Lexington schools receive grants to help keep kids on the right path

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - City leaders are touting partnerships with Fayette County schools that they say can have a real impact on violence in Lexington.

Tuesday morning, One Lexington director Devine Carama and Mayor Linda Gorton announced grant money will be going to 16 public schools in Fayette County that have Family Resource and Youth Service Centers, or FRYSCs.

Those centers, and the advocates who work there, play a big role in connecting with students and helping them through situations that could cause a barrier to learning, which can include the impacts of gun violence.

“We have relationships with the students. They feel comfortable with us,” said Ciera Bowman, FRYSC coordinator. “We honestly do everything. We’re counselors, we’re whatever that kid needs that day. That’s what we are.”

Bowman is part of the FRYSC staff at Henry Clay High School. She and her other “FRYSCies” say their work forces them to wear many hats and additional funding like this can give them the chance to reach students in different ways.

“Whenever there is an issue we are most of the time, I would say 90% of the time, the first person that they would come to whether they want to vent or they have an issue they need help with,” Bowman said.

Carama says that partnering with Fayette County schools to support the FRYSCs in these school buildings can help foster a relationship that keeps kids on the right path.

“There are two controlled spaces where you can get to our youth. One of them is school and, unfortunately, the other one is prison,” Carama said. “And so, we’d much rather connect with those young people in a school setting before they get in a cycle that might lead them to prison or worse.”

Ten schools will be getting $1,000 grants from One Lexington, the other six will be getting $500 grants.

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