Friends in California thought she was crazy and predicted that May would be back in six months. May spent a lot of time studying what programs were needed and how best to provide them. She worked with teen-agers to determine the focus of the program and how it would be implemented. The result is an after-school program for youngsters 10 and older. Teen volunteers design and implement the classes, which include everything from yoga and painting to cooperative games and journal writing.
Every session has a program and time to discuss issues in small, same-sex groups.
After its first session as a pilot program in Overland Park, Earth School opened its second site this fall in Kansas City and plans to expand to other area schools in January. May admits it takes a lot of courage to leave friends, a community and a high-paying job, but there's no doubt that it's worth it. There's nothing, she said, like watching the youngsters and their teen-age mentors grow. It's going to be passion that fuels my boat.