What is STRIVE?
STRIVE is a program for high school seniors who have faced some academic challenges but want to make the most of their last year of high school.
STRIVE was invented right here in District 5960 by Rotarian Don Mooney of the White Bear Lake Rotary Club.

S T R I V E - Students Taking Renewed Interest in the Value of Education.
 
Rotary District 5960 has developed the position of STRIVE Coordinator to help clubs implement or to tune up their mentoring programs. We are ready to present a program to your club, and to meet with your management teams. Please contact our Rotary District 5960 STRIVE Coordinator, Bill Brueck.

STRIVE-in-a-box: See the Download Area of our district website for a number of great organizational and program materials from district clubs. As the time of this writing, the Rochester materials include most of the boilerplate you would need to get the program going, and the Blaine Rotary Club materials have great program ideas for what to do when you have your group assembled.

How does STRIVE work? Students who choose to participate in STRIVE are matched with an adult mentor from the local Rotary Club. Mentors are not tutors, but are there to offer support, encouragement and assistance.
       
Does STRIVE make a difference? YES! Here is a quote from one of the students involved in the STRIVE program:

"I would like to thank the Rotary Club and everyone else who made the STRIVE program possible. This has helped me get my life back on the right track. I didnt try to achieve the grades that I did because I was in STRIVE; I did it because I wanted to change. I wanted to have a successful future. I just wanted you to know that people like yourselves have inspired me to become a successful person. I no longer say that 'I want to become&' or 'I want to go&'; I say 'I will become&' and 'I will go&' For the first time in years I believe in myself and I believe that I can do anything that I set my mind to. Thank you for spending your time and your money believing in kids like me."
               
Rotarian Dan: "What did we do that contributed to your success this year?"
Strive Student Chelsey: "My parents knew I was a loser, my counselors knew I was a loser, my teachers knew I was a loser, and you didn't."

Links to STRIVE Mentorship Websites within Rotary District 5960:
 http://www.bhlrotary.org/strive/
 http://www.rochesterrotaryclubs.org/STRIVE/
 http://www.mankatorotary.org/showDoc.cfm?pObject=41&pMenuTop=0 
 http://www.hudsondaybreakrotary.org/showDoc.cfm?pMenuTop=7&pObject=85