The Key Class Links Up with the Fun In the Sun Program for Summer

FITS, the national, award-winning summer learning collaborative, is designed to improve academic, social and behavioral skills in financially and academically at-risk children (grades 3-9). It addresses the long-term effects of learning loss and achievement gaps children experience during the summer.

The daily seven-hour, seven-week session provides a series of planned educational, artistic, relational and recreational activities that strengthen children’s learning skills and creates a sense of connectivity, self-respect and life skills necessary for academic achievement and behavior skills.

John Daly, President of The Key Class, will teach 190 of the younger children how to shake hands and have a respectful conversation, as well as instruct students in grades 10 to 12 the full Key Class course. The course provides job readiness skills to students looking for jobs or college entrance. Participants learn “How to Shake the Hand that Feeds You,” literally teaching them how to introduce themselves and properly shake hands with another person−something most don’t know how to do. A second class prepares students to dress and behave properly for interviews. Another focuses on writing resumes and cover letters, as well as how to complete applications. The final class is a primer on restaurant behavior.

“I hope your etiquette teaching rubs off on to my soul… In return for your passionate willingness for us to succeed in the job world, I will be successful.” – Richard Palafox, Key Class Student

According to Paul Didier, President & CEO of United Way of Santa Barbara County, “We were attracted to The Key Class because of its successful, cutting-edge style of delivering age-old etiquette in a fresh, fun and interactive way that excites young people. Working for the past several years with at-risk teens and in the high schools in Santa Barbara County, Daly and The Key Class have won the hearts and minds of students and educational organizations throughout the region.”

To learn more about the Fun In the Sun program running at various elementary schools from June 24 through August 9, go to http://www.unitedwaysb.org/fits/.

For more information on The Key Class, visit http://www.thekeyclass.com.