Community School Project

The crisis team agreed on having a few of us hold a large group meeting for the older classes in the cafeteria to explain what had happen and inform them that there were social workers, therapists, and nurses present to help. We counseled children experiencing anxiety in group and individual sessions. By noon, most of the children and staff seemed to be back into the routine of school. We were notified that 141 students were absent due to the fear of the bomb threat. The team was instructed to come back on Monday. After, returning we had a sessions with only a couple of children and one staff member who had a panic attack over the weekend. I was incredibly proud to be a part of such a dedicated and professional group. The work that …show more content…
A Community School assists students and families who live in the area by offering extending hours and is a year-round program that provides a safe and familiar environment. This school will focus on a child’s entire needs such as, mental health, dental, medical health, vision, as well as providing afterschool programs, and high-quality academic tutoring. There will also be programs for the families such as social and cultural enrichment services, adult education programs, community and parental engagement workshops, as well as a parent resource center where they will have access to computers, printers, and other helpful resources. There are currently four core partners in this project, which are Indian River State College (IRSC), Children’s Home Society (CHS), School District of Indian River County (SDIRC), and Department of Health (DOH). Other partners include the United Way of Indian River County, Treasure Coast Community Health (TCCH), Pelican Island Elementary, Kindergarten Readiness Collaborative, Florida Department of Children and Families, Sebastian Police Department, and the University of Central Florida (UCF). I was a part of a committee that created and distributed over 500 surveys to local businesses, churches, and early childhood facilities. This helped to define what the needs of the community are so that we would be …show more content…
I started college full-time after working in early childhood. My plan was to be able to help provide services for not just the children, but the entire community. I found myself taking classes geared towards addiction and started my internship wanting to learn and experience as much as I could to help other fight addiction. As fate would have it, I ended up right where I began, helping children and families. I am grateful that I am able to utilize all the skills and knowledge that I have learned over the course of my IRSC experience to help others in