Text reading 'H.A.N.D. PROJECT' in blue on a white background.

Not every teenager comes from a situation where they see HOPE in their future. A future where ADVANCEMENT personally and professionally is possible. But the reality is, that taking NEW DIRECTIONS are possible when the right tools and mindset are adopted. Our H.A.N.D. Project is aimed at providing just these things to those in our community that need to see the opportunities right in front of them!

what our project focuses on

The H.A.N.D. Project, which stands for Hope, Advancement and New Directions is a program designed to be taught to high school aged students to address life skills gaps.

Many kids today are not being taught best practices to help them succeed in the job market. Basic financial literacy, parenting skills, social emotional regulation tools, and much more.

The wonderful educators at our local high schools have an important job to do, which is to teach their various subjects. It isn’t their job to fill in and help build up these skills even though we know many will and do help students however they can to succeed. It is the parents or guardians who should be teaching these skills and life lessons. However, what you don’t know, you can’t teach. And that is not their fault either, or perhaps they do know it but have to work multiple jobs and don’t have the time to pass it along.

We feel that being United, while in our name, is literally what we should all be doing, and get back to the old idea of it taking a village! That’s where we are stepping in to help pull in local business owners, experts, government agencies and more to help facilitate these important learning sessions to provided these critical life skills.

I WANT TO HELP

Courses

These courses are designed to be basic informational level, appropriate for high school & college aged audiences to provide a foundation of knowledge and encourage continuous learning and growth in these areas, as well as help avoid cycles of poverty or instability in our community.

  • This two hour course is designed to help teens create their first resume by providing a sample resume and discussions on what to include for an appropriate high school/college student resume.

    We will cover the basics of LinkedIn (create one for those 16+) giving them the foundational pieces to adjust as they progress throughout their lives and careers.

    Also covered is best practices in job searches, proper interview attire and tips for success.

  • A one hour informative session designed for open dialogue around interview best practices, dressing for success and resume tips.

  • Under Development

    While all high school students take a health class, there just isn’t enough time to cover everything. Far too many at risk youth are likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol. Far too many food products on the market are lacking anything that might be even closely considered a balanced diet. Mental health issues are abundant in our youth today due to the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in their lives during critical developmental years.

    This course addresses these issues and is under constant assessment. Outside providers are leveraged to provide experts in respective areas to bring carefully selected curriculum to the youth in each community.

  • Under Development

    Generation Z and Generation Alpha behind them are growing up in a digital world. One that is full of all sorts of threats. This course leverages law enforcement and other industry experts to highlight current issues in online and offline safety for teenagers as well as how they can be situationally aware and report or deal with threats when they are present.

  • Under Development

    Financial security is one of our impact areas at the United Way and a huge concern in our community. The long term success of our community depends on our youth getting a solid financial basics foundation.

    This will cover topics such as how to open an account, what records are needed, record keeping, basics of credit and much more.

  • Under Development

    As a generation that communicates frequently via mobile devices this course will discuss communication more broadly. Topics such as verbal vs nonverbal communication and open discussions on how this is important in personal relationships and professional environments.

    Also covered is emotional intelligence which includes gender differences in communication, personality, how different cultures may interpret communication differently.

    This will help local youth be more prepared to communicate openly, effectively and work in an ever increasingly diverse workforce.

  • Under Development

    This course teaches time management strategies, productivity systems, and performance habits. You'll discover how to eliminate procrastination, manage multiple deadlines, balance academics with extracurriculars, and create sustainable routines that lead to success.

Collaborating Organizations

  • A crest featuring a red and yellow dragon wrapping around a circle with an open book, torch, and the letters PCHS. Text above states, 'The Opportunity is Here,' and a banner below reads, 'The Fire is Within.'

    Site Hosting

  • Logo for First Peking Savings Bank featuring a stylized green human figure with arms raised, above blue curved lines, with the bank's name in bold gray text.

    Content Collaboration

  • Goodwill logo with a smiling face and the text 'Central Illinois Goodwill'.

    REFERRAL PARTNER

  • Text logo with the words 'eliminating racism empowering women' and 'Pekin' in red, with 'ywca' prominently in larger red font.

    REFERRAL PARTNER

  • Logo for CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, featuring a stylized figure of a person in dark blue holding a heart-shaped symbol in red, white, and blue. The text includes 'CASA' in large blue letters, 'Court Appointed Special Advocates' in smaller blue font, and 'FOR CHILDREN' in red capital letters.

    Content Collaboration

How do we fund this?

Funding for this project comes from our 309 Small Business Initiative and individual donors. Small businesses are the backbone of our community and employ many of our area youth. We feel this is a natural fit to pair these two, as increasing various life skills will lead to many benefits for both the business and our youth.

Logo with a building, text 'Small Business 399 Initiative', a large orange number 3 and 9, an orange flower, and the word 'Initiative' at the bottom.

Benefits For Youth

  • Personal Development Skills

  • Academic & Career Readiness

  • Health & Wellness Strategies

  • Financial Empowerment

  • Social & Communication Skills Development

  • Critical Thinking/Problem Solving

  • Resiliency

Benefits For Businesses

  • Workforce Development

  • Community Investment & Brand Building

  • Long-term Economic Benefits

  • Networking & Partnership Opportunities

  • Employee Engagement

  • Increased Revenue Potential

  • Competitive Advantage In Hiring Youth

Learn More

Upcoming Schedule

June 2026

United Way of Pekin

206 N. 4th St. Pekin, IL

Instructor: Keith McKeever

Thursday’s June 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th we will be hosting our first session of our financial literacy course in the H.A.N.D. Project. This is open to teens ages 13 to 19 wanting to learn about personal finance, how to use a budget, what real world costs are today and how to avoid financial traps. This is a four part course and very detailed. Each participant is expected to attend all four sessions to get the most out of the program. Lunch will be provided as will all materials. If they have a laptop/chrome book it would be useful to bring that.

To RSVP contact our office during regular hours, seating is limited.