Getting Ahead Classes

Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin-By World is a 10-session group workshop that helps participants stabilize their situations and build resources to improve their lives. The program guides participants through the process of assessing their own lives and circumstances and teaches them how to build those resources and how to develop tools and skills as part of their move to self-sufficiency.  Getting Ahead participants create their own plan for a sustainable life, build healthy relationships with others, set short- and long-term goals, and develop a step-by-step plan to achieve those goals. It is a proven curriculum currently being used in 46 states and 5 countries with over 100,000 graduates.

In Getting Ahead sessions, participants:
          establish their own achievable short- and long-term goals
          develop a step-by-step plan to achieve those goals
          explore resources needed for sustainability
          build healthy relationships with others
          improve financial skills
          and begin the process of writing their own future story.

The Getting Ahead curriculum facilitates knowledge gains about poverty and how to begin to “get ahead” when living in poverty. Participants leave the program with more knowledge about how to avoid financial predators, what kind of rent they can afford, and what kind of interest they can legally be charged. They are leaving with increased knowledge of themselves and the resources they need to move forward economically and with an individualized plan for beginning to increase their resources.

Bridges to Prosperity Northern Illinois provides the backbone structure and support for these classes. Each year we seek partner organizations to host these classes at their respective locations for their clients. We support these programs financially through the funding we receive from individual donors, corporate sponsors, churches and grants.

Since launching the classes in 2020, in partnership with local agencies, nonprofits and churches, we have graduated 145 participants in our Getting Ahead Classes. Community partners that have hosted classes include: Comprehensive Community Solutions, Life Church, Life Decisions, Northwest Community Center, Rockford Housing Authority, Rockford MELD, St. John's United Church of Christ and Winnebago County Housing Authority. 

Our Graduates reported the following:
42% Had an Increase in Income
39% Increased their Education
39% Reported a Decrease in Debt
19% Report a Decrease on the need for State or Federal Benefits

94% indicated progress on the goal areas they set for themselves
100% identified tools or resources to support them in reaching their goals
98% of the participants would recommend the class to others

A full report of results can be found here: Getting Ahead Results Report

Watch a Testimonial from a Rockford Housing Authority graduate here: Facebook

Watch the National Getting Ahead Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1Ppvo2YqW0&list=PLihWkYFy34kwb86mpHjHlNZRrbVPHwtyl&index=5&t=0s