Lee County Youth Development • Opelika, Alabama
Class of 2000 Auburn University alumna Trina Crowdus is the assistant principal and art teacher at the Chanticleer Learning Center, a division of the Lee County Youth Development Center (LCYDC) in Opelika, Alabama.
Since starting work with LCYDC, Crowdus has learned to embrace flexibility and keep an open mind. “Here you have to be on your toes and always expect the unexpected!” Crowdus exclaimed with a laugh before pausing to add, “Each child here is unique with big problems to handle—too big for a child.”
LCYDC is a non-profit corporation dedicated to providing a service for abused or neglected children suffering from a range of issues including, but not limited to: psychological disorders, behavioral problems, substance abuse, and criminal behavior. As Crowdus explained, “When these kids have nowhere to go or need help, they have us.”
LCYDC takes care of approximately one hundred children from around the state who are between the ages 12-18, with treatment spanning from moderate counseling to intensive therapy, and security ranging from minimum to high. The diversity of problems and situations seen at LCYDC has resulted in the development of an equally diverse range of services and agencies on campus.
The Chanticleer Learning Center—easily distinguished by its namesake rooster-shaped weather vane—is one of these divisions of the larger LCYDC organization which focuses on the educational programs rather than the other correctional, psychological, or transitional services provided at LCYDC.
Crowdus serves a dual-role at the Learning Center as both administrator and teacher. Despite the diverse challenges that come with working with LCYDC students, Crowdus defends them by stating, “They are all really cool kids. They just need a little help.”
She gives credit to the support of her fellow faculty and staff members for their assistance in these difficult situations. “Everyone here,” noted Crowdus, “is just so patient and so sweet.”
She attributes her ability to stay positive on the job to the success stories she has witnessed. “Many kids leave here and do great,” she proclaimed, “I have seen them go on to do well in school and everything.” This positive attitude is further reflected in Crowdus’s attitude toward her work.
“I like to think that I am making a difference in these students’ lives,” she explained, “that’s what keeps me—and all of us here—going.”
While Crowdus has clear passions for social change and youth development, her first love, art, has made her work possible. Crowdus’s primary job as the art teacher at the Chanticleer Learning Center has allowed her to communicate with students through a number of artistic mediums and provide them with opportunities many have never had.
“Many of these kids have never had creative experiences,” Crowdus declared, “they never had Play-Doh or crayons or colored pencils growing up. They didn’t come from homes with toys and things… They lack these experiences that so many people take for granted.”
To Crowdus, art is therapeutic, and teaching troubled children “how to paint for the first time” is a rewarding experience. “My job allows me to use my own knowledge and skills in art to heal,” she stated with a satisfied smile.
Crowdus’s love of art has lasted for as long as she can remember. While at Auburn University, she majored in fine art and spent a great deal of time creating. She was also a member of a social sorority, worked at the library, and participated in Project Uplift, an organization geared toward, as Crowdus described, “mentoring children before they get to this point [LCYDC].”
“I kept seeing these ads on campus for Project Uplift,” Crowdus recalled. She explained that she had always spent time working with children in what she describes as a “good environment” that is, babysitting friends and family or helping out at church, but she had never seen any other side of childhood.
Her interest peaked, Crowdus and her future husband signed up to assist with Project Uplift, an experience which reshaped the way Crowdus approached youth development. “Through Project Uplift, I was exposed to new things. It was a good experience for me, and I became familiar with LCYDC through that.”
The work Crowdus did with Project Uplift made a lasting impact on her and after taking several years off to care for her own young family, she returned to school to obtain her master’s in education and certification to teach art from Auburn University—Montgomery.
The work of Crowdus and LCYDC has made a difference in the lives of students, the well-being of families, and the development of communities across the state. Crowdus encourages students interested in this type of youth development work to consider joining Project Uplift. The program offers students the ability to mentor children from underprivileged backgrounds, serving as a mentor.
Some other volunteer opportunities may be available with LCYDC, and more specifically the Chanticleer Learning Center. In the past the Learning Center has seen Auburn students conduct various service learning projects, volunteer teach, and provide tutoring assistance. “The kids here think Auburn students are good role models… They look up to them,” Crowdus revealed.
Regardless of personal interests, however, there are a number of ways to enact change and get involved for every major and mindset. As Crowdus advised, “Just keep your eyes peeled for something that interests you—you might be like me and see a flier on a bulletin board that changes your life!”
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