Students, alumni and volunteers urge board to preserve Gifts program at Middletown High

Current and former students, parents and volunteer leaders urged the Middletown Board of Education on Oct. 14 to keep the Gifts program active at Middletown High School and to preserve its current meeting time and supports.

The program, referred to throughout public comment as “Gifts” and identified by alumni as Girls Empowered for Total Success, drew more than a dozen speakers to the microphone during the board’s public session. Speakers described the program as a “safe place,” a source of mentorship and a contributor to graduation and post‑secondary success.

Talaya (student), who identified herself as a Gifts participant, told the board, “Under Miss White’s leadership, Gifts became more than just a weekly meeting. It became a safe place, a place where we learned accountability, leadership, and power of believing in ourselves.” Several other students described personal changes they attributed to the program,…