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6-12 Program

8 to Great Programs for Middle, Junior High, and High Schools

8 to Great® is an 8-Step Life Skills Process

This Life Skills Curriculum for grades 6-12 is the result of years of research by award-winning educator and author MK Mueller into the habits of the Happiest, Healthiest and Most Successful individuals around the world. She called the result “The 8 High-Ways.”

8 to Great Student Handbooks

8 to Great is the Top Student-Rated Program in the Country because it helps students be more successful in their everyday lives.

1.) Unlike other programs, this is not a LIST of skills or values, but a practical Step-By-Step Process for achieving goals and dreams.

“After 30 years as a counselor, I finally found the Process that pulls it all together for my students and makes it so much easier to teach. Thank you!” 

– Brenda S., Turkey

2.) Students love it, share it with their friends and family, and regularly say,  8 to Great should be required for graduation.” 

“I love 8 to Great. It has changed my life forever. I have the Student Handbook but am doing extra chores so I can raise the money to buy the full book from Ms. Goodlaxson. 8 to Great has been my favorite subject in school so far. ” 
 
-Ethan, 9th grader, IA

3.) Our extraordinary customer service exceeds expectations. A Certified Trainer will get back to you within 24 hours of your email or text every time and will set up a call or Zoom if necessary.  

“When you guys say you’re here to support us you really mean it! I asked for some help with planning and you scheduled a Zoom call right away to show me some options. It’s so comforting to know I have that kind of support!”
 
-Alyson S., OK
Administrators feel the same, with one Superintendent recently describing 8 to Great as, “The missing piece in American Education.” 

This program has been shown to decrease office referrals and disruptive incidents, restore hope in discouraged students and enhance energy and motivation in exhausted staff. When the highest risk students turn around their behaviors, you have more time to work proactively on your school improvement plan.

The 8 to Great process helps students:

  • Connect with their personal goals and dreams
  • Make every decision knowing it’s the right one for them
  • Replace blaming and complaining with personal responsibility
  • Decrease rage, violence and bullying with compassion and respect
  • End rumors and gossip and 3rd party communication
  • Stop getting defensive in arguments through listening skills
  • Live the 8 to Great Positive Attitude Formula: FGH®
Dr. Travis Miller - Superintendent

Dr. Travis Miller

You’re about to read an amazing testimonial of a student transformation by Superintendent Travis Miller, who became an 8 to Great® Certified Trainer in 2013. When he transferred schools to become Superintendent of Bayard Public Schools in NE, he was able to train multiple staff members which allowed for further impact.

Below is a testimonial from his principal…

Dear MK,

I am usually not a gusher, but I wanted to share a success story with you. When I was a first year principal I had a young man in my office frequently for several discipline related issues. I had worked with him and his parents for months to try and modify his behavior with limited success.

One day I was out of the building and the young man was referred to our superintendent, Dr. Travis Miller. The change in the student’s attitude and behavior was immediate and dramatic. I had to find out Dr. Miller had said or done to have this impact, and was told he simply used his 8 to Great® training. I knew I had to get trained. 

Over one year later the student is still continuing his positive path. Having just completed the 8 to Great® training with my counselor and selected teachers, today I saw a turnaround in an ISS student who thanked me for “the best school day all year.” I can now say with all confidence that 8 to Great® is one of the best programs anywhere for both youth and adults.

-Tom Perlinksi, Principal, Bayard High School, NE 

What Does the Training Consist of?

Whether you are trained in a 10-hour Zoom class or in a Live 2-day training, it is a life-changing experience. One trainer wrote, “I feel like I’ve learned more in this weekend than I did getting my Masters in Counseling!” The average rating given to the experience by the over 3,000 trainers who’ve completed it is 12 out of 10. It’s that powerful.

With the training, you’ll receive the following for the length of your Site License:
  • A Pre-test and a Post-Test
  • 60 scripted proven and engaging lesson plans students love
  • 16 student videos for classroom (See the preview below)
  • 13 Training Videos for regular review
  • The ability to return to online trainings for free
  • Ongoing Zoom or phone support from the training team
  • Access to the private PowerCoaches FB page for peer support
What does the 8 to Great Training Consist Of

Student Videos Preview

How 8 to Great helped this young singer get his Golden Ticket to Hollywood!

“I give the 8 to Great inservice to my staff and certification weekend training a 10+. They were outstanding. Now I want to train more of our team in this life-changing information.” 

Dr. David Geurin, High School principal and author of 
Future Driven: Will Your Students Thrive in an Unpredictable World?

How Are Schools Implementing 8 to Great?

There are dozens of ways. Here are a few of the most common:

  • Classroom Implementation Options: Once you have some staff members trained, the material may be taught in a wide variety of ways over 9 days, 9 weeks, or an entire semester course:
      1. As a 9-week course in PE or Health Class 
      2. During Advisory time, if it’s 25 minutes or more, over the entire year 
      3. As a Freshman Transition Course 
      4. As an 8 to Great® full Semester Course such as a Creative Writing course (We offer a Bullet Journal Companion that supports this option. See the Purchase Options page.)
      5. As a Leadership class
      6. As a Dropout Prevention Course or ISS course
      7. As 40 minutes of each 90-minute English class for one semester (English grades tend to improve with this option, not decline!)
      8. As part of a pregnant teens class
      9. As part of an after-school program 
      10. As part of a mentoring program
  • IF you are looking for an ASSEMBLY and/or INSERVICE: Have MK Mueller or a Master Trainer in as a guest speaker either for an assembly, or for an in-service or a half day of both (most common). To make the most of her time, MK often does 2 student assemblies, (90 min. with Fr/Soph, 90 min. with Jr./Sr.). Then in the afternoon she addresses the faculty for 3 hours to go deeper into High-Ways 4-8. The final option while she is at your school is that she can address parents that evening. Then, from those most interested, the school selects a team to be certified: 10-16 individuals to take the 2-day training. See the Site Licensing Sheet for pricing.
  • IF you would rather begin implementation by TRAINING SELECTED STAFF MEMBERS: Read over the attached documents. If it feels like 8 to Great® is a fit for you and your school, contact our office at 402-212-3033 to get your staff members registered for an upcoming Zoom 8 to Great® Training class and to get a copy of our Licensing Agreement. 
  • IF you’d like to introduce your staff to the 8 to Great® process as a PLC Book Study, there is a free Book Study Guide available for schools upon request. Books may be ordered on AmazonIf you’re ordering over 100 books, contact us for a discount.
  1.  
  • Certified trainers may teach workshops to adults (parents, board, staff meetings, community members) as well as students. They cannot train other teachers to teach it.

8 to Great has made a tremendous difference in the decision-making skills of our students. We’ve seen students improve their grades, take new risks to achieve their dreams and find new ways to resolve conflicts as a part of this program.” 

– Dave CollinsHigh School Principal, NE

The 8 to Great Bullet Journal Companion Option

For the past 14 years, Roxie Smith has been teaching 8 to Great as a Creative Writing course, using the book as the text along with Bullet Journal prompts to help the students learn and live the Life Skills in the 8 High-Ways. As the class grew in popularity, her school added another section, and at present they have four sections with a waiting list.

Now we are publishing her 8 to Great Bullet Journal Companion as an optional addition to the Site License. Contact us for further information. We would love to support you in implementing this invaluable resource.

“As a high school counselor, some of my most high-risk students are taking Roxie Smith’s 8 to Great® Creative Writing Class for the first time, and I’ve noticed a BIG decrease in crisis intervention referrals. Now, when they come to me, I’m able to reiterate the same verbiage and have them use what they’ve learned in 8 to Great to talk through what’s going on. I’ve also seen a significant improvement in attendance. It would be my wish for ALL students to have this class. What Ms. Smith is doing with 8 to Great and the Bullet Journals is truly life-changing. It is a blessing to be part of and witness the change in students’ mindsets and behaviors.”

– Jenny Willard, High School Counselor, NE

Bullet Journal Samples

8 to Great Bullet Journal Samples
“This valuable material needs to be in the hands of every classroom teacher in the U.S. It’s that powerful!”

– Mike DavisSuperintendent

All licenses are inclusive of an online interactive 10-hour Zoom Class Certification Training. 
On-site training for groups of 10 or more are available for an additional charge.

The license also include 16 Student Videos, 13 Trainer Review Videos, a Training Manual with a pretest/post-test and 60 detailed lesson plans, handouts, and ongoing email support from your coach for the length of the license.

8 to Great books, Student Handbooks and The Bullet Journal Companion are additional, and must be ordered separately. In addition, we offer a PLC 8 to Great Book Study Guide by request at no charge. 

Additional Resources:
-Inservices
-Assemblies
-Keynotes

are all available through our office. Email us at info@8togreat.com or call/text us at 402-212-3033 for more information or to check your desired date.

Ready to learn more about which 8 to Great Programs best match your needs?

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