Personal Development is a Pillar of Responsibility.

As Rising Tide Leaders,we see self-development as an on-going, life-long pursuit.

The Gold Star Program is a groundbreaking self-development program that gives you credible endorsement and recognition for your personal growth.  It is a great way to broaden your skills in your current career, or forge a path to a new one. 

But Gold Star is about much more than building your resume.  It’s about providing you the framework, support and encouragement to become the person you really want to be.  More creative?  Gold star can get you there.  Bilingual? Gold Star can get you there! More confident?  Gold Star will definitely get you there!

There are many subject areas in which you can earn recognition;  public speaking, excel skills, writing, web design, accounting & finance, graphic design, agriculture, foreign language, commodities trading, child care & development, hospitality skills, cinematography, sculpting, architecture, the sciences, blacksmithing, horse training, cake decorating, coding, literature, art history, physical fitness, positive psychology…the sky is literally the limit. You decide how you want to grow. We make sure the world gives you credit for your effort.

The program is voluntary—membership does not obligate you to participate. But should you choose to do so, it is self-designed and somewhat self-directed.  We provide the framework and standards.  You design your path of learning and set your goals.  Your goals must be measurable and challenging.  Your self-development plan must challenge you in new ways.  No activities which garner wages or class credit in an accredited institution count towards your goals.  For example, if you are pursuing an award in public speaking, a for-credit course at college or university will not count towards your award.  No work submitted for a previous award may count towards a second related topic.

Under the supervision of an evaluator, you report regularly your progress towards your goals. Detailed write-ups of work completed and effort expended, as well as a time record sheet of work completed is expected.

 The awards are based upon your effort and your accomplishment:

Bronze level:  100 hours of study, experiential learning and/or internship

Silver Level:  200 hours of study, experiential learning and/or internship

Gold Level: 300 hours of study, experiential learning and internship.  At least 50 hours must be experiential in nature, where you are providing a service or working under the supervision of a professional in the field.   

The award structure is cumulative.

For your study component, you can utilize any non-credit coursework, such as Udemy, edX, Skillshare, Coursera, etc.  Or you can set out upon an independent course of study utilizing appropriately challenging books or materials of your choosing.

There is no limit to the number of awards you can accumulate.  Learning is a lifetime pursuit. 

 You will submit a study and development plan to your evaluator at the beginning of your quest, and will report your progress on a monthly basis. There is a 24-month deadline to complete your self-development plan from the date you submit it to your evaluator.    In order to protect the integrity of the endorsements for all members, only serious and rigorous courses of self-development will be considered to be eligible for the award.  Internship supervisors will be asked to submit a written statement of your progress and effort towards earning your credential. 

When you have completed your goals for each level, you will be presented an award in our monthly meeting, and recognized in our newsletter. You will also be awarded a badge on your Guidebook profile, certifying your accomplishment in your chosen area.  Via your profile in the guidebook, prospective employers will be able to see how seriously you work towards broadening your skills and your abilities. But more importantly, you will have more to offer in service of your family, your community and the world.