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FBI
Adopt-A-School Program
Bringing a
Message of Hope to Students
01/05/15
Twenty years ago, the FBI began a program to help kids steer clear of
drugs and gangs while learning core values that would make them good
citizens. Since the Adopt-A-School Program was established in 1994,
special agents and other FBI employees have volunteered thousands of
hours to make a positive impact on young people around the nation.
The Adopt-A-School Program identifies schools in disadvantaged
communities—where kids may face greater exposure to gangs, drugs, and
criminal activity—and sends Bureau employees there to be tutors and
mentors.
“This is a great program that can have a profound influence on young
people,” said Special Agent Paul Geiger, chief of the Community
Relations Unit at FBI Headquarters in Washington. “We teach students
that despite any hardships they may be facing now, if they work hard
and make the right decisions, they can accomplish anything they want
with their lives.”
The Adopt-A-School Program contains different components aimed at
specific age groups. The Junior Special Agent program, for example, is
directed at fifth- and sixth-graders. A mentorship program is aimed at
second- and fourth-graders, and the Future Agents in Training program
is for high school students between the ages of 16 and 18. Depending on
the component, Bureau employees may visit schools once a week for
several months, or every other week for an entire school year.
Fundraising For a Worthy Cause
Each of the FBI’s field offices around the country sponsors Citizens
Academy classes to teach business, civic, and religious leaders about
the FBI. Upon graduation from the program, many participants choose to
join a local Citizens Academy Alumni Association to further serve their
communities.
The alumni associations are non-profit groups that work with the FBI to
promote safer communities through educational and service projects such
as the Adopt-A-School Program. Last year, the Washington Field Offices’
Alumni Association chapter raised thousands of dollars to benefit the
Adopt-A-School Program and other projects.
“It’s all volunteer on the part of FBI employees,” Geiger explained,
“and there is no cost to the taxpayer because funds needed for field
trips and other items are typically raised through our Citizens Academy
Alumni Associations.” (See sidebar.)
In the last fiscal year—October 1, 2013 to September 30, 2014—28 FBI
field offices had active Adopt-A-School programs, and more than 800
students nationwide graduated from Junior Special Agent programs.
The Washington Field Office, located near FBI Headquarters, has one of
the largest—and oldest—Adopt-A-School programs. This year, community
outreach specialists there are administering the program to six
different schools in the region, and more than 300 young people are
participating.
“We have a curriculum with core blocks of instruction that integrates
with what the kids are learning in the classroom,” said Special Agent
William Woodson. “Students also learn about what the men and women of
the FBI do—from bomb techs and SWAT teams to evidence collectors and
investigators.”
“We teach our Junior Special Agents about the dangers of gangs and
drugs, about cyber-bullying, and how to stay safe online,” Woodson
added. “We teach them core values like honesty, integrity, and
responsibility.” Fitness is also an important part of the program, and
before they graduate and become Junior Special Agents, students must
pass a fit test.
During the school year, youngsters in the Washington Field Office
program are taken on field trips to the White House, the U.S. Capitol,
and nearby Civil War sites. “The trips are fun but also educational,”
Woodson explained. “We are not going to an amusement park. We are doing
things that are educational.”
He added that for many of the students, who come from difficult
socio-economic backgrounds, the field trips are a rare privilege. “Even
though some of these kids live only a few miles from downtown
Washington, they might never see the Capitol or the White House if not
for this program.”
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