School of Hope:
Helping teen parents get back on track

By Bonny C. Millard
The (Maryville) Daily Times

ALCOA, Tenn. — Three teenage mothers sit around a conference table, discussing new baby developments and waiting for class to begin.

Sixteen-year-old Jessica Moon expresses excitement that her daughter, Haley, has two new teeth. Moon, and the other two mothers, Shannon Hunt and Emily Byrd, also talk about what they are learning in school.

They attend the School of Hope, a program designed to help young parents continue their education when it has been interrupted by a pregnancy.

Their other three classmates have called in - two with a stomach bug and one with car troubles. Some have withdrawn from regular high school to study at the School of Hope to earn a general educational development (GED). Others were being home-schooled after their pregnancies.

They meet for four hours a day, five days a week, and have to abide by an attendance policy. But the school provides much more than preparation for getting a GED, said Linda Daugherty, coordinator and teacher.

The School of Hope, a mission of Green Meadow United Methodist Church in Maryville District, provides a "nonjudgmental place for teenage parents to pursue their education," Daugherty said.

The teenagers are developing life skills such as cooking, shopping, banking, and parenting as well as eyeing the possibility of furthering their education after earning their GED. The underlying theme of the program, which started in mid-October, is to educate parents so their children can have a better life, Daugherty said.

The six teenagers - five mothers and one father - now attending the school all want to do better "because they realize they are responsible for another life," she said.

The students are all at different levels, but the small class size helps provide them with individual attention. Daugherty and another teacher use the Alpha Omega Christian home school curriculum. "It allows each of the students to work at their own pace," she said.

The University of Tennessee Federal Credit Union donated curriculum that teaches students how to write checks and handle checking accounts. The students also learn about filling out job applications and proper attire for an interview.

The school offers a spiritual component including Bible study, Daugherty said. The students are reminded that they have a congregation praying for their success.

Academics are important, but nurturing and a sense of community are also crucial, she said. The young mothers and father need to feel they are not alone in a society that tends to alienate them.

"Friday's kind of our nurture day," she said. "We have the parenting classes, and we cook."

The students get lessons in parenting skills from Curtis Trent, a clinical supervisor from East Tennessee State University. Trent, who is working on his education specialist degree, is working with the group as part of his final project.

Trent talks to the students about what kind of parents they are going to be, how to deal with their children, learning to communicate better, and getting the fathers more engaged in the child's life.

"They're a pleasure to work with because they're motivated," he said. "They want to do better." Trent will present his research to ETSU officials, who want to apply for a federal grant for a comparable program.

Green Meadow UMC formerly provided housing for a similar program, MC Families, that eventually lost its federal funding. Several years ago, Green Meadow decided it wanted to continue to assist pregnant teenagers and started making inquires.

The fledging program received help from Blount County's assistant director of schools and became a member of the Tennessee Association of Nonpublic Academic Schools.

Then two unexpected gifts set the project in motion. Reynolds Foundation gave $1,500, and Holston Conference gave a $5,000 grant through its "Change for Children" program.

"Without those, we would never have been able to open our doors," she said.

The program's enrollment is closed for now but with more money, another teacher could be hired. The school now has a waiting list.

For students like Hunt, who was the first enrollee, it has offered a new opportunity.

Hunt, 17, knows this school could be her last hope. She's been on probation since she was 11 and graduated from the Blount County Drug Court two days after her daughter, Alaina, now 17 months old, was born.

This past year has had its ups and downs. Her father died in February, but she married Michael Hunt in June. He is not Alaina's biological father but is raising her and supporting what Shannon Hunt is trying to achieve.

Hunt's probation officer told her that she needed to make this opportunity work. Because of her father's illnesses, she said she would like to pursue a career in nursing.

Hunt is candid about the wrong turns her life has taken but is determined to make life better for her child. The school is helping her achieve that goal.

Reprinted with permission from The Daily Times.


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