Participants will have the flexibility to create their own curriculum while benefiting from the support of their peers.

At ECS, we believe that each participant has the ability to reach their own goals with the support of a qualified coach. Our coaching model is a mutual process that requires respect, dignity, patience, and accountability from both participants and their coaches.

MindSet participants will be matched with a coach based on the coach’s experience and skillset, plus the participant’s availability and interests. Each coach is trained to understand the shifting realities in participants’ lives to ensure that if circumstances change, it will still be possible for MindSet participants to reach their goals.

If accepted into MindSet, you’ll join a cohort of your peers: motivated individuals who are ready to take control of their lives.

Your cohort will meet online for group trainings. Flexible scheduling options will be available.

During each training, you’ll learn essential skills related to one of the four core areas: Health and Wellness, Employment, Education, and Financial Management. Trainings will be delivered in the form of participatory workshops, developed and taught by qualified subject-matter experts.

MindSet participants will be encouraged to learn at their own pace. Everyone’s goals are different, so the paths to achieving them will be different as well!

You will work with your coach to design individualized plans that match your unique needs and interests. You will engage in activities that equip you with the knowledge that you need to reach your goals!

MindSet activities, including training, group meetings, and one-on-one sessions with staff, will be offered via a combination of virtual and in-person activities.

MindSet is not a full-time commitment. If accepted as a MindSet participant, you can expect to spend approximately 10 to 15 hours per month on coaching, trainings, and workshops. Throughout the year, MindSet offerings will include scheduled one-on-one sessions with your coach, individualized activities such as education and career coaching, and group activities with your cohort of program peers.

Activities and coaching sessions will typically be scheduled during the week (Monday through Friday) but evening and weekend options will be available. You’ll build a long-term relationship with your coach in order to keep on track with your progress while navigating your own path forward.

It will give you the tools you need to enter a career that has long-term advancement opportunities and provides you with a living wage.

Participants will engage with MindSet’s program staff who are highly-qualified specialists in the areas of education and employment. You’ll work together to develop a unique and individualized plan that will help you develop the skills needed to enter a new career or advance in your current career.

Building a strong financial foundation is a key component of MindSet. ECS will provide cash incentives for completing specific program activities. For the duration of a participant’s engagement, ECS will also offer a 2 to 1 cash match on the money each individual saves within a designated bank account. That means for every $10 you save, ECS will reward you with an additional $20 in the bank!

Most participants achieve their self-defined goals within 3-5 years.

Anticipated outcomes include:

• Graduates will have the ability to earn a living wage with benefits for themselves and their dependents
• Graduates will no longer be dependent on any government subsidies or subsidized housing
• Graduates will have saved at least three (3) months of living expenses in a secure savings account

We know that everyone’s path to prosperity will be different. MindSet staff are highly-trained and equipped to work with individuals from a variety of backgrounds to create an ambitious, but achievable, path forward.

MindSet participants are open-minded, dependable, and motivated individuals who are seeking career advancement, upward mobility, and economic self-sufficiency. Participants should be able to identify a career-related goal and have the interest and ability to work towards the completion of that goal.

To be eligible for MindSet, an applicant must be:

• Age 18 or older
• Resides in the Greater Philadelphia Area
• Legally allowed to work in the USA and have at least three to five years of work experience
• Graduated from high-school (or have a GED)
• Fluent in the ability to write and speak English
• Able to access and successfully navigate basic word processing software and email
• Living in a stable housing situation

Additionally, applicants must be experiencing one of the following employment situations:

• On furlough (temporary leave of absence) or unemployed due to COVID-19
• Earning a salary not exceeding a qualifying income threshold. Click here see our income threshold chart. Individuals at/or below hourly wage or annual salary (pre-tax annual income) qualify for MindSet.
• Unemployed but actively looking for a job
• Enrolled in a post-secondary education or vocational opportunity