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The Durable Skills Project Once Again a Success
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As we all witnessed, COVID-19 caused negative impacts in many facets of our daily lives, but, notably, had a strong impact in the lives of students that had to navigate a new digital learning environment. Students were unable to get the much-needed social interactions they were able to receive when attending school in person, thus causing a decline in the interpersonal skills necessary to thrive in society. Now, on the other side of the pandemic, it is more important than ever to continue to build up students and help them establish strong interpersonal relationships.
Through the collaborative efforts of First Bank, Lee County Schools, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Carolina, the Durable Skills Project was brought to schools across Lee County. The Durable Skills Project was created to provide mentorship and programming focused around communication, leadership, and goal setting. Interpersonal soft skills are something that can only be learned through personal experience and interaction with others rather than text book instruction. It was clear that the Durable Skills Project had a positive impact with the students that participated, keep reading to learn more about the success of the 2023 program.
120 students across Lee County were able to participate in the Durable Skills Project in 2023. East Lee Middle, SanLee Middle, and West Lee Middle schools hosted 14 sessions throughout the 2022-2023 school year.
Compared to the 2021-2022 school year, the Durable Skills Project helped to decrease occurrences that had a negative impact on student’s schooling. Out-of-school suspensions decreased by 3%, the number of classes failed decreased by 21%, and the number of absences decreased by 24%.
Students were surveyed after the conclusion of the Project and 83% rated the program as impactful. Some of the most enjoyed topics that were discussed during the sessions were effective communication and conflict resolution, financial literacy and entrepreneurship, self esteem, and building positive relationships.
For the second year in a row, First Bank has been proud to support the Durable Skills Project and their effort to help students unlock their true potential. In today’s digital age, the need for durable skills is more prevalent than ever. Lee County Education Foundation board member and First Bank Community Banking Executive Rob Patterson speaks about the support provided by First Bank, “we are proud to be a part of a project that has had such a positive impact on our young people.” Investing in our students will help build a brighter future. Through the Power of Good, we seek to make a positive impact on our people, our communities, and beyond.
Interested in sponsoring the Durable Skills Project for future school years?
Reach out to the Lee County Education Foundation:
PO Box 98 Sanford, NC 27331-0098
919.708.2545
info@leecef.com
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