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Mention the name Dale Carnegie and most people will immediately think of the phrase, “How to win friends and influence people.” For 100 years, the program has focused on self-improvement for people working in business, but in recent years, Dale Carnegie Training has successfully worked with high school students.
The program is about to be introduced to a pair of Catholic elementary schools in Williamsville. During February and March, seventh and eighth graders at SS. Peter & Paul and St. Gregory the Great schools will spend 90 minutes after school, two days a week, taking the Youth Character Development Program.

“This training will offer our students the opportunity for significant growth,” said Marianne Maines, SS. Peter & Paul principal. “They will be encouraged to set personal goals, apply human relations principles and become action-oriented individuals.”

Andrew Terranova, president of Dale Carnegie Training of WNY, worked out the details of the program with the two schools and Carol Kostyniak, secretary for Catholic education for the Diocese of Buffalo. Terranova will teach the course which he said is the first full-time Dale Carnegie course geared toward seventh and eighth grade students.

The training will focus on what are known as the five drivers of personal and academic success: confidence, interpersonal skills, verbal communication skills, leadership and attitude.

“Students will develop a personal/academic vision in the very first session and will work toward that vision for the remainder of the program,” Terranova said. “Breakthrough goals are also set in the five main areas early in the program. The instructor assists each student in helping him or her achieve these breakthrough goals.”

Terranova said one of the benefits for student participants will be improved study skills. Students will learn a memory system that will help them to input, retain and retrieve information. “For instance, in just four minutes, they are able to recall all 13 original colonies in the order in which they signed the U.S. Constitution. They are able to recite each of their 30 fellow students’ names, first and last, in 10 to12 minutes. This and other memory tools are taught and reinforced during the remaining sessions of the training.”

Kostyniak said this type of innovative program fits into “Faith in Tomorrow,” the strategic plan for Catholic elementary schools. “The Academic Excellence key result area emphasizes the development of the whole child: mind, body and spirit,” Kostyniak said. “Referenced in the plan document is ‘The Profile of the 21st Century Learner,’ which defines leadership competencies as demonstrating ethical behavior and using interpersonal and problem-solving skills for the greater good of the community.

“Our Catholic schools prepare our students to be Christian leaders in their present and future roles. The Dale Carnegie program is nationally renowned for building self-confidence, enhancing verbal communication and public speaking, developing listening skills and utilizing the “influencing others” principles. I am delighted that Andy Terranova accepted the challenge to establish this Dale Carnegie middle school program as a collaborative pilot effort with St. Gregory the Great and SS. Peter and Paul schools.”

Patricia Freund, principal of St. Gregory the Great, echoed Kostyniak’s sentiments. “This program provides us with another avenue to develop a good Catholic, Christian citizen.”

A similar program for high school students began 10 years ago. Terranova said close to 5,000 students have completed the training.

Tuition for the program will be paid by parents with additional corporate and foundation support. Kostyniak said, based on the outcome of this initial program, she expects the Dale Carnegie Training to be offered to additional Catholic elementary schools in the Diocese of Buffalo.

For more information, visit the Youth Character Development Foundation www.ycdf.org.