Centennial High Assistant Principal Nikkole Flowers knew from personal experience that being a teen is tough.
“When I reflect on my years as an adolescent, I always felt I could have benefited from having someone older guide the way,” she said. “It would have been great to have had a source or support.”
Motivated by those memories, Flowers made it her goal when she got to Centennial last year to create a mentoring program to support teen girls. She started by identifying teachers and administrators willing to give of their personal time, then she went to the middle schools that feed into Centennial and combed through the high school’s data to find girls she felt could benefit from an extra boost.
“I asked for suggestions of who might need support academically, socially or behaviorally,” she said.
Getting the girls on board took a bit of explaining. “One said, ‘I’m not a bad kid,’ and she’s not,” said Flowers. “But mentorship is about support, and everyone can benefit from a mentor. It’s also about sharing different experiences and learning skills that will help you navigate through life in a positive way.”
Flowers also didn’t want to make the group just about academics.
“I talk with a lot of students, both boys and girls, who have other concerns that impact their academic performance,” she said. “And some students don’t feel comfortable talking with mom or dad about them. So we focused on life skills that can have a positive impact on academics and social interactions – things such as empathy, building resilience, communicating with peers – skills they can use after high school and throughout their lives.”
Flowers took several months to put the program in place, but this fall, she launched the Centennial High Ladies of Purposeful, Open-minded, Worthy, Excellent, Resilient POWER, or simply POWER, with about two dozen students and eight mentors. Both groups promised to devote two years to the program that also draws on resources beyond the campus.
“I wanted the community to be part of this so the girls get to meet other women who also have a story,” said Flowers. “They get to hear their challenges and journeys, and they learn there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Community members have provided opportunities the student might not have had, said Flowers, including learning to line dance, speaking to a mental health professional about overcoming adversity and asking questions about body image with an aesthetician.
“I really liked learning about hair and skin,” said junior Zariah Ampey. “I learned that I’m not the only one with insecurities. This group is a safe zone, so everyone was very comfortable expressing themselves.”
Junior Simone Sloan admitted to being a bit curious when she was asked to join. “I wasn’t sure what it was going to be, but I felt it would let me learn about new things. I do see that it’s making a difference for me. Here, I can open up and relate to other students about things we’re all dealing with.”
As word about the group has spread, Flowers has been approached by students and parents asking how they can be a part of it. For now, plans are to limit the size to about 30 members to keep the intimacy levels high. But she doesn’t see the need going away.
“Sometimes the older they get, the less they want to talk,” she said. “But the challenges don’t go away.”
Information about Centennial High is online at chsknights.com.
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Each week we look at programs, projects and successful endeavors at area schools, from pre-K to grad school. To suggest a story, contact H.M. Cauley at hm_cauley@yahoo.com or 770-744-3042.
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