SANTA BARBARA, CA -- 10/18/07 --
Few people look back on middle school
fondly. In that awkward transition from child to young adult, kids who were
once happy and carefree experience a crash in confidence as they leave the
safety of elementary school and enter the unfamiliar terrain of middle
school. There, they must simultaneously navigate changing bodies, surging
hormones, peer pressure, gang violence, a tougher course load, and the
desperate desire to fit in. Fortunately, concerned parents can play an
active role in fostering their child's self belief, by sending them to
Santa Barbara Middle School, an independent, innovative middle school
serving Central California that educates students in 6th through 9th
grades, and is best known for giving kids the confidence they need to
succeed.
Santa Barbara Middle School (SBMS) has four components to its unique
curriculum: 1. Academics, 2. Creative Arts and Sports, 3. Community
Service, and 4. Outdoor Education. While the academic program at SBMS is
top-notch, a new recent independent survey of parents of SBMS alumni found
that the sense of confidence the school instills in kids has long lasting
benefits. In fact, over two thirds of the parents surveyed named confidence
building as the primary benefit that a SBMS education provided their child.
Why is confidence so important? Research has shown that kids who believe in
themselves do better academically, are better behaved, and are less likely
to turn to drugs and alcohol, develop eating disorders, or become pregnant
as teenagers.(1) Confident teens develop the mindset that they can achieve
what they want to, which opens myriad doors to them as adults.
That sentiment is echoed by SBMS' Administrator Dick Davidson. "Everything
in our curriculum is designed to give kids the confidence to be successful
in whatever they choose to do when they leave here," he says. Davidson
points to the school's outdoor education program as the biggest influence
in building self-esteem. Kids who attend SBMS come together for several
7-14 day long mountain biking and backpacking educational journeys each
year in the Santa Barbara backcountry, Oregon's Cascade Mountains, and the
Four Corners region. Removed from their homes, their parents, and their
cell phone and iPods, the middle schoolers are thrust into nature, where
they are challenged both physically and emotionally. As a result, they
develop new levels of self reliance and confidence as they push beyond
their comfort zone.
The school also builds the students' confidence as global citizens: SBMS
organizes fundraisers for health clinics in Bolivia, farmers in Rwanda,
along with over 5000 hours of community service per year in Santa Barbara.
One of the parents proudly mentioned, "Before middle school, my daughter
would never leave my lap, she was so shy and insecure. She participated in
one of the trips to Bolivia's health clinics, and thanks in large part to
that experience, she is now 18 years old and backpacking alone through
South America. Can you imagine!"
The "I can do it" feeling transforms the students in their everyday lives.
SBMS alum and current Berkeley student Jacob Siegel-Boettner recently
organized the "Ride for Rwanda," which raised $4000 to build simple
bicycles for Rwandan coffee farmers; he recently led a group of SBMS alumni
and teachers on a 16 day trip through Rwanda to build bicycles and promote
entrepreneurship through teaching bike repair. The supportive environment
at SBMS ensures that kids learn the most fundamental truth: that if you do
what you believe in, you can be successful.
It is precisely because of this confidence building that parents of alumni
express overwhelming satisfaction with SBMS. An incredible 91 percent of
parents surveyed described their child's experience at the school as
"Excellent." This is the type of satisfaction that most schools would only
dream of.
The Santa Barbara Middle School is the only stand-alone co-ed accredited
middle school in California, part of the California Association of
Independent Schools. It is located at 2300 A Garden Street in Santa
Barbara, California. Please see www.sbms.org for more information, or call
(805) 682-2989.
(1) Reasoner RW. Review of self-esteem research. National Association for
Self-Esteem. http://www.self-esteem-nase.org/research.shtml problem.
Media contact:
Brandon van Schaik
Christie Communications
805-969-1347
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