical Skills. 

• Icebreaker Exercise
  • During our first site session, Coaches want to get to know the students and have the students learn something about them. For Fall 2023, we did a Snowball exercise. This exercise involved students writing down something that they are proud of/makes them happy on a piece of paper. Then, they crumple the paper into a ball and throw it in the middle of the room. Everyone takes turns picking one and reading them aloud. This exercise practices the Build Good Relationships skill which is within Skill Set 5: Working Directly with People.

• SMART Goals Exercise
  • SMART goals led to an action plan that an individual can stick to in order to achieve their broader goals. The SMART acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Timebound. This exercise helps students take a broad goal and turn it into a SMART goal, which then can be helpful to keep the individual motivated and possibly able to complete their original goal. This exercise practices the Motivate Yourself skill which is within Skill Set 1: Taking Responsibility. 

• Creating a Gmail Exercise
  • Gmail is a free email service that can help individuals make connections and expand their network. Many students have Gmail, but do not have an appropriate username for a professional setting. Coaches help students create a Gmail with an appropriate username. It is important to use an appropriate username as it creates legitimacy and professionalism. This exercise sets up students to be able to practice Skill Set 4: Communicating in Writing.  

• Good Email Practices Exercise
  • Good email practices can help improve your personal reputation and professional relationships. It is important that your emails have a greeting, spelling and grammar checked content, and a signature. Some other tips to ensure good email practices are: replying to emails in a timely manner to reflect your organizational and time management skills and using people’s titles in your greetings. This exercise practices Skill Set 4: Communicating in Writing. This skill set includes the following skills: Write Well, Edit and Proof, Use Word Processing Tools, and Master Online Communication.  

• Interviewing: Strengths & Weaknesses Exercise
  • Interviews can be intimidating. The purpose of this exercise is to help students gain some insight on how to prepare for interviews. Coaches go over some general tips to know before going into an interview such as researching the company, arriving early, and dressing appropriately. More importantly, students are instructed to come up with examples that show overcoming a challenge or leadership. This highlights a strength that the student has. They are also prompted in finding examples of a sincere weakness that they want to improve. This exercise practices the Converse One-On-One and Sell Successfully skills. These skills are within Skill Set 3: Communicating Verbally and Skill Set 6: Influencing People, respectively.

• Practicing People Skills (Being a Good Listener) Exercise
  • During the Fall of 2023, the people skill that was practiced was ‘Being a Good Listener.’ The purpose of this exercise was to stress the importance of being able to listen during conversations. Students watched a video from TedEd that discussed tips to be a better listener. After the video, students were asked to reflect on a time where they practiced on the tips that were mentioned. This exercise practices the Converse One-on-One and Build Good Relationships skills which are within Skill Set 3: Communicating Verbally and Skill Set 5: Working Directly with People, respectively. 

• Dale Carnegie Speech Exercise
  • Dale Carnegie authored the book How to Win Friends and Influence People, which is a famous book that teaches various approaches to interpersonal interactions. Dale Carnegie emphasizes the following: Working with others toward a common goal, looking at past differences, and leading through serving. There are thirty principles that can be applied to most social situations. Students were asked to do a one minute Dale Carnegie speech. The speech required students to identify the problem, the Dale Carnegie principle they used, and the benefit to them. This exercise practices the Present to Groups, Identify Problems, and Build Good Relationships skills which are within Skill Set 3: Communicating Verbally, Skill Set 10: Solving Problems, and Skill Set 5: Working Directly with People, respectively. 

• Time Management Exercise
  • Time management is a lifelong skill that will be important for students to start practicing. Time management allows individuals to use their time effectively to ensure deadlines are met, tasks are organized, productivity occurs, and success is achieved. Students were given a handout to help them plan their upcoming week to practice this skill. Student’s conducted a brain dump to put all of their tasks down on paper. The next step was labeling the level of importance and then placing the tasks on their designated due date. This exercise practices the Manage Your Time skill which is within Skill Set 1: Taking Responsibility.

• Personal Budgeting Exercise
  • Budgeting can help avoid overspending and keep an individual out of debt. This involves financial understanding and reasonable decision making. The Gold Standard for Budgeting is that 50% of your income should go towards your needs, 30% should go to your wants, and 20% should go into your savings. Students were given a worksheet to help practice this skill. They were provided an income and they had to set a goal for how much they want to save each month. Next, students completed the worksheet and attempted to follow the Gold Standard when distributing their income among needs, wants, and savings. This exercise practices the Manage Your Money skill which is within Skill Set 1: Taking Responsibility. 

• Business Pitch Exercise
  • Students were broken up into groups to create a business pitch that an entrepreneur would like to start. They were given statements from community members and the entrepreneur that expressed what they were looking for out of the new business idea. The groups brainstormed ideas and then finally put together their pitches. After each group completed their pitch, they will present their idea to the classroom. The Coaches decided the best proposal and picked a winner. This exercise practices Present to Groups, Work in Teams, Sell Successfully, Identify Problems, Develop Solutions skills which is within Skill Set 3: Communicating Verbally, Skill Set 5: Working Directly with People, Skill Set 6: Influencing People, Skill Set 10: Solving Problems, respectively.

ITC Participation Certificate:

In order for participants to receive a certificate, satisfactory participation in each of the following exercises must be demonstrated:

• Daily Check In Exercise
  • Students were asked how they are doing and how they are feeling. There is a QR Code for students to scan and complete the questionnaire on their phones or computer. However, we recognize that not all students have access to a phone and provide paper copies for those who prefer to do it on paper. The purpose of this exercise is to engage with Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and allow coaches to see how students are doing and allow students to take a moment and figure out how they are feeling. This exercise practices the Stay Well skill which is within Skill Set 2: Developing Physical Skills. 
• Student Survey Exercise
  • As Coaches we want to make sure that we are meeting everyone’s needs. At the end of each session, students are able to scan a QR Code or have a paper copy to fill out a student survey. This survey gathers information on how much the student learned, if the Coaches were helpful, and how the Coaches could improve for future sessions. This exercise practices the Use Surveys skill and Keep and Use Records skill which are within Skill Set 7: Gathering Information. 
• Recurring Typing Test
  • Typing.com is used for students to practice their typing skills. We use this platform to help track individuals’ words per minute (WPM) each week. Coaches record scores based on the one minute typing test that the student took. At the end of all of the sessions, the student with the highest word per minute and the student who improved their word per minute the most will receive a certificate to acknowledge their accomplishment. This exercise practices the Type Well skill which is within Skill Set 2: Developing Physical Skills. 
• Icebreaker Exercise
  • During our first site session, Coaches want to get to know the students and have the students learn something about them. For Fall 2023 we did a Snowball exercise. This exercise involved students writing down something that they were proud of and makes them happy on a piece of paper. Then, they crumple the paper into a ball and throw it into the middle of the room. Everyone takes turns picking one ball out and reading them aloud. This exercise practices the Build Good Relationships skill which is within Skill Set 5: Working Directly with People.
• SMART Goals Exercise
  • SMART goals led to an action plan that an individual can stick to in order to achieve their broader goals. The SMART acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Timebound. This exercise helps students take a broad goal and turn it into a SMART goal, which then can be helpful to keep the individual motivated and possibly able to complete their original goal. This exercise practices the Motivate Yourself skill which is within Skill Set 1: Taking Responsibility. 
• Creating a Gmail Exercise
  • Gmail is a free email service that can help individuals make connections and expand their network. Many students have a Gmail account, but do not have an appropriate username for a professional setting. Coaches help students create a Gmail account with an appropriate username. It is important to use an appropriate username as it creates legitimacy and professionalism. This exercise sets up students to be able to practice Skill Set 4: Communicating in Writing.  
• Good Email Practices Exercise
  • Good email practices can help improve your personal reputation and professional relationships. It is important that your emails have a greeting, good spelling, grammar checked content, and a signature. Some other tips to ensure good email practices are: replying to emails in a timely manner to reflect your organizational and time management skills and using people’s titles in your greetings. This exercise practices Skill Set 4: Communicating in Writing. This skill set includes the following skills: Write Well, Edit and Proof, Use Word Processing Tools, and Master Online Communication.  
• Interviewing: Strengths & Weaknesses Exercise
  • Interviews can be intimidating. The purpose of this exercise is to help students gain some insight on how to prepare for interviews. Coaches go over some general tips to know before going into an interview such as researching the company, arriving early, and dressing appropriately. More importantly, students are instructed to come up with examples that show overcoming a challenge or leadership. This highlights a strength that the student has. They are also prompted in finding examples of a sincere weakness that they want to improve. This exercise practices the Converse One-On-One and Sell Successfully skills. These skills are within Skill Set 3: Communicating Verbally and Skill Set 6: Influencing People, respectively.
• Personal Budgeting Exercise
  • Budgeting can help avoid overspending and keep an individual out of debt. This involves financial understanding and reasonable decision making. The Gold Standard for Budgeting is that 50% of your income should go towards your needs, 30% should go to your wants, and 20% should go into your savings. Students were given a worksheet to help practice this skill. They were provided an income and they had to set a goal for how much they want to save each month. Next, students completed the worksheet and attempted to follow the Gold Standard when distributing their income among needs, wants, and savings. This exercise practices the Manage Your Money skill which is within Skill Set 1: Taking Responsibility. 
• Time Management Exercise
  • Time management is a lifelong skill that will be important for students to start practicing. Time management allows individuals to use their time effectively to ensure deadlines are met, tasks are organized, productivity occurs, and success is achieved. Students were given a handout to help them plan their upcoming week to practice this skill. Student’s conducted a brain dump to put all of their tasks down on paper. The next step was labeling the level of importance and then placing the tasks on their designated due date. This exercise practices the Manage Your Time skill which is within Skill Set 1: Taking Responsibility.

• Business Pitch Exercise
  • Students were broken up into groups to create a business pitch that an entrepreneur would like to start. They were given statements from community members and the entrepreneur that expressed what they were looking for out of the new business idea. The groups brainstormed ideas and then finally put together their pitches. After each group completed their pitch, they will present their idea to the classroom. The Coaches decided the best proposal and picked a winner. This exercise practices Present to Groups, Work in Teams, Sell Successfully, Identify Problems, Develop Solutions skills which is within Skill Set 3: Communicating Verbally, Skill Set 5: Working Directly with People, Skill Set 6: Influencing People, Skill Set 10: Solving Problems, respectively.

PAL Completion Certificate:

In order for participants to receive a certificate, they must complete the following exercises in collaboration with the Syracuse Police Athletic/Activities League:

• Daily Check In Exercise
  • Students were asked how they are doing and how they are feeling. There is a QR Code for students to scan and complete the questionnaire on their phones or computer. However, we recognize that not all students have access to a phone and provide paper copies for those who prefer to do it on paper. The purpose of this exercise is to engage with Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and allow coaches to see how students are doing and allow students to take a moment and figure out how they are feeling. This exercise practices the Stay Well skill which is within Skill Set 2: Developing Physical Skills. 
• Student Survey Exercise
  • As Coaches we want to make sure that we are meeting everyone’s needs. At the end of each session, students are able to scan a QR Code or have a paper copy to fill out a student survey. This survey gathers information on how much the student learned, if the Coaches were helpful, and how the Coaches could improve for future sessions. This exercise practices the Use Surveys skill and Keep and Use Records skill which are within Skill Set 7: Gathering Information. 
• Recurring Typing Test
  • Typing.com is used for students to practice their typing skills. We use this platform to help track individuals’ words per minute (WPM) each week. Coaches record scores based on the one minute typing test that the student took. At the end of all of the sessions, the student with the highest word per minute and the student who improved their word per minute the most will receive a certificate to acknowledge their accomplishment. This exercise practices the Type Well skill which is within Skill Set 2: Developing Physical Skills. 
• SMART Goals Exercise
  • SMART goals led to an action plan that an individual can stick to in order to achieve their broader goals. The SMART acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Timebound. This exercise helps students take a broad goal and turn it into a SMART goal, which then can be helpful to keep the individual motivated and possibly able to complete their original goal. This exercise practices the Motivate Yourself skill which is within Skill Set 1: Taking Responsibility. 
• Practicing People Skills (Being a Good Listener) Exercise
  • During the Fall of 2023, the people skill that was practiced was ‘Being a Good Listener.’ The purpose of this exercise was to stress the importance of being able to listen during conversations. Students watched a video from TedEd that discussed tips to be a better listener. After the video, students were asked to reflect on a time where they practiced on the tips that were mentioned. This exercise practices the Converse One-on-One and Build Good Relationships skills which are within Skill Set 3: Communicating Verbally and Skill Set 5: Working Directly with People, respectively. 
• Conversing One-on-One Exercise
  • Conversing One-on-One is an important skill to have meaningful conversations with many different individuals. Students were taught the benefits of being able to converse one-on-one and then it was their turn to practice this skill. Students had a conversation with each person in their team. They were prompted to ask their name, grade, school they attend, and a fun fact about them. This exercise practices the Converse One-on-One and Build Good Relationships skills which are within Skill Set 3: Communicating Verbally and Skill Set 5: Working Directly with People, respectively. 
• Business Pitch Exercise
  • Students were broken up into groups to create a business pitch that an entrepreneur would like to start. They were given statements from community members and the entrepreneur that expressed what they were looking for out of the new business idea. The groups brainstormed ideas and then finally put together their pitches. After each group completed their pitch, they will present their idea to the classroom. The Coaches decided the best proposal and picked a winner. This exercise practices Present to Groups, Work in Teams, Sell Successfully, Identify Problems, Develop Solutions skills which is within Skill Set 3: Communicating Verbally, Skill Set 5: Working Directly with People, Skill Set 6: Influencing People, Skill Set 10: Solving Problems, respectively. 
• Time Management Exercise
  • Time management is a lifelong skill that will be important for students to start practicing. Time management allows individuals to use their time effectively to ensure deadlines are met, tasks are organized, productivity occurs, and success is achieved. Students were given a handout to help them plan their upcoming week to practice this skill. Student’s conducted a brain dump to put all of their tasks down on paper. The next step was labeling the level of importance and then placing the tasks on their designated due date. This exercise practices the Manage Your Time skill which is within Skill Set 1: Taking Responsibility.
• Self Care and Feeling Good Exercise
  • Self Care is a series of things that can be done in an individual’s day-to-day life to help one become the best version of themselves. The two main aspects of self care are physical and mental well-being. Students were prompted to write down things they needed to accomplish for the week, something they were grateful for, something that was bothering them, and steps they were going to take to solve it. This exercise practices the Stay Well skill which is within Skill Set 2: Developing Physical Skills. 

• Elevator Pitch Exercise
  • An elevator pitch is a way of introducing yourself and making a connection with a person within thirty seconds to two minutes. Coaches went over the importance of having an elevator pitch and how students could create their own message. Students went through multiple prompts about themselves and when the answers were combined, it created their own elevator pitch. This exercise practices the Converse One-on-One, Build Good Relationships, and Sell Successfully skills which are within Skill Set 3: Communicating Verbally, Skill Set 5: Working Directly with People, and Skill Set 6: Influencing People, respectively.

Police Cadets Participation Certificate:

In order for participants to receive a certificate, satisfactory participation in each of the following exercises must be demonstrated:

• Daily Check In Exercise
  • Students were asked how they are doing and how they are feeling. There is a QR Code for students to scan and complete the questionnaire on their phones or computer. However, we recognize that not all students have access to a phone and provide paper copies for those who prefer to do it on paper. The purpose of this exercise is to engage with Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and allow coaches to see how students are doing and allow students to take a moment and figure out how they are feeling. This exercise practices the Stay Well skill which is within Skill Set 2: Developing Physical Skills. 
• Student Survey Exercise
  • As Coaches we want to make sure that we are meeting everyone’s needs. At the end of each session, students are able to scan a QR Code or have a paper copy to fill out a student survey. This survey gathers information on how much the student learned, if the Coaches were helpful, and how the Coaches could improve for future sessions. This exercise practices the Use Surveys skill and Keep and Use Records skill which are within Skill Set 7: Gathering Information. 
• Recurring Typing Test
  • Typing.com is used for students to practice their typing skills. We use this platform to help track individuals’ words per minute (WPM) each week. Coaches record scores based on the one minute typing test that the student took. At the end of all of the sessions, the student with the highest word per minute and the student who improved their word per minute the most will receive a certificate to acknowledge their accomplishment. This exercise practices the Type Well skill which is within Skill Set 2: Developing Physical Skills. 
• Dale Carnegie Speech Exercise
  • Dale Carnegie authored the book How to Win Friends and Influence People, which is a famous book that teaches various approaches to interpersonal interactions. Dale Carnegie emphasizes the following: Working with others toward a common goal, looking at past differences, and leading through serving. There are thirty principles that can be applied to most social situations. Students were asked to do a one minute Dale Carnegie speech. The speech required students to identify the problem, the Dale Carnegie principle they used, and the benefit to them. This exercise practices the Present to Groups, Identify Problems, and Build Good Relationships skills which are within Skill Set 3: Communicating Verbally, Skill Set 10: Solving Problems, and Skill Set 5: Working Directly with People, respectively. 
• Excel Review Exercise
  • It is important to make sure all students have a general understanding of how to use Excel. This review exercise goes over basic functions, making a graph, and data analysis. Students were asked to find data on a topic they are passionate about for at least three consecutive years. This data will be used to go over the review functions. This exercise practices the Use Graphs and Tables and Use Spreadsheet Programs skills which are within Skill Set 8: Using Quantitative Tools.
• Excel Vacation Budgeting Exercise
  • Students used Excel to plan an ideal day in a city of their choosing with an assigned budget. They placed the item type and price in a table. From this table, students were able to make another table for the sum, minimum value, maximum value, and average using their Excel skills. This exercise practices the Use Spreadsheet Programs skill which is within Skill Set 8: Using Quantitative Tools. 
• Email Etiquette and Email Signature
  • Students were taught some tips to have proper email etiquette. Some of the tips were beginning your email with a greeting and using formal language. They were then instructed to create an email signature. An email signature should include your full name, pronouns, contact information, job information/title, and any important links. Based on what the students learned, they were prompted to write the Coaches an email that followed email etiquette and included their signature. This exercise practices the Build Good Relationships skill which is within the Skill Set 5: Working Directly with People. 
• Developing Physical Skills Exercise
  • This exercise requires students to take handwritten notes. For the first portion of this exercise, students were asked to take five minutes to journal about something that they appreciate or are grateful for. The next portion was to have students think about how they can look good and what the benefits are to having a professional appearance. The final portion of this exercise has students share their notes with a partner to see if their notes are legible. This exercise practices the Stay Well, Look Good, and Write Legibly skills which are within Skill Set 2: Developing Physical Skills. 
• Excel Time Management Exercise
  • Time management is a lifelong skill that will be important for students to start practicing. Time management allows individuals to use their time effectively to ensure deadlines are met, tasks are organized, productivity occurs, and success is achieved. Student’s conducted a “brain dump” to put all of their tasks down on a blank Word document. The next step was labeling the level of importance and the findings of their priorities. The students took their tasks from their Word document and used Excel to make a schedule that best suited themselves. This exercise practices the Manage Your Time skill which is within Skill Set 1: Taking Responsibility.

• Personal Budgeting Exercise
  • Budgeting can help avoid overspending and keep an individual out of debt. This involves financial understanding and reasonable decision making. The Gold Standard for Budgeting is that 50% of your income should go towards your needs, 30% should go to your wants, and 20% should go into your savings. Students were given a worksheet to help practice this skill. They were provided an income and they had to set a goal for how much they want to save each month. Next, students completed the worksheet and attempted to follow the Gold Standard when distributing their income among needs, wants, and savings. This exercise practices the Manage Your Money skill which is within Skill Set 1: Taking Responsibility. 
• PowerPoint Exercise
  • Students were taught how to use PowerPoint and tips to make their presentations look professional. For example, slides should be bullet points and not paragraphs. After the students learned about the basics of PowerPoint, they made their own PowerPoint presentation on the topic of their choosing. This exercise practices the Present to Groups and Use Visual Displays skills which are within Skill Set 3: Communicating Verbally. 
• Presenting to Groups Exercise
  • Students were taught seven steps to help create a good presentation. The seven steps are to: (1) know the audience; (2) grab their attention; (3) use visual aids; (4) watch your movements; (5) read the audience; (6) add pauses; and (7) practice. After each step was explained, students were prompted to prepare a small verbal presentation on a topic that they knew a lot about. Students shared their presentations with a partner. This exercise practices the Present to Groups, Apply Knowledge, and Sell Successfully skills which are within Skill Set 3: Communicating Verbally, Skill Set 9: Asking and Answering the Right Questions, and Skill Set 6: Influencing People, respectively. 
• Creating a Good Resume Exercise
  • Students utilized Microsoft Word to use the ‘Basic Resume’ template to begin the process of creating their resumes. Coaches went over each step of creating a resume. The basic components are your personal information, education section, experience section, skills section, and summary section. After the students had a starting point for their resume, Coaches offered another tool for them to strengthen their resumes called VMock. This website will score each section and provide feedback for the sections that could be improved. This exercise practices the Sell Successfully, Write Well, Edit and Proof skills which are within Skill Set 6: Influencing People and Skill Set 4: Communicating in Writing, respectively.  

• Interviewing: Strengths and Weaknesses Exercise
  • Interviews can be intimidating. The purpose of this exercise is to help students gain some insight on how to prepare for interviews. Coaches go over some general tips to know before going into an interview such as researching the company, arriving early, and dressing appropriately. More importantly, students are instructed to come up with examples that show overcoming a challenge or leadership. This highlights a strength that the student has. They are also prompted in finding examples of a sincere weakness that they want to improve. This exercise practices the Converse One-On-One and Sell Successfully skills. These skills are within Skill Set 3: Communicating Verbally and Skill Set 6: Influencing People, respectively.
• Elevator Pitch Exercise
  • An elevator pitch is a way of introducing yourself and making a connection with a person within thirty seconds to two minutes. Coaches went over the importance of having an elevator pitch and how students could create their own message. Students went through multiple prompts about themselves and when the answers were combined, it created their own elevator pitch. This exercise practices the Converse One-on-One, Build Good Relationships, and Sell Successfully skills which are within Skill Set 3: Communicating Verbally, Skill Set 5: Working Directly with People, and Skill Set 6: Influencing People, respectively. 
• Business Pitch Exercise
  • Students were broken up into groups to create a business pitch that an entrepreneur would like to start. They were given statements from community members and the entrepreneur that expressed what they were looking for out of the new business idea. The groups brainstormed ideas and then finally put together their pitches. After each group completed their pitch, they will present their idea to the classroom. The Coaches decided the best proposal and picked a winner. This exercise practices Present to Groups, Work in Teams, Sell Successfully, Identify Problems, Develop Solutions skills which is within Skill Set 3: Communicating Verbally, Skill Set 5: Working Directly with People, Skill Set 6: Influencing People, Skill Set 10: Solving Problems, respectively.

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