CHOICES FIELD REPORT

Hammond Chamber of Commerce Launches Ambitious First Week of CHOICES Delivery

Speaking of Hammond…Bridget’s CHOICES Program Manager, Carl Herrick, launched one of the most ambitious CHOICES program sites in recent history. Representing the Hammond Chamber of Commerce in Hammond, Louisiana, Carl planned and executed a program launch with the objective of training 20 Presenters to deliver CHOICES to 1500 students in 60 classes in 8 schools the week of September 21, 2009. How did it go?

Here's a blow-by blow “diary” from Carl and three of his Presenters as they kicked off their first two days of CHOICES:

September 23, 2009 6:01 PM

Jason and I started things out at Loranger.  He graduated from Loranger and bonded with the students and staff immediately.  The participation was "off the charts" and so was the teacher's (Ms. Sanders) favorable reaction.  She's already asking if we can come back with more modules and she invited another teacher to audit the workshop and he too loved it.  Ms. Sanders even taught me how to use their "Smart" board.  It really is easy to use, fast and fun and I hope you get to experience it in your schools too.  

The two modifications suggested by Bridget, including the sticky notes for the Money Management module, worked great and let us get more students involved so please include it in your presentations if you can!  Everyone from the principle, Ms. Catherine Perry, on down couldn't have been more supportive and appreciative of our efforts.  What a pleasure to work with professionals who've dedicated their lives to educating the children in their community.

Mike and his wife Trudy handled Amite Westside this morning and enjoyed the same great response.  The excitement in Mike's voice as he described the students’ participation was noticeable. Sylvia, the Daily Star reporter who wrote the front page story that ran in yesterday's paper, attended one of the sessions and emailed me to say “It was cool. They kept the kids’ interest and had no problem getting them involved.”  Don't be surprised if she or someone else from the paper shows up at your presentation to snap a few photos.

I got to watch Stacey do a great job at Champ Cooper this morning.  She speaks the language of today's kids and really made it valuable and fun for the whole class.

Everyone is finding it pretty easy to finish on time as long as you follow the CHOICES outline.  Just remember to let the students know in the beginning that you'll need to go pretty quickly to finish all 4 ten minute modules each day and they'll understand and help you keep it moving.  Let your team leader or me know if you have any needs. Thanks again for your dedication and hard work!  Good Luck and Have Fun! ~ Carl

September 23, 2009 6:19 PM

Hi “Choices” Team!  I, too, had an outstanding response at Loranger Middle.  I taught there several years ago and knew some of the teachers in the 8th grade. It was awesome to catch up with them.  The students were very involved and the teacher is definitely incredibly excited about the program.  She had two different teachers sit in on my class yesterday. Have fun! ~ Kim

September 24, 2009 3:27 PM

Spent the day at Hammond Jr.  High and everything went very well.  The kids were very engaged and Ms. “G” was really involved.  I have a lot of respect for teachers who are in the classroom everyday.  I thought my job was hard.  Hats off the teachers who take care of our kids everyday.  ~ Lemar

September 24, 2009 3:59 PM

I agree Lemar….Had a great day with the students of Hammond Jr. High. They were very engaged and are excited about us coming back tomorrow. Thanks Carl for bringing this great program to our area and thanks Greg for bringing this to the attention of the Hammond Rotary Club. ~ Joe

Carl’s summary of the first two days:

I'm emotionally and physically drained tonight, but I'm also just as happy and thankful as I knew I'd be working on a project I totally believe in and know will make a difference in the lives of children, families and schools in a state I love very much.  I'm thrilled every time I receive a phone call or email from a presenter because I can hear in their voice that they had fun and are confident they had a positive impact on most of the students they spoke to. ~ Carl

Read the Hammond Daily Star article about this the Hammond Chamber’s Program!