In 2009, Dr. Ken Brookens and his wife Jean Brookens, along with family, friends, and professionals with a similar passion and vision, conceived Sustainable Hope, to work specifically with at-risk youth worldwide.
This work began in the Province of Chiang Mai, in the north of Thailand, to help improve the lives of the poor and disadvantaged youth in government welfare schools, orphanages and remote villages.
They formed in 2009, Sustainable Hope International (SHI) a 501-C-3 U.S. not-for-profit, providing education resources and training for teachers and marginalized students. And three years later, in 2012, Sustainable Hope Thailand Foundation (SHTF) a Thai Foundation was registered with the Thai Government.
Sustainable Hope has developed the “We CanTM Club” a three-year training model and curriculum that teaches, trains, and certifies advisors (teachers) and student’s basic skills in learning, language, life skills, leadership and living in community.
Sustainable Hope provides effective methods for youth leadership development:
- Provides technical, administrative, and organizational support, and helps establish and strengthen university-based and community-based programs
- Conducts grassroots “training of trainers” workshops, using an interactive approach.
- Develops and assists in the development of interactive curricula and manuals for English teachers and students,
- Coordinates and hosts We CanTM Club Leadership camps for eligible participating students.
- Organizes and facilitates visits, provides incentives for advancement and exchanges and trainings between students and teachers
- Works to connect students with university and vocational programs with established university and corporations
- Offers opportunities for service clubs such as Rotary and corporations to sponsor “We CanTM Club” and Government school programs
- Sustainable Hope seeks to develop and strengthen positive partnerships and networks locally, regionally, and internationally.