Thank You! – Heart of Indiana United Way’s Economic Relief Initiative Fund

(B.A.S.E. teachers Joe Younts, Kim Waber, and Chris Dubach)

We are so thankful to have received a grant from the Heart of Indiana United Way’s Economic Relief Initiative Funds for the B.A.S.E program in Randolph County!

The grant received will be used to purchase rewards/incentives for BASE students who demonstrate good behavior, for personal hygiene items, sensory items to stimulate the five senses, clothing, shoes, or other needed articles of clothing, as well as food items. This year we have implemented a new behavioral incentive program for BASE students. Each school-day BASE students can earn one ticket every 30 minutes for good behavior. Tickets are given throughout the day for positive behavior and can be removed for negative behaviors. At the end of each day, students can trade in their tickets for the purchase of items or they can choose to save them for bigger items that have a higher ticket value. BASE students and staff met this week to determine specific tangible and intangible rewards along with appropriate ticket values for each.

In October we are planning to start doing some hands-on cooking/food preparation with BASE students to create and eat various food items. This also is a great opportunity to teach students how to make a list of needed food items, compare prices of the food items at the store, learn to safely prepare and serve food items, and properly clean dishes. In addition, teaching youth to make food items themselves will help them have a general knowledge of ways to save money preparing food items themselves versus frequently eating out. We really appreciate your support and faith in our program.

Thanks again for your generous grant contribution so we can better assist Randolph Youth in our BASE Program,

Chris Dubach, Home-based Program Coordinator

B.A.S.E.

Behavioral, Academic and Social Education


I have seen firsthand the positive impact that meaningful, supportive, adult relationships can have on youth. I was able to connect with all of the BASE youth over the summer in person to provide support and talk about events of their summer. What we did: eating lunch, going out for ice cream, playing basketball, playing Frisbee golf, and even catching some crayfish/tadpoles in a creek in Winchester.

I have found that students will often discuss things they are dealing with if they do an activity they enjoy. It also helps if you show them that you care, and have developed trust and accountability. Two of the BASE youth were able to maintain jobs over the summer. BASE youth talked about their current support systems and activities that they were going to engage in and were able to stay out of trouble with law enforcement. Students have returned to school. BASE students had to re-adjust to classroom rules and expectations for behavior.


So far behaviors have been a challenge for most students to not give in to negative peer pressure from others or seek negative attention from peers. However, BASE students are starting to realize that they are missing out on incentives for good behaviors and also receiving negative consequences for their actions. BASE staff has also really been focusing on students taking ownership/responsibility for each individual choice instead of blaming others. Within the next month, we are planning to start cooking some food items as incentives and also begin teaching some life skills to students.

Although we haven’t yet been able to do this yet, this is something that they/we are looking forward to. Today was a really good day behaviorally for all students. Students completed a full-day amount of online school assignments in the morning. They were allowed to watch a movie this afternoon and also received a drink of their choice at McDonald’s. We are always glad to reward students for good behavior!

Successful Graduate – B.A.S.E. Program

One of the success stories recently is a youth that has been in our program for the last four years.  He recently graduated and will obtain his H.S. diploma in May. He told BASE staff that if it wasn’t for their support and holding him accountable he wouldn’t be an H.S. graduate.  He told BASE behavioral coach, Chris Dubach – “I also wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for me during my time at base.”

Life Skills

Thanks to the grant support of the Randolph County Foundation, BASE was able to purchase an Insta-pot along with a food budget to purchase ingredients throughout the 2020/2021 school year!  Students have enjoyed developing some life skills such as food preparation, washing dishes, and our favorite part… Eating food masterpieces! Thus far BASE students have made Buffalo Chicken Dip twice and taco soup which was served with sour cream, shredded cheese, guacamole, and tortilla chips.

 

The B.A.S.E. program is focused on youth living in Randolph County in grades 7-12..