The Extended Family for Kids (EFK) curriculum, created by Laure Clemons in 2007, was originally taught to middle school students who had incarcerated loved ones. After a successful start, the program quickly expanded to include children in grades kindergarten through 12. EFK Lessons have been proven effective for students of all ages.
Ten years later, an Extended Family Board Member had the idea to create a new series of Lessons geared toward older students who were nearing graduation. Extended Leadership Academy (ELA) was created to teach high school students, most of whom had completed Extended Family for Kids already, to be successful in job readiness, health, and communication. Like EFK, Extended Leadership Academy proved effective for a wide range of students and was made available not only to students with an incarcerated loved one, but also to students who had been identified as “at-risk” because of some other family disruption.
In recent years, EFK and ELA have been used for students involved in Juvenile Diversion Programs. Extended Family staff members lead several groups in various facilities in four counties in Northeast Alabama. Hundreds of students have participated in EFK and ELA in the Juvenile Diversion Program setting. Student surveys have indicated that 85% or more of youth involved in these programs have had a loved one incarcerated at some point. These children respond well to both EFK and ELA Lessons, which emphasize that everyone has the power to dream and make choices to create and meet goals, even if they have a loved one incarcerated.
Extended Family programs are designed to help break the cycle of incarceration in families and to reduce the rate of recidivism among adult and juvenile offenders. Our work with youth in juvenile diversion programs is an important part of reaching these goals. Our funding to provide these much-needed programs is provided through grants and private donations. Together, we are able to reach this underserved segment of our communities and provide them with skills they need to make better choices. If you are interested in helping us provide EFK and ELA in Juvenile Diversion Programs, or for more information about Extended Family, please visit our website, www.extendedfamilyhelp.org. With the generous support of our contributors we are changing lives, one child at a time.