FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The CWW program is built on a deep understanding of each individual child. We start by giving members the safety and comfort to identify their own unique skills, traits, and passions. Based on this understanding, we build a highly individualized program designed specifically for them. With a team of experienced educators and caring community members, we utilize a variety of resources so that students are able to learn in ways that make the most sense for them. Significant time and energy are consistently spent evaluating and revisiting each student's skills and proclivities, and updating each learning program based on the individual’s needs.

The young people enrolled in CWW have a team of community members gather behind them, supporting them in reaching their goals. We organize family members, friends, educators, rabbanim, mental health professionals, and others to join together in developing and implementing a plan that works for each individual child. This approach is powerful on two fronts. First, it gives young people the feeling that they are not taking on the world on their own and that adults are not the enemy; to the contrary, the community of adults around them is only there to support their paths forward. Second, it allows us to use the power and connections of many caring adults to network and find learning opportunities of all sorts to meet the needs of each child.

Venturing into an unconventional journey can be isolating, particularly for young people. The CWW network allows young people to connect with one another on a regular basis. They can meet up in-person as well as virtually, share experiences, and gain the feeling of enrichment that comes from deep, meaningful connections to peers. Regular group meetings are arranged to give everyone a chance to meet one another, and young people are given opportunities to socialize and learn from one another.

As an essential part of our program, CWW members are guided in pursuing opportunities to be a part of the greater community. This can be done in various ways such as volunteering for a chesed organization, getting involved in community activism, or helping a neighbor in need. We view playing a role in community life as an essential part of the chinuch of children, allowing them to feel that they belong to something far greater than themselves. As with all aspects of our program, this is self-directed and non-coercive. Students are free to choose in what way they would like to give back and be active in the community, and they are free to not participate in this aspect of the program at all times as well.

We believe that children thrive when they spend time learning material that they find to be engaging and valuable to them. We encourage, support, and enable students to identify and pursue their passions as an essential part of their daily routine. Young people have opportunities to think deeply about what makes them excited and the type of people that they are, and then we work together to design a program that fits their personalities and proclivities.

Student advisors help students develop their own unique daily routine that works for them. While we do not mandate a specific structure into which our students must fit, we do help everyone develop a daily schedule that fits their unique needs. We take into account all of the needs of our young people, including physical activity, nutrition, family circumstances, and relevant medical situations in formulating a schedule that will help them succeed.

We believe that the greatest gift that we as Jews ever received is the Torah itself and that all Jews have their own unique portion in the Torat Hashem. In the CWW program, we do not pressure young people to learn, but rather offer them opportunities and guidance as to how to find their own portion in Torah learning. Whether it be through formal shiurim, chavrutot, English books, or any other means, we search for the area of Torah in which each young person can learn and thrive. Our program is concentrated in the Jewish community and our young people are given to make Tefilla and halacha part of their developing selves as well.

CWW members are given various opportunities to earn high school and college credits. While they are typically not in formal, conventional academic programs, our young people are guided to various accredited resources that award students credits for a wide range of activities. We help in the process of identifying the types of learning experiences that award credit, and we guide students through the process of recording and documenting learning. In addition to the practical benefits of moving towards a high school diploma, earning credits gives our members goals and measures by which they can keep track of their progress and be rewarded for all that they are doing.

One of the tenets of self-directed learning is that it is best to prepare for life by living life. Holding a paying job can be a great way to learn marketable skills, gain social experience, build a social network, and learn financial responsibility. Using well-established preparatory programs, our staff helps students learn the process of identifying relevant jobs, contacting employers, preparing documents, and finally, landing a job. Young people get the sense of competence and satisfaction that comes from holding a real job, and this mindset shift goes a long way in building confidence in their prospects for their futures.

The process of student development in the CWW program is one which is dynamic and unpredictable. Some young people will jump in and find success right away, while others will take time to find their way. This is all part of the natural process of learning and growing. Not only do we support them through difficult times, but we embrace the difficulties as opportunities for self-discovery and steps toward future growth. In her book Mindset, Dr. Carol Dweck writes about the Growth Mindset that “in this mindset, the hand you’re dealt is just the starting point for development. This growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts.” Our constant effort to allow young people to find paths to success by building on previous experiences of all kinds, allows them to learn the power of their efforts. “The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives.” We have seen so many young people who have previously met frustration in other settings utilize the opportunities and support that we offer them to actualize their great potential.