The St Francis County Sheriff’s Department has announced an upcoming community program with Deputy Daniel Puder here in St Francis County. This training will be the My Life My Power program that provides Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Training which was developed by Deputy Puder who founded the My Life My Power organization.

The My Life My Power (MLMP) is a National 501(c)3 Non-Profit, that was founded in 2010 by Deputy Puder who is an undefeated Mixed Martial Arts Fighter and winner of the WWE’s Tough Enough Championship. While Daniel excelled as being a pro athlete, things were quite different for him when he was growing up. He struggled with being overweight and was also in Special Education classes throughout the majority of his schooling, which caused him to be an easy target of bullying. When he began to hear of the kids who were committing suicide from being bullied, he felt a personal connection to the issue and knew that something needed to be done to change the mindset of our youth. Rather than simply saying a few public words about this issue, Daniel was compelled to create a program that provided long term solutions and could be implemented in schools and after-school programs.

 “Over the past 8+ years we have created a systematic approach to helping people get from where they are to where they want to be with their career, personal life, and family. We do this through emotional & physiologic intelligence experiences which create leaders in their own life and in the world,” commented Deputy Puder. “Our team members at My Life My Power Institute all live by our context of “Significance Breeds Success.”

This program has attracted both national and worldwide attention as an innovative evidence-based curriculum with a highly effective youth diversion and mentoring program. In addition to the youth curriculum, we provide flexible and solution based trainings for adults to become mentors to youth in order to create a significant and purpose driven society. Trained mentors are then able to facilitate the MLMP curriculum, which is founded upon utilizing positive psychology and motivational interviewing.

The MLMP Program has received scientific support from third party organizations based on the strength of the systematic evaluations that measure the effect on youth outcomes. The evaluation of the MLMP program utilizes a pre-assessment and post-assessment within-subjects design, capable of addressing the range of outcome data. Overall, the findings have shown an increase in self-esteem, and purpose in life, and a decrease of aggression, and victimization.

“We are really excited to bring this program to our area and know it will make a significant impact on all of those who participate,” added Captain Eddie Adamson. “One of the things that is great about this program is that it isn’t just a program for kids who have been bullied, it is a program that helps everyone become a better person by helping them understand themselves and how to make improvements in their lives whether they are a youth or an adult.”

Daniel became a part time deputy with the St Francis County Sheriff’s Department after undergoing the necessary training to get certified in Arkansas and was deputized by Sheriff Bobby May earlier this year. “It is great to know that we have a deputy of the caliber of Daniel working with us to make a positive impact in our area,” commented Sheriff Bobby May. “His dedication to helping our organization and helping our area is a testament to the quality of person he is and the quality of the people we have on staff. My agency wants to do more than just arrest criminals, we would rather make a more significant and positive impact in lives and help people to stay on track and out of the criminal justice system or keep them from becoming repeat offenders if they are already in the system.”

The My Life My Power Program has seen tremendous success in the four schools in Florida that Daniel started. “Our schools take in students who are expelled from traditional public schools and from the data we have put together we have determined we have been able to take students who are in the Florida Juvenile Justice System and go through our program and reduce the rate of repeat offenders from roughly 80% to around 25%,” stated Puder who also serves as the Superintendent of the schools.

The MLMP program has garnered a great deal of national and international attention with appearances by Deputy Puder on the Dr Oz television show as well as meeting with the Dalai Lama in India and doing a successful Ted Talk program along with being featured in AY Magazine and American Police Beat magazines.

“We have had a tremendous amount of support from the community since we announced our plans for doing this program and bringing Daniel on board with us at the Sheriff’s Department,” added Adamson. “We met with Forrest City Mayor Cedric Williams the first time Daniel came to town and since then we have met with Forrest City Schools, Palestine Schools, East Arkansas Community College, Rotary Club, and local churches and all have been enthusiastic about the program and the presentations we have done so far leading up to this two day training.”

“Over the course of the past few years we have done this training for students, teachers, parents, law enforcement, probation officers, and others that deal with kids and have had great feedback from all of them on the program,” according to Puder.

This free training provided by the sheriff’s department and MLMP will be held May 31st and June 1st at the EACC Fine Arts Center beginning at 8 AM and will be the first training held in this region.

“We encourage anyone who wants to help our community as well as any of the youth who are going to be the leaders of the future to attend this free training,” added Sheriff May.

For more information or to sign up you can contact the Sheriff’s Department at 870-261-1795 or sign up online at https://www.mylifemypower.org/sfc/