Kroc Center fits 'education' bill
I would like to respond to Chris Carlson's column on "Indian Gaming" in the Coeur d'Alene Press recently in regards to education and the Tribe's generous gift to the Kroc Center. I would like to share a few facts with him, and the community, about the many ongoing and expanding educational activities available.
While I believe "education" occurs in myriads of programs which are accomplished here at the Kroc Center, from health education to swim instruction, the Kroc Center also provides more traditional educational programs in line with more traditional instruction. And although The Salvation Army Kroc Center has numerous educational opportunities, I will focus on just a few.
The first is our after-school program that is available for free to every middle school student in the county. Because of the generosity of another donor, a bus picks up middle school students daily after school and brings them to the Kroc where they receive tutoring, homework help and structured activities. Parents comment to us all the time how this is helping their students perform better in school and life.
We also offer education and instruction on topics such as Financial Planning for adults, Money Camps for ages 11-14, Money Life for high school students, and Common Cents for adults interested in building savings and creating wealth. We also provide education classes like Youth Cooking, American Red Cross CPR/AED for professional rescuers, Grief Relief workshops, and classes for parents on teenage brain development. We also offer youth education through our Preschool Connection classes and our Parent and Toddlers classes. The Kroc Center also offers classes on Arts and Culture; everything from photography, art workshops, dance, guitar, ballet and tap. There are several pages of Community Education programs listed each quarter in our program guide where these educational opportunities are described in detail.
In addition to all of these educational programs, the Kroc Center is also about to launch a program called "Press On." Press On is an educational program targeted specifically toward middle school students who are performing on the margins. Press On is a holistic, multifaceted approach to help students thrive rather than just get by. Two hundred middle school students from across Kootenai County will have the opportunity to participate in a mentor relationship, a leadership development/life skills curriculum, Bible study, academic enrichment, and play through Kroc educational programming.
The Coeur d'Alene Tribe is well aware of the many educational programs offered by the Kroc Center and thus have committed their generous support. The Salvation Army is very grateful that the Tribe takes such a strong interest in education. We would cordially invite Chris, and anyone else who would like to find out more about our educational instruction, to stop by the Kroc Center for a tour.
Major John Chamness
Salvation Army Kroc Center
Coeur d'Alene