JASPER – “All you need is love,” sang the Beatles in 1967, and organizers of the Strengthening Our Capacity to Care program might agree with that – with qualifications.
The program, which combines unlimited love with a healthy dose of respect and a certain amount of discipline, encourages at-risk fifth- and sixth-graders to turn their lives around before they find themselves in the juvenile justice system.
Organized with at-risk youth, juvenile offenders and their families, the program came to Jasper Junior High School about six years ago when that school’s chief administrator was Principal Gwen Gilford. When Gilford became principal at Rowe Elementary School in March of 1999, she brought SOCC with her.
Originally founded for youth who were already acquainted with “the system,” SOCC is an education program rather than a rehabilitation one. Gilford’s goal was to change these kids’ risky behavior before they damaged themselves and/or others.
SOCC is conducted by Texas Cooperative Extension, Rowe Elementary School/Jasper Independent School District and Jasper County Juvenile Probation Office.
On a recent school day at Rowe Elementary School, about a dozen 11- and 12-year-olds gathered in the SOCC room for a session on respect and team work. Dee Lee Smith, county Extension agent for family and consumer science; Cassandra Ensign of the Jasper County Juvenile Probation Office; Jamie Clark, school juvenile probation officer; and Becky Morgan, Better Living for Texans program assistant for Jasper County, were all on hand to guide the students through the day’s lessons, as was Gilford, who calls the young SOCC participants “my jewels.”
But the lesson plan was unique. The students might not have realized they were being taught about respect, sharing and team work while playing Food Guide Pyramid Bingo and “Kool-aid River,” but they left the class knowing a little bit more about working with and getting along with others.
“It’s fun!” declared the young winner of the round of bingo, which features types of foods instead of letters and numbers. This game teaches the students about healthy eating in a kid-friendly fashion that will stick with them.
That fit right in with the healthy snack of apple slices with peanut butter, and carrot sticks with ranch-style dressing.
These healthy snacks, which are served at each class session, can be a learning experience too. “I’ve tasted food that I (thought I) didn’t like,” said 12-year-old Jesse, “but when I tasted the food, I found out it was good!”
Not every lesson is learned in the classroom. SOCC takes the student on field trips too. Probably the students’ favorite is the Ropes Course they attend each year at the Baptist Encampment in Newton. This program teaches them to rely on others, to work as a team, to encourage others, and to test their own abilities.
“They love the Ropes Course … because it’s so physical,” said Gilford. Last year the boys had canoe races, said 12-year-old Douglas, and rappelled down the face of a make-shift cliff.
“It was kinda scary too,” chimed in his 11-year-old friend, Darren. “And we went swimming …”
For David, it was the thrill of a lifetime when he climbed to the top of a 60-foot pole, and jumped off in full safety harness. “I was scared,” he said, “but I did it!”
The Ropes Course is a bonding experience for these kids, the adults said, and they plan this year’s trip to be in the fall instead of in the spring. That way the students will be better and closer friends earlier in the school year, which is a big step in learning how to get along with others.
In addition to team work and good nutrition, SOCC also teaches the students how to “deal with issues such as self-esteem, goal setting, right choices …” said Gilford. It’s all character development, she said. The other areas taught throughout the year are: Texans Building Character, county government, tobacco use prevention, substance abuse prevention, leadership, and careers and workforce preparation.
But kids are kids, and while they are learning all about character development, they are likely to get noisy, and that’s OK. “If it wasn’t for programs like this,” said the school’s principal, “these kids would be spending a lot of time kicked out of school.”
That’s a sad fact of life for many young students, she said, but with the help of programs such as SOCC, their lives can be changed for the better.
She told of one young boy who arrived at Rowe last year after having already been ordered out of another elementary school. He was so angry and so withdrawn that not only did he have to repeat the fifth grade, but he did not take the TAAS test (Texas Assessment of Academic Skills).
After being introduced to SOCC, this young student has completely changed his attitude to the better. His grades have drastically improved, Gilford said, and instead of being absent on TAAS day, he earned academic recognition in reading on the test.
That’s what SOCC is all about turning young lives around. And in Jasper County, where Smith said about 50 youth are expected to participate this year, it’s working.
Just ask the kids. As they leave the classroom to continue with their school day, several of them can’t resist hugging the adults who give them a chance to change their lives.
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