our model

Implementing The PATHfinder Club Model

The PATHfinder Club (TPC) is an arts-based support club model for teens who have been impacted by incarceration, detention, and deportation. The PATH in PATHfinder stands for Paving A Trail of Hope.

Through our network of clubs across the country, our program supports youth in a variety of settings to feel comfortable and confident to stay in school and graduate, set and achieve goals, expand their resilience, conquer challenges, embrace opportunities for healing and self-expression, and connect in meaningful ways with their peers, loved ones, and their community.

Core Program Components

Here’s everything you need to know about implementing The PATHfinder Club in your community!

Flexible Scheduling

Trained Facilitators

Versatile Club Settings

Optimal Club Size

Voluntary Participation

Four Core Focus Areas

Comprehensive Curriculum & Resources

Publishing

Flexible Scheduling

Clubs operate on a schedule you determine, typically weekly or bi-weekly, with sessions lasting 30-60 minutes. This allows for adaptability to your community’s needs.

Trained Facilitators

Each club requires at least one, ideally two, supportive adult facilitators. These individuals undergo PATHfinder Club Facilitator Training and utilize the provided Facilitator Manual to ensure consistent and effective program delivery.

We provide training for all Club Facilitators to ensure they are prepared to deliver the model with impact, as it was designed. We offer both virtual training and in-person training, along with ongoing support, information, resources, problem-solving, and convenings tailored for our trained PATHfinder Club Facilitators.

Versatile Club Settings

Our model is designed to be implemented in a variety of settings, including schools, community centers, juvenile justice facilities, detention centers, non-profit organizations, after-school programs, and more, reaching youth where they are.

Optimal Club Size

While flexible, we recommend an average club size of 15-20 youth to foster meaningful engagement. We can help you determine the best size based on your available space and resources.

Voluntary Participation

Attendance is always voluntary, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where youth feel empowered to participate.

Four Core Focus Areas

Each session centers around one of four key areas: mindfulness, art, writing, or community building. This provides a structured yet flexible framework for club activities.

Essential components include the integration of mindfulness practices, the development of youth leadership roles, and food provided at each session, fostering connection and breaking down barriers.

Comprehensive Curriculum & Resources

The Facilitator Manual provides a structured session outline, scripts, and resources, including Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) integration, empowering facilitators to deliver engaging and impactful sessions.

Discover our extensive library of resources designed to empower TPC Facilitators supporting youth impacted by incarceration, detention and deportation. We have developed a list of resources available to youth, their families and community.

Explore Resources

Publishing

All PATHfinder Clubs and their members are invited to participate in the annual anthology process and submit their work for publication to share with the world. The Pathfinder Network facilitates the process and publishes the anthologies through our press, Out of the Woods Press. Submitting work for publication is optional but a very powerful part of the model. Work can be submitted with a pen name or anonymous. Signing of a Use of Work form is required for publication. Work in prior anthologies has included writing, photography, drawing, painting, songs, and more!

Explore Publishing

Flexible Scheduling

Clubs operate on a schedule you determine, typically weekly or bi-weekly, with sessions lasting 30-60 minutes. This allows for adaptability to your community’s needs.

Trained Facilitators

Each club requires at least one, ideally two, supportive adult facilitators. These individuals undergo PATHfinder Club Facilitator Training and utilize the provided Facilitator Manual to ensure consistent and effective program delivery.

We provide training for all Club Facilitators to ensure they are prepared to deliver the model with impact, as it was designed. We offer both virtual training and in-person training, along with ongoing support, information, resources, problem-solving, and convenings tailored for our trained PATHfinder Club Facilitators.

Versatile Club Settings

Our model is designed to be implemented in a variety of settings, including schools, community centers, juvenile justice facilities, detention centers, non-profit organizations, after-school programs, and more, reaching youth where they are.

Optimal Club Size

While flexible, we recommend an average club size of 15-20 youth to foster meaningful engagement. We can help you determine the best size based on your available space and resources.

Voluntary Participation

Attendance is always voluntary, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where youth feel empowered to participate.

Four Core Focus Areas

Each session centers around one of four key areas: mindfulness, art, writing, or community building. This provides a structured yet flexible framework for club activities.

Essential components include the integration of mindfulness practices, the development of youth leadership roles, and food provided at each session, fostering connection and breaking down barriers.

Comprehensive Curriculum & Resources

The Facilitator Manual provides a structured session outline, scripts, and resources, including Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) integration, empowering facilitators to deliver engaging and impactful sessions.

Discover our extensive library of resources designed to empower TPC Facilitators supporting youth impacted by incarceration, detention and deportation. We have developed a list of resources available to youth, their families and community.

Explore Resources

Publishing

All PATHfinder Clubs and their members are invited to participate in the annual anthology process and submit their work for publication to share with the world. The Pathfinder Network facilitates the process and publishes the anthologies through our press, Out of the Woods Press. Submitting work for publication is optional but a very powerful part of the model. Work can be submitted with a pen name or anonymous. Signing of a Use of Work form is required for publication. Work in prior anthologies has included writing, photography, drawing, painting, songs, and more!

Explore Publishing

TPC Flow

How It Works

Together, we’ll create a tailored implementation plan that suits your unique needs.

Our journey starts with a consultative discussion to understand your goals and parameters. Following this, you’ll receive a customized pricing quote and then a licensing agreement, enabling unlimited access to youth-participant materials. You’ll then select the sites, staff, and training dates that work best for your organization.

After receiving and paying for the required licenses, manuals, and materials your staff will be trained and certified. With in-house certified facilitators and ongoing technical assistance throughout the training and implementation phase, you are set to deliver the PATHfinder Club Model.

Contact Us To Get Started!

 

PATHfinder Club Products and Services

PATHfinder Club includes a customizable suite of tools and resources to support each partner agency’s implementation and effective delivery of the model. Let us help match our program with what is important for you. Our products and services include:

  • Model licensing that authorizes agencies to use the model and reproduce youth-participant materials needed, for a one-time, upfront fee
  • Complete manual with everything needed to facilitate a PATHfinder Club
  • A USB drive with all youth-participant materials — handouts, worksheets, graduation certificates, evaluation tools, etc.
  • A training program that ensures model fidelity and efficacy
  • Ongoing support and technical assistance to support implementation
  • Continuous quality improvement support and training, as needed and requested

Bring The PATHfinder Club to Your Community

Get personalized support and guidance. Reach out to learn more about our implementation model.

Contact Us to Get Started!

Partner Testimonials

The PATHfinder Club at Parkrose High School has created a welcoming environment that empowers students by amplifying their voices, fostering meaningful connections, and providing vital social-emotional support and mentorship. With consistent sessions over the past three years, it has become an established partnership and support for the students in our community.

Molly Ouche, Parkrose High School Principal

[The PATHfinder Club] youth have utilized their advanced leadership and creative skills to strengthen [Portland'5] connection to the community and capacity to implement our programs. This involvement has fostered a sense of pride, responsibility, and belonging, empowering all of our visitors and artists to become active contributors to the city's vibrant arts scene while fostering greater inclusivity and community cohesion.

Lillyanne Pham, Youth Arts & Culture Manager & Ruby Joy White, Department of Culture & Community Director

What Happens in Club?

Our clubs build positive self-identity through peer and adult support and understanding fostered by shared experiences. We empower youth to explore their fullest potential by creating community and encouraging self-expression.

Learn About Our Clubs

 

 

Resources

Discover our extensive library of resources designed to empower TPC Facilitators supporting youth impacted by incarceration, detention and deportation. We have developed a list of resources available to youth, their families and community.

Explore Resources

 

Training

We provide training for all TPC Facilitators to ensure they are prepared to deliver the model with impact, as it was designed. We offer both virtual training and in-person training, along with ongoing support, information, resources, problem-solving, and convenings tailored for our trained TPC Facilitators.

Get Started

Get Involved

Have questions? Want to get involved? Let’s connect! Click the button below to learn more about how you can connect with our work.

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Support Our Work

Make a donation to The Pathfinder Network and help us provide support for systems-impacted individuals, youth, and families.

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