Recently the students in College LEADS at Bergen Community
College and Ridgewood Teen LEADS held their presentations of their
projects. These programs, modeled after
Bergen LEADS, allow students to take a deep dive into the inner workings of
Bergen County and explore how public policy impacts our neighbors. Both groups of students were breath-taking in
their insights, their compassion and their fierce commitment to stay civically
engaged.
College LEADS
This year marked the first time we have offered College
LEADS at Bergen Community College.
Although no credit was offered, 40 students willing participated in the
program to learn more about the community.
They chose to study the heroin and opioid epidemic plaguing Bergen
County. With site visits to the Bergen
County Jail, the Housing, Health and Human Service Center, Paramus Police Department, Paramus Ambulance Corp, Holy Name Medical Center Emergency Department, Spring House and the
CarePlus Outpatient program and teachers and administrators of the Riverdell
School District, the students gained incredible insight into struggles of
addiction and recovery.
Their presentation was marked by sensitivity and
compassion. Each student spoke of how
moved they were by the honesty and courage of those in recovery. They were awed by the commitment of recovery
counselors and staff members at their site visits.
Most importantly, each student spoke of a renewed commitment
to help others understand the disease of addiction and to helping reduce the
stigma so that people can confidently seek help.
One student ended the presentation by quoting one of his
favorite movies as a child “Barnyard:”
“A strong man stands up for himself; a stronger man stands up for others.”
Here is a short film they created:
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