In CHAMPS, schools do not compete; they cooperate and seek common solutions by identifying and sharing common threads and resources. Their experience in completing community service projects includes: cleaning up city reservoirs, storm drains, elderly homes, clean-up of downtown Laurens, landscaping for Senior Options, Adopt-A-Highway projects, outdoor science labs for two schools, clean-up of parks, etc. The program uses these projects to stimulate the students to think and reflect more deeply and broadly while accumulating community service credit hours for their application for college admission and financial aid. They write essays on the projects they complete. Their attitudes toward work increases dramatically and positively as they serve. They value the importance of giving back to the community. It changes students’ attitudes.
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CHAMPS
CHAMPS (Communities Helping, Assisting, and Motivating Promising Students) is a partnership program between Laurens County community, Presbyterian College, and School Districts 55 and 56. As it is housed on Presbyterian College campus, the City of Clinton has been a natural host and hub for CHAMPS, providing this effective program with service-learning (community service) projects, volunteer character education instructors, publicity and a variety of advocacy for financial and other support from the Clinton community.
History
Begun in Laurens County, SC, in July of 1995
with 30 rising seventh graders, five teachers,
six mentors/counselors, a director, and two
staff assistants, the CHAMPS Program had a
clearvision of motivating economically (and
otherwise) challenged Laurens County
students to reach their highest education
potential. The Laurens County community,
Presbyterian College, and local school districts
(55 and 56) were then and continue to be
seriously engaged in a joint collaboration to undertake the important task of assisting, motivating, challenging, and nurturing promising students in the county who otherwise would fall short of their potential. Service to the community is an integral part of the curriculum.
In the past ten years of its existence, the program has exceeded its expectation. Today over 300 students (including those in college) and their families continually express their gratitude for the way the program has touched their lives. In recent years, the number of applicants for the mere 30 positions each year steadily remained above 120. The program draws students from all 6 middle schools and 3 high schools in the county, thus enabling participating students and families to build familiarity and friendship across the county long before these students enter college. They learn and practice the art of living and working together peacefully and happily.
Parents are an integral part of CHAMPS. They too learn the art of working with the youth and their families. They are organized under the name of Parents Council that meets once a month to advise the director, motivate and engage unengaged parents, plan projects and strategies, distribute responsibilities, identify sources of support, and brainstorm new ideas. The chair of the Council is a member of the CHAMPS Board who links the Board with the realities in the community. The parents serve side by side when community services are conducted. The program relies on this organized body of parents for parent and student participation in completing projects. The members teach the children as they themselves learn from one another and gain tips for raising children.
Recruited while in sixth grade, the students enroll in CHAMPS as rising seventh graders. They strive to remain in the program for the next six years until graduation from high school. For the first four years (Phase I of the program), they come to Presbyterian College campus for two weeks of residential activities each summer. During their eleventh and twelfth grade years (Phase II of the program), they focus on college prep activities such as SAT prep, essay writing, college visits, financial aid and college application process, internships, part-time work to build savings for college expenses. Throughout the six-year journey, the students and parents attend monthly follow-up sessions, which include academic workshops, college/university tours, and service-learning projects. Throughout the academic year, individualized academic tutoring and other encouragements are provided by the program staff and by Presbyterian College student mentors and tutors.
Financially, CHAMPS depends on contributions raised from the partners, principally, Presbyterian College, area churches, businesses, civic organizations, school districts, and individual citizens who are convinced of the significant contributions the program is making to the lives of the children. Grants and other gifts are also sought. CHAMPS is closely identified with Laurens County, South Carolina, and with the City of Clinton. The city and the county proudly continue to demonstrate commitment to sustaining the program in the county. During the 2004-05 academic year, at the height of economic challenges in the county, the Laurens County community and the principal partners seriously joined efforts to raise the funds necessary to sustain the program. The success of their efforts is expected to generate increased interest among citizens who deeply care about the education of our youth. Supporting CHAMPS has become synonymous with training servant leaders.
For further information, please contact CHAMPS Office at 864-833-8377, or 864-833-8476, or email at nadisasa@presby.edu.
