We have all heard the story of a young man who has been imprisoned, served his time and is released from jail without a place to live, money to support himself or the skills he needs to get a job. The sad reality is that 66% of these young released inmates will return to jail.

But this is a different story. In 2005, Frances Hesselbein and Mark Goldsmith, two New Yorkers from Johnstown, PA, were invited to participate in nonprofit PENCIL’s "Principal for a Day" program, a tradition engaging New York City’s business and civic leaders since 1995. Mr. Goldsmith, a retired Revlon and Shiseido executive and Frances Hesselbein, a lifelong Girl Scout, both requested schools with limited resources and a few challenges. Ms. Hesselbein was assigned to a school in the South Bronx and Mr. Goldsmith was assigned to Horizon Academy, a high school for inmates ages 18 to 24 at New York City’s largest jail, Rikers Island prison.

Touched by the experience, Mr. Goldsmith volunteered again for the program. So affected by the impact of this single day of adult attention, Mr. Goldsmith launched his own nonprofit, Getting Out and Staying Out (GOSO) to lower the recidivism rate of incarcerated young men. GOSO now works with 150 men serving sentences in upstate New York prisons, and more than 200 at Rikers.

Collaborating with six other current or retired executives who volunteer at GOSO, plus a staff of six, the organization works with young inmates to plan for re-entry to the mainstream. The program begins the day of incarceration, continues throughout their prison term and the support remains after their release. "Clients" are given practical direction, purposeful education and directed employment to build purposeful lives. Through belief, passion and action, GOSO has drastically reduced the recidivism rate for 18-24 year old men. 80% of GOSO’s clients stay out of jail.

 "We let our guys know they have self-worth and legitimate hope; they are entitled to a second chance, and there are things they can do immediately to start achieving results. Then we show them how to do it," says Mr. Goldsmith.

Clients leave GOSO offices with a note pad, pens, a weekly planner, an alarm clock, metro cards, interview clothes and a professional resume. Mr. Goldsmith tells everyone who lands a job interview that "the three most important things to say are, 'I'm never late, I work very hard. I don’t take sick days."

Most importantly, clients leave GOSO with a plan for the immediate future. 

You can read a recent Wall Street Journal article featuring GOSO and visit www.gosonyc.org to download Turning Belief into Action: A Template for Getting Out and Staying Out.

In 1981, when I first met Peter Drucker, I heard him say "We live in a society that pretends to care about children, but it does not." That day, I tried to think of a way to refute his statement, but I could not. Two decades later, society is even more fragmented in providing the healthy environment all its young people deserve. Recent tragedies have awakened us. Yet to make a difference we need a community-by-community mobilization of focus, will, energy, and commitment. Perhaps this is the moment when, child by child, adult by adult, we all move into a new era of leadership, service, and commitment to children.

The United States Army says, "Our soldiers are our credentials." As a society, can we say, "Our children are our credentials?" We will be measured by how we respond to today's urgent call. The young cannot speak for themselves; their actions, their anxiety, turmoil, and here-and-now needs speak for them. As leaders, how will we respond?

John F. Kennedy University Leadership Scholarship

John F. Kennedy University is offering its Annual Leadership Scholarship for 25 mid-level managers. Take your leadership skills from good to great by applying to participate in the Success Built to Last: Creating a Life That Matters course to be held Jan 16, 23 and Feb. 6, 2010 in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area. This is a rare opportunity to experience the once-a-year master class taught by bestselling author and Stanford scholar Mark Thompson and JFKU Adjunct Professor Bonita Buell-Thompson. The scholarship covers tuition and meals, and the course is completed in three Saturdays.  The scholarship celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the Leader to Leader Institute, the Drucker Centennial and the launch of the Leader to Leader Institute Leadership Dialogues. For applications and more information, please contact Joshua Lachs, Dean, Continuing Education at JFKU.

AMAC Student Scholarship

The Spring 2010 AMAC (Airport Minority Advisory Council) Educational and Scholarship Program, Inc. Student Scholarship is a scholarship opportunity for students enrolled in an accredited school or university with interest and desire to pursue a career in the aviation/airport industry and seeking a degree in Aviation, Business Administration, Accounting, Architecture, Engineering or Finance. Applicant must be seeking a BS or BA. The application deadline is December 18.