During the week of February 5-9, Kentucky will be celebrating FRYSC appreciation week. Family Resource and Youth Services Centers work to give all students a quality educational experience. The FRYSC overcomes barriers to learning by accommodating students and their needs. However, it is now more necessary than ever that FRYSC coordinators be appreciated throughout Kentucky and school communities. Ciera Bowman is the HC Youth Service Center Coordinator and has her own plans for this week of gratitude.
“The mission of [a] school FRYSC is to help academically at-risk students succeed in school by helping to minimize or eliminate non-cognitive barriers to learning,” Bowman said. “So having intervention groups to help with folks that don’t know how to regulate emotions or to help with anything that’s non-academic. We are trying to combat that barrier.”
Bowman coordinates groups and events within the HC community in hopes that students can find something that supports their individual needs.
“We have the Wednesday mental health group, Black Student Union, [and] Sources of Strength,” Bowman said. “I even do things like school-wide events, just because I am also the PBIS coach. Those titles kind of intertwine with each other. I really just try to be a voice and an advocate for all students and try my best to include all walks of life.”
In order to coordinate propitious events and groups, the FRYSC relies on communication with different stakeholders and takes varying viewpoints into consideration.
“I try to hit a variety of different components that I see students struggle with the most,” Bowman said. “I did that based on our surveys, I send student surveys, parent surveys, and that helps me guide what programming I do based on the needs students have.”
Participation and assistance to the FRYSC allows the agenda to be more influential throughout HC. Donations of snacks, feminine products, and other household items would be of tremendous help to Bowman and HC students.
“Even if people just volunteered their time,” Bowman said. “There’s just so many things that we do that even if someone wanted to donate two hours of their time, it would be very helpful. We’re working even through summer. We have programming and things that we do, so we could always take volunteers and donations.”
Volunteering your time would consists of working aside Bowman to put together events and support students. Aside from these acts of generosity, there are many ways to show support for the FRYSC during appreciation week.
“I have FRYSC signs showing that you support your FRYSC,” Bowman said. “It would be nice if people just shouted it out, whether it’s [through] email [or] on social media. Teachers have ordered and requested shirts, so I’m providing FRYSC shirts for all teachers and staff that signed up. We’re all going to wear them on February 8 [and] take pictures [to] post on social media.”
These plans aim for the FRYSC to receive more recognition, as coordinators are currently being overlooked across the state.
“I think that when it comes down to [a family needing] resources, the first person that everyone comes to is the FRYSC,” Bowman said. “It would just be nice to be appreciated and feel valued, because [FRYSC coordinators] don’t typically feel like that. Henry Clay doesn’t make me feel unappreciated but on the outside, just because there’s different positions that kind of layer ours [that are] newer and they’re getting paid more money. [The FRYSC] really feeling unappreciated right now on that level.”
Appreciation week allows for much needed promotion and support, but Bowman hopes these ideas continue after this week.
“I do hope that we continue to normalize what the FRYSC is for,” Bowman said. “My whole goal is to try to empower students, and I just hope we continue to support the FRYSC.”
The FRYSC at HC can be found in the upstairs green hallway. During FRYSC appreciation week, be sure to acknowledge and promote the FRYSC for all they do within HC and throughout Kentucky.
