Personal Progress
The Young Women’s Personal Progress Program is for young woman of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between the ages of twelve and eighteen. Leaders of the program say that its purpose is to “help each young woman understand God’s will for her, encourage her to keep His commandments, and prepare her to make and keep sacred temple covenants. It provides ways for her to contribute to her home now and prepare for future responsibilities as a faithful woman, wife, mother, and Church leader.”
In the program there are seven Young Women Values; faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge, choice and accountability, good works, and integrity. Under each of these values are suggested goals. To complete the program a young woman must finish six of these “value experiences” and then a ten-hour project needs to be completed under each value that encompasses all she has learned.
Young women can work on the program at their own pace, but are encouraged to finished at least nine goals each year they are in the program. They can work on the goals in any order, so for example, they do not have to start with faith and work through to integrity. If a young woman is not able to complete the program by the time she is eighteen she can still work on it until her 19th birthday.
Young women leaders are encouraged to have the young women plan activities that will help them complete the Personal Progress Program, but it should be done in such a way that each young woman is able to learn and grow individually through the experience. Leaders are also encouraged to complete the program if they have not already done so, as an example to those she leads.
When a young woman has completed all of the requirements she is interviewed by her bishop, and then is able to receive the Young Womanhood Recognition award. Many wards (congregations) choose to present this award to the young woman during sacrament meeting.
Other Links: http://lds.about.com/od/youngwomenyoungmen/ http://www.lds.org/youthresources/pdf/YWProgress36035.pdf
