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Pleasant Street Elementary presents ROCS program to board; students describe confidence gains
Summary
Pleasant Street Elementary staff and students described ROCS (Ruling Our Experiences) — a curriculum-based empowerment program for girls — to the Mount Vernon City Board of Education, highlighting confidence and teamwork gains among fifth-graders.
Pleasant Street Elementary staff and a group of participating students introduced the board to ROCS — Ruling Our Experiences — a program for girls in grades 5 through 12 that focuses on relationship skills, personal safety and self-confidence.
Mrs. Green, a Pleasant Street staff member who is trained as a ROCS leader, described the program’s goals and structure. "ROCS stands for Ruling Our Experiences," she said. The program runs 20 sessions for small groups and covers topics such as communication, empathy and personal safety.
Mrs. Green cited program research and local metrics she uses to track progress: "Some highlights are 39% feel like they belong at school," she said, adding the program aims to raise belonging and career-confidence measures. She also said 97% of parents of ROCS participants reported improved confidence for their daughters.
Several students described what they’ve gained. Jovi said ROCS helped her "learn to use teamwork" and to problem-solve. Harlow and other students said they had made friends and learned empathy through activities that the presenters described as team building and role-playing.
The board thanked the students and staff for the presentation, and members praised the program’s emphasis on student leadership and safety. Board members did not take formal action on the presentation; it was received as an informational report.
