SOUTH SIDE LIONS MANE EVENT
SOUTH SIDE LIONS MANE EVENT
Lift for Life Academy completes third season of Lions "Mane Event" program
[St. Louis - March 26, 2007]
This season, 180 sixth, seventh and eighth graders participated in the Southside Lions Mane Event program, which was created by Wyman to offer schools in the St. Louis community that normally would not be able to finance outdoor education experiences a top-notch educational program. The Mane Event, which takes place at Wyman's campus in Eureka, Mo., is designed to foster academic enrichment, enhanced relationships and life skills that students need to be successful in school, work and relationships.
Margene Jerrolds, Lift for Life Academy reading specialist, has accompanied students to Wyman ever since the program's inception in spring 2005. This year's class of eighth graders was the first to experience the Mane Event all three years of middle school, and she has observed how experiences in a new and unique environment have expanded students' frame of reference, encouraged rapport and aided in their personal growth.
"The first day the sixth graders were here, they asked if there were lions and bears in the woods," Jerrolds said. "By the time they're eighth graders, they're asking, 'Is there a God' as they walk down the river bed. There is a maturation process that occurs over the three years the kids are in the program."
The Lift for Life Academy has seen the academic fruits of the program as well. Exploring the Meramec Caves relates to what students are studying in their science classes, Jerrolds said, and even standardized test scores are improving
"Their experiences at Wyman give them some basis of experience that helps them better relate to some of the test questions," Jerrolds said. "One question asked how an 18th century colonialist would've communicated with a relative back in England. These kids assume we've always had cell phones, but through what they learned in the pioneer living experience, they were able to deduce the correct answer."
Perhaps most notable is the transformation seen in students when they arrive at the Wyman campus. "Children laugh here who don't laugh in the city - children play here who don't play in the city," said Jerrolds. "This place and experience disarms a lot of the defenses they build up to survive. Out here they can be silly. Instead of singing rap lyrics, they're singing camp songs."
The Southside Lions Mane Event program began in 2005 as club members were seeking a direct means to provide a valuable educational experience for less fortunate children in the community. The club's relationship and shared vision with Wyman led to the development of the Mane Event.
The mission of the Lift for Life Academy is "To offer St. Louis City students who are at risk of dropping out of school the opportunity to succeed academically and socially in a supportive, enriching environment that promotes good citizenship and lifelong learning."
Wyman is a nationally recognized teen development organization that is preparing teens from disadvantaged circumstances to lead successful lives and build strong communities.
Contact: Lion Jim Johns– 314-846-9900 / e-Mail .southcolighting@charter.net
South Side Lions www.southsidelions.org