The Caron Foundation honored Kelley and Celine Neyhart, of Kutztown, with its Unsung Heroes Award in ceremonies at a banquet in the Reading Doubletree on May 26.
The couple was nominated for the award by the Council on Chemical Abuse for their work with the Kutztown Strong organization, which was formed to combat the allure of substance abuse among young people in the area surrounding the small Berks County town. The Neyharts were instrumental in founding Kutztown Strong Students. The organization is managed by the students themselves with help from the Neyharts and plans activities for the time frame between school dismissal and dinner.
Kelley Neyhart, a retired Kutztown University education professor, said, “Studies have shown that the after school hours are the most dangerous for young people. In many cases they are on their own until their parents get home from work close to dinner time. That is the time they are likely to be drawn into experimenting with substance abuse.”
The danger is most acute when school lets out early for teacher meetings or other activities. Students are then on their own all afternoon and subject to boredom. In the Kutztown Strong program, the students plan and organize their own activities to fill this void.
“I taught for years and thought I had a pretty firm grip on the kinds of activities students enjoyed,” said Neyhart. “But now and again a suggestion from us would be met by a total lack of enthusiasm from the students. The beauty of this program is that the students think up and plan their own activities rather that adults planning for them. It gives them a sense of ownership, allows them to stretch their wings in leadership, negotiation and organizing skills and assures everybody that the events will appeal to young people.”
Kelley Neyhart is the vice president of Kutztown Strong, and along with Celine and others established Kutztown Strong Students. Celine works with the students on special projects. She is a practicing artist and brings her skills to events such as the development of Kutztown Strong Bars and the recent Christmas ornament fundraiser.
She and the students began working on the assumption in the Strong Bar project that most healthful protein snacks tasted more like cardboard than food and started experimenting with recipes. Several different flavors were developed and have sold well at the high school and at special Kutztown events.
During the Christmas season, Celine and the students designed PA Dutch redware Christmas ornaments, which were sold by the students in the surrounding area and at special events, such as this the Kutztown Community Partnership’s Christmas in Kutztown celebration this year. She and the students produced enough of the decorations to garner more than $3,000 in profits that were put into the budget for future activities. The success of the venture prompted plans to develop a new design each year to begin a series.
“Celine and I have the highest profile in this whole thing, but it wouldn’t go without the efforts of Adam Berrigan, a physical education teacher at the high school and Andy Brett, a guidance counselor,” said Neyhart. “Both have a tremendous connection with the students and are an important reason for the program’s success. The young men of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, from Kutztown University, have also been invaluable. They have adopted the group and provide excellent role models as well as a tremendously effective logistical team.”
“We are getting support from everywhere,” Neyhart continued. “The university has allowed us the use of their wonderful recreation facilities and a number of its administrators have really helped us. Senator Judy Swenk has been very encouraging and the Kutztown Community Partnership (KCP) has helped us make everything go.”