Bay Path Students Give ‘Novel’ Gifts to Springfield Teens

12.15.2008

LONGMEADOW—Bay Path College psychology students delivered holiday cheer along with nearly 1,120 books to the teens housed at the Center for Human Development (CHD) Community Adolescent Treatment Program in Springfield on Friday, December 12.

Earlier this semester, the Bay Path students arranged an on-campus book drive after visiting with the young males at the CHD Community Adolescent Treatment Program in Springfield as part of their Psychology of Criminal Behavior course. The CHD program is a residential treatment facility contracted by the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services (DYS). The program provides a multitude of clinical, educational, residential, and vocational services to boys and young men, ranging in ages from 11 to 18 who are referred by DYS. The CHD program’s services prepare the boys and young men for successful re-unification with their families and re-integration in their communities.

During a recent visit to the facility, the Psychology of Criminal Behavior class learned of the educational issues the youth face, and recognized a need to increase the number of books in the facility’s library. The Bay Path students collected the books from the Bay Path community to strengthen the program’s library, foster a love of reading among the youth, and encourage them to graduate from high school. In addition to the treatment program, the books will be distributed to other CHD sites, including foster care-related services and facilities housing adolescent females.

The wide array of books included several series such as Harry Potter, Nancy Drew, and Little House on the Prairie, classics, animal encyclopedias, sports almanacs, instructional guides, and children’s board books, among others.