Our Philosophy
Educational success lies not in the mind but in the heart. Experience has shown that it is the inspired child that is able to push himself, to the depth necessary, to achieve greatness. Raise this spirit and natural ability will bend to your will.
There are four elements necessary to develop a child's mental & physical profile to become a goal achieving adult. We accomplish this without ever abandoning the joy & inspiration of eternal youth.
The Four Elements of Swan
Self Defense
Self defense training prepares a child to protect themselves, think on their feet, take decisive goal achieving actions, deal with pressure, develop leadership abilities, learn to process doubt & fear.
Wellness
This is the foundation all our environmental learning is built on. Wellness covers the full spectrum of the developmental training of each child. We focus on self development in all aspects: physical fitness, gross motor skills, flexibility, agility, mental toughness, endurance and mobility.
Athletics
A primary learning environment in the development of interpersonal communication skills in children. Athletics allows a healthy setting for learning leadership skills, team work development and perseverance in the face of adversity.
Nature
This is the one aspect that is truly spiritual in its foundation and allows a frame of mind that motivates the child to absorb, internalize and create goals, powering everything else that happens in a child's life.
Our Team
Eugene Gershman
Founder/CEO
"I have trained over 10,000 kids in my life. Not once did I encounter a child that could not achieve, only one that would not. My students have shown me, undeniably, that every child regardless of individual abilities or limitations, once embarked on a path of rigorous honesty, goal oriented discipline & habit forming curriculum, can not help but lead a life of powerful achievement, stoic confidence & an abundance of abilities."
- Eugene Gershman
The seed for Swan was planted during Eugene's military service as an urban warfare specialist, operating on the front lines of the war on terror. He saw firsthand how certain concepts made for an easier, more efficient molding of character, as well as vastly improved physical & mental performance. Upon completion of his military service, Eugene traveled the globe training elite military & police units in urban warfare and hostage rescue. Immersed in training young soldiers, his passion for youth development & leadership training was born.
In 2012, Eugene started working with universities, schools & community centers all over the Eastern seaboard, during that time he noticed that the main difference in training a child rather than a soldier, lay in the missing foundation of mental endurance, self motivation, and a lack of goal oriented habits for increased performance in children. Developing those traits in kids became a calling, somewhere on the road between Eugene's first student and you, Swan concept programming was born.
Chris King
Emilio Prieto
Director of Education
Emilio is a life long athlete with an intense passion for Science, Engineering and Robotics. He is incredibly dedicated to developing programs that inspire kids to connect to the sciences that are often very intimidating for kids. His approach focuses on making science, math and engineering fun and relevant to kids of all ages and abilities.
Chris King
Director of Training
"Studying Gardner's theory of multiple intelligence as a psychology major showed me the power of being someone who has experience in/with as many things as possible. Two-thirds of the human population doesn't know what their strengths are in life, I hope to change that. The curriculum we have developed can help students find out what they are passionate about and what they're good at. Swan aims to help everyone reach their highest potential."
- Chris King
Chris is an expert in early child development & habit forming education. A basketball player, martial artist & athlete, he is a truly an artist when it comes to crafting the necessary pathways for character imprinting & habit development in children.