Students from Greene and Putnam county public schools, who are part of the LOCC Youth Academy, recently had the opportunity for additional tutoring for the upcoming CRCT (Georgia Performance Skills -Criteria Referenced Competency Test). Twenty-six of the Youth Academy students met at Sycamore Apartments for tutoring for the CRCT Practice Exercises. The students did practice tests, followed by pizza, popcorn and some outside fellowship and games with the children and their parents.

Avis Williams, pastor of LOCC Community Transformation, runs the summer youth program, which is sponsored in part by LOCC (Lake Oconee Community Church). The program is in its third year and includes four-week academies in Greensboro, Putnam and Union Point. After the ‘formal’ academy concludes each summer, the youth who attended the program continue to be mentored and encouraged by Williams and other academy supporters.

The tutoring session was held during the student’s spring break. Williams was assisted by Ms. Lawson, from the Greensboro Housing Authority, Brenda Lewis, Academy volunteer and Kevin Bloomfield, intern with LOCC.

In addition to tutoring and mentoring, the LOCC academy personnel continue to monitor the Children’s progress through each report card period. The Program is called ‘The Scholarship Challenge Award’ and recognizes those students who have raised their overall grade average by one full grade level. Students who meet the criteria are given special recognition or taken to a group event. Sixty-three students qualified for the most recent recognition. However due to spring break, only 37 students and chaperones from Greene and Putnam County schools were able to attend a trip to the Spotlight Theatre to see “The Tales of Desparo.”

It should be noted that 70 percent of the Youth Academy student’s grades have improved over the first three nine-week sessions.

Other chaperones that assisted Avis for the trip to the movie included, Susan Herring, Judy Verner, Kevin Blomfield, Brenda Lewis and both Putnam and Greene County parents. For more information on the LOCC Youth Academy, call Avis Williams at (404) 379-5561.