The expected results will illustrate how the three components of the Community Works program—curriculum, community resource people, and service-learning projects—work together to foster resiliency. The content and strategies of the sessions encourage young people to analyze situations and exercise reason to effectively communicate their ideas. The interactive teaching strategies build on the strengths of young people—teens learn from each other’s experiences and insights. The involvement of community resource people helps bond young people to positive adults in the community.

Furthermore, Community Works challenges young people to look critically at their communities, and to identify the problems and the resources needed to help solve these problems. The young people in the program determine what role they can play in improving their communities. Service-learning projects give them the opportunity to work together to set goals, plan a project, execute that project, and reflect on the process. Young people complete the program with an increased sense of self-esteem, having experienced success in the sessions, and having taken concrete action to help their communities. Community Works will not eliminate all of the complex social and economic challenges faced by young people; it will provide a framework, however, to foster resiliency, and provide teens with an opportunity to develop their leadership potential to create safer and better communities.

Community Works recognizes the special needs that young people have today. This program is a means to address some of the issues that are most pressing for today’s youth: handguns, gangs, sexual assault, HIV/AIDS, conflict management, youth/police relationships, bullying, drugs, hate crimes, homeland security, and more. This program is in response to alarmingly high rates of crime and HIV/AIDS in our community. Crimes in schools are committed by youths ages 13 and older. Society has an obligation to guide the youth toward the development of socially acceptable behaviors, healthy beliefs, and high standards.

No matter how success is measured, studies show that young people are more likely to succeed if they have practical knowledge, cognitive and social skills, and meaningful opportunities in the community. Youth may be exposed to factors that put them at risk and make it difficult for them to develop skills necessary for a productive, safe life. These risk factors include the following:

• Alienation and lack of bonding to family, school, and community
  
• Early, frequent antisocial behavior
  
• Family history of high-risk behavior
  
• Family conflict
  
• Poor family management practices
  
• Economic and social deprivation
  
• School failure
  
• Low commitment to education
  
• Community disorganization
• Association with delinquent peers
  

The presence of these risk factors does not mean that a child will become delinquent. Resiliency research challenges us to ask what enables some young people to rise above life’s challenges and succeed while others do not. Resiliency research indicates that a complete program approach, such as Community Works, can play an integral role in strengthening resiliency skills that propel young people to succeed in spite of those risk factors. Most young people, including those facing multiple risk factors, do not engage in delinquent behavior. They are resilient because they are able to overcome their stressful environments and develop into socially competent and productive citizens. Among the traits that resilient youth display are the following:

• Good communication skills
  
• Problem-solving and critical-reasoning skills
  
• Empathy
  
• Ability to ask for assistance
  
• Positive sense of independence
  
• Belief in future
  
• Ability to engage in reflective thought
  
• Sense of humor
  
• Impulse control
  
• High self-esteem
• Planning and goal setting

OPM believes that by utilizing the Community Works program we can be a foundation for students on which to build and challenge them to become resilient youth that will shape our communities.

Instructor (self-report) surveys are collected at the end of Community Works programs.

Students are able to articulate strategies to help ensure that they are not victims of crime. Their awareness of the resources available to them has increased considerably and I have had students report on more than one occasion that they feel safer. 

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Our youth work together to be positive leaders in our community.

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TCC has been more than supportive. I only wish more schools would include this in their curriculum - I'd like to see it become an elective in our high school. It's so meaningful to the students. Also, the students wish it was a year-long class and I agree. I'd love to teach the entire curriculum.

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My participants like the fact that COMMUNITY WORKS makes them think as well as learn.

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The students have a better understanding of what a victim is and goes through.

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Number of court involved youth has dropped dramatically over the school year.

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All of our students have been expelled from their comprehensive middle schools.  Quite a few of them have never been successful in school.  After completing our program, several students are on the A/B honor roll and becoming accountable for their own actions.

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I believe the TCC is doing an excellent job with maintaining the appropriate curriculum.

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Every year our community project has been working with "People Helping People".  This is a food and clothing pantry for needy families in the Republic area.  Our students enjoy doing this and it improves their self-esteem. The pantry is operated by senior citizens who praise our students work. This is good community interaction.

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I hear positive feedback from TCC 6th grade students.

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Students who have been abused in the past have been able to reach out and get needed help.

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The students told me information about an incident that was going on in their community and how they called the police.

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My students are located in a neighborhood where petty crime and gang violence occur.  This program [gave] my students the opportunity to talk about their experiences and develop.

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It is a helpful program. I hope to expand it next year.

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Our project had students create informational posters on the computer relating to the topics we discussed. The posters were then displayed around the school, generating favorable comments and discussion.

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We discussed safe and unsafe areas within our school and brought in our SRO.  The kids, because of that, are more comfortable and at ease to disclose possible problems.  It is just more of an open and honest communication thing.

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Continue with the information and monthly updates. They have been helpful with providing the latest information to the students.

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Provides a better understanding about choices that we can make.

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Educates kids and they feel free to speak to Community Resource People, especially police officers about whether or not something is criminal or inappropriate.