Project Rebuild (PRB) began in 2012 as a 120-day intervention and prevention initiative designed to address chronic absenteeism and its underlying causes in NWI—both in schools and at home. Unlike traditional punitive approaches, PRB focuses on rehabilitation for both youth and their families, aiming to provide solutions rather than punishment.

When a family faces court for school attendance issues, they participate in PRB. The program works to rebuild trust within families through open communication, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and foster community engagement by developing skills for the workforce and community service.

Upon program completion, students show significant improvements in attendance and behavior. PRB boasts an extremely low recidivism rate of just 1%, outcomes for families who participate in the program.

• To reduce truancy among youth in the 6th-9th grades;
• To enhance youth and parent accountability;
• To promote student and parent engagement in positive relationship development activities; and
• To assist community stakeholders in developing positive youth development programs.

Phase 1

The goal of this PHASE is to develop trust in the parent and student, between themselves and program providers/administrators and between parent and child. They will also learn how to trust themselves, working on self-image and esteem. They will learn how to open lines of communication as well as establish and articulate appropriate parent and child roles and responsibilities.

Phase II

The goal of this PHASE is to further develop and strengthen the communication skills between all parties involved in the program. Family projects and team building exercises, as well as continued connection to any needed resources, are used to ensure that both the parent and child are able to successfully implement the techniques learned, so that rebuilding of the family unit can begin and be sustained.

Phase III

The goal of this PHASE is to affirm the skills and techniques learned in the first two (2) phases of the program. Affirmation is centered around the continued application of what has been learned. Issues surrounding bullying, gangs, tobacco/drug usage and its effects not only within the family unit but its overall impact on our community as well, are also covered during this PHASE. Community accountability and involvement are the focus here, especially within the student’s school.