As students transition from childhood to adolescence, they are faced with determining what behaviors align with their goals, who they should befriend, their attitude toward substance use and more. In an effort to support our fifth-grade African-American male students and their parents/guardians in this phase, APS is pleased to host the Strong African American Families (SAAF) program.
Beginning in April, a group of trained African-American APS staff members will facilitate seven free weekly sessions that focus individually on the students, the parents/guardians and the family as a whole. The goal is to help students develop good decision-making skills, assist caregivers in enhancing their parenting skills and aid both parties in creating a deeper family bond. These results will also positively impact students’ peers, schools and communities.
SAAF is recognized as a model program in Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development, a compilation of successful, evidence-based youth development programs. APS looks forward to implementing these noteworthy sessions to promote the resilience of our students.