GREAT FALLS — On Wednesday, the Great Falls Public Schools Superintendent's Advisory Panel met. Civic leaders and school stakeholders heard from peer mentors, a school resource officer, and a mental health specialist.
They also got an update on a new program called Restart that is designed to keep students engaged.
For some students, like 15-year old Ash Ankney, traditional school isn’t always the answer.
"It started getting worse over the years,” said Ankney. “This year, I only went out for about a week when school started, and then my mental health dropped by a big, significant amount."
Ash and others seem to have found a fit in the recently created Restart program.
“The Restart program is a new program with Great Falls public Schools, and it's basically for kids that are engaged in our traditional school setting,” said Restart Liaison Cory Reeves.
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Reeves, who serves as the Mayor of Great Falls is a longtime law enforcement veteran and former school resource officer says the program is fully funded by grant money.
“The students are referred to me from either CMR or Great Falls High and basically my job is to give them wraparound services,” said Reeves.
While the program does feature an educational component consisting of things like math, reading and language skills, it goes beyond that.
“It's about, just teaching them life skills, managing emotion, savvy living,” said Reeves. "We do a lot of field trips because I want them to get be engaged in the community.”
Reeves says the Friday field trips serve an important purpose.
"The ultimate goal for the field trips Fridays is I want them to see there's something to do in Great Falls,” said Reeves."A lot of our younger kids say there's Great Falls is boring. There's never anything to do here.”
Reeves says so far the field trips have included visits to Malmstrom Air Force Base, Central Avenue Meats to learn about butchering and even a morning spent bowling.
Currently, There are eight students in the program, a class size conducive to connecting with struggling students.
“It's a lot more helpful for me because there's more one on one,” said Ankney. "I have more of a connection with everybody. It's so much less stressful than normal traditional school."
"We work on with therapists in my program,” said Reeves. I just think with a smaller setting, there's that more personal relationship. And I think that's what a lot of these kids are needing and wanting."
Reeves says there similarities between the Restart program and the model used at Paris Gibson Education Center. he says they both offer flexibility for students. He says the major difference is the instructor to student ratio.
"I get to I have a lot more time where I can spend getting to know the kids, hearing about their issues, how we can fix those issues," said Reeves.
The program meets weekday mornings at the Alliance for Youth.
"I was a little nervous when I got this position because they said, now you gotta find a place to house this program,” said Reeves. "I was looking all over. Things are very expensive, as everyone knows, even to rent a place. I truly believe it's a God thing that he hooked us up at the Alliance for Youth.”
Reeves says the program also partners with Youth Court Services. He also has been able to get local businesses like Scheel’s and McDonald’s to donate gift certificates he can distribute to students for achievements and meeting goals.
Restart will celebrate its first graduate in December, just one of the signs its already making a difference.
“At the Restart program, they've shown up every single day,” said Reeves. "I think 1 or 2 of them called out one day for a sick day, but otherwise they are there every single day."
Reeves says there are similar models in other districts, but nothing quite like the Restart program, an idea he hoppes to impress upon the Office of Public Instruction early next year.
"They're going to come down, interview me, interview the students, see what's working, what's not working,” said Reeves. “What we're really hoping is that this program is successful in our community and based off our model, it is then pushed out to other schools throughout the state of Montana.
For Ash Ankney, who aspires to one day be a fashion designer, the program has worked wonders.
“The program is amazing and it helps a lot for a lot of people who are struggling,” said Ankney.
