Seventh and eighth graders at Summit Academy Community School for Alternative Learners – Canton have been immersing themselves in a youth empowerment program called Project Rebuild. The Canton-based, nonprofit initiative centers on both career-skill building and personal growth.
The twice monthly,12-week mentoring sessions led by Project Rebuild Executive Director Joanna James and Program Member Experience Coordinator Matt Fantone engage students in practical hands-on activities and discussions.
For their first session, on October 9, students learned about relationship building. “The leaders introduced themselves and gave a brief history of Project Rebuild. Icebreakers and trust-building activities followed,” explains Community Resource Coordinator Jason West, noting that the students quickly navigated through moments of initial awkwardness at the start of the program.
In their second session, on personal safety and situation awareness, students – assembled in small groups — worked through “What would you do?” scenarios. In an upcoming workshop on home safety and emergency preparedness, students will create their own emergency kits. In yet another — on building community and support networks — they will develop a community connections map.
West reports that for the past six years, Project Rebuild has consistently had a Summit Academy high school student and/or graduate as a member. Among these shining stars, Summit Academy Secondary – Canton student Jeffrey Nichols recently completed 300 AmeriCorps community service hours. Eighty percent of his time was dedicated directly to service activities while the remainder was used for training, education and other development activities.
Thanks to success stories such as that of Nichols, West says Summit Academy intends on nurturing its longstanding relationship with Project Rebuild.