Some rich training resources typically reserved for adults are not available for high school age kids.

Rowena Crosbie is not afraid of public speaking. In fact, she is the founder and president of Tero International, Inc., a West Des Moines training company that specializes in helping people improve their presentation skills. Yet, Rowena did get a little nervous when she was asked to deliver the keynote speech at Cargill for its 1977 Take Your Daughter to Work Day. Even though she is a veteran trainer of personal and social skills, she had never given a presentation to kids.

Rowena tried to prepare for the event by looking for information about teaching personal and social skills to children. What she found instead was that there are few credible resources out there. When the fateful day arrived, Rowena facilitated her presentation skills class to the children in much the same way she would for a group of adults. The result? They loved it!

Rowena's experience with the Cargill presentation opened her eyes to an unmet need in the Des Moines area. Despite the fact that research had shown that an individual's social skills are a better predictor of success than one's IQ, there are tragically few professional training programs for children - fewer still in Iowa. As a result, some of the rich training resources typically reserved for adults are not available for high school age kids.

Outstanding in Life: A Life Skills Program for Young People is composed of six critical clusters:
- Communication
- Leadership
- Personal Effectiveness
- Team-Building
- Community-Building
- Entrepreneurial Skills

The clusters, targeted at adolescents between the ages of twelve and fifteen, offer thirty hours of intensive and modular training spread over approximately seven weeks. The curriculum of each cluster is based on extensive research and designed to address issues facing children today. Classes are Limited to fifteen to ensure that the children receive the personal attention of a highly skilled facilitator. Participants are encouraged to apply their new skills through interactive homework assignments.

Des Moines' Dowling High School has already decided to integrate Tero's programs into their curriculum. For children who do not attend Dowling, Tero offers open-enrollment through Drake's Business School in West Des Moines.