| Jan, I read with great interest the article you co-wrote with Phyllis Zimmerman in the September 1, 2002 edition of the Patriot News entitled, “Core values programs could go mainstream”. It was encouraging to read of the efforts of Senator Allyson Schwartz and school districts like Halifax in developing and fostering “character education” programs in the public education system. I’d like to make you aware of another area school that has been a pioneer in providing this type of education curriculum. For the past 16 years, the Dauphin County Technical School (DCTS) has been involved in educating its students through participation in a curriculum developed by Constance Dembrowsky of the Institute for Affective Skills Development entitled, “Personal and Social Responsibility”. This course, taught by the school’s very gifted and committed 9th grade facilitator, Larry Evans, is presented as an in-school class for 9th graders with a voluntary, free six- week companion class for parents and other family members or caregivers. The curriculum, as the name suggests, teaches students and adults “affective skills”, encouraging personal and social responsibility. Affective skills are life skills and lessons that all too often are never taught to or grasped by today’s young people. The concepts shared encourage respect for self and others, develop decision-making and anger management skills, and improve understanding and communication between students, parents, and school staff. Larry Evans helped bring this curriculum to DCTS at a time when the climate in our educational system was not very supportive of this innovative program. As your article and the growing number of districts who offer this type of instruction indicate, attitudes have changed and support is growing for these types of initiatives. I am part of a growing concerned parents group called “School Partners”, that is working with local school districts in Dauphin County, asking them to give serious consideration to adding the “Personal and Social Responsibility” curriculum to their educational programming. Having experienced personally the benefits of the class, our group believes that these positive, life-impacting concepts should be shared with other school districts. Increased public awareness can help in those efforts.We hope articles like yours will be the catalyst needed to get more school districts on board with introducing this course into their curriculum. By reinforcing in our schools, affective skills taught at home, we will develop children who will positively impact our schools, neighborhoods, communities, nation, and world. To learn more about the current program at Dauphin County Technical School, please contact Larry Evans by e-mail at levans@dcts.org. Our parents group also has a web site that provides more information about the “affective skills” ideas and concepts in use at DCTS. It’s found at www.affectiveskill.com. Constance Dembrowsky also has a site with information about her affective skills curriculums and resources at www.iasd.com. Thank you for your time. “School Partners”
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