EXPERIENCE TO DATE

All 12 schools in Jackson County, West Virginia, have SWAN Programs, where the program originated. Since they are in different communities, each program was set up differently, based on individuals who were interested and organizations that were willing to take the lead in local concerns.

This flexibility of the program is not a weakness, but a strength. It utilizes the local resources and is based on the common sense of local people. The program you set up may vary in some way from this module, based on what resources you find in your community.

Here are some examples of the purchases Jackson County has made:

• A girl in the second grade was the only student in her class without a book bag. When the teacher asked the class to get out their book bags to exchange books, the girl hung her head. The teacher went to a local store and got her student a book bag for $6.00 and quietly gave it to her. The program then reimbursed the teacher.
• A high school girl was on a trip to West Virginia University to compete for her high school FHA Club. One of her sandals broke and could not be repaired. The two teachers on the trip took her to a shoe store and purchased shoes for $18.00. The teachers knew the girl’s limited background so they were later reimbursed by the program.
• One high school girl wanted to sing with the show choir, but could not afford the $8.00 to pay for the needed special blouse. The choir director advanced the $8.00 and was reimbursed by the program.
• A middle school special class was going to the Charleston Town Center as a field trip. One girl could not bring the $5.00 expected for lunch and incidentals. She was going to bring a brown bag lunch, but would miss the purpose of the trip, which was to make personal choices and handle the money. The teacher advanced the $5.00 and was reimbursed by the program.
• A middle school boy wanted to play varsity basketball, but couldn’t afford the $14.00 for the required team insurance. The coach paid the insurance premium and was reimbursed by the program.

Although the SWAN Program has a broader scope, it has often been used to support the participation of students in extracurricular activities. School drop-out studies indicate that extracurricular activities are extremely important because they encourage students to stay in school. The ability of the SWAN Program to absorb the costs of these activities and to help students to become involved in their school will have a long term benefit for both the students and the schools.

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