TEENS HELP THEMSELVES BY HELPING OTHERS

Program lets Girls School residents give something back to the community _ and gain self-esteem, too.

People often picture the residents of Indiana Girls School as uncaring, selfish, criminals and a threat to society. Many people cannot imagine letting them leave the campus without worrying that they will steal or fight.

Some of the girls, however, are working to break that stereotype by helping the community.

As part of a pilot program, the Indiana Girls School is working with Youth as Resources. YAR, a national program administered by the National Crime Prevention Council, provides small grants to young people to design and carry out projects to meet community needs. In Marion County, YAR has given $246,347 from 1987 to 1992. There have been 174 YAR projects funded in Marion County. The Girls School project is funded by Lilly Endowment.

Depending on their interests and the design of their projects, the residents at the Girls School make baby blankets, bring food to the homeless, make crib bumpers, play with kids at shelters and hospitals or rebuild houses.

"I think it's important that the girls see that they can give back, and it feels good to do something good," said Carol Duncan, Girls School education supervisor who also oversees the YAR program there. "You don't just have to do something illegal to feel good. You can do things that are real positive and get some even better feelings."

Honored by state's first lady

Earlier this month, the group of girls was among 80 Indiana young people honored by first lady Susan Bayh for their Youth as Resources activities.

Children's Express asked a group of girls to share their experiences in order to learn why they worked with YAR. To protect their confidentiality, no last names were used.

"The last time I went (to the homeless shelter with YAR) I was holding a little boy, and he fell asleep," said 17-year-old Erin. "He fell asleep in my arms, and I had to give him back to his mother. She was like, `Oh, that little pest,' and I was like, `Oh, I'll take him back with me.' I got a little brother and sister. It just felt good being around little kids again.

"I've taken everything for granted that I've had," Erin said. "I see these kids and how they don't have very many clothes and how they don't have a house to live in, and they don't have two parents. Most of their parents didn't look like they cared too much. It just made me realize what I've had my entire life that I've taken for granted."

Girls ages 12 to 17 can be sent to Indiana Girls School. They're in for an average of seven months, for everything from being a runaway to committing murder.

While at Girls School, they often do not see their families for months. Instead of living with parents and siblings, the girls are part of a cabin, or group. All activities and peer counseling must take place with their group, forcing the group to become a "family."

"A lot of times they throw a bunch of girls together (in a cabin), and they're not going to get along," said 16-year-old Andrea. "The people from Youth as Resources came out here, and they explained (the grant program) to us. We got along real good as we was coming up with our projects. . . . We really put our minds to it."

The girls admit they have a negative self-image, despite the help of experienced counselors and a group to talk to. They say they have been told they are uncaring, bad kids so many times that they have little self-esteem. These girls realize YAR benefits them as well as helping the poor or homeless.

"I was thinking I can't help nobody else," said Andrea. "I can't even help myself. (Being in YAR) has helped my self-esteem, knowing that I can help somebody else, not only making little kids happy by bringing them treats, but also making them feel better about themselves. It's helped a lot of my group. They all say the same thing."

The opportunity to participate in Youth as Resources projects is a privilege at the Girls School. It gives the girls an opportunity to talk to girls outside their groups and sometimes even the chance to leave campus.

The girls involved in YAR are not exempt from rules at the Girls School. Whenever they travel to a site _ shelters, hospitals, nursing homes _ they are accompanied by adult sponsors.

"In the project, (staff members) need to provide security because we are . . . a correctional facility," Duncan said. "We have to be aware of where the girls are at all times. We cannot take them out and turn them loose. We need to stay there."

Privileges may be taken away

If girls have broken rules at Girls School, site visits may be taken away. But many girls continue to participate in the program.

"I was real inconsiderate to others because I didn't want to help anybody or myself and that's what got me up here, really," said 16-year-old Celina. "Even though I didn't get to go off campus with my friends, it still made me feel good and I didn't give up on the projects. I still helped sew . . . because it made me feel good, and I wanted to see the kids happy. I didn't get to see them happy, but I knew they were; it made me feel good."

"When you've got 12 girls that have to agree on everything," said Erin, "it takes a lot more time than people would think. It takes a lot of time and effort and personal hours."

Many people in the community were surprised that any teen-ager would be dedicated enough to spend many hours on these projects. The girls from Girls School have broken the stereotype of the lazy teen.

"We work with people (to fix up houses)," said 15-year-old Brandy. "This guy was shocked (to learn we were from Girls School). He said, `I have to tell my boss about this because you girls work harder than we do and don't ever get paid.' He said that he'd pick us before he picked other people (for the job)."

Receiving praise from parents

Praise from the community makes the girls feel better about themselves. Still, it means a great deal more to hear it from their parents.

"My mom started to cry once because I told her how I felt when I had to leave (the project site) and how good I felt about what I was doing," said Heaven, 15. "I told her I never expected I'd do something like this. She said she thinks I'm a great person for doing this stuff and for using my time like this. She was proud of me."

This summer, the Girls School groups have already received grants to renovate a playground, help at a cerebral palsy clinic, develop a multi-image presentation on violence and work with the elderly in a nursing home.

Duncan wants the girls involved in YAR to stay involved.

"Our successes, I think, will be judged by the girls who leave us and become involved in YAR after they leave," Duncan said. "We are designing a form that we will send . . . when the girl leaves. She can use that form to link girls up with YAR in their communities."

"I sort of want to get into being a representative and talk (with) little kids about it because I want to get little kids involved," said Erin. "It's fine with teen-agers and everything, but I can talk to little kids better. I'm thinking about being a representative and going to schools . . . and getting classes involved."