Tuscaloosa's Success Prep students learn about careers, volunteering in community

Feb. 16--On the last day of a weeklong introduction to various careers, students in Tuscaloosa City Schools' Success Prep program went bowling Friday.

During the day, the 15 students who were part of Success Prep's Jobs for Alabama's Graduates group, or JAG, volunteered with the bowling section of the Tuscaloosa Area Special Olympics, where more than 140 people with special needs bowled at Leland Lanes Bowling.

"We've just been helping them bowl and cheering them on," said India Herrod, a senior at Paul W. Bryant High School who is secretary for JAG.

The day was the culmination of Career Association Week, with students hearing and learning about different careers. On Friday, the day of bowling was the last part of the week: embracing community.

"This is addressing the critical element of giving back and serving others," said Kimberly Haverkampf, coordinator for JAG at Success Prep.

JAG has been operating in different schools across Alabama for more than 30 years. The program provides experiences through which students learn about different jobs in the state. The goal is to help students find a career that they might want to pursue once they leave high school. This is the first year Success Prep has had a JAG club.

Success Prep is a program for TCS students to get back up to speed with their studies and regain credits to graduate. To Haverkampf, an important aspect of preparing for the future is to expose her students to what is out there for them. That's where JAG comes in.

"We want to help connect them to the resources that are out there, as well as expose them to things they may not have ever known about," she said.

Dania Buchanan, bowling coordinator for the Tuscaloosa Special Olympics, said the event has always been volunteer-driven and that having JAG students help out was important.

"It not only bonds our community, but it gives them an opportunity to reach out to other schools and see they have abilities, not disabilities," Buchanan said.

Reach Drew Taylor at drew.taylor@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0204.

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