Level Up with this new program
September 17, 2021
The pandemic hit everyone hard. Suddenly being forced to learn online in the middle of the year set many people behind in school. Some people were hit harder than others, and they are now in danger of not graduating.
Because of the pandemic, school systems across the country received money as part of the Cares Act passed in Congress. Wayne Township decided to use some of its allotted money within the school, for coaches to help students with different subjects. This was the start of the Level Up program.
Level Up consists of four coaches who help students who need help graduating. Being the first year of this program, they already have 150 kids. They work with students of all grades, but they prioritize seniors who are close to graduating.They meet with kids weekly or bi-weekly and help with setting goals and planning.
“Most of our case loads consist of students who are struggling to get all of their credits to graduate,” said Renee Pack, program coordinator for Level Up. “These students are our first priority.”
This was originally an idea last year. When the school received the money in March, the idea was possible. The leader in the program is Mrs. Pack, who is also a state representative. She worked in elementary school, but took a year off to focus on her representative duties.
One day, she was looking at the Wayne Township resource page and saw the spot available and thought it would be perfect for her. However, they only got funding for two years. Pack says if they had the funding, they would let the program last, but the two years are enough to recover from the pandemic.
“It’s all about the relationship,” one of the coaches says. He says it’s important to build trust with students. They work one on one with students. The only way to get the best result out of students is to make sure they trust each other.
The coaches are Graylan Davis, Mike Adams, Luke Melloh and Carmen Blandon. Davis, Adas abd Melloh also coach with the football team.
Students wanting the assistance of a Level Up Coach should reach out to their guidance counselor, IMPACT or Learning Center teacher.
Most of the Level Up students are counselor or teacher referrals. Placement is directly related to a loss of credits.
