Family & Youth Initiatives has been hard at work alongside Tecumseh Local School students in the past few months. For the third year the DEFY after-school leadership program is again running smoothly in both the middle and high schools twice a week. High school students work on personal development lessons Tuesday afternoons and then mentor middle school students on Thursday afternoons. In the past four months many of these students have volunteered to hand out food in the Second Harvest Mobile Food Pantry distributions once a month. New students are encouraged to join the Defy group all year long. The groups meet on Tuesday and Thursday s afterschool until 4:30 pm. All are welcome.
For the second year in a row a program matching encouraging adult mentors to Tecumseh local students is in full swing. The pairs meet once a week in the school setting and are meant to be a friendship where caring adults listen and support. The Community Connectors program is always looking for additional mentors and would love to speak with potential students or adult mentors who might be interested in learning more about this fantastic opportunity. Call the FYI office for more information: (937) 845-0403.
Most recently a Peer Listening program has been initiated at Tecumseh Middle School. Several high school students have been referred and trained to use active listening and effective communication skills as a tool in helping out younger students feel welcomed and important. The group meets once a week over lunch at the middle school and has been well received. Thanks to the supportive guidance counselors from the middle and high school that have played an essential role in the collaboration.