Comstock Park — It was lunchtime at Mill Creek Middle School, and instead of sitting in the cafeteria, sixth-grader Sophia Jabson was in a room across from it, teaching a friend how to play “S’Quarrels.”
“This feels like a game I had before that was similar to this,” said sixth-grader Elli Dyer as she listened to Sophia’s instructions on how to collect the most acorns to win.
Sophia is part of the middle school’s Panthers Acting with Caring and Kindness, or PACK. The program, which aims to create a more inclusive and supportive school community, is one of several initiatives offered through Project Success.
Founded in 1994, Project Success is a nonprofit organization that helps students to discover their purpose and achieve their goals in a supportive, judgment-free environment.
“The thing that I think makes Project Success different from other programs is that it’s a multifaceted approach,” said Gina Boscarino, Project Success coordinator and a group specialist for Wedgwood Christian Services working at Mill Creek. “We’re really trying to reach the kids on a greater scale, so through the community, through their classroom, through individual stuff — but we’re not just using one strategy.”
Prevention programs like Project Success emphasize teaching students practical skills to resist peer pressure, rather than relying on the scare tactics commonly used in 1980s school anti-drug campaigns, Boscarino said.
“How to say ‘No,’” she said. “We call it ‘building assets.’ Helping them to find other things that they’re interested in focusing on that are not drugs and alcohol. Because if a student is passionate about something, they’re going to be less likely to get involved with that.”
The National Library of Medicine, run by the National Institutes of Health, cites several studies that show students who engage in sports and other leisure activities are less likely to drink alcohol and use drugs.
Instead of one-off assemblies with people shouting about the dangers of drugs, which were common in the 1980s, Boscarino said she focuses on programs that let her connect with students and their families in a more meaningful way.
At the middle school, Boscarino has led prevention education lessons and facilitated group programs such as PACK. Last fall she organized a “Hidden In Plain Sight” drug awareness room, giving parents the opportunity to identify potential signs of drug or alcohol use. She also meets individually with students and leads small group sessions.
Boscarino is actively involved in the community through the Comstock Park Community Outreach Committee, and collaborates with local partners such as the Kent District Library’s Comstock Park branch and the Kent County Sheriff’s Office. Her efforts have included organizing family nights at York Creek Apartments and coordinating summer programs for students.
Forming the PACK
The seed for the PACK program was planted last summer, when Boscarino met with a group of girls heading to the middle school as sixth-graders.
“For sixth-graders at our school, there aren’t a ton of things that they can be involved in, because there aren’t many sports that they can do or student leadership (opportunities),” she said. “For some kids, a club is going to be the only positive thing they have about school, or the only reason they want to go. So I love being able to offer something else.”
During the summer, the group talked about peer pressure and middle-school expectations, she said.
With a solid group of students in place, the Panthers PACK group kicked off last fall, led by Boscarino and school social worker Melissa Vader. Students can take on leadership roles by helping decide what activities the group will do during the year.
About 10 students signed up and most are sixth-graders, giving the group a strong base to help the program continue, Vader said. Participants recruit other students to participate in activities and to join the club.
Monthly activities during lunchtime are decided by students and have included a food drive, making friendship bracelets, and cards for children in the hospital, Vader said.
Building a Safe Space
“I was bullied in other schools, and they say to join a sport because the team will protect from that,” Sophia said. “I can’t participate in sports due to my asthma, so I joined PACK and it has become my sport for me.”
Sophia said the program has been a safe space where she has been able to make friends and build community.
Sixth-grader Abigail Newville agreed. She said she joined PACK at the encouragement of her older sister.
“It’s a place where you’re not judged, that you won’t get hurt in.”
Since middle school is the first time students change classrooms, interact with older students and have more freedom, it is important for programs like PACK to talk about the challenges and successes they’re having at school, Boscarino said.
‘For some kids a club is going to be the only positive thing they have about school, or the only reason they want to go.’
— Project Success Coordinator Gina Boscarino
Creating positive, safe environments decreases the risk of students participating in dangerous activities such as drug use, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
After a program or prevention education lesson, Boscarino said she will ask students, “What did you learn?” or “What stood out to you?” and that she has found their answers interesting.
“I have had kids come and talk to me in my room and say, ‘I didn’t know this stuff was so bad,’ or ‘I didn’t know I had a choice,’” she said, adding that for some, substance use has been part of their family for generations, so hearing that they have options can be eye-opening.
“Moments like that — those real, personal conversations — are what make this work so rewarding,” she said.
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