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HEALTH
MODULE
An Instructional Program For Adolescent Activities
swan
Students With
Alternative Needs
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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 girls 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 couldnt 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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