Toombs County Hometown Heroes Considered Model Youth Program

The town of Lyons in Toombs County has a crew of dedicated youth who are making big things happen in their community. The Lyons Better Home Town program gets local students more involved in efforts to improve their community by providing them classroom training that they can then apply to civic improvements in their town. The result is that students say they feel a sense of ownership of their community.

With dozens of successful projects completed since its inception a year ago, the program already has drawn the attention of Georgia's Department of Community Affairs and received accolades from community organizations across the state.

"The Hometown Heroes project has improved the self-esteem of our students," says Joy Lewis, director of Lyons Better Hometown. "It encourages our students to help Lyons grow by supporting existing merchants and inspiring them to begin new businesses."

Teachers at Toombs County High School teamed up with Lewis to begin their projects. Lewis visited students in classes that said they shared a vision for Lyons. During those classroom visits, students provided their input on how to improve the community. Then the teachers developed a "social reconstructivism" curriculum model that geared lessons toward specific civic projects, and the students began their work. As part of the program, teachers offered their expertise to city officials who implemented the students' plans. In the process, students grasped concepts learned in the classroom and learned how to apply them to hands-on community projects.

The projects and classes have continued to grow. Several art students have planned and painted murals around town that display the spirit of the community and welcome travelers on U.S. #1. Students in landscape design classes have planned several streetscapes in the downtown Lyons area. Other classes have designed banners that hang in the town. And home economics students have helped with a weekly cleanup of the area.

In addition, students in word processing classes have used the computer skills they have learned in the classroom to produce publications for the Lyons Better Hometown program. Publications have included several merchants' brochures, a merchant association flyer, a coloring book, programs for local events, and a quarterly community newsletter.

The local Future Business Leaders of America club has compiled an inventory and history of local businesses and formatted a mailing list database. The group also has helped present holiday celebrations. During last year's Christmas celebration, Vocational Instruction students helped with decorations during the Festival of Trees.

Current projects for the Hometown Heroes include designing the landscape of a local park, creating a Lyons Better Hometown Web site, continuing the publication of the quarterly community newsletter, and designing and implementing a marketing campaign for Lyons.

For more information on the Lyons Better Home Town project, call (912) 526-6445.

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