Wings for LIFE / Roswell W F L Inc

Building assets: building assets social and emotional learning skills program is an educational and experiential program designed to support and enhance positive youth development in elementary school-aged children, third through fifth grade (consideration also given to first and second grade students). This program is offered on-site at 12 elementary schools. Two schools have additional programs to accomodate students on a waiting list, for a total of 15 active programs. There were 240 students enrolled in the program. The schools closed due to covid-19 in march 2020, so after-school programs were suspended. The program continued remotely via weekly mailing of lessons to more than 200 children, and follow-up phone calls to students and families. In september 2020, the schools opened, and building assets resumed programs through zoom remote meeting software.

Programs for the incarcerated: educational programs for inmates at the chaves county detention center. Separate programs are held in the adult mens and womens detention centers, and in the juvenile detention center, covering such life-skills topics as substance abuse education, relapse prevention, health education, healthy relationships, cognitive behavior, infectious disease prevention, anger management/forgiveness and parenting. The meetings are led by trained and licensed substance-abuse counselors. Guest lecturers also make presentations about resources available to assist inmates and their families, with the goal of building self-reliant and resilient ex-inmates who do not return to detention. The detention center closed in march 2020 due to covid-19. When it re-opened temporarily in june, all outside programs remained suspended.

Whytry for middle school youth: whytry is an evidence-based program that is currently offered weekly at four middle schools. The program appeals to all learning styles (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic) and involves videos, music and metaphorical methodology to explain some of lifes situations and also helps youth identify the best approach applicable to them. Honesty, respect, and dignity are taught, internalized and reinforced through whytry lessons. There is also a 7 week substance abuse education/prevention component taught by a licensed substance abuse associate. The program served 126 students. Covid-19 ended the program inside the schools, but lessons continued to be mailed to more than 100 students, with follow-ip phone calls to students and families. In the new school year, beginning september 2020, the whytry program has been carried on via zoom remote meeting application.