In FY 09, a School Resource Officer was hired through the Sheriff's Department and the one time costs assoiated with the position was provided by the Human Services Council. The SRO will be at Colonel Richardson High School. This is the first SRO in Caroline County.

The SRO performs most if not all of the necessary law enforcement function on the school campus. This includes proactive crime prevention, conducting criminal inestigations, making arrests when necessary, developing intervention strategies and crisis planning. The SRO works closely with the building administrator and assists classroom teachers by being an authoritative resource on law enforcement specific, and related, topics.

Building relationships with students, faculty, staff, administrators and parents is perhaps the single most important activity engaging the SRO. Positive relationships yield great results in the solvability of criminal acts, the prevention of crime, successful drug interventions, drug interdictions and the ability to effectively address non-criminal student needs. The SRO needs a close relationship with the school counselor(s), social worker(s) and/or psychologist(s). The successful SRO works during the normal school day as well as during co-curricular events. The SRO is instrumental in providing a safe environment coducive to the learning process. Students and faculty have a heightened perception of safety due to the work of the SRO. The SRO strives to improve the "working" environment for students, administrators, faculty, custodians, food service workers and others. The School Resource Officer functions as the"Chief of Police" of the school, a mentor, a positive role model and a friend. More information...Contact Cpl. Michael Gestole

This project would support a 2200 square foot state of the art training kitchen in the "Old Caroline High School" (Old schoolhouse) addition. The training kitchen is part of a larger effort to turn the old schoolhouse into a multi-use building with a specific emphasis on vocational training for at risk youth. The original structure will be rehabilitated, renovated and include a 6600 square foot addition. Besides the training kitchen, the Chesapeake Culinary Center will house a kitchen incubator, classrooms, bottling facility, a restaurant, and performing arts venue. Once completed, the Chesapeake Culinary Center's Afterschool Program will be operated out of the training kitchen.

The training kitchen will contain six (6) laboratory stations; a bakery; saucier/hot line; soup/stock; garde manage/cold line; fry and dishwashing. These stations can be configured with different equipment for various teaching activities. Almost all of the equipment in this kitchen is mobile with "quick connects" to allow for maximum flexibility within the space. The kitchen is configured for demonstration and laboratory functions. It is also wired for computer and audiovisual capabilities.

At any one time, up to three trainers will be operating in the kitchen. Each trainer will work with ten (10) students and the kitchen has the flexibility for the trainer and students to move from one station to another. Classroom space, a computer lab and a business center found in the old schoolhouse will be available to the students and trainers. The retaurant, also housed in the origional structure, will offer the students a setting to practice their serving skills.

To guide the training kitchen development and the subsequent culinary arts program, an advisory board of potential customers, families, youth, school systems, Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board, and community partners (including the LMB) will be formed. More information...Contact Beth Brewster