FONTANA, CA – Fontana Unified at-promise students looking to change the trajectory of their lives and achieve at higher levels celebrated the completion of a 10-week Success Club intervention program – featuring support from life coaches, motivational speakers and spoken word poets to help students get back on track for graduation – during a ceremony held May 10 at Citrus High School.

Rescue a Generation (RAG) is a San Bernardino-based nonprofit designed to help underserved students overcome obstacles and empower themselves to establish high expectations and transform their lives. RAG Success Clubs were initiated at Sequoia, Almeria, Truman and Southridge Tech middle schools, and A.B. Miller, Citrus and Eric Birch high schools, with approximately 200 students participating.

“The reaction from our Success Club students and their families has been overwhelmingly positive,” Citrus High Principal Mike Bunten said. “RAG speakers bring a unique and engaging perspective to the students and are experts at motivating them to move forward in their lives in a positive direction. Our ceremony was a celebration of new horizons for our students.”

The RAG administrative and coaching staff is made up of dynamic persons of color who have overcome adversity and challenges in their lives and channeled their experiences to become powerful speakers, able to connect with underrepresented students and motivate them to choose life paths that will lead to positive and successful outcomes.

Success Club is a twice-weekly, one-hour intervention program held at the school sites that runs for 10 weeks and includes topics such as Thinking Successfully, Moving Past Pain, Mentors and Leaders, Relationships Matter and The Real MVP.

Rescue a Generation was brought to Fontana through the District’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) department to help develop a hands-on, interactive Tier 3 intervention program across multiple school sites.

“Providing equity in education demands that we stop at nothing to support our students who are at the most risk of falling behind and losing out on their opportunity to create a better life for themselves and their families,” Superintendent Miki R. Inbody said. “I applaud RAG and its Success Club program for its ability to resonate so well with our students, and wholeheartedly thank our MTSS department for establishing the program at the District.”