SUMTER, S.C. — Teaching children a balance of personal and professional skills to prepare them for the workforce is the mission of Sumter's Youth Corp. This six-week summer program is an effort from community members throughout the city focused on forming relationships with 14- and 15-year-olds while developing them personally and professionally.
"We've watched so many of these kids just blossom and grow," Cedric Kirkman, a juvenile detective with Sumter Police Department, said.
Along with School Resource Officer April Beaudet and a handful of other city employees, he's been working with over 30 kids in Sumter for six weeks.
"It's amazing to see all the city employees come in and just be so invested, people from the community that want to give back and to work with these kids," Beaudet said, smiling.
Guest speakers from the community, like Sumter Support Services Director Lefford Fate, teach valuable skills.
"I hear a lot of times from employers and military and schools saying we need people who have good soft skills, we need people who have positive mental attitudes, we need people with time management skills, we need people with critical thinking skills and being able to focus," Fate said. "And because we need that, we took this opportunity with Sumter Youth Corp to say how can we give the best of both worlds."
Fate said the program accomplishes that by having students work Monday through Wednesday mowing lawns and beautifying the community, which incoming 10th grader Ke'Asiah Barr enjoys.
"I learned how to do stuff I've never done before; like, I never knew how to mow grass, now I know how to work a lawn mower," Barr said, laughing.
On Thursdays, they sit through a class on topics like time and money management, which rising ninth grader Elijah Boler said is helpful.
"We've learned everything from leadership skills to having a pleasing personality to how to balance your money 'cuz this is a job, so this might be some peoples' first time getting money, and I think that helps a lot," Barr said. "Before this program, I had no bank account. But I got my first bank account and put my own money into it for the first time our last paycheck, and it really felt really good, being honest. It felt really good."
"It really helped improve my leadership skills," Boler said. "I've learned that there are certain times when you just have to be that outspoken person."
The goal is to help them grow individually, which Fate said can impact the community.
"If we can help the children when they're very young get an idea of success, and what it looks like, then they'll grow to that. So we figured what's the best way to keep the best and brightest in our community. How can we help them become better because better students become better citizens, and better citizens become better leaders, and better leaders make a better world and community for us, so, that's what we're aiming for," Fate said. "My greatest dream is this would be a 24/7/365 process where we can work with people from all over the community."
The program is funded through a community development grant the city received, and it's open to students from low-to-moderate-income households who apply and interview.
It's also a way for the students to build friendships with each other, despite being from different schools.
"For them to build bonds outside of school with different people from different areas is fantastic," Beaudet says.
In addition to forming relationships between each other, Beaudet and Kirkman say it helps students connect with law enforcement officers.
"It's also a part of teaching them that we as officers are pretty cool to get along with and hang out with," Kirkman said.
"We've made a lot of new friends," Beaudet said in agreement. "This is another tool in our toolbelt for the kids to see us in plain clothes and you know, once again, build those deeper relationships to when they come back to school, they're comfortable enough to come out to us and talk to us… it's great to have that bond built with some of these kids because kids talk and they pass it on."