Family PREP is a targeted prevention program serving children in Kindergarten through 5th grade who attend Mark Twain Elementary School in the City of St. Louis. Family PREP serves 60 children for the entire school year, starting in September and ending in May. The program is a licensed Childcare Center by the State of Missouri and is located in Mark Twain Elementary School. After school each day, Monday through Friday, the children walk to the lower level of Mark Twain where the PREP program is held. PREP is in session from 3:13pm to 6:15pm, at which time the children are picked up by an authorized adult or sibling.
The curriculum is a highly structured program designed to target social skills, self esteem, decision making skills, teamwork, and conflict resolution. PREP utilizes the themes from the LifeSkills Training program, a research based substance abuse prevention program. The children participate in a cooking lesson each week, nutrition lessons follow each cooking day to assist the children in learning healthy eating and appropriate food choices. Each week, PREP facilitators lead a YogaKids lesson which is written by a YogaKids certified instructor. Children also participate in conflict resolution, science, math, art, literacy, music, and drama activities. Volunteers through a student group at a local university attend PREP every Friday and work with children in small groups to improve their literacy skills. Families are an important component of the Family PREP program. Once a month, families are invited to attend PREP and participate in activities ranging from board games to holiday crafts to a talent show. Families that attend Family Days are rewarded with help during the holidays, free canned food, and the chance for their child to attend a summer camp paid for by Discovering Options. Family PREP is funded by the City of St. Louis Mental Health Board and began in January, 2007.
