The director of federal programs for Lincoln County High School recently warmly praised the PeerForward program, which began at the Home of the Panthers this past school year. Director Kirk King was speaking at the May 17, 2016 regular session of the Lincoln County Board of Education in Hamlin. The board approved renewing the PeerForward agreement for a further year, at a cost of $14,500 for the program and the curriculum.
Washington, D.C. based-PeerForward annually serves 36,000 students in ninth through twelfth grade. The program is the nation’s largest nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of low-income youth by connecting them to college and career. According to the organization, PeerForward uses peer leadership, custom curricula, real-time student performance data and technology to help get high school students from low-income communities to and through college.
The past year saw four senior students from LCHS take part in the initiative and work with their fellow students at LCHS. They took part in training in California. However, Kirk indicated that the 2016-2017 cohort would likely be trained on a regional basis, possibly at a nearer university campus. The students are trained in college selection, completing the free student aid form (FASFA), planning, and other aspects of post-secondary school advancement, whether in education or a career. Kirk indicated that the program would expand to eight students for 2016-2017.
The director paid particular tribute to the transformation seen in program participants, and acknowledged their work. “They give up much to do this. One of the girls was helping CTE students to become completers,” he noted. “It’s incredible what they’ve been able to accomplish, these four students,” concluded King.
The four students who took part this past Chloe Curry, Charles Walker, Timothy Adkins, and Lindsey Prichard.
