Wednesday, March 13, 2002
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Wednesday, March 13, 2002 |
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Peer support program helps students cope Following the unexpected deaths of two Fayette County High School students in December, the school is reaching out to help the student body cope with its losses by implementing weekly support groups through a special program. The Rainbows/Spectrum program provides peer support to help grieving youths. It is an international organization that provides a bridge to emotional healing for students confronting death or other painful losses. The primary purpose of the program is to provide a safe, loving environment for young people to sort through their pain and confusion, build self-esteem and learn coping tools to deal with their losses. Although other Fayette County schools have a Rainbows program in place, this is the first time that it has been offered at the high school. "We have always worked hard to reach out to our students and try to meet their needs," said Colleen Petty, guidance counselor and coordinator of the program at FCHS. "After the loss of our two students in automobile accidents, it became clear that we needed to help." Rainbows/Spectrum seemed to be the right fit. The program is not counseling or therapy. It is strictly a peer group guided by caring, trained adults. There is a curriculum that has been proven effective and beneficial to students. Karen Spangler, county Rainbows/Spectrum coordinator, conducted a survey last year of schools that had the program in place to see if it had been successful. Of the 12 schools surveyed, an average of 37 percent indicated that they had academic, behavioral and social problems prior to the program's implementation. After the program, the schools reported a 70 percent improvement in academic achievement, a 72 percent improvement in behavioral problems and a 71 percent improvement in social issues. The high school plans to begin with four Rainbows/Spectrum groups and grow as needed. At the end of the program, students will participate in a special "Celebrate Me" day. "We have already had a wonderful response and the program is going great," said Petty. "We feel there is a definite need among our student population and we know they will benefit from this wonderful program. We are very excited that we have the opportunity to offer it to our students." Currently, Rainbows/Spectrum has 3,000 participants in Georgia.
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