EdGE Stories Some brief stories about children in the EdGE Program help demonstrate the impact the program is having on the children—one child at a time. Frankie Smith was shy, scared and unwilling to communicate at the beginning of the year. During tutoring sessions, an EdGE staff member was able to find out what Frankie enjoyed and how to get him out of his shell. Over the next few months, Frankie began to show great signs of improvement. He began to involve himself in new activities and showed a willingness to communicate his feelings.

Ben Jackson was a very combative and disrespectful student as the year began. The EdGE staff tried several strategies to try to help him, but none seemed to work. Finally, with Ben’s explosive behavior, the EdGE staff decided to try pairing Ben with an EdGE staff member for intensive one on one work. Every day, Ben was paired up with a staff member who put him on a behavior plan. This approach had an immediate positive impact. Ben followed directions and even offered to help staff during activities. He took on increasing responsibilities with great pride. Ben still has his good days and bad days, but he is learning how to compromise. He has learned the art of communication and the wisdom of kindness through his peers and mentors. This, in turn, has improved his overall outlook on life.