But what is an intense life skills training program? The program, opened to 8th graders at Penn Treaty Middle School, ran for one full week, from June 15 to 19, the last week of school, from 8am to 2:28pm. During this time, the students learned 1 of 5 different service business skills. The choices were car cleaning and waxing, window washing for small business storefronts, shoe shining, babysitting certified by the Red Cross, and flower design and sales.

Fleischer stresses that this program is not for individuals that already have jobs. "I told the kids that this isn’t for someone that always has good after-school or summer jobs. However, if you have ever dreamt or seriously thought of being a young entrepreneur, and of becoming a better and more responsible and confident individual, then this 5-day training camp is exactly what you are looking for," says Fleisher.

But We Can Shine is more than just job training. Boasting motivational speakers, life saving skills, and confidence building, We Can Shine and Steve Fleisher seek to help these kids learn the "skills to pay the bills" while also giving them a greater understanding of themselves and others, resulting in improved relations with family, friends, and authority figures.

In addition to intense learning, the program brings in amazing and interesting people to help the students. One very interesting note is that the guests show up "on their own time and on their own dime," as Fleisher likes to say. The presenters range from a Cheese Steak King to the City Fire Commissioner. Ray Ruiz and Nate Miller, both Philadelphia natives, both presenters during We Can Shine, grew up to be extremely successful boxers. Ruiz raised 4 daughters and Miller recently retired from the Housing Authority.

Tony Luke Jr. also addressed the kids. Owning one of the best Cheese Steak shops in the city, he told the kids how his hard work has paid off. He, like Miller and Ruiz, was once an inner city youth trying to figure out which direction his life would go. He now owns cheese steak shops worldwide, as well as a movie studio and a frozen food business.

All of these presenters have come to help out Fleisher, who is clearly passionate about helping his students. Overcoming his own tough odds in life, Fleisher runs the program while nursing a broken jaw. He never says how much it hurts, but he wanted this program to work for the kids so strongly that he delayed surgery for weeks to make sure the program could run. "The name of the program is We Can Shine, and that means shining a light on even the darkest of lives," Fleisher says through the pain.

But this isn’t Fleisher’s first venture into helping inner-city youth. He specializes in conflict resolution and safe solutions at Penn Treaty Middle School, and also runs the Kids At Crossroads Program. The Kids At Crossroads program has been extremely effective, but after realizing kids need job and life skills as well, Fleisher decided to launch the We Can Shine program.

This was the pilot year for the program, but already response has been overwhelmingly positive. It seems as though everyone was present for the event. A media crew, friends and family, even the principal of the school, Sam Howell. "Mr. Fleischer is a great teacher. This is an excellent program, and Mr. Fleischer has been a gift since arriving at Penn Treaty. He cares, and the kids know he cares," said Howell. And that really is the most important thing. When faced with tough odds, sometimes all it takes is one person to believe in you to make you want to succeed. For these kids, Mr. Fleischer is that person.