Kids’ summer leadership class mixes manners and math
The 2019 “Leaders In Training” class. Photo by Samantha Lyles
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
A group of Darlington County School District students is spending part of their summer in a very special day camp, one with a proven track record of curbing discipline problems and helping kids stay on track.
The three-week Leaders In Training (LIT) program is going on now through July 12, and founder/supervisor Capt. Kimberly Nelson of the Darlington Police Department says the program has improved year over year thanks to buy-in from DCSD and parents.
“Each year, we send letters out inviting the students to the program, and parents can sign those and send them back. We’re getting a lot of requests from parents to the point where we have to tell them we’re full now,” says Nelson, noting that the LIT program has an enrollment capacity of 30 students.
It’s not surprising that the program is in demand. Since 2015, Nelson has teamed with local schools to organize these leadership classes where kids shape up their reading, writing and arithmetic while also learning soft skills to help them feel more confident in social situations. Guest instructors will guide pupils through etiquette training so they’ll know proper table manners, courtesy and conduct.
They’ll also get a chance to display what they’ve learned in a unique and fun testing environment: a small-scale banquet, complete with bow ties, dresses, and ballroom dancing.
“We are going to have some food, sit and tables and pass the food, share, and show what they’ve learned,” says Nelson. “Then we’re going to waltz!”
She says other fun engagement activities include a rap competition, which focuses on team building and working together to compose and perform original songs.
All the fun and games (and academic help) adds up to improved conduct in school. Data compiled by DCSD shows that students who complete the summer leadership course see a decrease in suspensions and referrals for discipline, and show increased attendance. Nelson cites two twins (not identified by name) who enrolled in a past camp and cut their absences in half and cut discipline referrals by 75% in the following school year.
“It works, and this year will hopefully show more of the same,” says Nelson, adding that LIT has expanded to include school kids from beyond Darlington.
“A lot of our kids this time came from Hartsville, and the school district is providing buses to bring them in,” she says. “We also made arrangements to transport kids here in Darlington who didn’t have a way to get here.”
The extra help from DCSD means that each LIT classroom has a certified teacher in charge, accompanied by a DPD officer or other adult.
“The school district provided four certified teachers, and we now have iPads so they can do activities and accelerated reading. You go into the classrooms and see the teachers working with them on these programs and they are all on task. It’s just awesome,” Nelson says.
Graduation day for LIT completers is Thursday, July 12, and a commencement ceremony will be held in the City of Darlington courtroom.
