The Turn 2 Foundation continues to support the SMART Moves program at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kalamazoo. The program serves male and female school-aged youths who typically reside within the greater Kalamazoo area. This past project year, the program served 293 youth at the Lake Street Unit and Douglass Community Association Unit. Approximately 85 percent of the program's members were eligible for free or reduced-price school meals and received some form of government assistance. Smaller component programs make up the entire SMART Moves curriculum and include the following:
Each SMART Moves component focuses on building self-esteem, self-awareness and decision-making skills as well as informing about the dangers of drug and alcohol use. Additional areas of focus include personal identity, family integrity, peer pressure, refusal techniques, media literacy, short- and long-term goal setting and STD/HIV awareness. The Club feels that by repeatedly strengthening these skills and increasing knowledge, youth become better prepared to meet peer pressure toward drug and alcohol use, violent behavior and early sexual involvement.
2010-11 SMART Moves Success Stories and Program Ancedotes:
Both SMART Moves locations observed positive changes in their participants' attitudes from the beginning of the 2010-11 program year. Examples of this include:
Young people involved in the SMART Moves programs also demonstrated positive changes in specific attitudes and behaviors, particularly decrease in anti-social behavior, increase in social competence, and increase in perceived family and social support. The strongest experience reported by children was the feeling of being welcome (sense of belonging: 100% of participants), closely followed by a sense of being listened to by staff (sense of influence: 91% of participants) and feeling a sense of usefulness (92% of participants). These are powerful findings indicating the value of the SMART Moves program, through their motivated and caring staff are making a positive difference amongst a vulnerable group of youth.
Since its launch in 1996, the Turn 2 Foundation has awarded more than $23 million to create and support signature programs that motivate young people to turn away from drugs and alcohol and "Turn 2" healthy lifestyles. Learn more »
Social Change Project
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