NIPSCO donates $10,000 to Project Rebuild
NIPSCO donates $10,000 to Project Rebuild
Contributed By: The 411 News
Truancy intervention and prevention program could become county-wide model
A van to provide transportation for families has become less of a dream and more of a reality for Project Rebuild now that it has received a $10,000 donation from NIPSCO.
Inga Lewis-Shannon, Project Rebuilds Executive Director/CEO and judge in the Gary City Court wants the van to help support families who only have public transportation to get back and forth.
The donation was made by Derrick Williams, NIPSCO’s Manager of Utility Transformation.
“I’m an advocate for the City of Gary and its youth. Being a product of Gary, Project Rebuild gives me the opportunity to give back and see the fruits of labor,” Williams said when he presented the check at Project Rebuild’s graduation ceremony. Williams is also a Project Rebuild Advisory Member.
Since 2012, Project Rebuild has tackled truancy in Gary schools. A guiding principle at its outset – truancy is not the child’s fault; it’s a problem in the family –looks at the entire family for solutions.
The key to truancy prevention is immediate and effective intervention which Project Rebuild provides.
PRB holds that meaningful incentives, sanctions and supports for families are far more successful at changing behaviors instead of punishment.
Depending on the needs of a family, the 6-week program offers parenting education, drop-out prevention education, mental health counseling, tutoring/academic assistance, mentoring, college and career readiness, extracurricular activities, community service opportunities, employment assistance (includes job readiness skills services), and financial literacy.
Some of PRB’s key partnerships include the Gary Community School Corporation, Gary Youth Services Bureau, the City of Gary, Gary City Court and Gary Police Department, Lake County Juvenile Probation, Geminus Community Partners, Department of Children Services, Work Driven Solutions (WDS), East Chicago School City, North Township, East Chicago Housing Authority, City of East Chicago, East Chicago City Court, and the Lake County Superior Court – Juvenile Division (which recently concurred that they should highly consider adopting PRB as the county-wide model for addressing truancy in Lake County).
When Project Rebuild moved its office to Lake Street in Miller, it attracted a new partner. Bethel Lutheran Church, 411 Montgomery, offered to host PRB’s free after school tutoring program.
Tutoring is available for any student, grades K-12, on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Hours are 4pm to 6pm.
Project Rebuild member Lori Latham, (l-r), Director of Programs Tara Nelson, Executive Director/CEO Judge Inga Lewis-Shannon, NIPSCO’s Manager of Utility Transformation Derrick Williams, and PRB Board Secretary Rev. Andre Adams
Story Posted:12/23/2024
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