Courtesy Youtube/PRIDE
The P.R.I.D.E Academy, a part of the Texarkana Arkansas Community Policing Initiative, is going on all this week.
The P.R.I.D.E. Academy is a 5 day camp for 100 entering 6th graders that provides tools and education for students to make positive life choices. The P.R.I.D.E. Academy places police officers as coaches with these students at a local middle school, supplemented with other instructors and health care professionals. The students are taught decision making skills, coping techniques, enhanced self-esteem, and anger management.
Here is more on the program from the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department News Release:
Each year, the students complete at least two community service projects such as cleaning up local parks and packaging food at the local food bank. The students also gain school and community pride while bonding with police officers to build positive lasting relationships and a more positive view of law
enforcement.The goal of the P.R.I.D.E Academy is to reduce at-risk behaviors by promoting healthy lifestyles, educational achievement, and financial stability in youth by building positive influences in their lives before reaching adulthood. While building on the concept of self-confidence, discipline, and team participation, lessons and activities based on a variety of topics are provided in an interactive format. Some of the activities include team building, obstacle course, skits, music, and meeting the K-9’s.
Additionally, the campers learn about dangers of drugs and alcohol, gang prevention, peer pressure, anti-bullying, internet safety, gun safety, first aid, and what to do in an emergency. The instructors for these learning blocks are representatives from our community partners. The last day of this camp is designed to recognize the children’s accomplishments over the week. The day ends with a graduation ceremony attended by their families and diplomas awarded by the Chief of Police. Campers are also given a full size backpack containing all of the required school supplies needed for the upcoming school year. This year, 2018, will be the seventh year of operation for the P.R.I.D.E. Academy.
Many prior students cite their time in the P.R.I.D.E. Academy as one of their greatest experiences in their school years. Many graduates have excelled as youth leaders within their school and community (as indicated below) and several have returned to the camp to mentor new campers. The data compiled from 2012-2016 consecutive P.R.I.D.E. Academy years indicate that 94% of P.R.I.D.E. graduates had no disciplinary actions as they advanced in school after completion of P.R.I.D.E. Comparatively, 43% of comparable middle schoolers in the same age group have no disciplinary actions at school. P.R.I.D.E. graduates have significantly better school discipline numbers than those who have not completed the program.
The impact of the P.R.I.D.E. Academy since inception August 2012 is over 800 graduates, peer leaders, and community volunteers. We are just now beginning to see the long-term impact of the P.R.I.D.E. Academy through the data and statistics that have been gathered so far. Every P.R.I.D.E. Academy graduate will continue to be monitored throughout their career in this school district.
There have been several additions to the program over the past few years.
Y2L (Youth to Leadership) was developed and added to the P.R.I.D.E. Program in 2014 and
consists of previous teen graduates who demonstrate excellent leadership capability. These
students are given additional coaching to learn critical social skills, civic pride and mentoring
techniques to 'pay it forward' to younger students. Y2L students realize the immense
responsibility given to them to provide a positive example for younger children. At the same
time, they are further preparing themselves to be productive adult citizens. Y2L students,
usually junior high and high school aged, act as the bridge between adult counselors and police
officers for many new P.R.I.D.E. Academy students. Many of the incoming sixth graders seek
advice and encouragement from Y2L peer leaders. TAPD provides direction, encouragement
and leadership to these Y2L peer leaders on a daily basis. In addition, Y2L students’ mentor
P.R.I.D.E. graduates through the Cool Kids Program.C.O.O.L. Kids (Coaching Our Outstanding Youth) was implemented in February 2016. This is a
once per week afterschool program for at-risk youth residing in particular high crime areas of
town. All of the Y2L peer leaders serve as mentors, instructors, and friends to provide direction
to younger neighborhood kids. In cooperation with the school district, the children are bused
from their respective schools to a local outreach ministry, which provides a safe location for the
kids to interact with their mentors. TAPD police officers provide leadership and supervision to
both the children and Y2L group. Many of the officers spend their off-duty time with the COOL
Kids at the center.For more information on the program contact Sgt. Kristi Bennett with the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department at 903-798-3187.