The old saying “dress for success” is a reality during Empowerment Wednesday at Clearview Elementary School. Empowerment Wednesday encourages boys in third through fifth grade to dress up for school in a button up shirt, khakis and tie, and is meant to encourage positive behavior. 

The program started at Whitesville Road Elementary four years ago, and moved to Clearview  after the original school closed down at the end of the 2017-2018 school year. CES behavior mentor Jerome Cofield started the mentoring program.

Last week, Cofield, the CES staff and administration and business partners gave 57 students tailor made suits to wear for Empowerment Wednesdays. The donation shows how far the program has positively reached the school. The suits are a great step forward for the program.

The suits show the students that they can become leaders and can make a positive impact. Student performance is affected by how they dress, so wearing a suit once a week gets these children to equate their performance with how they present themselves. Cofield said he can see a change in behavior and grades at the school. 

The program reaches out and puts all participating students on an equal level. Not all families can afford dress clothes, so this donation still makes an impact with students who may not have the opportunity otherwise. 

Plus, the students look really cool. 

With the progress of Empowerment Wednesday every year, CES also has the female mentoring program, Girls in Pearls.

We applaud CES in giving students  tailored suits, and we hope the children enjoy wearing them while doing their best.