Updates from Looking Glass
Looking Glass Riverfront School is pleased to announce that we will be offering a Summer Enrichment Program for 4j students. Students in grades 9 – 12 can sign up for one or more courses. There is no eligibility requirement to participate. Credit will be granted in Language Arts, science, social studies, health, applied and fine arts, PE, and electives. First Aid/CPR certification will be available as well as a limited number of paid summer work experience slots.
Using an iPad and the app Stop Motion Studio, Looking Glass’ Center Point School students are designing, directing, and producing their very own motion pictures. “I wanted to teach some kind of filmmaking class, so when I saw this stop motion animation iPad application I thought it was great because the students can build it with their hands, they didn’t have to have specific drawing or tech skills,” explained Lin Boyea, Educational and Behavioral Specialist at Center Point School and the creator and teacher of the class.
Looking Glass Counseling Program is excited to have received funding from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) for a grant that will enhance our counseling service offerings by integrating a strengths-based, trauma-informed Youth Peer Support Program. This funding allows the Counseling Program to directly support those who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. There are many socio-economic and cultural barriers for people of color to receive social services, including mental health treatment and substance abuse treatment.
The Looking Glass Counseling Program is here to support you! All of our therapists have transitioned to working with clients via telehealth with limited in-person services. The last year has been filled with many uncertainties, which can cause high levels of stress, trauma, anxiety, and depression. If you are looking to inquire about our counseling services, please call our office at (541) 484-4428. If you are looking for Spanish-speaking services, please call (541) 246-2256.
Looking Glass’ Riverfront School GED program offers a flexible, individualized and self-paced opportunity for young adults in Lane County to earn their General Educational Diploma (GED). Although school looks different due to COVID-19, the GED Program is excited to offer these classes and one-on-one learning opportunities to any 18-24-year-old in the area who wants to enroll. Students can join the program at any time due to its flexible timeline.
The Looking Glass Riverfront School Health Professions Program, funded by the Oregon Youth Development Council as a multiyear grant, offers a unique opportunity for Lane County youth who have interest in learning about basic healthcare systems while earning college credit (for no cost!). Despite the challenges Covid-19 presents, the health classes offered from this program are available to Riverfront students as well as any 18 to 24 year-old in the area who wants to enroll. Courses will begin when Riverfront’s comprehensive distance learning school resumes on September 8th.
For many families in our community, there is a need for help and care when a child is experiencing a mental or behavior health crisis. To support those families, Looking Glass, The Child Center, and Jasper Mountain came together to create the Crisis Response Team. Unfortunately, in-person services had to be temporarily suspended in April due to concerns around COVID-19. We are happy to announce, however, that with careful planning, we were able to resume in-person services on July 6th.
In the midst of this unprecedented crisis, it can be hard to imagine what education will look like in the future. Many schools are currently utilizing technology to continue teaching students. We spoke with Cheryl Zwillinger, Director of Riverfront School and Career Center, to learn about how she and her team are addressing these challenges.
For New Roads runaway and homeless youth program outreach workers, challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic have been wide reaching but the team perseveres working hard to find at-risk youth and engage them about New Roads resources. On Friday, May 15th we joined two members of the outreach team on an outing and asked them questions about their process as well as how the pandemic has changed their approach in the field.
