NEW HORIZON GIVES TEENS HOPE

Ever wonder what the best thing is to do with kids after they've been
expelled from school?

The New Horizon program may well be the answer.

The Hazel Pittman Center in collaboration with the Department of Juvenile
Justice provides a program to work with students who have been suspended or
expelled from the public school system.

The New Horizon program focuses on providing those students with a safe
learning environment for the time they are suspended or expelled. It
focuses on age-appropriate learning activities, life skills, conflict
resolution skills and alcohol and drug education.

"The purpose of the program is to work with high-risk youth who would
normally be suspended or expelled with nothing to do with their time but
possibly get into even more trouble," Curtis Feaster, a prevention
specialist in charge of the program. "The goal is to offer these students
the skills needed to become productive students in Chester County."

The program serves the City of Chester and thereby is not responsible for
the transportation of its students. Most of the students walk or are
brought by their parents.

"I would say eighty five percent of the program deals with drug and alcohol
prevention," Feaster said. "We have a teacher that comes in for two hours
each day to work on academics with them. They don't get academic credit for
the work that they do, but when they get back to school they won't be as
far behind."

The program runs on an academic calendar and runs from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
each day.

"We could possibly have a student here for the whole year depending on when
they get expelled," Feaster said. "There is a big need for these kids to
get alcohol and drug education. Normally they would get this at school, but
they obviously miss that when they're expelled.

"This is an evidence-based program that has been proven nationally. We
don't just give them the 'just say no' speech. We teach them how to be
assertive in making good decisions."

According to Feaster, a lot of parents and agencies don't know about the
program. New Horizon which has funding for at least 15 students, currently
has three. Last year, the program had 25 students, 38 the year before.

"There are a lot of kids out there who could be in here who aren't,"
Feaster said.

Keith Keener, 16, has been in the program since it started two years ago.

"He (Feaster) teaches not just to stay away from drugs but how," Keener
said. "Drugs kill brain cells and alcohol can mess up your liver. I used to
smoke cigarettes, but now that I know how they can kill you, I quit."

Feaster said that Keener has improved a lot during his two years in the
program.

"I don't expect change overnight," Feaster said. "It's a process. Behavior
has more to do with drug use than most people think. If I can change their
behavior, I can stop them from using drugs. That's where their family and
community come in."

Feaster said one of the best things about the program is that the kids
involved are getting a positive role model that they might never get otherwise.

Another part of the program involves going out into the community and
talking to different people about their experiences and what it takes to be
a contributing member of the community.

"I was one of these kids once," Feaster said. "I know what they are going
through. It took me 23 years to make it, but it can be done.

"We are funded through 2007 so we can really make a difference with these kids."