starfish

C2E StarChoosing to Excel has chosen the story of the starfish to represent the philosophy of our organization. Read the story of the starfish to understand our mission.

Story of the Starfish

Once a man was walking along a beach. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. Off in the distance he could see a person going back and forth between the surf's edge and the beach. Back and forth this person went. As the man approached he could see that there were hundreds of starfish stranded on the sand as the result of the natural action of the tide.

The man was struck by the apparent futility of the task. There were far too many starfish. Many of them were sure to perish. As he approached the person continued the task of picking up starfish one by one and throwing them into the surf.

As he came up to the person he said, "You must be crazy. There are thousands of miles of beach covered with starfish. You can't possibly make a difference." The person looked at the man. He then stooped down and pick up one more starfish and threw it back into the ocean. He turned back to the man and said, "It sure made a difference to that one!"

 

Coming Soon!

Leadership Retreat!

During the summer months, Excel Directors have been interviewing applicants to join the Leadership Team!  This process is exciting for both applicants and Excel staff as the new additions always bring new fresh ideas to the club.  Community service will be a huge component in the coming year as the team will be discovering new ways to benefit their community.  Be looking for the new faces of our crew as the final selections are being made and STAY TUNED for information on the Leadership Retreat to take place this fall!

Mentors Matter Campaign!

Mentors Matter...Think About It...

Choosing to Excel has been providing mentors for the youth of Faulkner County since 1991.  In our experience we have seen the outstanding benefits of the mentor/mentee relationship.  Benefits like better behavior in the classroom, inproved grades, fewer trips to the principal's office, and improved social behavior; just to name a few!  Don't take our word for it, in the United States, nearly three million young people are reported to be in formal one-on-one mentoring relationships today, a six-fold increase from just a decade ago and this number is still rising.  The benefits of a formal, supervised mentor/mentee relationship are worth the committment...there's just one problem.

We don't have enough mentor's to adequatly fill the need right here in Central Arkansas.  CLICK HERE to visit our Mentoring page and learn more about this small commitment of time that will make a big difference in your community.

Excel On Campus

Be on the look out for the following clubs on your middle school and high school campuses in participating central Arkansas schools:

G.E.M.S. -  CLICK HERE to learn more about this encouraging girls club!

M.O.C.Q. - CLICK HERE to learn more about how we're learning to be Men of Character and Quality!

E.Y.E. Clubs - These lunch meetings are open to all!  CLICK HERE to learn more!

Leadership Team - These students have made a comittment to healthy choices!  CLICK HERE to learn more about these teens and what they're doing to make an impact in our community!