Their goals are to promote academic achievement and prevent school dropout and delinquency as they help younger children develop into healthy, productive and resilient young people. The work is delivered at the individual school level, with teacher training and parent education to give schools and families the tools required, with mentoring to bolster those kids, and with a hands-on approach that engages and involves right from the start. We help them learn how to build strong, healthy relationships, negotiate problems and control impulses. EYA want's them to know how to make good choices and deal with life's challenges. Results are dramatic and often almost immediate.
Children experience new self-esteem.
Teachers report fewer classroom disruptions. Parents have renewed hope. They are provided opportunity after opportunity to learn and practice the skills they need to develop into the wonderful young people they can be. The ropes course is just one activity that helps establish positive, trusting relationships between the youth and counselors in EYA's Juvenile Justice Programs. It can be a hard step to take for a young person who may have never had a trusting relationship with another adult.