Charleston County School District, SC Stories of CCSD, 7 May 2018

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From YouTube: Giving Back to Help Others Grow - Stories of CCSD

Description

A partnership between the Mu Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and Julian Mitchell Math and Science Elementary School is changing the lives of fifth-grade boys. This episode of the Stories of CCSD explains how the Bridge-Builder Program works, and how the students and volunteers embrace it.

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Needs role models, the ones you know and can interact with in person on a regular basis. Reggie Terry is working hard to make sure that need is met for several fifth-grade males each year at Julianne, Mitchell, math and science elementary school through the bridge builder program. For the past eight years, the behavioral management specialist has coordinated this effort at Mitchell through the Mu Alpha chapter of the Omega sci-fi fraternity. That.

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We provide that missing male role, model that these young men unfortunately do not have. So it's a to me in a sense. That's a culture in itself, we're filling a void that they don't have.

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Every other Thursday eight to ten members from the new Alpha chapter gather at Mitchell for structured interaction with eight to ten scholars. The activities range from tutoring to athletics, to a project like this one. You see here where they're holding an intense discussion about values, the.

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Discussions that we have is very interesting that the young men are very engaged in the subject matter, so I feel they take more away from open discussions versus just casually. You know, having lunch and having a casual conversation, the.

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Fellowship that we have with them and they reactions and we work with them personally on their responses to teachers, the other students around them and it's it's beneficial to both of us. Terri.

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Uses a process to select the students or participate in the bridge builder program each year, but there is one item that is extremely important: that.

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Child has to be invested in interested in wanting some intervention and some help wanting to be a part of such a program. I'm, a firm believer if you want to be there, you're not going to get anything out of the content as provider for you and.

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Because the students are putting in the effort as well, they notice an impact on their lives now and for the future. It's.

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Just fine, because when you grow, you can do it too I'm grateful for them be like they tell us about how their day is, and then they tell us about. When we meet somebody. What should we do? First, they teach us about focused skills and stuff so and then I bring my grades up. I used to get in trouble a lot and when, when I started, to do this I start to improve my behavior and grades and stuff like that. Now.

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The students that participate in the bridge builder program have to sacrifice a little bit. They give up their recess every other Thursday and on a nice day like this most 10 and 11 year, old boys would rather be outside, but they understand that the information and fellowship they're receiving is much more important. They.

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Teach us a lot of stuff we need to know so recess is really not that much usually.

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On Tuesday Wednesday I asked mr. Terry: are they coming? They look forward to the subject, matters that we entertain them with, and they just like kind of hanging out with some people that bring them some positive, positive vibes and positive input. The.

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Bridge builder program does not stop when the school year ends. Students go to Omega, Syfy's sixth District camp in North Carolina for a week in July to continue to develop as young men. The.

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Camp itself, it helps them to become prosperous, young men in the future. Now the employees that we work with not all of them are able to go to the camp. They have to qualify, that's one of the most important thing they have to maintain the behavior school grades and other things you.

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Know I've had parents come to tell me that when their job returned home they're like a different different kid, you know walking around the house being more respectful being more man orrible, you know just and looking forward to going back, yeah the.

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New Alpha chapter and their bridge builder program are able to send multiple students to the camp in large part to their successful fundraiser. The annual 5k run and walk in downtown Charleston's Hampton Park. While finances are important, Terry says the event helps the community overall and.

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What I found out is a lot of non-runners they'll donate ten dollars because they know what is going to watch sentence a deserving young man, I can't, but the participation in the run again we're getting real runners, beginning people that walk people bring out to families the pets. So it's a very nice family-oriented of it speaking.

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Of family Terry says the volunteers and his fraternity are now members of the Mitchell Family. They also donate their time and resources to the school's annual holiday market, which has become a major success as well. In the end, Terry is thankful. This partnership has grown into something that is building on the positive culture at Mitchell and changing lives, mu.

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Alpha goes with Mitchell now and Mitchell goes with me, Ralph a new. So it's it's a connection made and it's continuing to grow and we look for greater things that come when.

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I first came in, I came out the substitute and for I know what I was a regular coming every two weeks, and so it has enriched my life helped me to feel that I'm doing something to help society to help these young men become better young men in their future in downtown.

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Charleston for the stories of CCSD I'm, Andy Pruitt.