Break the Chain: Improving Teen Self Esteem & Goal Setting

There are a lot of underprivileged students in my community. Over 50% the students at the middle school I work at qualify for free or reduced lunch, which qualifies us as a Title 1 school. A lot of the homes they come from are not only in a state of poverty, but the adults maintain a “poverty mentality” in which they create situations, real or not, to keep them from moving forward.
My idea is to create a group that would assist in showing these students the consequences of their poor choices and to assist them in reaching their dreams. This group would come into the schools and set up a club, provide presentations, and empower the students to create better choices for a better lifestyle.
I find that these students have many talents but not enough support or resources. I’d like to create a way to expose them to the benefits of higher education or using their talents to create a better lifestyle for themselves in the future. Allowing them to present themselves in a new light into their community.
The idea is to break the cycle, the metaphorical chain that is binding them to an unsuccessful life and leading them towards a means to an end and perhaps a new start.