CITY OF HOMER

HOMER, ALASKA

Mayor/City Clerk

RESOLUTION 06-34

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF HOMER, ALASKA, IN SUPPORT OF CONTINUED FUNDING FOR THE ASPIRATIONS PROGRAM IN THE KENAI PENINSULA BOROUGH AND ENCOURAGING THE KENAI PENINSULA SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PURSUE FUNDING FOR ANOTHER THREE YEARS.

WHEREAS, The Aspirations Program (Aspirations) got off to a great start in Homer at the Homer Middle School and Homer High School October 2003; and

WHEREAS, Aspirations 2003/2004 closed with 8 adults and 22 students with a total of 121 hours with students from the Homer Middle School and Homer High School who participated every week, except vacations, for seven months; and

WHEREAS, Aspirations 2004/2005 closed with 12 adults and 24 students with a total of 319.75 hours with students from the Homer Middle School, Homer High School and Homer Flex School who participated every week except vacations, for seven months; and

WHEREAS, Homer had the highest number of participant hours, by over 100 hours, in the program for the year 2004/2005; and

WHEREAS, Aspirations is a Nation Wide program to provide sound, healthy adult and student relationships and designed to promote increased stability and self worth in students to exhort them to better attendance and higher academic achievement; and

WHEREAS, The Borough program was funded Federally for three years through the State and Drug Free Schools Program; and

WHEREAS, Aspirations has wide community support and contribution of work release hours from HEA, City of Homer - City Hall and Homer Police Department, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Chain Reaction and Ulmers, Haas and Spigelmyer Attorneys at Law, and Big Mountain Building; and

WHEREAS, Aspirations provides a high level of comradery with an adult mentor and three students on school grounds during the school day; and

WHEREAS, Students are encouraged and supported in sound healthy practices, are exhorted to aspire to their highest potential, and are assisted in seeing their personal value; and

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Resolution 06-34

City of Homer

WHEREAS, The City of Homer supported this program through encouraging participation by City employees as mentors and by facilitating adjustments to work schedules to provide for such participation; and

WHEREAS, As a side line, the students learned many new skills such as auto mechanics, house building, taxidermy, creative cooking, creative writing, play writing, mastering board games, beading, crocheting, knitting, basketball, skating, waxing skis and snow boards, etiquette, place settings and table manners, and how to have safe and fun parties; and

WHEREAS, Aspirations highlights, exhorts and brings to focus students' potential and natural abilities such as leadership, team work, organization, support, tutoring, and understanding what team means; and

WHEREAS, Aspirations promotes honesty, respect, loyalty, self worth, recognition of others and teaches how to make healthy choices; and

WHEREAS, Although the school system did not report significant increase in grade point averages or attendance there was a significant improvement in overall performance, attitude, team work, and a whole realm of personal growth; and

WHEREAS, Students reported, through confidential survey, about their personal growth and the personal benefits of Aspirations; and

WHEREAS, Parents of the Aspiration students reported positive feed back to mentors, school administrators and program administrators.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Homer City Council hereby expresses support for continued funding for the Aspirations Program in the Kenai Peninsula Borough and encourages the Kenai Peninsula School District to pursue funding for another three years.

PASSED AND APPROVED by the Homer City Council this 28th day of March, 2006.

CITY OF HOMER

JAMES C HORNADAY, MAYOR

ATTEST:

MARY L CALHOUN, CMC, CITY CLERK

Fiscal Note: NA.