AG 2001 10 22 - Laserfiche WebLink

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reflecting the fact that girls may be deemed more mature by parents in after school behaviors than boys. The ethnic/race enrollment was White 73%, African Americans 25%, and Latinos 2%. The percentage of children in Cabarrus County below the poverty level is 12.7%. At Mount Pleasant Middle School, the percentage receiving free or reduced lunches is 25%. At Concord Middle School, the percentage receiving aid is 36%. As can be seen, the economic need for after school care is great at the two additional schools. 3. COMMUNITY NEEDS. Current trends reflect the critical need to offer after-school programs targeting "latch key" children who may be experiencing suspensions, Iow grades, delinquency, and Iow self-esteem. Youth, who are 9-15 years old, are often the overlooked group at a time in their lives when they are subject to intense peer pressure, parental expectation, confusing health issues, intensified school work, as well as developing adolescence issues. According to the U.S. Census, Cabarrus County is above the North Carolina average in the percentage of mothers in the work force (80.3%) and the families with two working parents (78%). School system research indicates that 53% of our middle and high school students only occasionally have someone at home when they arrive from school. The pregnancy rate for ages 10-14 is 3.3% for Cabarrus County, for North Carolina it is 2.3%. There is an evident need to initiate greater efforts in the area of pregnancy prevention. An indicator of the need for supervision is that there wore 411 (criminal) delinquency complaints committed by 250 youth in 98-99 and 544 committed by 324 youth in 99-00. Serious juvenile crimes have decreased in this period while property crimes of burglary and larceny have increased by 7%. Because Concord Middle School and Mount Pleasant Middle School were assigned students who were more transient, these schools had a higher percentage of school suspensions. An afterschool program could help guide attending students into better choice of behaviors. Nine hundred students in K-5 are served by the KidsPlus program which provides after-schoo enrichment and recreation for all Cabarrus County Elementary School students. Any student can par[icipate. However, when students enter the sixth grade, services are available on limited basis. 4_- H SOS Goldminers fills this void. Prior to beginning this program, a parent's needs assessment was distributed to all parents of J. N. Fries Middle School students (1,348). Parents responded that 320 youth were going home alone and 180 were ~:aring for younger siblings. The 4-H SOS Goldminers is structured to identify the needs of members of the program, coordinate the school day activities with the after school academic responsibilities, and provide trained, professional staff members who are capable and eager to interact with students of the middle school age. Close cooperation with parents, school administrators, teachers, and guidance counselors assist in meeting needs of the students. The curriculum parallels the basic school curriculum, giving students reinforcement and enrichment. 4-H curriculum and staff training is research based by NC State University and A & T University. Computer skill building activities are an integral part of the weekly experience. Recreational and social skill building activities are part of each day. Youth participate in music and arts experiences as it fits with weekly theme activities. 4. ROLE OF YOUTH.