The November 19 edition of Parent Choices For Struggling Teens touched on the subject of community service and the benefits of incorporating community service with a therapeutic based program. Joining Lon today was Anna Barnes, the Activity Coordinator and Volunteer Liaison and Connie Peters, a teacher and volunteer in the community, both from The Academy of Sisters, a therapeutic boarding school for girls in Bend, OR. "Community service is the ability to volunteer to work to benefit the community and within our program, it is an integral part."
Both Connie and Anna are very positive about the outcomes of community service work within their program and community and shared that the students get to engage with a diverse group of people, while also learning a good work ethic, new skills and being willing to collaborate with many different kinds of people and co-workers. The girls learn to reach out to others in a positive way and by giving back they gain a sense of belonging and worth. They also change their perspective of themselves, which empowers them and they begin to feel important in helping others.
These "transfer skills" (all the tasks and skills they have learned) create a great resume and references for further use on college applications or work applications. In what Connie and Anna term as "authentic learning" where students not only hear about something but actually go out and do, ( which many call experiential learning) the opportunities for a variety of community service enables the students to learn compassion, pride in healthy relationships and a huge list of job skills ranging from working with Habitat for Humanity- framing and landscaping, working with preschoolers in a literacy and daycare program, organic farming, working at a nursing home, a soup kitchen or even a chimpanzee sanctuary.
To listen to the full interview go to
How Community Service Heals on
LATalkRadio.
Also available in Podcast 
Lon Woodbury is the owner/founder of Woodbury Reports Inc. and
www.strugglingteens.com. He has worked with families and struggling teens since 1984 and is the host of Parent Choices for Struggling Teens.
Anna Barnes joined Academy at Sisters in 2009 as a Case Manager and is now the Activity Coordinator and Volunteer Liaison. By working with her students in the local community through volunteering, participating in local events, helping charities and fundraisers, Anna helps the girls practice what they are learning in the program within the community.
Connie Peters, who has a Master's of Art degree in teaching from George Fox University, teaches math, language arts, history, Civics and career related learning. She is also a volunteer in groups that include: Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, SMART Reading and various sports programs for kids.
This segment was sponsored by Spring Ridge Academy, 928-632-4602,
www.springridgeacademy.com, a Therapeutic Boarding School for Girls in Arizona.
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