The silence was deafening … 15 pairs of eyes staring, arms crossed. I smile, no one smiles back. “Can anyone tell me, what makes a good news story?” Nada. My 10 minute PowerPoint seemed to last an eternity. “We are going to divide into two groups and do an exercise. Let’s count off and move our chairs into two circles.” No movement. Okay, so what else is new? They’re teenagers.
There is nothing elaborate or flashy about Argenta Academy, an alternative school in North Little Rock. From the outside, this little known school, designed to meet the needs of at-risk students who are not succeeding in the traditional setting, appears institutional and unimpressive. But inside the facility is a group of dedicated, caring professionals and teens who are overcoming daily challenges that are difficult at best. It was the perfect place to kick off The One Day at a Time pilot program, “Teen ‘Zine.”
I got the idea for Teen ‘Zine while trying to devise a program that would address one of our priority initiatives at One Day at a Time focusing on the issue of teen substance use. We know from experience “Just Say No” doesn’t work and with the access to information from their schools, the Internet, TV and the media, teens today know about the risks.
They either don’t care because it’s become socially acceptable, the peer pressure is too great, or drugs and alcohol are predominant in their family, community or school environments. So the challenge was how to create a program to continue to promote awareness, the availability of treatment and the benefits of recovery while offering students an opportunity to let their voices be heard. From these considerations, Teen ‘Zine was born.
Teen ‘Zine is built on a project-based learning model. Project-based learning is an individual or group activity that lasts over a period of time resulting in a product, presentation, or work performance. Students have a great deal of control over the project they will work on, and what they will do for it.
David Palmer, One Day at a Time’s publisher and an experienced newspaperman, introduced the program to the student body at the school late last year, and also spoke of his own recovery from alcohol abuse.
Our seven-week curriculum was designed to introduce some basic journalism skills while focusing on the issues of teen substance abuse. Each class had a 10 minute overview and then students broke out into group facilitated activities designed so that students were actively engaged in “doing” things rather than “learning” things. The goal for the end of the course was to give students an opportunity to write a personal or factual article with a substance abuse theme for this edition of One Day at a Time.
Even though it became abundantly clear that 30 minutes once a week for 7 weeks was nowhere near enough time to accomplish our goals, I believe we still managed to achieve a few of our short-term outcomes:
- Educate youth on the role of effective communications in substance abuse awareness
- Improve the ability to work cooperatively
- Increase respect for others
Ms. Cynthia Bell, Argenta’s creative writing teacher and my partner on the project said, “We were so excited to have the opportunity to participate in this pilot program. I am a little disappointed that lost snow days and a school function threw a wrench in our plans. This writing program has really impacted student achievement because my students write more confidently and empathetically. I’d love to collaborate on revising the curriculum and lengthening the course schedule and offer Teen ‘Zine again in the fall.”
Jan Kucala, clinical counselor and drug abuse counselor for the North Little Rock School District, went on to say, “Teen ‘Zine is a wonderful and unique opportunity for our high school students. It teaches them communication skills while gently sending a positive message about prevention and awareness.”
Generating this pilot program was not easy, but it was certainly rewarding. Spending time with the students made me realize that our teens know way too much, way too young and way too soon. No matter how tough they seem to be, they are kids who are very impressionable and vulnerable. Listening to them and giving them an opportunity to express their opinions is the first step in building a strong foundation for an effective substance abuse awareness and prevention program.
As we continue to develop and improve Teen ‘Zine, the lessons learned at Argenta Academy will be invaluable in ensuring the continuing success of this program.
Thank you to all the students in Ms. Cynthia Bell’s creative writing class. It seems just as we were picking up steam it was time for the course to be over. The time I spent with you is an experience I will remember.
Thank you to Mr. Charles Jones, principal of Argenta Academy. It has been a long time since I’ve been under the scrutiny of teenage eyes. Your support and encouragement helped me to stay the course. Also kudos to you and the staff.
This is a group of some of the most well-mannered children I’ve ever met. The kids were always very respectful; no matter how many times I told them “yes ma’am” and “no ma’am” made me feel 110. I never saw any pushing, running, or yelling in the halls in between classes, they were dressed nicely and most importantly I got the impression that they were happy to be there.
And finally, thanks to Jan Kucala for listening to my crazy idea to begin with and caring enough to make sure Argenta was afforded this opportunity. Thanks to Cynthia Bell for her commitment and dedication to those students who are under her care.
During one of the final classes we were talking about why there has been increase in marijuana use among teens. In my weak attempt to demonstrate a little bit about the history of marijuana use, I began,”110 years ago when I was your age…” one of the young men looked at me incredulously and said, “How OLD are you?” Ouch!
