In 2014, after a presentation to a life skill class at Joe Foss on coping with addiction, the guest speaker, Joan Zych, presented an idea to school counselor Janell Mills of bringing art to the Joe Foss Alternative Program as a way to encourage honest conversations about personal and/or family drug use with students. From there, the Joe Foss Project was born. Eight years later, the Joe Foss Project is thriving thanks to grants and community donations. The program has also recently expanded to include poetry, and the name has changed to Vision & Voice.
The objectives of this program are:
1) Provide a creative outlet for healing
2) Educate the community and adults about the issues teens face today
3) Provide an opportunity where students can share their stories while helping other students realize they are not alone in their struggles.
The topics now include mental illness, addiction, and other teen issues. Students, parents, staff, community member feedback, and funding indicate the need and effectiveness of this program.
Joe Foss Counselor and program founder Janell Mills recently traveled to St. Louis to attend and present at the National Alternative Education Association’s National Conference. She, along with community members Joan Zych, and Kim Bartling, shared the Vision & Voice program with alternative educators across the country.
“I struggled with going to this conference as it was not good timing in the year, and I felt a bit guilty leaving my responsibilities where staff and students depend on me each day. However, having the opportunity to attend the conference really re-grounded me, re-affirmed that what we are doing at Joe Foss is making a difference, and rejuvenated my passion for learning and striving to be the best I can be for our students and staff. It was incredibly helpful to converse with other alternative educators about similar issues, and to hear what others do in similar situations.”
We look forward to hearing more about the success of this impactful program in the future. Thank you to Janell and all involved in helping to bring these important stories to light!