In this issue, you'll read:
After School Can be an Oasis
Exciting News in Prevention
WYN mentoring match nominated for National MENTOR Award
WYN After School Success
In the News...
Dare to Discover the Magic of WYN

After School Can be an Oasis

A seventh grade female participant now realizes that WYN After School is the one "constant" in her life of chaos. Cindy* has been attending the WYN after school program for two years. On occasion, she will take a self-imposed "break" from after school and ride the bus home for a month or two, however, each time she does, her grades plummet and she gets pulled back into the disorder that dominates her home-life. Cindy has moved three times in the two years she has attended after school. DSS has also been involved with her family on at least one occasion. Through each of these traumatic events, the WYN after school program and staff have been with her along the way. Program staff attend every school team meeting and collect weekly homework assignments, they communicate with her mental health case manager, they provide transportation to and from school, they communicate daily with Cindy's mom on her progress and/or struggles. WYN also provides a mentor for Cindy, who graduated last Spring from a WYN-sponsored in-school All-Stars prevention class as well. When things are not going well at home, and there is little supervision or even enough food to eat, she knows that WYN staff will listen and support her. Cindy is making new friends from other schools who will attend Watauga High with her in another year, and she is also forming positive relationships with caring adults. Cindy has one more year before going moving on to the high school, and she knows that WYN is behind her all of the way.

*Name is protected by confidentiality

Exciting News in Prevention

WYN's Substance Abuse Prevention Program has experienced many new and exciting things recently. Following the hire of Program Director, Ronny Holste, the program has made its way to serving Avery County kids. Ronny will teach the Allstars curriculum to a group of fifteen 6th-graders for the next 9 weeks at Avery Middle School. The Allstars curriculum is an evidence-based curriculum that encourages youth to learn about who they are, what they value, and who the want to become. It also encourages a positive peer culture in which youth can emerge as "prevention specialists" of sorts, promoting healthy behaviors among their peers. We are also excited to announce that WYN staff (and potentially others in the community) will be trained an additional curriculum, Project Venture, in late May. This curriculum will have a focus of teaching youth about their Appalachian heritage, and will have an adventure-based component as well. We hope to welcome a Project Coordinator for this program to the WYN family in the next month!

WYN mentoring match nominated for National MENTOR Award

Brooke and Mariah were recently nominated for the National MENTOR Award. The two girls have been matched for 10 months. Initially Mariah was shy, performing poorly in school and was constantly bullied by her classmates. Brooke and Mariah started a health regimen that has helped them both lose weight and has also boosted their confidence. Mariah now takes more pride in how she looks and she even won the title of "Best Dressed Girl" at her school's Valentines Dance. Mariah is now on the honor roll for the first time since her primary school years. Brooke has been there for Mariah through many tough times, and has now become an addition to Mariah's family. She was even invited to Mariah's brother's wedding! Mentoring truly is a "wyn-wyn" experience.

WYN After School Success

Sam*, a seventh-grade male, is a special needs student who has been attending the WYN After School program all year. His mother initially had reservations about him attending the program, as she feared that he might be grouped with the at-risk, or "bad," kids. Sam's mom also wanted to be sure Sam got the supervision and attention he needed.

All program staff and volunteer tutors are extremely fond of Sam. He works diligently on his homework every day with an assigned tutor and then socializes with staff and peers from participating middle schools. He always has an enormous smile that will absolutely melt your heart. Recently, Sam's mom shared with a WYN after school staff person that she really appreciated the program and was glad that her son was a part of it. She commented that one particular staff person was building such a strong and positive relationship with her son that she couldn't imagine Sam's life without him. She likened their relationship to the volunteer being the big brother Sam never had.

*Real name protected by confidentiality

In the News...

Save the Date: Western Youth Network and Parent to Parent ask everyone in the High Country to save the date of May 20, 2006 for Kidstock IV at Watauga High School. Kidstock IV will be filled with fun, music, and activities for all ages. If you would like more information about Kidstock IV, please contact Ingrid Hayes of Parent to Parent at 262-6089 or email gohayes@gmail.com.

Scrambled Squares, the High Country's game show, recently featured two WYN matches as contestants on The Western Youth Network Edition, which aired on Wednesday, Feb. 27. Mentor Lisa Nestor and her match Lizzy competed against mentor Ethan Anderson and his match Matthew. Scrambled Squares is a fun, fast and challenging game played between contestants who rely on luck, strategy and skill.

To see Lisa, Lizzy, Ethan and Matthew unscrambling the squares,
click here

Dare to Discover the Magic of WYN