School may be what you typically think of when you hear education, but we know that learning happen in all aspects of life. For students facing learning challenges, the support they receive outside the classroom is often as important as the lessons inside.

At The Shadow Project, we’re embracing this holistic approach with our innovative pilot program at the Boys & Girls Club of Bend. Now in its second year of Goal Setting, this partnership shows how we are growing to meet critical community needs.

Why the After-School Setting?

We launched this program after securing a competitive, two-year Oregon Department of Education’s “Every Day Matters” grant. This funding aims to strengthen whole community systems that support students struggling with chronic absenteeism.

After-school programs are often viewed as purely recreational. But our partners at the Boys & Girls Club of Bend know they can be so much more. Their vision is that the Club is a source of consistent, strong academic and social-emotional support. At Shadow Project, we share that vision and developed a unique approach to make it happen. This approach allows us to:

• Support Overburdened Teachers: We can provide crucial support to students without adding to the excessive workloads of teachers and existing school staff. This approach helps schools and after school programs share resources and build on each other’s strengths, especially when budgets are lean.
• Reach Underserved Students: We can better support students from historically-marginalized communities. These students are often unidentified for having learning disabilities and miss out on crucial support services.
• Build a Network of Mentors: The commitment from the Boys & Girls Club team is remarkable. Over 20 staff members—from youth workers to administrative personnel—volunteered to serve as ‘Goal Guides.’ This whole-organization approach creates a wide network of caring adult mentors dedicated to student success.

A Skill For Life: The Goal Setting Difference

Goal setting is an essential skill that can be taught. For students, picking their own goals offers something profound: a sense of control over their own lives.

The Goal Setting program builds essential skills:

• Choice and Growth Mindset: Students choose their own goals and work with a trusted adult. They receive positive feedback on effort and progress (not just achievement), creating a positive feedback loop essential for building motivation and confidence.
• Belonging & Safety: Weekly one-on-one relationships foster a vital sense of belonging. This support structure is highly effective: 70–90% of teachers administering our programs report that time with trusted adults help students feel more welcome and safe in their school environment. 
• Positive Identity: The program fights school disconnect and chronic absenteeism by helping students build a positive identity that allows them to overcome barriers contributing to missing school.

Goal Setting in Practice

The true power of this process is seen in how a simple goal can unlock so much more.

A Boys & Girls Club staff member shared the journey of a middle schooler whose initial goal was simply to “develop her art skills.” While outlining the necessary action steps, they discussed how skill building always involves building self-confidence. The student instantly embraced this idea and, leading the process, chose these three action steps: not comparing her art to others’, identifying positives in each piece, and developing a growth mindset.

With her Goal Guide’s support, what started as a technical art goal quickly evolved into much more. Over their weekly meetings, the student developed broader, lasting skills including problem-solving, self-esteem, self-compassion, and self-expression. This story beautifully illustrates how the program uses tangible activities to nurture deep, positive psychological change.

This partnership is proving to be a vital pilot program, helping us develop a replicable, high-impact model for after-school groups. By empowering students and dedicated staff in Bend, we are creating lasting, positive change—and this is just the beginning.

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The Shadow Project envisions an education system that normalizes and celebrates learning differences, and supports every student to thrive in school. Learn more about our school based programs for students with disabilities.