Early Intervention: Friend Fitness
The Second Mile's Friend Fitness Program is an individualized strength training and mentoring program designed to provide adolescents with positive adult role models as they work to reach personal, academic, and fitness goals. The program is offered free of cost to student participants and is currently available in Centre and Chester Counties.
Teens are paired with committed Friend Fitness mentors, adult volunteers who serve not only as partners for bi-weekly workouts, but also as consultants for achievement of goals. Mentors offer undivided attention during workouts, focus on the students' goals, monitor and promote attendance, and recognize and celebrate the adolescents' accomplishments. As a result of this positive support and guidance, students involved in the program report that they feel better about themselves, improve their school performances, and make positive behavior changes.
The Friend Fitness Program is a collaborative effort between Second Mile staff, adult volunteers, and school personnel. School guidance counselors serve as the primary referral sources and in-school contacts for the program. Counselors are asked to refer a limited number of male and/or female adolescents, ages 12-17, who have demonstrated a potential for success but would benefit from additional support for one of a variety of reasons, which often include:
- Significant changes in life circumstances,
- Difficulties in connecting with a positive peer group and/or in coping with issues of normal development, and/or
- Initial problems with school attendance, academics, or behaviors.
In addition to supporting regular attendance at bi-weekly workouts, parents/guardians are also asked to make a commitment to the student's involvement in the program by providing transportation to and from each session and by delivering feedback periodically on the student's progress. Additionally, report cards, which include attendance, achievement, and behavioral information, are reviewed quarterly, and additional data about school performance is provided via feedback forms from the referring counselor. The data from parents and the schools bear out the students' reports: the Friend Fitness Program has a positive impact on attitude and behavior.
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