“The point of restoration is to leave a space better than you found it. It charges us as individuals and as a society to be ultimately responsible for the world we live in. We are stewards of the present time for the generations yet to come. As an old Native American proverb says, ‘We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.’ Students are taught the values of social responsibility and stewardship at PBC; they learn that their actions have very real consequences for the future.”
A program at the Princeton-Blairstown Center empowers participants to:
- Sharpen decision-making skills;
- Articulate personal goals;
- Persevere through – and learn from – challenges;
- Develop leadership skills and use creativity to solve problems;
- Practice effective communication—active listening, negotiation, and compromise;
- Learn positive ways to resolve conflict; and
- Gain an awareness and respect for diversity.
Current research shows these skills are strongly linked to staying in school, avoiding risky behaviors, and improving health, happiness, and life success. A student who has social-emotional support can learn to manage his/her behavior, can participate in and contribute to group activities, has sense of community in school, and seeks to maintain it. He or she can set goals and even against overwhelming odds, push through to pass a class or keep school attendance high. He or she can apply for a job, apply to college, and set goals above and beyond what peers and family may expect.
What does research say about the success of our programs? Read on!
“What I have gained here is my happiness because sometimes I was very angry. I have learned how to be friendly and not get so mad. My favorite activity was S.T.E.M. class because we did a lot of cool things that I didn’t know like how to extract strawberry DNA.”
