Muskogee’s Rougher Alternative Academy has been recognized by a highly-respected national organization for working to improve students’ character.

RAA was given a 2011 Promising Practice award for its Ozark High Challenge Youth Trips, which include character-building challenges in nature that require students to rely on one another.

The Character Education Partnership, which also chooses state and national Schools of Character, recognized three more Muskogee schools as well: Muskogee High School, Pershing Elementary and Sadler Arts Academy.

RAA’s character-building program is all about replacing drug addictions and anger management issues with exciting activities and mentoring.

“I teach them how to get high on life, high on a bluff instead of high on drugs,” said John Cooper, at-risk substance abuse counselor at RAA.

Cooper said the students who attend visit Lost Valley Lodge in Ponca, Ark., where they go rock climbing, hiking and much more.

“It’s one thing to talk with kids about trust, commitment, and drug-free lifestyles sitting in an office,” Cooper said. “But it’s a real life-learning experience when we talk about those things will we’re rappelling off a 220-foot wall.”

Through grants, Cooper has taken many students on the trips — 88 students in 14 trips since 2009, he said.

“It’s life-long learning. They never forget,” Cooper said. “I have kids that are 30-something years old that went with us back in 1994 or 1995 that still ask me about the trips and want to go back.”

MHS was recognized for its family advocacy groups, which began in the 2008-2009 school year.

Advocacy groups were only a part of the reason MHS recently was given a State School of Character award and National School of Character award by the CEP.

And though the school was recognized so highly for it’s character building programs already, no one has quit striving to be the best.

“It’s just another aspect of the journey, saying we haven’t arrived even though we won an national award,” said Madison Tomlinson, student sponsor. “It’s not the awards that are important but that journey.”

Sadler Arts Academy was recognized for its Capacity to Care program, which couples fourth-grade students with residents of local retirement centers and nursing homes.

Pershing Elementary received recognition for its Project SAVE — Students Against Violent Environments, the school’s anti-bullying campaign.

Project SAVE began in the 2010-2011 school year, said Rogena McClain, library media specialist and character club sponsor at Pershing.

The program’s main focus is teaching students personal responsibility, awareness that their own actions could be considered bullying, McClain said.

Students are taught how to go to an adult when they are the victim of bullying and much more, she said, and the program includes assigning bullying buddies.

The Promising Practice awards will be officially given out in San Francisco in October.

“I don’t know if we get to go or not,” McClain said. “But if we do get to go, we’ll get to tell others about our program.”

Reach Wendy Burton at (918) 684-2926 or wburton@muskogeephoenix.com.

Schools recognized for character-building activities:

• Muskogee High School — 2011 National School of Character, 2011 State School of Character, recipient of 2010 and 2011 Promising Practice awards.

• Rougher Alternative Academy — 2010 and 2011 Promising Practice awards.

• Pershing Elementary — 2011 Promising Practice award.

• Sadler Arts Academy — 2011 Promising Practice award.

Source: Character Education Partnership, www.character.org.