The Bradford community has set itself apart when it comes to
participation in a program that helps build networks between
community entities and children and their parents.

That assessment comes from Brian Bumbarger, coordinator of
Policy Research and Outreach, Prevention Research Center for the
Promotion of Human Development at the Penn State Extension
office.

“What we have seen over the past five years is that the Bradford
community has really set itself apart in many ways as a great
example of how successful this program can be,” said Bumbarger.

Bumbarger is referring the PROSPER Program, which stands for
Promoting School/community/university Partnerships to Enhance
Relationships. Under PROSPER, students and parents in Bradford are
offered participation in the “Strengthening Families Program
(SFP).”

Facilitators lead youth and parent groups in discussions of
setting goals, resisting peer pressure, coping with stress, getting
along with parents and following rules. The program meets for seven
weeks for two hours in the evening.

While students and parents work in groups separately and
together, Penn State researchers keep track of progress and
feedback about the programs to judge any successes.

“The Bradford project has gotten out ahead of the research
study,” Bumbarger added. “We are keeping up with their progress and
found they made parent alumni groups. That’s a bonus that came
about among the first groups of parents of the SFP. They bonded so
closely they formed a network.”

The effort is cooperative between Iowa State University and Penn
State University with seven communities in each state utilizing the
program.

The students that were in sixth grade when the program started
are being tracked through surveys to find out how successful the
program has been for them as they continue through their
education.

There are more than 11,000 students participating across the two
states currently.

“We can tell a lot about the behavior of the students and their
needs,” said Bumbarger. “We can see how they have developed into
late adolescence and we are trying to receive additional funding to
help follow through with them until graduation.”

Tina Slaven, principal at Floyd C. Fretz Middle School, said she
has seen a noticeable difference in the students since the program
started four years ago.

“Since the PROSPER Program started at Fretz, there has been a
change in attitude in the kids – in the way they look at things and
deal with situations,” said Slaven.

“The parents’ participation has helped them to look at the
school differently, too. They are seeing that education is user
friendly. They are seeing it as one team working together for the
successes of children,” she added.

Slaven said her daughter, who participated in the program,
thought the experience was eye-opening.

“She saw her peers in a different light. She enjoyed it. She got
to know different people she may not have got to know,” she
said.

Slaven added that while she and her daughter worked on homework
assignments passed out by Judy Abbey, health and physical education
teacher at Fretz, she realized that they were touching on areas
that they may not have otherwise talked about.

“It’s a wonderful foundation and base to work from,” said
Slaven. “Kudos to the program.”

As part of Abbey’s health and physical education course, a
program called All Stars is offered where students collaborate on
developing positive ideals and build strong personal commitments
they share with each other, adults or parents.

The program works to prevent substance use, violence, and
premature sexual activity.

Lee Sizemore, program director at the Guidance Center, said all
schools in McKean County are participating in the Strengthening
Families Program.

“It’s the first year the whole of McKean County is
participating,” she said.

A four-year, $975,000 Research-based Delinquency and Violence
Prevention Grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and
Delinquency was awarded to the Guidance Center in August. That
funding has enabled the expansion of the family workshops.

The Kane and Bradford workshops have been conducted and
coordinated by Betty Jo Wilcox. Ron Hammersley will coordinate the
workshops in Otto-Eldred, Port Allegany, and Smethport.

“It’s really exciting, (we) have been watching it grow through
the years,” said Wilcox. “The (SFP) program is a voluntary program
for all different walks of life and all different backgrounds.”

Paul Webster, extension educator in youth development at the
Penn State Cooperative Extension, said participation has been very
good in the Bradford area .

“There is 17 percent participation when the tradition is 1 to 6
percent usually,” he said. “Everyone is spreading the word and it
has a nice rate of attendance.”

Bumbarger credits the success of the participation to the
creativity and collaborative recruiting effort conducted by the
members of the team, including parents, educators, and community
programs, as a whole.