Special to the American
The Elementary Promoting Responsibility through Education and
Preparation after-school program known as PREP is the recipient of the 2008 National Exemplary Award for Innovative Substance Abuse Prevention Programs, Practices and Policies.
The National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors selected Elementary PREP for national recognition over dozens of other nominees.
Since its inception in 2003, Charmaine Smith and her team of master’s level social workers have worked to create results oriented after-school programs that include programs for at-risk children in the city of St. Louis.
The programs are part of Discovering Options, which delivers three afterschool interventions: Family PREP, Middle School PREP and Elementary School PREP.
Smith and Elementary PREP will receive the award during the 21st annual National Prevention Network (NPN) Research Conference in Indianapolis.
“This is really an honor and really adds to the credibility of our programs,” said Smith, Discovering Options executive director.
“We are very fortunate to be an NPN award winner and to bring high quality after school programs to children attending St. Louis Public Schools.”
The Elementary PREP program operates from the First Unitarian Church in the Central West End and serves fourth- and fifth-grade students.
The curriculum includes yoga, cultural cooking, conflict resolution, a research based substance abuse prevention program and a 20-week mentoring component.
The afterschool curriculum includes an interactive program designed to “strengthen a host of protective factors related to substance abuse, including social skills development, stress management, self esteem building, decision making, teamwork, and conflict resolution,” according to Smith.
After the completion of the 10-week program, participants are matched with trained mentors who meet one-on-one with their assigned child once a week for 20 weeks.
Mentorship helps implement these preventive actions and at Discovering Options, adult mentors provide consistent, positive guidance that help bring about encouraging changes.
“My favorite part of this job is walking through the halls of the schools we serve and the children stop me and ask when they can come back to PREP,” Smith said.
“That is success in my book.”
To learn more about the programs at Discovering Options, mentorship opportunities in St. Louis or how to support the organization contact Charmaine Smith at (314) 721-811, charmaine@discoveringoptions.org or visit www.discoveringoptions.org.