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Project funds would be used to enable 65 at-risk, fifth and sixth grade youth to attend a Leadership Camp in May, 2018. The camp is an important component of a neighborhood-based, collaborative that seeks to improve the odds that low-income youth will graduate from high school and attain post-high school degrees or professional skill certificates.
Idaho's high school graduation rate is lower than all but eight states, currently resting at 77.3% (Idaho Statesman, January 2016). Those students who drop out are frequently unprepared for the workplace and are especially vulnerable to negative influences. Most become part of the 58% of Idaho's workforce (ages 25 to 34) that do not obtain post-high school certificates or degrees (Idaho Statesman, April 9, 2017).
Fifth and sixth grade students are targeted because they are at a "gateway" where students with low self-esteem and poor academics are nineteen times more likely to drop out of school as their peers (United Way of Treasure Valley, 2011 Assessment). The project focuses on Title I schools because low-income youth are especially at risk of leaving school early. With forty to sixty percent of Treasure Valley students (dependent on school district) coming from low-income families, the need for community involvement is apparent.
The collaborative effort is administered by the Treasure Valley YMCA. Partners include (1) principals and teachers at Grace Jordan, Jefferson, Taft, and Garfield Elementary Schools, (2) parents, (3) the Boise School District and (4) the Rotary Club of Boise Sunrise. Approximately fifteen Boise Sunrise Rotarians personally participate in this effort.
The camp is a significant event in the lives of participating youth and their families. At camp, leadership, teamwork, and decision-making skills introduced in classes throughout the school year come alive. Youth work through personal challenges posed by a ropes course, climbing wall, zip-line and a canoe trip in an environment that fosters teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving. Openness and acceptance permeate the camp environment. Self-confidence and self-esteem flourish.
Camp attendance is a major motivator of youth and parental participation in the year-long leadership program. Most of the youth have never attended a camp and likely never would due to the constraints of family incomes. Many of these youth have never ventured far from the city. Monitoring has revealed substantial changes in students' school attendance, grades, and behaviors result from the camp.
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