United Way's LIFE program doubles student participation

As it embarks on its fifth year, a collaborative program between area schools and the United Way of Southeast Missouri has a lot to boast about: Ever-growing student participation has translated into higher attendance rates, better grades and fewer discipline referrals.

Still, the real bottom line needs work, says Nancy Jernigan. A lot of it.

"Participation is growing, but the graduation rate continues to go down, and that's the last thing you want to see," said Jernigan, executive director of the United Way of Southeast Missouri.

The United Way funds the program, called Leading and Inspiring Families to Excel, or LIFE, to the tune of $100,000 a year. The program is geared toward students at risk of academic failure, she said. And while graduation rates have dropped in Cape Girardeau public schools to about 73 percent, she said, she knows LIFE is making a difference in the students' lives and hopes it will eventually help more children get diplomas.

"The thing I've learned is there's no one answer or else it would have been done a long time ago," Jernigan said. "What we're trying to do is reach all the children with a lot of different strategies."

Participation in LIFE after-school programs has nearly doubled from 175 last year to 354 students today. LIFE students showed an improved attendance by 49 percent, and 9 percent of those students didn't miss a day during the school year. Forty-seven percent of LIFE students had no discipline referrals last year, and 23 percent had fewer discipline referrals during the second semester this year. About 48 percent of participating students show an improved grade point average after joining LIFE.

LIFE offers that after-school program for younger children in Cape Girardeau at the Family Resource Center, which is mostly students from Jefferson Elementary School. That program serves about 50 students.

"Parental engagement is something we focus on," said Pat King, the resource center's interim executive director. "We find many adults are unaware of how important they are and the huge role they play in their child's success at school."

At Central Middle School, LIFE supports the Cub Club, which was established last year. The club is an after-school tutoring program and the United Way pays for the transportation of 150 students -- about a quarter of the school's student body -- who participate throughout the year.

"It's a safe after-school environment with timely transportation home," said Mark Kiehne, principal of the middle school. "This not only assists student achievement, but supports working parents, especially those in single parent households."

At Central Junior High, LIFE assists with the character education program, The Leader In Me, which is based on the best-selling book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," by Stephen R. Covey. Funding provides staff and student training to assist in the program, Jernigan said.

While the graduation rates in Cape Girardeau is still alarming, Jernigan said, she hopes LIFE will continue to affect students and serve as an encouragement for them to continue on through high school and to pursue education beyond that.

"We've proven that what the kids need is just a little more attention," she said. "They need tutoring and love and affection. Each of them may need something different, but what they all need is a little more of our time."

smoyers@semissourian.com

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