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The Boca Raton Tribune C O M M U N I T Y

Seat Assignments Drive Friendships Among Elementar y School Children, FAU Repor t S ays

Most teachers focus on academic considerations when assigning seats. A new study by Florida Atlantic University psychology researchers is the first to show that these classroom seat assignments also have important implications for children’s friendships.

Results of the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology , revealed that friendships reflect classroom seat assignments. Students sitting next to or nearby one another were more likely to be friends with one another than students seated elsewhere in the classroom. Moreover, longitudinal analyses showed that classroom seating proximity was associated with the formation of new friendships. After seat assignments changed, students were more likely to become friends with newly near-seated classmates than with those who remained or became seated farther away.

“The students in our study spent most of every day with the same 15 or so classmates. By the middle of the school year, there were no unfamiliar peers,” said Brett Laursen, Ph.D., senior author and a professor of psychology in FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. “Yet when seat assignments changed, new seatmates were apt to become new friends, consistent with claims that exposure alone is not a sufficient condition for friendship. Apparently, proximity transcends familiarity by providing new opportunities for the kind of exchanges that form the basis of a friendship.”

Participants in the study included 235 students (129 boys, 106 girls) in grades 3 - 5 (ages 8–11) who nominated friends at two time points (13 -14 weeks apart). Children attended a public primary school in South Florida that reflected public school students in the state in terms of ethnicity and family income.

For the study, teacher seating charts were used to calculate three forms of proximity for each pair of students in a classroom. Neighbor proximity described classmates seated directly beside one another in a row or at a table, and those seated directly across from one another at a table. Group proximity included classmates identified as neighbors as well as those who were near neighbors; the latter were either one seat away in the same row or diagonal to one another at the same table. Findings for group proximity were the most robust, suggesting that children are willing (and able) to overlook their nearest neighbors in favor of those seated close enough for sustained communication.

“Of course, students were not glued to their seats; interactions with far-seated peers undoubtedly occurred during lunch, recess and (in some classes) free time activities,” said Laursen. “The fact that new friends tended to emerge among the newly near-seated – despite opportunities for engagement with other classmates – underscores the power of proximity in friendship formation.”

Classroom proximity assumes outsized importance during the elementary school years because children this age have few other sustained opportunities to meet (and engage with) friends and because companionship is central to the definition of friendship. It has long been known that most children report that most of their friends are in the same classroom. We now know that they are probably seated nearby.

Elementar y school children spend most of their days in assigned seats, in the company of classmates. In most elementary school classrooms, teachers decide who sits next to whom and, by extension, who interacts with whom.

“Taken together, our findings highlight the enormous influence that teachers wield over the interpersonal lives of children. With great power comes great responsibility,” said Laursen. “We urge teachers to exercise their power judiciously. Unintended social consequences have been known to arise when adults meddle in the social lives of children.”

Study co-author is Sharon Faur, a developmental psychology doctoral student in FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science.

Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida recently recognized the 2022 Class of Gold Award Girl Scouts. This year, 27 Girl Scouts earned the organization’s highest award for girls and their collective projects contributed just over 3,000 hours to local communities where help was desperately needed. They partnered with dozens of local organizations with projects that impacted thousands of lives.

Boca Raton resident Savannah Garrett from Troop 20962, created a Gold Award Project entitled Open Your Heart, Open a Book. Her goal was to address childhood trauma with the power of books. Because childhood trauma often has a negative impact on in-school learning, making a child more easily distracted and less likely absorb new information, books can be a powerful tool. Savannah saw books as an outlet for children to understand their emotions and mitigate anxiety and depression.

Partnering with the Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse, Inc. (AVDA) in Delray Beach, they installed a ‘booknook’ for children whose parents or guardians are involved in the sometimes lengthy “intake” process. The space is now filled with a wide range of books with comfortable, private, quiet spaces for reading and ‘escape’ for children of all ages. Savannah created an informational website to explain the value and need of books for children in stressful situations and to gather donations. Inside each book, Savannah placed a sticker with a QR code that leads children to another section of the website offering book recommendations, empathy, compassion, and encouragement to use reading to help relieve anxiety.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout in grades 9 – 12 can earn. It is accomplished by completing a service project with a minimum of 80 logged hours. The project must fulfill a need in the community, create change, and be sustainable with long-term possibilities. Gold Award Projects demand the highest level of organizational, leadership, and project management skills. The level of commitment to complete a Gold Award project is so great that less than 6 percent of all Girl Scouts earn this most prestigious award in the world for girls.

Boc a Raton Girl Scout Earns Gold Award

Boc a-based Caregiving Youth Nonprofit S alutes its PBC Graduates

The Boca Raton-based nonprofit, the American Association of Caregiving Youth (AACY), celebrated their high school seniors’ graduation at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth on Thursday. Graduating from public schools all around Palm Beach County, the students packed into the College Conference Center alongside their families for an evening of merriment, awards, dinner, and camaraderie.

This celebration marked a tur ning point for many, especially those who had spent up to seven years in the Caregiving Youth Project. The AACY is a resource that uplifts middle and high school caregivers. They have the responsibility of caring for chronically ill, injured, disabled, and/or elderly relatives; all the while balancing their education, and often work, as well.

A A C Y F a mily Specialists are assigned to specific schools to educ a t e a n d p r ov i d e their youth with the tools they need to manage life and its stresses as well as keep up with their school assignments. “As caregivers, we oftentimes struggle to know who we are or identify who we are apart from our caregiving role. We become so used to putting our sick loved ones first that we forget about ourselves,”, says Joyce Adhemar, now a young adult and former AACY participant.

It’s an often-overlooked population, but the AACY aims to shine a light on students’ potential. Many of the students have big plans, and AACY emphasizes the importance of aiming high. More than a high school graduation, this event symbolized a new chapter in their Caregiving Youth’s journey. The prospect of balancing caregiving responsibilities with a college career is demanding, but far from impossible. Indeed, the potential for academic excellence is just around the corner, exemplified by Delaney Dalton, 18 who has participated in AACY’s Caregiving Youth Project for seven years, since sixth grade. Delaney was the recipient of the first American Association of Caregiving Youth Scholarship awarded through the George Snow Scholarship Fund on Saturday, June 11. The George Snow Scholarship Fund celebrated its 40th anniversary of advocating for deserving scholars in the Palm Beach and Broward counties. About American Association of Caregiving Youth: What is now AACY, began in 1998 as Boca Raton Interfaith in Action with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to provide volunteer suppor t ser vices to home-

This celebration bound persons and caregiving families. marked a turning point After transitioning for many, especially adult services to another nonprofit, efthose who had spent fective Januar y 1, up to seven years in 2010, the name officially changed to the the Caregiving Youth American AssociaProject. tion of Caregiving Yo u t h ® ( A AC Y ) which continues as a Florida based 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. AACY is the only nonprofit in the nation dedicated to identifying and supporting caregiving youth with direct services to more than 500 students in Palm Beach County. It also includes the Caregiving Youth Institute, affiliates, and national partnerships as its reach extends beyond South FL. Needed next is government recognition of these children who are contributing healthcare to their family members of all ages and types of health conditions.

State alloc ates $25 million for Lox Groves c ampus building

Lawmakers have allocated an additional $25 million in the state budget recently signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis toward construction of a Dental & Medical Ser vices Technology Building at the Palm Beach State College Loxahatchee Groves campus.

Plans are to relocate the existing Dental Hygiene and Surgical Services Associate in Science degree programs and the Dental Assisting career certificate program from the Lake Worth campus to what will become the second building at the Dennis P. Gallon Campus. Upon approval from the state Department of Education and the College’s accrediting b o d y, t h e C o ll e g e a l s o p l a n s to launch a new Physical Therapy Assist program there. The four-stor y, roughly 84,000-square-foot building will include science labs, general classrooms and administrative offices.

“I am excited for the opportunity to enhance our Loxahatchee Groves campus through a new Dental & Medical Services Technology Building,’’ said PBSC President Ava L. Parker, J.D. “Through this facility, our students will be one step ahead by benefitting from state-of-the-art equipment and technology that will assist them in their health science careers while meeting industry needs.”

This is the second state allocation for the building. In 2017, the state allocated $5 million for the p r o j e c t , w h i c h with furniture and a chiller plant, is now expected to cost more than $50 million. The College also has s e c u r e d p r iva t e f u n d s a n d w i l l pursue additional funds for project. With construction prices continuing to rise, the College wa n t s t o m ove forward quickly. Current plans are to hold a groundbreaking ceremony in the fall.

The Loxahatchee Groves campus, which celebrated its five-year anniversary this year, opened as the College’s fifth campus on Feb. 27, 2017, to more than 700 students. Today it serves over 5,000 students annually.

Ten Families to Receive $100 Publix Gift Cards Monthly for One Year

Ten local families in need will receive $100 Publix gift cards each month for the next year from Boca Helping Hands, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor. This is the second consecutive year the donor has participated in this initiative, and his philanthropic contribution amounts to $24,000, and will positively impact a total of 20 families.

Ten new families will be selected from a crosssection of the organization’s programs and various locations within the Boca Helping Hands service area. Three of the candidates are participants in the BHH Job Training Program. Another five pick-up pantry bags or hot meals at BHH’s Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, and Lake Worth food distribution locations. Finally, two candidates are clients in BHH’s Resource Center, who were seeking emergency financial assistance for childcare expenses or overdue rent and utility bills.

All these families were chosen because, in addition to the specific need for which they sought BHH’s support, they were also battling other ongoing issues with food insecurity, joblessness, or caregiving for other family members. The anonymous donor wanted to specifically help families like these who are facing hardships on several fronts.

“We are always grateful for and inspired by partners like our anonymous donor who find their own way to make a big difference in the lives of our clients,” said Greg Hazle, Boca Helping Hands Executive Director. “For each of these families, a $100 gift card each month for the next year will quite likely be a determining factor in their ability to afford other basic needs.” One of the recipients of the gift cards from last year, Victor Bembry, a BHH Commercial Driving graduate, said, “It’s eye-opening to know that there are people out there who don’t even want you to know who they are. They want to donate to someone to help the next person. That’s a blessing.”

Boca Helping Hands’ Director of Job Training and Career Development, Trina Chin Cheong, who presented some recipients with their gift cards, could see the immediate impact.

“Some aim to pay it forward, and others are determined to finish their training programs stronger than before,” Chin Cheong said. “One job training student had tears in his eyes as he took a step back from receiving his gift card and said, ‘You guys have helped me so much already. What have I done to deserve more?’”

Tandem Leisure Ride O ffered for Blind/Visually Impaired Bic yclists

Broward County Parks and Recreation Division’s Special Populations Section will offer a Tandem Leisure Ride, for ages 18 and up who are blind or visually impaired. The free event will be on Saturday, July 9th, from 10AM to noon, at Tradewinds Park & Stables (3600 W Sample Rd., Coconut Creek 33066; 954.357.8870).

P a r t i c i p a n t s w i l l m e e t at the Elfin Shelter, which is in the south side of t h e p a r k . E a c h b l i n d o r v i s u a lly impaired person should have a s i g h t e d a d u l t friend or family member to ride with them on the front of the tandem bike.

Group size is limited, so preregistration is required by calling Special Populations at 954.357.8160/8170 or emailing SpecialPopulations@Broward.org. If the weather is rainy, the alternate date for the event will be Saturday, July 16th.

The Tandem Bike Skill Development Program also needs captains – volunteers who sit on the front seat while the individual who is blind or visually impaired sits in the rear in the stoker position. Call or email for more information.

Adherence to CDC guidelines for social distancing, hand sanitizing, and wearing facial coverings is recommended. R e c r e a t i o n . Preservation. Education.About the Parks and Recreation DivisionBroward County Parks manag es almost 6,500 acres, encompassing nearly 50 regional parks and nature centers, n e i g h b o r h o o d parks, and natural areas at various stages of development. Hours and fees var y by location. Visit Brow a r d . o r g / Pa r k s for details. Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations in order to participate in programs, services, and activities must contact the Special Populations Section at 954.357.8170 or TTY 954.537.2844 at least five business days prior to the scheduled meeting or event.