Rocky Mountain PREP
Boulder, Colorado - Rocky
Mountain PREP (Personal Responsibility
Education Process) has a successful track record
of hosting students in Walk-the-Talk:
Rock-the-Rock throughout northern Colorado.
Rock-the-Rock (abbreviation) is a character-based
decision and team-building program which Rocky
Mountain PREP brings to schools for one- to
two-week visits. Following the program almost all
participating schools have reported decreases in
disciplinary office referrals and suspensions of
students.
The focus of the program and
culminating activity involves the opportunity for
students and staff to climb a 20-foot
artificial-rock wall which has been
assembledinside the school
gym. Rock-the-Rock serves as a physical
metaphor which shows students how to put the
principles of trust, responsibility, caring, and
integrity into action.
John Aldridge is Rocky
Mountain PREP’s Executive Director. After
developing a successful career as a music
engineer (working with artists such as Prince and
Firefall), John felt something was missing from
the glamour of the entertainment industry.
Setting out to find a new profession, he teamed
up with Sanford McDonnell (Chairman
Emeritus of McDonnell-Douglas Corp.) who
was instrumental in founding St. Louis PREP
in 1988.
St. Louis PREP is currently
providing consulting and resource services to
over 30 Missouri school districts in the
promotion of character education. With the active
support of Mr. McDonnell, Rocky Mountain PREP was
founded in 1994.
The Rocky Mountain PREP staff
(currently numbering four energetic educators),
facilitates the Rock-the-Rock program at schools
during PE and elective classes. Each student
experiences five one-hour sessions with a
five-point curriculum. Students identify personal
and global values, learn how to cultivate
personal character traits and investigate
individual and community responsibilities.
Rock-the-Rock has been designed
to gain the support of both federal and state
grant funding. PREP seeks to match the funds that
schools generate to host the visiting program.
Grants from Safe and Drug-Free Schools,
Comprehensive Health Education, Title 1 and other
prevention initiatives have helped fund
Rock-the-Rock programs in addition to local
businesses and private donations.
Rock-the-Rock lessons
don’t end on the climbing wall. Rocky
Mountain PREP has authored lesson plans to
continue the integration of character topics
after their staff has departed. SEE
commends the vision and dedicated efforts of
Rocky Mountain PREP to extend the principles of
character education through experiential
learning. Keep those Ethics in Action!
For further information
contact:
John Aldridge at
303-444-0015
or fax your request to 303-444-7047
You can
write to him at:
Rocky Mountain PREP
1877 Broadway, Suite 601 Boulder, CO 80302
e-mail: info@prep-rock.org
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