Supporting Middle School Students against Destructive Decisions

At Lake Forest Academy, my sophomore seminar group planned to address the issue of trying to prepare middle school kids for constructive decisions, or making the safest choices when facing these peer-pressures. Our group went to CROYA, an after school program, to talk to the middle school kids there. We, as a group, talked to the kids about the decisions they will have to make as they start to go into high school, and how to approach the issues. I believe that we as a group could see how important it was to tell the kids about making smart decisions. To hear the questions that the students asked really meant they were trying to listen to what we were saying, and how we were trying to help them.

In the future, we wish to go more regularly to CROYA, on Wednesday nights to the high school program. It would be great if there were more ways to get more students from our school involved with grade school kids and make them more prepared for choices they will face in going into high school. If there are any other stories of high school students getting involved with junior high students, we would love to read them.

- Melissa M., Lake Forest Academy, Lake Forest, IL