Being a teenager can be tough. And being a teen in East Chicago is even more difficult, evidenced by gang involvement, drug usage, suicides, single parenting, dropout rates and low ISTEP scores.
The Mission of Jesus Christ Nondenominational Church is trying to change all that by providing the Alternatives to Bridging the Gap program, and more specifically, the APPS (Always Promoting Promise for Life) component.
APPS is a fellowship of teens and young adults designed for the purpose to foster dialogue about life challenges at this stage of development toward solution-oriented outcomes through scriptural foundations.
The “each one teach one” method allows young adults age 20-26 to mentor teens ages 13-19. Teens are given more than just academic support; APPS provides counseling to teens experiencing emotional distress allowing them to make more positive decisions to better themselves, their families and the community. Emotional stability, especially for teens, isn’t easy to achieve. That’s why counseling is a key component of APPS, because with the support of someone who just faced the same problems, teens immediately know they are not alone. They have someone they can talk to and learn from.
To read more about APPS and the Alternatives to Bridging the Gap program, click here.
