Excelling Teaching & Learning : Youth Development Department : Lions Quest
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Dear Parent/ Guardian,

Scottsdale Unified School District is proud of its district-wide youth development curriculum, Lions-Quest. Lions-Quest is an award-winning, nationally-recognized prevention program which is truly making a difference in the lives of young people across America. It also supports our district’s mission of providing the best academic environment for all students.

This K-12 curriculum consists of five main components:

• Classroom Curriculum: The grade-specific lessons and materials compliment and support a positive school climate. The lessons provide ways to teach, integrate, and reinforce program concepts and skills throughout the entire standard-based curriculum.
   
• Family Involvement: Families are invited to play a vital role in shaping children’s learning experiences through various ways such as serving on a planning team, carrying out activities at home, participating in parent meetings, or assisting in service learning projects.
   
• Positive School Climate: The program offers many ways to build a caring and supportive learning environment through the curriculum activities, services learning projects, parent meetings, and a Lions-Quest steering team of parents, students, community members, and teachers.
   
• Community Involvement: Members of services organizations, businesses, law enforcement groups, and youth-serving organizations are also encouraged to participate in the program.
   
• Service Learning: Service learning projects promote cooperation, caring and concern for others. The projects help bring important subject matter into focus as students use their knowledge and skills to make contributions to their school and community.

Program implementation began during the 2005-2006 school year, as the SUSD governing board adopted the Lions-Quest curriculum and its implementation as a district goal. For the 2007-2008 school year, this curriculum will be implemented in grades K-9.  The main high school component is directly related to Service Learning, so we are in discussion on how to best utilize our current Service Learning Program, which is already quite successful.

If you have any questions about this endeavor, please contact me at 480-484-5055 or mabramowitz@susd.org.

Thank you for helping us put children first.

Sincerely,

Marla Abramowitz, MSW, CHES
Coordinator of Youth Development