Dave Thillen of Thillen Education Foundation to be Featured on Close Up Radio

GREENSBORO, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES, April 15, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Education creates opportunity. Career plans provide structure. Coaching delivers inspiration. Hard work guarantees success.

That’s the philosophy of Dave Thillen, founder of the Thillen Education Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit community-based mentoring program offering personal coaching for underprivileged students.

Thillen Education Foundation has partnered with Greene College and Career Academy to deliver an innovative, coaching, scholarship and financial assistance initiative that will enrich the lives of thousands of students for years to come.

“I’m driven by a passion to help kids,” says Thillen.

The definition of poverty is a lack of resources. Thillen Education Foundation brings resources to the table.

“Our kids are 90 percent minority and 98 percent of them live below the poverty line,’ says Thillen. “So basically what they need is everything. We have a care closet with clothes and food. They get free breakfast and lunch, but we don’t know for certain if they get fed at night. Many of them have to help with their younger siblings at home. Some of them have a part time job.”

“I grew up in poverty, but I went on to receive a master’s degree in math,” recalls Thillen. “When I retired from IBM 24 years ago, I volunteered for Habitat for Humanity building houses. After two years, I asked, “How can I do more to help the kids that live in these Habitat for Humanity houses?’ so I started installing refurbished computers donated by the community and coached the kids who lived in the houses. Almost all of them graduated high school and many of them went on to college.”

This was 1999. Greene College and Career Academy asked Thillen if he could scale up his program for the whole high school of 450 students.

Research shows pairing a student with a career coach results in improved academic performance and school attendance, a decrease in disciplinary issues, and a tendency to display an overall more positive attitude about school, life and future choices.

Now in its fourth year, Thillen Education Foundation has 120 volunteer career coaches from the community.

“They’re all successful people who commit to helping the program for four years,” explains Thillen. “They’re assigned three to four students, and they stay with those kids until graduation.”

All students participate in the program and every student has a career plan that includes what they are going to do after high school.

“We ask them, ‘What are your plans for the future?’ No one has ever asked them that before,” says Thillen. “From their freshman year of high school, we determine their aptitudes and interests, and design a career plan that is specific, individualized, organized, structured and documented. These are your objectives: you have to graduate from high school; you have to have a financial plan in place; you have to get accepted into college.”

Students who choose not to pursue college can earn certificates for welding, automotive, culinary, business, nursing, physical therapy to prepare them for the workforce, or JROTC to begin military training.

Students also have the opportunity to earn “Dave Dollars,” which they can cash in for real dollars upon graduation.

“We put together what I call ‘the promise,” says Thillen. “If you continue your education, start your career or join the military, we promise you financial assistance to get started.”

Thillen hopes the foundation can offer a model to end generational poverty.

“I’m just so proud of these students,” says Thillen. “Many of these kids have never been out of the town they live in. We’re going to give them a chance.”

Close Up Radio will feature Dave Thillen in an interview with Jim Masters on April 19th at 11am EDT

Listen to the show on BlogTalkRadio

If you have any questions for our guest, please call (347) 996-3389

For more information, visit www.thilleneducationfoundation.com

Lou Ceparano
Close Up Television & Radio
+ +1 (631) 850-3314
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