The Challenging Horizons Program offers unique mentoring opportunities for middle school students, helping to ease the often difficult transition from elementary to middle school, and helping students to develop a strong sense of self-confidence and self-efficacy.
The Lights On Afterschool celebration took place at Irmo Middle School, one of their middle school sites, and was emceed by Dr. Smith, the USC faculty member who created all the programs back in 2001. Dr. Smith talked about the sort of mentoring that they do and why they do it, and he facilitated a panel with staff, principals, students and mentors from the program who discussed the ways in which the program has benefited them. Mentors as well as students talked about the transformative effect of the program. One of the students were so darn articulate that many of us confused her for a college student (she was in 7th grade!).
I was especially moved by the comments of Irmo Middle School’s principal. She extolled the program, the staff and the incredible impact Challenging Horizons has had on the participating young people and the school community in general. The program has helped her to better understand the power of well-implemented, quality afterschool programs.
I had the pleasure of presenting the Metlife award along with 2 local Metlife representatives, one of whom had actually gone to middle school at Irmo! Then there was a sit down dinner from the school cafeteria (quite a throwback, and the cafeteria food was surprisingly good)!
All in all it was a wonderful event, bringing attention to a fantastic and deserving program.
Rivka Burstein-Stern is Field Outreach Coordinator at the Afterschool Alliance. Bio.
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