COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH/EBENEZER LUTHERAN CHURCH
Teens on TASC (Teen After-School Center)
This is Teens on TASC’s third year in operation. Teens on TASC is a program that was established to serve at-risk youth in the Columbia area.
Why have we felt called to implement Teens on TASC?
There are about 1,200 Richland County residents ages 10-16 years of age processed through the Department of Juvenile Justice each year. Of these, the vast majority are referred to the Department of Juvenile Justice for non-violent, non-serious actions (top offense is disturbing school). Most of these children live in single-parent households and have limited or no after school supervision. Unlike crime by adult offenders, crimes committed by juveniles peak in the afternoon between 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., the hours at the end of the school day.
As urban congregations, we are surrounded by youth who are in need of positive role models and structured activities that will help them realize their potential as productive, well-educated adults.
How does Teens on TASC work?
We serve youth between 6-17 years of age that are non-violent and are at-risk. Teens on TASC is opened directly after the school day hours (3:00-7:00 p.m.), Monday through Thursday following the Richland One School District’s calendar. The center is staffed by Queen Burroughs-Bonaparte, Director, and Kara Simmons, Coordinator. There are also several volunteers who give their time and effort to make the program a success.
Seed money was provided through Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and Ebenezer Lutheran Church who partnered with Community C.M.E. Church in support of this Center. During 2011, Teens on TASC is one of only 2 TASC programs statewide to get funding from Friends of Juvenile Justice, a non-profit organization that supports programs sponsored by DJJ. The donation to Friends of Juvenile Justice was made by the Lipscomb Foundation.
There are about 1,200 Richland County residents ages 10-16 years of age processed through the Department of Juvenile Justice each year. Of these, the vast majority are referred to the Department of Juvenile Justice for non-violent, non-serious actions (top offense is disturbing school). Most of these children live in single-parent households and have limited or no after school supervision. Unlike crime by adult offenders, crimes committed by juveniles peak in the afternoon between 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., the hours at the end of the school day.
Teens on TASC provides supervision, structured daily activities, service coordination, and counseling to young people and their families. Individual educational enhancements are also developed for children that have academic and social difficulties in mainstream educational settings.
Objectives of the Teens on TASC Program
- To provide enrichment activities after the school day hours.
- To curtail the number of students who drop out of school.
- To reduce the number of students involved in negative behavior.
- To improve attendance (school/afterschool program).
- To improve academic success.
A Look Inside of TASC Program
Our day starts with giving the participants a healthy snack and a time to greet each other. We then go into the homework or tutorial part of the program. We have certified retired teachers giving assistance to each youth enrolled in the program as well as many interested people just willing to share their time and interest. Volunteers are members of Ebenezer Lutheran Church, Community CME, Columbia College and the Southern Lutheran Theological Seminary. Following the homework/tutorial the youth participate in our enrichment sessions led by persons such as the regular volunteers, an employee from the Palmetto Healthy Start Program, which is sponsored by Palmetto/Baptist Hospitals, Richland County Sheriff Department, Wachovia Bank and Kids Cafe-Harvest Hope.
Some of the enrichment activities to date are:
Martial Arts Richland County Sheriff Department
Nutrition classes (Healthy eating habits, Planning and cooking healthy meals, grocery shopping etc.)
Recreational Activities (Bowling, football games, basketball games, skating, visiting State Museum, exercise sessions, etc.)
Performing Arts: The youth are transported to The Crane Creek Recreation Center to participate in the performing arts sessions. They participates in creative arts sessions with the instructor guiding them in bringing out their artistic skills. The youth also participate in drama, role-playing and using their creativity in composing songs, dance, poems, and more.
Gardening
The youth learned how to plant care for and maintain gardens:
Banking (balancing check book, money saving plan, etc.)
Family Counseling/Spiritual Counseling Sessions (making the right choices, dealing with bullies, respect for self and others, etc.) These counselors do individual counseling with the youth and also go into the homes in an attempt to find resolutions to the youth’s problems.
During our first two years of programming, we exceeded our expectations in providing an after-school program for our youth. The greatest evidence of success came from the participants’ teachers, who wrote notes and made contact with staff in telling how the youth improved in behaviors, attitudes and grades.
We are very thankful for the great things that are happening at Teens on TASC!
For enrollment information you may contact: Queen Burroughs-Bonaparte at the following numbers: 803.771.4739, 803.754.3707 or qbonaparte@communitycme.org.