EARLY YEARS: Program encourages teens to find their voices and become positive role models

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - At William Fleming High School, the Teen Outreach Program, or TOP, meets once a week during government classes.

“It gives them tools to develop positive youth development skills. So, communication skills, teamwork. It really focuses on meeting them where they’re at,” says Youth Development Program Manager Megan Alpine.

It’s a class senior Anthony Santos looks forward to.

“Valuable lessons about your life and trying to help others flourish and do better and definitely try to be a better role model every single day,” says Santos.

TOP focuses on community and leadership education through a variety of projects.

“They’re able to plan programs that we can do in class, such as putting together hygiene bags. We put together care packages. We put together activity bags for young children of our unhoused population here in Roanoke,” explains Alpine.

Government teacher Devin Shepard leads TOP at William Fleming. He says it’s the conversations about real life that make the program so beneficial.

“And so it’s a chance for them to be vulnerable, start to think about those things that are going to impact who they are as adults and also have some development as a person in a classroom setting,” says Shepard.

To continue providing these lessons of empowerment, Family Service of Roanoke Valley heavily relies on federal funding.

“To be able to do that, we have to have funding for our presenters and facilitators, so we are paying salaries with government funds,” says Family Service of Roanoke Valley President & CEO Linda Hentschel.

The recent threat of a federal funding freeze hit home. Now Family Service is hoping more donors will step up to make it more financially solvent, so it can continue its mission.

“Last year, we heard students say this was the place where I felt safe in school,” says Hentschel.

Senior Nayeli Taylor is proof of that. She says TOP has made her more comfortable speaking up.

“We learned it’s okay to speak and it’s okay to mess up, because no one’s going to judge you for it and no one’s going to laugh at you about it,” says Taylor.

“People really need help and really need just guidance and stuff and definitely having TOP helps them to guide them to a better life and a better understanding of everything,” says Santos.

If you’d like to learn more about the Teen Outreach Program, or any other program under Family Service of Roanoke Valley, click this link.