Pathways to Success: Empowering Rural Youth Through Life Skills, Exposure and Mentoring

Format

Individual Presentation

Presenters

• Santina FryerFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Gents&Glam

First Presenter’s Email Address

Sfryer@growyouthacademy.org

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Santina M. Fryer, MPH, MS, is a human services professional, consultant, and community leader passionate about empowering youth and families. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Gents & Glam Community, Family and Youth Services, Inc., a rural Georgia-based organization dedicated to life skills training, mentoring, college tours, and experiential learning. Under her leadership, Gents & Glam has become a model for rural youth development, equipping hundreds of students to dream, believe, and achieve. Santina also serves as a City Councilwoman in Baxley, GA, and is a dynamic speaker committed to creating equitable pathways for underserved communities.

Submitter

I am submitting this proposal as one of the presenter(s)

Location

Sloane

Strand #1

Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership

Strand #2

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

This proposal connects directly to the strands of Academic Achievement & Leadership and Social & Emotional Skills. The program equips youth from rural communities with the tools to excel academically while developing leadership qualities that prepare them for real-world challenges. Through structured life skills lessons, hands-on experiences, and mentoring, participants strengthen resilience, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities. By centering person-first approaches, the program ensures each student is seen as capable, valued, and supported in both academic success and emotional wellness, ultimately creating leaders who thrive inside and outside the classroom.

This proposal connects directly to the strands of Academic Achievement & Leadership and Social & Emotional Skills. The program equips youth from rural communities with the tools to excel academically while developing leadership qualities that prepare them for real-world challenges. Through structured life skills lessons, hands-on experiences, and mentoring, participants strengthen resilience, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities. By centering person-first approaches, the program ensures each student is seen as capable, valued, and supported in both academic success and emotional wellness, ultimately creating leaders who thrive inside and outside the classroom.

Brief Program Description

This session highlights innovative strategies for engaging rural youth in pathways to leadership, academic achievement, and social-emotional growth. Participants will explore evidence-based practices, hands-on activities, and mentoring models used by Gents & Glam to inspire resilience, strengthen confidence, and foster long-term success in school and life. Attendees will leave with actionable tools (Pathways to Success Model) for implementation.

Summary

Youth in rural communities face unique challenges that impact both academic achievement and social-emotional growth, including limited access to resources, mentorship, and enrichment opportunities. This session will highlight the Pathways to Success Model, an approach developed by Gents & Glam that integrates leadership development, academic support, and social-emotional skill building to equip young people for long-term success.

The presentation will share evidence-based strategies and practical tools for engaging students in meaningful ways that go beyond the classroom. Participants will learn how to incorporate hands-on learning, mentoring relationships, and experiential opportunities that empower students to become resilient leaders. The model emphasizes person-first practices, ensuring that each young person is recognized for their strengths and potential rather than their challenges.

Session content will explore methods for cultivating resilience, strengthening problem-solving skills, and building confidence among youth. Attendees will see how structured mentoring, life skills education, and community partnerships create a holistic environment where students thrive academically and emotionally. Real-world examples from rural initiatives will demonstrate how these practices can be adapted to diverse communities and program settings.

By attending this session, participants will leave with a clear framework and actionable tools that can be immediately implemented in their own work. They will also gain insight into strategies that bridge gaps between school, family, and community to foster holistic student development. Whether working in education, mentoring, youth services, or community programming, participants will walk away inspired and equipped to replicate effective practices that nurture leadership, academic achievement, and emotional well-being in rural and underserved youth populations.

Evidence

The Pathways to Success Model is built on research-based practices that align with national standards for positive youth development. A large-scale meta-analysis of over 200 programs found that students who participate in structured social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions demonstrate significant improvements in academic performance, social behaviors, and emotional well-being (Durlak et al., 2011). These findings reinforce the model’s integration of leadership and SEL as core pillars. Mentoring research also supports the approach. The National Mentoring Partnership reports that mentored youth are more likely to enroll in college, volunteer regularly, and hold leadership roles, while also being less likely to engage in risky behaviors. These outcomes are especially impactful for rural youth, who often face fewer enrichment opportunities and limited access to supportive networks. The model’s emphasis on experiential learning is grounded in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, which demonstrates that active, hands-on experiences lead to deeper understanding, critical thinking, and transferable leadership skills (Kolb, 1984). Similarly, the Search Institute’s Developmental Assets Framework identifies supports such as adult mentors, opportunities for leadership, and skill-building experiences as predictors of adolescent success. Program outcomes from Gents & Glam mirror these research findings. Over the past several years, participants have demonstrated improved school attendance, stronger self-confidence, and increased college and career readiness. These results align with national data showing that integrated academic and SEL programming prepares youth not only for classroom achievement but also for lifelong success. By combining evidence-based practices with community-specific application, the Pathways to Success Model provides both a replicable framework and proof of measurable impact for rural youth populations. References • CASEL. (2020). What does the research say?. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. • Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta‐analysis of school‐based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432. • Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall. • National Mentoring Partnership. (2015). The mentoring effect: Young people’s perspectives on the outcomes and availability of mentoring. • Search Institute. (2006). 40 developmental assets for adolescents.

Learning Objective 1

Participants will be able to identify evidence-based strategies that integrate academic achievement, leadership development, and social-emotional learning to support the holistic growth of rural youth.

Learning Objective 2

Participants will learn how to implement hands-on activities and mentoring practices that foster resilience, confidence, and positive decision-making among youth.

Learning Objective 3

Participants will develop actionable plans for adapting the Pathways to Success Model to their own schools, organizations, or community programs, ensuring culturally responsive and sustainable outcomes for youth.

Keyword Descriptors

Life skills, youth development, pathways, postsecondary, career exploration, mentoring

Presentation Year

2026

Start Date

3-3-2026 2:45 PM

End Date

3-3-2026 4:00 PM

Recommended Citation

Fryer, Santina, "Pathways to Success: Empowering Rural Youth Through Life Skills, Exposure and Mentoring" (2026). National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference. 56.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2026/2026/56