Thursday, December 6, 2012

Jericho Road rehabs site for h.s. program


A housing rehabilitation project has been completed, creating a new environment for refugee students on the West Side to seek additional after-school help.
The house, located at 307 14th St., was rehabilitated for Jericho Road Ministries, a faith-based organization, dedicated to addressing health, education and economic barriers for refugees and low-income members of the community.
Jericho Road is utilizing the space for a program established for high school students who have moved to the area as refugees and are facing language and educational barriers.
According to Claire Essley, director of education programs at Jericho Road, many of the students know basic English but need additional help in math, reading and writing.
The students named the program EPIC, which stands for Education, Purpose, Integrity and Courage. In this program students are not only helped with their current studies, but are also prepared for standardized tests and higher education.
Besides the educational barriers that these students face, many of them also come from traumatic backgrounds and suffer from posttraumatic stress disorders. 
“We have adopted a rabbit for the program because we have found that animals have been very therapeutic for these students. Since many of them come from traumatic backgrounds and suffer PTSD, we found that these animals make a difference in the kids’ attitudes at the program,” said Essley.
“Jericho Road Ministries is also collaborating with Houghton College for a larger location that will provide greater resources for the students,” said Professor of Education Charles Massey of Houghton College. Story by Chanice Johnson and Jennine Taberski