SCHOOLS GET GRANT FOR BRIDGES PROGRAM

SYLACAUGA --City schools received a $60,000 grant from Gov. Bob
Riley to provide after-school activities geared toward keeping
youngsters away from alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.

Working with the Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement, the
school program provides the BRIDGES and BRIDGES, Too, programs for
60 students, ages 8 to 14, at Pinecrest Elementary School,
Nichols-Lawson Middle School and B.B. Comer elementary and middle schools.

Students in the BRIDGES programs will participate in several
after-school activities designed to enrich their lives, including
homework assistance, music and dance classes, fitness programs,
computer instruction and educational field trips. They also will be
taught how to make wise choices through drug and
violence prevention programs.

In addition, parents will have an opportunity to learn through the
BRIDGES programs. Parenting classes will be offered, as well as
skills and job training, GED preparation, literacy development and
healthy lifestyles education.

Dr. Kelly Wesley Lakey, student services coordinator for Sylacauga
schools, said the quality of education students receive is the
cornerstone of any community. Sylacauga City School System's purpose
is to serve the needs of its youths by providing excellent
educational programs that reflect the values and character of the
community, she said. Community involvement strengthens the School
System, and school officials strive to involve the entire community
for their commitment to excellence in education, she said.

Currently the schools offer a vast array of programs that improve
the lives of students.

"We are aware of the ever-existing availability of drugs and alcohol
that plagues our youth," Lakey said. "We conduct yearly surveys to
identify student levels of drug use, violence and other related
behaviors, and then we develop our plans to address those needs.
Talladega County Children's Policy Council needs assessment
identified education and intervention programs as key components to
providing effective services to the at-risk population."

The BRIDGES program is a collaborative effort between the Talladega
County and Sylacauga city school systems.

The program will allow the system to extend the BRIDGES youth
development program in an effort to provide academic enrichment
activities to meet the needs of more students. By creating more
positive learning opportunities, students will develop a sense of
belonging and ownership of the school and to each other, Lakey said.

"This sense of belonging will encourage positive relationships
between students. Opportunities for meaningful participation and
involvement will foster resiliency. Resiliency skills influence a
student's decision to experiment with drugs or alcohol early in
life. By strengthening these skills, we hope to reduce the rate of
drug or alcohol abuse by students in our school system," she said.

In an announcement about the grant, Riley said, "I commend officials
and community leaders in Sylacauga for taking a proactive stand
against substance abuse. This grant will ensure these children have
a better opportunity to develop their minds and talents and become
productive citizens."

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs will
administer the grant from funds made available to the state by the
U.S. Department of Education.