by Winston Chua

ALHAMBRA - Gateway to Success pioneer Dr. Laurel Bear presented her program in fine detail to members of the Alhambra City Council, who praised her for her work in helping young people in Alhambra.

But surely “help” would be an understatement. Gateway is an intervention program, fully federally funded by the Departments of Education, Justice and Health and Human Services.

Her work has received rave reviews because she has been able to integrate the best resources the city has to offer onto Alhambra school campuses. She lives by the motto, “It takes a village to raise our children.”

“Gateway is an incredible support group,” said Councilwoman Barbara Messina. “I can’t thank you enough.” She also thanked Alhambra Police Chief Jim Hudson for his support.

A microcosm of that village came together when Gateway held an event called Parent University, which brought together cities like Monterey Park and Temple City, along with city police, who are helping to serve as role models for youth. There, parents were taught what resources are available to students within the premises of the campus. The event served more than 400 kids.

Traditional and nontraditional methods of intervention are being applied, sometimes bringing in religious support. Gateway has tagged more than 1,700 kids and committed its resources to providing support for each of those children. Bear’s research has revealed that mood and affect are two of the most common problems kids deal with and is actively determining which programs provide the best service available to each and every student.

It is able to do this with money, yes, but also from the various local organizations which have made themselves available to Alhambra campuses. They include Alliant, Pacific Clinics, and the Alhambra Police Department.

Their lessons include drug education, respect, safety, inclusion, bullying. In the larger sense, the program is helping or preventing kids from self-destructive behavior, at no cost to parents.

Gateway is intervention based, with goals of making the city safer while bolstering a student’s potential for success. There are five elements to her project, which consist of school safety, drug prevention, emotional and behavioral support, mental health services and social and emotional learning.