Demopolis Middle School hosted its first awards ceremony for its Botvin LifeSkills Training program on Thursday. Sixth-graders have been taking the LifeSkills course to help them make good decisions at a crucial point in their lives.

“LifeSkills is a curriculum that is designed to help students in Grade 6 improve self-esteem, confidence, image and instruct them on how to make good decisions,” said LifeSkills Training instructor Loretta Wilson. “It also increases their awareness about various forms of tobacco use and alcohol and drug use."

“Since we’ve been here, we’ve encountered some sixth-graders who have been introduced to different types of tobacco or alcohol use,” Wilson said. “These are children who don’t have the self-esteem that they need or the confidence that they need. Just talking to them about who they are and learning who they are has been really worthwhile." 

Wilson said that 197 students — most from sixth grade, but some from lower grades – took part in the program, now in its second year in Demopolis. This is the first year that all sixth-graders took part in the program, which will soon be brought to John Essex School and the Linden City Schools system.