Program tears down walls

Helping students turn their lives around is the goal of the Onslow County Learning Center.

The students, however, do not work solely with their teachers.

Instead, through Classrooms without Walls, they work with the environment. That includes 17 sheep, a nature trail, a fossil pit and oyster shell recycling.

"Since we have started this, our referral rates have gone down, our suspensions have gone down and student morale has improved," said Jack Harper, the center's construction technology teacher.

The students, who were sent to OCLC from other Onslow County Schools, care for the sheep as they would a pet and have built many of the other portions of the program.

"It gives them something hands-on, something they have ownership of," Harper said.

OCLC Director Jean Yeager does not feel that her students are different than those at other Onslow County Schools.

"We don't look at this school as a punishment. We view it as alternative learning," she said.

Through alternative learning, the students are encouraged to start over.

"They're all kids that made maybe one mistake. We're just trying to get them back on track," Bill Scull, assistant director said.

About 400 elementary students visited Classrooms without Walls on Thursday, where the older students showed them the four stations.

On the nature trail, OCLC students traced leaves, painted faces and told the younger students about how nature was used by American Indians, by Confederate soldiers and in medicine.

"It was fun. It was good to see the reactions and everything, to see how excited they got over face painting," Brian Fernandez, 17, said.

Bruno Anderson, 16, has not only enjoyed working on Classrooms without Walls, but also with the elementary students.

"It's fun. It's good to teach them about the trees that are out here," Bruno said.

At the animal management station, Britney Kohler, Courtney West and Leroy Gallishaw were three of the students helping the elementary school students shear the sheep.

The three students, Scull said, have come a long way since their arrival at OCLC.

Britney, 15, said the alternative learning at OCLC is better for her.

"It's better than normal school and it's easier. (The teachers) only help you when you don't know what to do," she said.

Taking care of the sheep, for Leroy, has been an unexpected opportunity.

"I didn't think I'd ever hold a sheep in my life," he said during a break from shearing.

Classrooms without Walls, he said, has opened many doors for the students, which is why he thinks behavior has improved.

"Everybody has something to do now," he said.

Contact Jacksonville/Onslow County reporter Amanda Hickey at ahickey@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8463. Visit www.jdnews.com to comment on this report.