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Nearly two dozen Troup County School students graduated from an eight-week program that instilled in them the best practices for handling stressors in the workplace and in life last Tuesday. The students were honored at a special luncheon.

Communities of Tomorrow and the Wholistic Stress Control Institute offered this course to the students participating in the work-based learning program at the Troup County School System, per a press release from Communities of Tomorrow.

This stress and anger management/conflict resolution seminar taught the students how to cope in the workplace and build a healthy work ethic. The goal of the class is to produce healthy citizens who can give back to their community, said Teara Harris, Communities of Tomorrow Founder/CEO.

Speakers at the luncheon included LaGrange Mayor Jim Thornton, Juile Post with West Georgia Tech and Harris.

Troup County School System Superintendent Dr. Brian Shumate said he appreciated the community’s continued support and encouragement of their students.

“In the Troup County School System, we are extremely grateful that our students were able to participate in the Stress and Anger Management/Conflict Resolution Seminar sponsored by Communities of Tomorrow and a grant from the City of LaGrange,” he said.

“Our students learned valuable life lessons about how to deal with anxiety and stress and how to persevere through difficult situations and grow as young adults. Thanks to all for this great opportunity.”

The City of LaGrange approved a $15,000 grant to the nonprofit organization Communities of Tomorrow to help address violence among youth in the community.

“We have all seen the devastating effect of youth violence in our own community,” Thornton said.

“I applaud the efforts of Communities of Tomorrow and their partners to respond to this violence with educational outreach and intervention. I’m delighted that the city council and I have been able to support these efforts.”

The students had the opportunity to network with local businesses including Hyundai Transys Powertrain and Jindal Films about potential job placement. West Georgia Technical College was also available to discuss continued educational opportunities.

Communities of Tomorrow is a local nonprofit organization that focuses on the local community to ensure people in at-risk demographics have a strong connection to available resources, ultimately creating a pathway to thrive.

The next workshop will be in the fall, Harris said.