The LOEB Charitable Trust awarded the Genesee Intermediate School District (GISD) $3,000 to continue the Civility Helps Individuals Live Longer (CHILL) program this year. The funds were used to sustain the parental support component of the program. The LOEB Charitable Trust is administered by Citizens Bank.

Facilitated by GISD's Health, Safety, and Nutrition Services Department, CHILL is a comprehensive 12 week youth violence prevention (anger management) program for boys and girls ages 9-18 who have been exposed to family violence, stressful situations, or who have demonstrated that they are at risk for engaging in force or violence. CHILL uses a variety of learning techniques including the use of games, projects, and exercises to assist youth with finding positive solutions to face challenges without using violence.

GISD has been coordinating the CHILL program in partnership with the Genesee County Courts and Catholic Charities. For the last three years, over 600 children have participated in the CHILL program. GISD, in collaboration with Catholic Charities, has offered a parental support session concurrently with the student programming, providing the opportunity to support families of children that face youth violence. The grant dollars purchased the materials to enable the parental support component of the CHILL program to continue in the 2011-12 school year. There are plans to re-initiate programming in the fall.

GISD Superintendent Lisa Hagel said "we are grateful to the LOEB Charitable Trust, Genesee County Courts, and Catholic Charities for their support of children and families in Genesee County. This grant support continues GISD's focus of ensuring that all students in Genesee County atten school healthy and ready to learn.

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