Forte Strong

Reviews 6

BE

Bert G

Our son Michael joined Forte Strong in May 2013 (coming from the UK) and is currently completing a 3 month attachment with the program. Michael has ADHD and has poor organisational skills and difficulties with social integration with his peers. Our main reasons for sending Michael to Forte Strong were to help him learn life skills, acquire appropriate ‘work experience’ and have him live away from home (amongst a group of his peers) with a level of remote supervision and mentorship, fostering development of personal autonomy prior to starting college in August of this year. Michael absolutely loves Forte Strong and has bonded strongly with Brook and Matt, the supervisors of the program. He is sharing an apartment with 2 other boys and thoroughly enjoys the company and comradeship – a first for Michael who is not used to having friends. The boys are encouraged regarding personal hygiene and domestic chores along with planning meals, budgeting, taking it in turns to cook for the team, and other organisational/planning skills etc. Michael has also taken driving lessons and passed his theory test, he continues lessons aiming for passing the practical test. He has learned to ride a scooter while he has been at Forte Strong quite an achievement for him acclimatising to the ‘wrong side of the road’! The program at Forte Strong also includes regular exercise with planned hiking and nature trips aimed at challenging and developing not only physical fitness but important character qualities. Michael has enjoyed and indeed done well on these excursions including the successful completion of a 1 week wilderness first aid course. Although we cannot currently comment on Michael’s ‘post Forte Strong’ approach to life we are aware that he is progressing well and is achieving a number of the goals we had hoped for. Matt and Brook have been ideal mentors and role models to Michael as well as a significant source of support and friendship. Both of them are highly committed to the Forte Strong ethos and seem able to achieve that enviable balance between mentor/supervisor and friend. The Forte Strong program is outstanding and could have been designed specifically for Michael. This reflects the degree of individuality and the level of personal assessment that goes into creating the right balance for each student. It is not a ‘one fits all’ approach. We would highly recommend Forte Strong to all parents looking to expedite the transition from fully supported, unmotivated, home living teen to autonomous, responsible self sufficient broadened horizon young adult . T&B G

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BE

Ben Koziol

Forte Strong is a program that is designed to enable young men to start making better decisions in a real-world environment. It is entirely up to the young men to make these decisions for themselves. If you are a person who is capable of working hard, making sacrifices, and conforming to the structure of a job and the program, then Forte Strong may be right for you. The program consists of two major things, in my mind; looking for and maintaining a job, and attending activities and meetings with coaches and therapists. If a student can do these two things he will have a fairly easy time during his stay at Forte Strong. The program is very much centered around holding and maintaining a job. The only real graduation requirements that I can think of during my stay in the program are maintaining a 25 or so hour job per week, going to 75% of the program activities, and meeting regularly with the coaches and my therapist. I would not say this program is for everyone. For instance, one of the reasons I did not think Forte Strong was the perfect fit for me was because I came to the program mainly with anxiety issues. I was already very good at managing money and working hard. This is probably why I was able to graduate on time, whereas 7 out of nine people who should also have graduated during my six month stay did not. If you are a person who simply needs a bit of motivation and support to get you to where you need to be in life, then Forte Strong is for you. It is a great place to meet other individuals who are also suffering from a lack of motivation and a few very nice and compassionate coaches and mentors who are willing to help you with any of your problems. But if you have severe anxiety, depression, emotional or psychological issues, I would not recommend Forte Strong to you. I would also not recommend Forte Strong to you if you are a person who has a very difficult time creating structure in your own life. In my opinion, this is the core problem that most of the students in this program have. Forte Strong is not a boot camp that will provide you with all of the structure you could possibly need. It is quite the opposite. It provides you with as little structure as necessary and expects you to utilize your time and the resources at your disposal to improve your life.

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FO

foggedftw 1

Before I enrolled in the Forte Strong program, I lost a great job at AT&T, I lost connections with friends that I had in college and high school and felt I was torn apart. Instead of looking for new jobs and new connections, I spent the large majority of the time playing video games because I had a social gap that needed to be filled. I fell into this hole and became consumed by this video game addiction, and I saw no way out. I was about to go onto the streets because I had used up all of my remaining money from my job at AT&T when my parents showed me Forte Strong. I saw this as a fresh start for my life. I had failed to launch after dropping out of college, and I did not know how to handle myself out in the real world. At the beginning Forte Strong gives you the bare minimum to build yourself up again, but along the way you have the whole staff of the program working with you on vital skills you need to work on to succeed in living independently. I had little to no motivation to get myself aground again with a job, I did not know how to cook, I have never kept a clean house in my life, and I would go out to eat constantly. Coach Hustead helped me learn how to cook for myself so that I could save money and eat healthier. Coach Arrington and Coach Price helped me find the motivation I had lost since I lost my job at AT&T. Coach Norton helped me beat my video game addiction by incorporating healthy habits such as going to the gym consistently, finding my love for basketball again, keeping a daily schedule, and preparing myself for the day. Coach Barclay helped me budget by keeping track of my finances, keeping me on top of rent and utilities, and keeping me on track for my goal to save money to go back home. Coach Erickson has been a huge help with my transition going back home. I realize I can’t stay here forever, but with the experiences I have had as a student of Forte Strong. I am 100% confident that I can go back and live the life I have always wanted. Before I came to Forte Strong, I felt lost, unmotivated, and I coped with my addiction to video games. Now as I enter the final phase of the program, I am driven to succeed, I am striving to meet my goal of becoming a manager, and I am 100% independent. Forte Strong has changed my life for the better.

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DI

Dillon Barclay

I was a coach with this company for almost 2 years and I had a great experience working here. While I was there I worked with other members of the coaching team, meeting with students, conducting skills classes, leading outdoor adventures, speaking with parents and taking care of other responsibilities integral to business operations. I have made a lot of long lasting contacts and relationships working for them. I hope to always stay in touch with the students and parents I worked with! Whatever my assignments were for the day, the two things that were stressed as highest priority were the relationships and progress of the students and their parents. This was always Matt and Brooks goal. I saw that they sincerely cared about helping young men succeed. There were countless times that I would have given up when things became difficult and stressful, but they kept working towards that goal. Students and parents could give a better review for what the experience was like for them going through the 6th month program. All I can say to this is to the honesty and commitment I saw Forte Strong has to their clients and how much students learned in their time there. They are constantly adapting to fit the needs of their students. To any future coaches, I would say that Forte Strong is always looking for positive, well balanced leaders that are constantly wanting to improve themselves. Watch out though, you must be open to feedback and challenges! This isn’t your average job, it is stretching and uncomfortable at times. You get to learn how to have difficult conversations with parents and students. They are huge on constant, personal change for everyone involved in the process. The coaching team is really close with each other and at the end of the day when you see a student succeed it is very gratifying. They are highly selective of their students and even more so of their coaches. From an insiders perspective, I believe the success I saw of the families that enroll in Forte Strong can be contributed to the positive, growth minded environment there, the skill of the coaching team, and the passion of the founders. I was impressed by this. Yes, I would recommend their program to a family member or friend of mine.

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AU

Austin Berkowittz

When I came too Forte strong I was very lazy and unmotivated. I would play video games all day and would tell my parents that I was going too work when I was really with my friends messing around. I had no direction for my future and an unwillingness too listen too my family about how my choices are hurting me. The coaches at forte are so helpful and are completely willing too be there for you when you are struggling as long as you try your hardest. They have such a strong system for targeting your weaknesses and turning them into strengths. They have a lot of activities too help better yourself wether it would be with anger issues or having a hard time being social. While I was in the program I went through some really hard times and I wanted too just quit and leave because I thought it was a joke and they were only trying too help me because of money. There were times when I thought there was nobody too turn too and how I felt completely alone. The big things that helped me overcome such difficult obstacles where my coaches and the other students. Everybody in the program were there for the same reasons I was and it made it easy for me too talk too them about my struggles. The other students made it a judgement free environment so that we could talk about our addictions and struggles. The coaches would make appointments with me and we would brainstorm ideas and come up with systems for how I could overcome my fears and issues. By the end of my journey through the program I was a completely change person. I no longer lie about what I am doing, I am not lazy and understand that I need too work hard and earn everything that I want, and my addiction is much much less than it was. The coaches and students in Forte Strong are a really strong team and have a good relationship with one another and creates an amazing environment for you too find your true potential. If you are having any kind of life issues and feel like your alone you are not. Reach out too Forte like I did and you will see so much change and potential in your life. Thank you Forte.

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MI

Miles Rubin

“Strive to be the best version of you.” These are the words that I live by and Forte Strong has helped guide and support me to live by these words. But most importantly, they were a huge part of kick starting my life. Before I came to Forte Strong, I was an extremely unhappy, disappointed, and unmotivated 22 year old guy. I was living at home, completely dependent on my parents. Living at home as a 22 year old and going nowhere in life really doesn’t feel good! I was comfortable though. Who wouldn’t be? Forte Strong was a life changing program for me because they focused on my strengths and encouraged me to utilize them in every aspect of my life. The coaches are fantastic and really care about what they do. I absolutely recommend any young man, ages 18-26, to attend Forte Strong if they need/want to better themselves in a similar way. I must emphasize that you have to be WILLING to change. One of the rules here at Forte Strong is “transparency,” and it is definitely key to unlocking the best version of you. I’m going to be graduating at the beginning of February. And the really neat thing is that the end of Forte Strong is in fact the beginning of my life as a man who can take care of himself, is confident, and ready for anything that crosses his path.

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