Annual grant of $60K to fund unique program Jamesburg gets funding to help children develop world skills, avoid risks BY SETH MANDEL Staff Writer JAMESBURG — Stop, think, then act. That, according to Schools Superintendent Shirley Bzdewka, is the philosophy behind a new program designed to teach the borough’s youth to make safe choices when confronted with potentially dangerous situations. “It’s not for people that have a problem, it’s to teach kids strategies, to identify risk factors and risky situations and know how to handle themselves,” Bzdewka said. But obtaining funding for the program was no easy task. Jamesburg had to compete with all the school districts in the state for a grant from the state Department of Law and Public Safety. Only five districts received the Juvenile Justice Commission Sub-Grant. Bzdewka said that, unlike many larger districts, Jamesburg could never fund such a program on its own. That, she said, likely helped convince the commission that the borough was a perfect candidate for the grant. “I think because they could see when they read the grant that we were really about kids, and that the purpose was not for us to acquire funds, the purpose was for us to provide support to our kids,” Bzdewka said. “I think that’s really what made the difference.” The grant will pay $60,000 a year for three years, provided the district meets the requirements of the program each year. The program, which may begin in early March, has three facets. The first uses the “stop, think, then act” philosophy, which serves as the basis for the Phoenix Curriculum. Once school staff members are trained to teach that curriculum, it will be incorporated into the everyday instruction of students in grades four through eight. The after-school program, which will enable students to use the recreation facilities, will be for students in grades six through 12 and will run three days a week from 4-6 p.m. During the summer, the after-school program will run four nights a week from 7-9 p.m. Though the district’s high school students attend nearby Monroe Township High School, Bzdewka said, only Monroe residents are allowed to use that township’s recreation facilities. “The kids spend the day in school together, and then when it comes time to use the recreation center, they’re not permitted to go there,” she said. “So this is an attempt to try and find a place for our kids to go.” The grant will fund the salaries of the staff, the Phoenix Curriculum training, the instruction materials and the use of the borough’s facilities. No new staff will be hired. Bzdewka said students today are confronted with more risk factors and difficult choices than ever, and the instructors will teach the kids how to identify and avoid those risks. “It’s a prevention grant, it’s not an intervention grant,” Bzdewka said. “We currently don’t have a problem with vandalism or violence in our town, and we want to keep it that way. The purpose of this grant is to provide kids with the skills they need to live in the world today.” As per the requirements of the grant, officials will have to report on their progress and findings, as well as create a Violence and Vandalism Prevention Board. Funding from the grant was expected to be made available to the district this week, and Bzdewka said officials would schedule meetings with parents to explain the program and enlist students’ participation. Any student who chooses to participate will, along with a parent, have to sign a contract pledging their commitment. Participants will be expected to attend each session, and will not be permitted to leave early, Bzdewka said. “The whole point is for parents to know where they are,” she said. Though the district was only recently notified of the grant, Bzdewka said officials wanted to hit the ground running. “In spite of the obstacles that we face, we’re out there pounding the pavement, trying to find a way to provide additional resources and additional support to our kids,” Bzdewka said. Councilwoman Barbara Carpenter, who is the borough’s education commissioner this year, said Bzdewka should be commended for the time and effort she devoted to this grant. “She was very persistent with getting this grant through,” Carpenter said. “It’s excellent for the students and the town as well.” Bzdewka showed that same appreciation for the steady involvement of the Borough Council. She said that although smaller districts such as Jamesburg are usually fighting an uphill battle to fund programs, the district has unmatched support from the governing body. What the town lacks in financial resources, Bzdewka said, the council more than makes up for in commitment to its schools. “I have been here eight years, and this community is really very unique in the fact that we have such limited resources, and yet there is no limit to the amount of support that each group provides to the other,” Bzdewka said. “The council is always there, the police department is always there, the school board, everybody works for the same goal, which is the well-being of the kids in this town. That doesn’t happen in other places.”