YMCA, Rotary Club partner to launch anti-bullying program
The St. Joseph Downtown Rotary Club is giving the YMCA School Age Childcare Program a small grant to fund the anti-bullying program.
"This is a pilot program to see if this is something the rotary group can continue to support in semesters and years down the road," St. Joseph YMCA CEO Tammy Killin said. "We are really were excited to find a way to work with and have a greater impact on the youth."
Third and fourth grade girls from Oak Grove Elementary School will be participating in the nine-week program.
The program's goal is to encourage students to stand up for themselves and allow them to guide their peers on strategies to help prevent any future bullying.
"We recognize that there's a ripple effect that happens when you touch the life of a student," Killin said. Our hope is that we can continue this program, potentially with other before and after school programs and with other schools in the district."
The YMCA and the Rotary Club are hopeful that the program will serve as a positive change for the lives of students, both in the classroom and in their personal lives.
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