At Hopeworks in Rutherford County, middle school and high school students learn how to become community leaders.
The free drop-in program – open to any middle school or high school student in the area – is open from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays (for middle schoolers) and Thursdays (for high schoolers) at the Blue Ridge Hope Village in Rutherfordton.
At Hopeworks, students hang out in a safe, cozy space, get support with their homework, and participate in community building activities. The programming at Hopeworks is designed to be fun while teaching students skills like goal setting, relationship building, and self-awareness.
“I think for me, the most important thing we’re doing is teaching resiliency,” says John Miller, Hopeworks’ Director of Community Engagement. “We show students that you don’t get to choose your circumstances or what happens to you, but you do get to choose your attitude. We emphasize the importance of building character.”
Focusing on resiliency has been particularly important for Hopeworks as the community recovers from the impacts of Hurricane Helene. Rutherford County was one of the hardest hit counties during the storm. That’s one of the reasons John has participated in the Collaborative’s Building Resiliency Community of Practice.
John says the Western North Carolina After 3PM Collaborative has allowed Hopeworks to reconnect with other organizations in the community and double down on support for students and their families.
“For me the coolest thing that’s really come out of the Collaborative is having the time and space to sit at a table with people from this area and plan for how we want to work together,” John says.
In Rutherfordton, several organizations, including the public library system, the Rutherford Outdoor Coalition, Kid Senses and NC Works, have started meeting on a regular basis thanks to the work of the Collaborative.
“My students are poured into by all of these other nonprofits,” John says. “I love working with all of them, and the kids look forward to their visits.”
The Collaborative has also led to increased advocacy efforts for afterschool programs in the area. This year, Hopeworks and its partners led Rutherfordton’s first Lights On Afterschool event, which John says was “beautiful.” “The mayor was there, and town leadership was there. It was a wonderful day.”
