Growing Great Kids is not just a slogan. It's a year-round commitment, a mission, a vision for a much better future for our children.
The staff and dedicated volunteers of Southington’s Town-wide Efforts to Promote Success work zealously to do whatever it's going to take to meet this great challenge to open our doors to even greater opportunities for our community.
“Our agenda is always growing. The summer is a perfect time for us to shape and finalize our plans for our new, (school), year.”, said Kelly Leppard, STEPS Youth Prevention Coordinator.
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Entering its fifth year under an initial five-year grant from the Drug-Free Communities Support Program and the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, (SAMHSA), STEPS is poised and prepared to continue successful aspects of the movement and introduce exciting new ideas to expand its reach in our community more widely.
STEPS will introduce several new Advisory Board members later this month.
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Asset Building Classrooms, (ABC’s) will resume in September with individual school and district-wide classroom activities. Specific monthly themes and Activity Planning Guides are set to go under the direction of individual Asset Building Champions at each school.
In November 2013, the third biennial round of surveys of 7th, 9th and 11th graders will be administered. This will enable STEPS to evaluate progress, i.e., changes of negative behavior such as use of alcohol, marijuana and tobacco. Leppard said: “Findings will be made public to engage the community in the significance of the data.”
STEPS will promote and expand the campaign of creating awareness of the Social Hosting State Law making adults legally responsible for teen age drinking in their homes.
Introduced a year ago, the Medical Drop Box at the police station will begin its second year with a workshop in September to promote continued community support of proper disposal of expired and no longer needed drugs. .
STEPS has a strong partnership with the Southington Police Department in the objectives of significantly limiting teen substance abuse. SPD will step up merchant education, compliance checks and enforcement operations.
Our Police will collaborate with the Drive-In Committee for STEPS Halloween Festival and other community projects.
Lt. Michael Baribault, Town Council Chairman, John Dobbins, and Leppard will be speakers at the Connecticut Youth Safety Conference on September 27 at Goodwin College.
STEPS plans to increase support of our local media partners in creating an increased awareness of the movement. STEPS has a lively interactive website www.southingtonsteps.org and this new blog voice: “STEPS: Growing Great Kids”.
“Students have a major role to play in the progress of STEPS”, said staffer, Evelyn Ciaburri. “The Youth Council will advocate for (1) increased use of the highly popular family conversation cards, (2) a town ordinance on substance use, (3) Safe Schools Tipline, (4) awareness of Southington Serves and (5) teens in the forefront of the Social Hosting campaign.”, Ciaburri added.
STEPS is moving forward through the efforts of its Advisory Board and committees, a legion of volunteers from every walk of life, including: students, parents, the Board of Education, the Town of Southington and its Youth Services, Health, Police and Fire Departments, Clergy and faith communities, commercial and professional enterprises, community service organizations, the military, the media and all who care about our children and remember that they are the future architects of the future from root communities like Southington to global society itself. STEPS invites every person, business, profession and enterprise in Southington to check us out.
For much more information, go to our website www.southingtonSTEPS.org and be in and touch and get involved.
