Not every child thrives in mainstream public high school, and that’s why alternatives like Grand Haven’s Central High School are so essential. But that’s not always enough.

That’s why special programs like The Encounter Project at Central High are necessary additions to the curriculum. The Encounter Project aims to help disadvantaged youth overcome challenges to getting their diploma.

The project’s mission statement is: “We are established to effectively address the academics, behavioral and character challenges that exist among disadvantaged youth and families to raise their level of self-worth and promote a higher standard of living.”

The project’s director, Eric Gray, told Tribune reporter Krystle Wagner for a story last month that when he moved back to the Grand Haven area in 2012, he noticed a disparity between the “haves and have-nots.” As a way to reach out to students and help them lead sustainable lives and address the issues they face, Gray developed The Encounter Project.

Gray said he’s done similar work at Holland High School.

Through the program, students participate in community service projects, and they can take classes such as first aid, cooking and nutrition. An instructor from the Michigan State University Extension office is teaching an anger management course. Last week, Wagner reported on the Cooking Matters class in which the students learn about reading food labels; healthy snacks; the differences between fresh, frozen and canned veggies; and how to turn recipes into delicious, nutritious meals.

Off the school campus, The Encounter Project provides counseling and mentoring.

We salute Gray and Central’s staff for going the extra mile to give students who could otherwise be left behind with ample opportunities to become productive adults.

– The Grand Haven Tribune