AMIkids program graduates two students
AMIkids Southwest Florida off of Main Street on San Carlos Island recently graduated two students from its at-risk youth school, a program that currently has an enrollment of 57.
With a motto of “separating a troubled past with a bright future,” AMIkids (formerly named Southwest Florida Marine Institute) takes in children who have suffered hardships from broken homes and have compounded their problems with convictions and arrests. The troubled teens have struggled with youth crime, violence, sex, substance abuse and poor academic performance to name a few.
Andres G. and Sneider P. (last names withheld due to legal reasons) listened to guest speaker Matt Caldwell, a member of the Florida House of Representatives of Lehigh Acres, before giving their own graduation speeches.
“You kids have seen more hardship likely than I can imagine in my life. You all have dealt with things that I never had to deal with and struggles that have brought you here. I’m confident this year is your greatest opportunity to put that past behind you,” said Caldwell.
The average length of stay for most AMIkids students is eighth months. Not only do they have to administer to a disciplined classroom and specific conditions at the local program, they have to deal with a 6 p.m. probation rule, even on weekends.
The two graduates, who wore appropriate caps and gowns, provided accounts of their past that included ill-advised decisions. They thanked the staff at AMI for helping them with the rehabilitation process.
The goal of the AMIkids program is to help each youth return to at least his or her age?appropriate grade level, discover some viable option for completing their high school diploma and possibly obtain a post?secondary education. The non?traditional classrooms rely heavily upon differential instruction and experiential education to keep the youth interested in learning.
Andres G. will be entering the job world with full-time employment.
“I made a few bad choices just to make a few dollars. I didn’t care how much it hurt the people closest to me,” he said. “(The program) gave me another chance, and I decided I was going to do whatever it took to change. It’s a choice you have to make either the right way or stay in the system, and it’s your choice to change for the better today and be successful for the future.”
Sneider P. will be entering the Lee County School System by entering a nearby public school. He was facing a 1 to 3 year “lockdown” before his sentence was reduced. He attended a juvenile center and then the AMIkids program.
“There were a lot of things I wanted, and I would do whatever I needed to get them. When I was in the juvenile center, I got into all types of problems,” he said. “Then, one day I asked myself if this was how I wanted to spend the rest of my life. From that day on, I decided I needed to change, and I was not going to let anyone from keeping me to get out of the program. When I got to AMI, I learned that if you do whatever is asked of you, you will have less troubles and staff will teach you about respect. If you work hard, you will accomplish what you want. Respect gets you a long way. I feel like I’m ready for the future.”
About the AMIkids organization
AMIkids is a nationally recognized nonprofit school that offers a promising future to more than 8,000 troubled youths each year through positive and motivating programs that inspire learning, leadership and personal growth.
The organization began in 1969, when Judge Frank Orlando of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was discouraged by the fact that so many teens were returning to his courtroom after having completed juvenile boot camp programs that they had been required to attend. In his heart, he knew these youth needed a new and improved option in order to become productive members of society. The first trial run was at a marine research program at Florida Atlantic University.
After opening the first location in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., expansion to other markets quickly ensued throughout the state with the opening of a second location in Tampa in 1971 and third in St. Petersburg a year later. Since
then, the organization has grown significantly with yearly openings beginning in 1972 that included Jacksonville, Miami, Panama City and Florida Keys, which was the first AMIkids residential program.
To this day, AMIkids is proud to be considered a trusted and valuable resource to major metropolitan and suburban areas through the U.S. such as Chicago, San Antonio, Orlando and New Orleans.