Jersey County Launches Inaugural Summer Academy for Local Youth

JERSEY COUNTY - This summer, the Jersey County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) partnered with some amazing public servants from Jersey Community Unit School District 100 (JCUSD 100) and the Jersey County Against Drugs (JCAD) Coalition to hold a first Summer Academy for some special youth in the community.

The cadre of young men and women selected for the Summer Academy became Class 1, the self-proclaimed “Dream Team.” While there were many goals for the Summer Academy, it was the first such endeavor for the JCSO and was only possible with the support of the JCUSD 100 Administration, and the hard work and dedication of JCSO Deputy Katlin Edwards, Rita Robertson from JCAD, Ron Linenfelser from JCUSD 100, and Dr. Brian Johnson from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Two very special volunteers, Peyton Schulte and Megan Maness, also had the courage to step up, serve their community, and help with the project. Much of the funding for the Summer Academy came from a grant provided by the State of Illinois Region 4 Substance Use Prevention Integration Center (RSUPIC).

The first Summer Academy focused on respect, discipline, leadership, and self-defense. It was held one day a week throughout the summer. During the first half of each day, Class 1 received martial arts instruction provided by Ron Linenfelser with assistance from the JCSO Sheriff and Deputies. During the second half, guest speakers talked with and/or taught Class 1 about various topics of interest. For example, U.S. military recruiters from Alton, along with several local veterans, including Caitlin and John Kadell, Tom Groppel, and Mike Mueller spoke to Class 1 about military life and discipline and the honored traditions of the Tomb of the Unknown in Washington D.C. Scott Fry, an inspiring citizen from Jersey County who made mistakes, went to prison, and turned his life around, spoke about his journey, addiction, survival, recovery, family support, and new success. Jersey Community Hospital personnel Lauren Savoie, Nathan Bishop, and Emily Pryor provided “Stop the Bleed” training, while Tiffany Rowling and JCSO Deputy Caleb Gibson provided CPR training and certification. At the end of the summer, Class 1 visited the Gateway Arch National Park where a National Park Service Ranger provided a private tour and spoke about the job of park ranger and the history of St. Louis and the West.

Lastly, Dr. Johnson set up a special visit to Principia College where Track and Field coaches Ann Pierson and Emily Bay taught Class 1 how to do the Olympic hammer throw. While the JCSO cannot mention by name every person who volunteered their time to speak with and teach Class 1, the Sheriff’s Office wanted all of the volunteers to know how much their values, character, and time meant to the young men and women in the class.

Through the Summer Academy, the JCSO hoped to mentor and teach Class 1, but it turned out that Class 1 mentored them. Not only did Class 1 lay the foundation and provide ideas for future Summer Academies, but they also taught all of the instructors and volunteers a thing or two about resilience, dealing with hardship and obstacles, and maintaining a positive outlook. The conversations and interactions with Class 1 simply made the JCSO better. Speaking on the behalf of the JCSO, the Sheriff said that everyone came to admire and respect the young men and women of Class 1 and were proud of their association with the Dream Team. The JCSO wanted to thank all of the gracious volunteers and is looking forward to next year!

CLASS 1 GRADUATES:

Camdyn Boyer

Carter Herder

Eli Hutchison

Aiden Johns

Tanner Jones

Cameron King

Brayden Kirby

Ebin Kophazy

Chloey Kopp

Jacob Lott

Shaun Lyons

Josh Malloy

Zachary Motley

Colin Roady

Peyton Schulte

Brody Winters

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