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An Editorial Opinion of The Lowndes Signal

For ten years, the Lowndes County Juvenile Court has hosted Fatal Vision events, bringing students and educators together with local and state law enforcement agencies, community service organizations and mental health professionals to educate high school students about the dangers of driving impaired. From interactive presentations to virtual reality simulations, students gained information about the effects of substance use on the human brain, engaged in a simulated crash scene and experienced the feel of driving while impaired

On Saturday, March 22, community partners joined forces to host the Boys to Men Breakfast. More than 40 male Butler County residents gathered in Georgiana at the RL Austin Community Center for a morning of motivation, encouragement for discussions, mentorship and real-life scenarios aimed at helping youths learn practical ways to navigate life.

Opportunities like these take learning from the classroom out into the “real world” where students can assess information first-hand, gaining knowledge from those who have already experienced challenging situations. We can think of no better way to inspire young minds and to help them navigate life than to send them out with experience-based knowledge beyond what they can read in a textbook.

Crenshaw County District Judge has implemented several initiatives since taking office. One of those, a truancy program, aims to walk alongside youths who, for a variety of reasons, struggle with school attendance and moves them through a four-step process. The program helps correct truancy and ensure youths enter adulthood with the education vital to their success.

We applaud the men, women and organizations working for the future of local young people. Your efforts provide immeasurable insight, increasing the odds of our children’ s success.