Program Lets Students Conquer Fears, Build Relationship With Police
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- In a Baltimore park, young people are conquering their fears and building relationships with police, and it's taking community commitment to new heights.
In Baltimore's Leakin Park, team building is soaring to great heights.
"Last year, we served nearly 6,000 Baltimore City students on these ropes courses, and with the new courses, we will be able to triple our capacity," said one spokesperson.
BGE is making a 3-year, $105,000 commitment to support the Outward Bound School's Police Youth Challenge.
Building an aerial challenge course, and improving relationships between Baltimore's young people and police.
"The dollars we are providing to the program enabled Outward Bound to build the ropes course that you see behind me today," a spokesperson said. "It also enables the organization to have a broader reach to the youth that are able to access the ropes course and this facility."
That means getting young people off the streets and giving them an opportunity to interact directly with police officers.
"This gives them a chance to meet face-to-face, to participate in team building exercises together and group discussions together," said Baltimore Police Department Lt. Robert Brown.
100 incoming students to Western High School were invited to give the course a try.
"It was scary," said one student.
"Yeah, it was scary. It's a high fall," another student added.
Conquering their fears on course, and ahead of the new school year.
"When I came here, I didn't know any of their names," one student said. "Now I do...So we'll have a better bond now that we are getting to know each other."
24 Baltimore Police Department officers participated in the program.
100 students from Western High School participated in the event.
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