Fifth-grade students from Collier schools complete LEAD

On May 13, the Parish at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School hosted a graduation ceremony for fifth-grade students from all 35 public, private and charter elementary schools in Collier County to celebrate their LEAD (Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence) program.

LEAD is a national nonprofit organization that works with communities to help students understand the dangers of drugs and violence.

The children were educated by 73 deputies, corporals and sergeants from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office Youth Relations Bureau, who were trained by LEAD to teach evidence-based curriculum. During the school day, they instructed fifth-grade students on why avoiding drugs and violence is important and helped them develop skills related to conflict resolution and effective communication, for example.

“We congratulate the Collier County fifth-grade students on a job well done in completing our program, and we look forward to their well-deserved graduation ceremony,” said Nick DeMauro, LEAD CEO. “We can’t wait to see how they apply their newfound knowledge of drug and violence prevention, as well as how they set attainable goals, manage their emotions, and make wise decisions that they have gained through their involvement in LEAD.”

LEAD offers “On the Street” and “In the Classroom” services because it brings law enforcement and communities closer together. The “In the Classroom” program is led by over 5,000 trained instructors in 45 states, teaching over 500,000 students in 2,500 school systems. LEAD has an effective, law enforcement-focused, anti-drug, anti-violence curriculum for K-12 students in the U.S. The LEAD curriculum is delivered over a 10-week program to teach youth how to make smart decisions without involving drugs or violence.

The ceremony was attended by parents of the graduates and other family members, as well as fourth-grade students from St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School.

Sergeant Karen Eggleston-Negron says the most rewarding part of teaching in the LEAD program this school year has been mentoring students and helping to improve their lives.

“Teaching kids for 10 weeks straight allowed me and the other LEAD instructors in our city to build great relationships with every student in every classroom,” said Sgt. Eggleston-Negron. “When I finished teaching every classroom I had, the kids begged me to take the course again in the coming years because they had such a great time learning with me.

“I always love seeing my former students,” she added. “Knowing that they still remember me and want to welcome me back is a special feeling.”

Eggleston-Negron says she is very proud of how much the students learned during the 10-week program.

“I know we’ve built a solid foundation for them as they continue on with their lives,” Eggleston-Negron said. “In addition to teaching kids how to set goals and make good decisions, LEAD has taught them the impact of having positive friends and rejection strategies on peer pressure.

“My class loved sharing their favorite peer pressure strategies with me, and now they know even more and can use them throughout the rest of their school careers and beyond,” she added.

The Youth Relations Office has worked hard to maintain positive relationships with students and staff at all schools, Eggleston-Negron says, and “being in the classroom with them through teaching LEAD has allowed us to build an even stronger bond with them.”¦