Participants in the Hale Kipa Summer Adventures Program proudly display the paipo boards they made during the eight-week program, which served as a prelude to the agency’s School Success Program. These programs are funded by a grant from Life’s Choices Kaua’i, which is part of the Office of the Mayor.
By Staff Reports
(LÎHU‘E)– Kaua’i youth that make choices that prevent them from achieving success in middle or high school will have the opportunity to participate in a program aimed at turning their lives around.
Scheduled to start up again this school year, Hale Kipa, Inc. was recently awarded an $80,698 grant by Life’s Choices Kaua’i to run its School Success Program for long-term suspended students.
The grant funding originated from the Hawai’i Office of Youth Services.
“The program is designed to build youth competencies and enable them to become successful adults,” said Life’s Choices Kaua’i Coordinator Theresa Koki. “Its ‘family centric’ approach is fundamental to the change-making efforts in all of our project areas that serve children, youth, families, and communities.”
Koki noted that the School Success Program will provide a structured alternative for students, providing them with the support they need to stay in school and graduate.
The goals for the program include but are not limited to the following:
- To increase student understanding of and adherence to the fundamental codes of conduct and compliance with the school’s disciplinary policies and procedures in order to achieve a school climate that is conducive to learning and provide for the safety and well-being of all students.
- To provide special support and assistance to help students develop more responsible patterns of behavior.
- To assist in achieving the state Department of Education’s Core Curriculum Content Standards, and to increase the state’s graduation rate while reducing the drop-out rate.
The program launched this summer with more than 20 youth.
The summer session included: an educational assessment; experiential learning; family bonding; credit recovery; case management; skill development support and alternative activities designed to prevent school suspension.
“Prevention is one of the four key components in the Kaua’i Community Drug Response Plan, and the School Success Program definitely fits into this plan,” said Koki. “By focusing on prevention, we can help lay a solid foundation for our children’s health, academic success, as well as their social and emotional well-being.”
The other components of the drug response plan include: enforcement; drug treatment; and community integration.
For more information about the School Success Program, please contact Hale Kipa at 241-4898 or at mmontgomery@halekipa.org.